In fact, as I’m writing this post, I have already placed an order for one of these beauties and it should probably arrive next week.

I can hardly wait… I’m so excited to finally own and hold one of these beauties in my hands that I don’t know if I should pee or have a heart attack.

Maybe I should just do both at the same time.

The Paul Reed Smith Modern Eagle II

The newly updated Modern Eagle II builds on the tradition of the Modern Eagle with premium grade wood, classic Modern Eagle frets and a Modern Eagle wide fat neck carve and adds to that an all new pickup system and updated finishing techniques.

The 1957/2008 pickups offered standard on the Modern Eagle II allow players to achieve both vintage and modern sounds. PRS obtained exclusive rights to the original pickup wire used in the most revered pickups in the 50’s. PRS obtained the rights to the wire in 2008, and 1957 was the year the humbucker was first commercially available, giving rise to the 1957/2008 name.

This is another beauty of a guitar -- the Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Reissue.

As usual, I am biased and will first showcase the colour of the guitar that I actually own myself…

In 1987, rockers, heavy metal freaks and speed demons blasted the Ibanez RG550 into iconic status. With its super flat and super fast necks, double locking trems and superb pick ups, this guitar reached legendary status in a jiffy.

Now 20 years later in 2007, Ibanez released a very limited run of these beauties -- full remakes of the original RG550s. This guitar is completely accurate down to the tremolo although the neck has been improved on -- the original Wizard neck used to crack and warp so the reissues are given the Wizard Prestige neck which uses strengthening layers embedded into the neck.

There are only 1987 of these Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Reissues which has caused the original RG550s to jump heck of a lot in value. And with only a limited quantity of these babies reissued, these will surely be collector’s items as well…

These guitars come in ultra cool colours : Desert Yellow, Road Flare Red and of course, Black.

Since you have already seen the black up there, here are the other 2 colours:

Desert Yellow:

Road Flare Red:

What makes it even cooler is that these guitars come in their own matching hard cases. Take for example, the gorgeous Desert Yellow Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary shown here:

And that’s not all folks, Ibanez has kindly packed matching RG 20th Anniversary guitar straps and picks into the whole package as well… Can everyone say Yowza!

Have a look at what the experts had to say about this guitar:

(Taken from Musician’s Friend)

The Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary guitar features a slim, fast Wizard neck and a maple fretboard with 24 jumbo frets for easy leads and chording. The lightweight basswood body has a sculpted upper edge for comfort. The bridge is the original Edge tremolo with die-cast saddles. Pickups include Vintage 7 and 8 humbuckers framing a high-output single coil. 5-way switching provides a full range of instantly selectable sounds. The neck attaches with the original Tilt Plate joint.

Since 1987, the Ibanez RG has been the weapon of choice for visiting sonic mayhem on the metal masses. With the right choice of pickups, flat and fast necks and double-locking trems, the RG has divebombed and crunched its way to classic status. This 20th anniversary edition is extremely faithful to the RG550 that started it all, born out of Ibanez’s quest for originality in the world of electric guitars and the requests of artists who play heavy rock and metal.

20 years later, the RG is still one of the most highly sought after guitars for artists wanting pickups and pickup placement providing the hard-edged cutting tone needed for heavy rock, the fast necks needed for face-melting solos, drop-dead good looks and top-shelf electronics and hardware.

The 20th Anniversary RG550 is sure to become a collector’s item, and you can make it yours for less than you might expect. Ibanez sweetens the deal by including a special RG20th hard shell case, special strap and pick in colors matching the RG550 you choose.

Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Electric Guitar Features:

• Slim, fast Wizard neck
• Maple fretboard
• Jumbo frets for easy leads and chording
• Lightweight basswood body with upper edge sculpted for comfort
• Floyd Rose-licensed Edge tremolo with die-cast saddles
• Pickups include Vintage 7 and 8 humbuckers framing a high-output single coil
• 5-way switching for a full range of instantly selectable sounds

Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Electric Guitar Includes:

• Special RG20th hardshell case, special strap, pick in colors matching guitar

Click on the above link to have a read of some reviews found on Musician’s Friend as well.

Another cool site : The Ibanez RG20th Guitar Registry. Here, proud owners of this beautiful Ibanez can register their guitars by serial number (there are, only 1987 of these in the world) and post up their pics for all the world to see.

And lastly, if you’re still not convinced, here are more reviews of the Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Reissue here at Harmony Central.

Okok, here’s an extra bonus for you guys… A vid of Paul Gilbert introducing the Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Reissue for Ibanez when it was first launched…

<Look at some other cool stuff at 33 Rebels>

Play this guitar? Or just have something to say about it? Let other readers know what you think by leaving a comment below!

]]> http://www.33rebels.com/ibanez-rg550-20th-anniversary-reissue-guitar/feed/ 2 http://www.33rebels.com/fender-srv-lenny-stratocaster/ http://www.33rebels.com/fender-srv-lenny-stratocaster/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:56:07 +0000 admin http://www.33rebels.com/fender-srv-lenny-stratocaster/
This was one of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s favourite guitars and one which he had with him wherever he went. And with good reason too… This guitar was a present given to him by his wife Lenora “Lenny” Vaughan on his 26th birthday, when he wasn’t a superstar yet.

(Pictures taken from Fender)

Stevie spied upon the used Fender Stratocaster in a Texas pawnshop and immediately fell in love with it. Unfortunately, during those early years of pre-mega stardom, did not have the means to buy it. It cost $350.

The guitar was a 1965 maple neck Fender Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard that still had the original pick ups on it. Although it used to be a 3-colour sunburst, it was obvious it hadn’t been refinished expertly at some point and it now had a dark natural finish bearing an elaborately arty inlay behind the bridge.

Lenora devised a plan to get that guitar for him. She went out to find 7 people with $50 so that they could pool their money together. They presented the guitar to Stevie and he was absolutely thrilled. When he took the guitar home that night, he wrote a song for her while she slept and played it to her the next morning. “Lenny” was thus born.

Now, in a historic collaboration among Fender Guitar Centre and the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate, the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan “Lenny” Stratocaster guitar has been commissioned by Guitar Centre for reproduction as a limited edition by the Fender Custom Shop. The original “Lenny” will be reproduced in a limited quantity, with 185 guitars offered for sale in the United States, available exclusively through Guitar Centre.

Guitar Centre purchased the original guitar for $623,500 at a 2004 Christie’s auction.

Have a look at more pictures and the complete story of this beautiful guitar at the official Stevie Ray Vaughan Fender “Lenny” Stratocaster page.

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]]> http://www.33rebels.com/fender-srv-lenny-stratocaster/feed/ 0 http://www.33rebels.com/bc-rich-mockingbird-sl-slash-signature-st/ http://www.33rebels.com/bc-rich-mockingbird-sl-slash-signature-st/#comments Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:35:21 +0000 33Rebels http://www.33rebels.com/bc-rich-mockingbird-sl-slash-signature-st/ Ok, this guitar is just cool.

This is the signature model that B.C. Rich produced for my favourite guitar player of all time – the legendary Slash.

These pictures just make me drool…

(Text and pictures taken from B.C. Rich)

B.C. Rich Mockingbird SL Slash Signature / ST Model

Inspired by a Mockingbird that a certain top hat wearing legend plays, the Mockingbird ST is, in many ways, very true to the original. Equipped with neck-through construction, a Floyd Rose tremolo, Rockfield Mafia Pickups, coil tap switches, reverse phase switch and Varitone knob (5-way tone control) this axe is ready to shred and slash!

Neck-Through Construction
B.C. Rich is known as one of the pioneers in Neck Through construction. They utilize it on many of their guitars, because it provides the best possible sustain, resonance, comfort and access to higher frets. Neck-through has long been considered the premium construction method for high end guitars. This construction starts with a long piece (or pieces) of premium North American maple. That piece runs from the tip of the headstock to the strap button on the opposite end of the guitar. This means that the headstock, fingerboard, pickups and bridge all are mounted to this single sound foundation. Sonically it is a difference you can hear. The neck-through construction also allows us to cut away more of the body and neck at the neck joint which provides comfort that no bolt-on or set-neck could offer. You will find the neck through feature on all of our top of the line B.C. Rich models.

Rockfield Pickups – Mafia
Bridge Pickups
BC Rich guitars called and asked us, “We like the turbo series but can you do them with a ceramic magnet also?” We replied, “That’s a great Idea! Sure we can, but you have got to use them in everything!” (We didn’t win that battle but it was worth a shot) The use of a ceramic magnet gives any pickup extra power due to the increased magnetic field that they provide. This feature makes the mafia pickups produce a hotter and thicker tone that’s really aggressive and full. The increased low end and thick mids and in your face highs is what rock and roll was built on! Balanced and full of sustain this pickup is a great representation of its namesake, a truly intimidating killer.

Neck Pickups
We wanted to make sure the neck version of the mafia pickup was just as full sounding as the bridge position. We wanted to do this without taking away from what we had already accomplished. So we again we went into the wood shed and made very minor modifications to the overall design and design concept of this pickup. When we came out we were confident that the Mafia neck pickup had that punchy bold tone with the same aggressive characteristics as the bridge version. A tad brighter with a little less output really takes this pickup into the smooth and warm realm of the tonal spectrum. All while maintaining that balanced bite and in your face aggressive tone that the mafia is known for!

Beveled Top
Most of B.C. Rich body styles employ a beveled edge around the shape. In many ways bevels on a top are similar to facets on a cut stone. They catch the light and reflect at different angles giving the instrument more of a three dimensional look. Some of the B.C. Rich top bevels are extreme and wide while others are subtle and narrow. Occasionally the shape of the instrument is accented by painting the bevels a contrasting color.

Specifications
Construction: neck through
Body wood: nato (eastern mahogany) with ebony stringers
Body thickness: 45mm
Top style: beveled
Top wood: AAA quilted maple veneer
Body binding: no

Headstock style: traditional 3 to a side
Headstock color: natural rosewood faced
Headstock binding: no
Tuners: Grover super Rotomatics

Neck wood: maple
Neck radius: 12”
Back of neck: stain to match
Neck binding: no
Nut width: 43mm locking

Fretboard: Ebony
Inlay: small white pearloid diamonds
Frets: 24 jumbo 2.7mm
Factory strings: 9 – 46
Scale: 24 5/8”

Bridge type: Floyd Rose original tremolo
Pickups: 2 black open Rockfield mafia humbuckers
Controls: 2 volumes, 1 tone, 1 three-way toggle, individual mini switches for pickup coil tap and reverse phase, and one 5 position varitone tone filter. (All passive)
Hardware: black

Finish: stained trans glossy
Color: stained trans red AAA quilted maple with ebony stringers

 <Look at more cool guitars at 33 Rebels>

<Look at some other cool stuff at 33 Rebels>

Play this guitar? Or just have something to say about it? Let other readers know what you think by leaving a comment below!

“The Gibson ES-335 brought hollowbody tradition and solidbody performance together in 1958, and it is still one of the all-time classic guitar designs.” – The Gibson Guitar Company

The ES-335 that I have is not in the Cherry finish but in the Trans Black finish.

I remembered when I bought the Gibson ES-335, I just lay it on the bed and stared at it for an hour and a half before I picked it up again. The classic shape and beautiful curves on this guitar are just beautiful and breathtaking.

Plugging it into my Marshall, it gave me the warmest tone that I have ever heard. Clean notes and chords sounded crystal clear while distorted power chords and riffs sounded heavy and gut wrenching. It is such a versatile guitar that it can be used for almost any musical application.

The Gibson Guitar Company first made this guitar in 1958 and it has since reached legendary status, after being in the hands of such diverse guitarists in different genres like : Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, the legendary session guitarist Larry Carlton, Eric Clapton (when he was with The Yardbirds), Dennis Coffey (Motown session guitarist), Sheryl Crow, Tom DeLonge (Blink 182), Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues), Eric Johnson, B.B. King, Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), Robby Krieger (The Doors), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Mke McCready (Pearl Jam), the legendary Roy Orbison, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) and Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys)…. er, just to name a few…

This particular model comes in a plain top with a satin lacquer finish. Here are some other stats:

Body & Hardware

Plain laminated maple top, back and rims

16 1/2″ (W) x 20″ (L) x 1 3/4″ (D)

Single-ply binding on top and back

Nickel Hardware

ABR-1 bridge, stopbar tailpiece

Neck & Headstock

1 piece mahogany neck

22 fret rosewood fingerboard

Pearloid dot inlays

1960 slim taper neck profile

24 3/4″ scale length, 1 11/16″ nut width

Vintage tulip tuners

Electronics

‘57 Classic humbucking pickups

2 volume, 2 tone, 3 way selector switch

Here is a review I found of this sweet guitar from Sweetwater :

” The Gibson ES-335 with a Satin Finish!
With the exception of the Les Paul Standard, there are few other guitars in the Gibson catalog that can match the ES-335 for sheer star power. It’s been seen in the hands of guitarists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, B. B. King and session legend, Larry Carlton (who has his own 335 Signature model). And of all the ES-335s Gibson has made, the one with the most magic is the 1959 Dot-Neck. With its arched top, f-holes and solid maple center block, the semi-hollow 335 has all the raw power of a solid body, but with the refined elegance of a traditional Gibson archtop. The ES-335 is the perfect guitar for practically any musical setting. It’s as perfect a fit for jazz and fusion as it is for blues, hard rock and beyond. Later models had block inlays, but the dot neck will forever hold a special place in the hearts of most guitar players.

Gibson ES-335 Satin at a Glance:

• Semi-hollow body design with maple top, back and sides in Faded Cherry finish with single-ply cream binding
• Slim 1960 taper mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and pearloid dot inlays
• Two ‘57 Classic Humbuckers

A Very Special 335
The first ES-335s that rolled off the Gibson production line have truly achieved legendary status. Maybe it’s the semi-hollow body design, the sound of its two humbucking pickups or just the simple elegance of the pearloid dot inlays. Whatever it is, it’s made the original 1950s ES-335s among the most sought-after guitars among collectors who are often happy to pay astronomical prices for instruments in good condition. Odds of even finding a dot neck 335 from the 1950s today are almost zero. The next best thing is to get your hands on the this ES-335. It has the looks, the sound and the star power of the real thing.

Slimmer is Better
No, we’re not talking about the latest fad diet, we’re talking about the 1959 ES-335’s neck profile. It’s the 1960s so-called “slim taper” neck profile. In any case, the combination of a fast-playing mahogany neck and the warmth of a rosewood fingerboard is what the ES-335 is all about.

Two ‘57 Classic Humbuckers Onboard
Most players agree that the ‘57 PAF (Patent Applied For) humbuckers are as good as it gets when you’re talking about tone. It’s got it all: Complex midrange, punchy lows and a smooth top end that won’t make your teeth hurt. If you’re looking for a pickup that starts out clean and can really smoke when your amp is on 11, well then, this just might be nirvana!

Gibson ES-335 Satin Features:

• Color: Faded Cherry
• Top: Maple
• Back: Maple
• Sides: Maple
• Neck: Mahogany with ‘59 rounded profile
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearloid dot inlays
• Number of frets: 22
• Pickups: Two ‘57 Classic Humbuckers
• Controls: Two each tone and volume with three-way pickup selector switch
• Machine heads: Vintage tulip
• Hardware: Nickel plated
• Case: Custom Shop hardshell

The Gibson ES-335 Satin delivers both punch and finesse!

Gibson: Don’t Mess with a Good Thing
Gibson guitars have been around for well over a century. When guitarists are looking for an outstanding combination of superb tone and playability along with great looks and gorgeous finishes, the choice for most of those 100 plus years has been Gibson. From their amazing collection of fine acoustics to the electric guitars that literally rewrote music history, Gibson guitars have been on almost every chart-topping album from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin. These “first call” instruments also cross an enormous array of diverse styles, from folk and country to blues and hard rock. With that resume, it’s not surprising that so many of Gibson’s best-selling instruments have changed little over the decades. Because there’s just no sense in messing with a good thing!”

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