NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

[Artie]

Anyone ever see one of these before? I just snagged this at the flea-market. There's very little info online. Few pics, and no YouTube videos.
The toggle switch and tone-control-push-pull appear to be factory. The serial number decodes to a Fuji-gen, Japan 1997 model.

(You wouldn't believe what I payed for it.)

Artie

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Nice. Is that finish factory?

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

I believe so, but I can't say for sure because there's so little info available. But the color carries over into the pickup and control cavities, so I'm guessing it is.

Btw, the model number is stamped on both the body and the neck in the neck cavity.

 

[PonyKiller]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Looks like an '87 model because of the old neck joint with the steel plate. By 1997 all RG guitars had AANJ joints (the sculpted ones without neck plate).
If the s/n is in a silver sticker, then it's an '80s model.

That's indeed a rare guitar. I've had half a dozen of old MIJ RGs and never knew that a 6xx series existed. Must be a Japan only guitar.


EDIT: Didn't see the last picture. You can't be completely sure that that's the guitar model number. From experience, seems like Ibanez uses a weird system to mark their guitars. I had a pair of RG570 (rosewood boards) marked as RG-550 on the neck (RG550 have maple boards).


EDIT2: Happy NGD! Those old RGs are awesome guitars.

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Looks like an '87 model because of the old neck joint with the steel plate. By 1997 all RG guitars had AANJ joints (the sculpted ones without neck plate).
If the s/n is in a silver sticker, then it's an '80s model.

Funny you should say that because my initial thought was that it is an '87 model. Then I saw one just like it on a Russian website that called it a '97. I bet they were wrong. And yes, it is a silver sticker.

That's indeed a rare guitar. I've had half a dozen of old MIJ RGs and never knew that a 6xx series existed. Must be a Japan only guitar.


EDIT: Didn't see the last picture. You can't be completely sure that that's the guitar model number. From experience, seems like Ibanez uses a weird system to mark their guitars. I had a pair of RG570 (rosewood boards) marked as RG-550 on the neck (RG550 have maple boards).


EDIT2: Happy NGD! Those old RGs are awesome guitars.

Thanks for that info. Maybe that's why I can't find much on the 665 model. Although, the couple that I have found have that additional toggle switch. The wiring in the control cavity appears to be factory.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Nice find artie, looks to be completely stock and just in need of a little tlc.... The push-pull and miniswitch are standard equipment.

They weren´t japan only, but they could have been for the Non-US market, I`ve seen 3 over the years and they all looked exactly like yours. But RG-665 is in fact the correct model name, here`s a black one for sale in asia...

http://guitar-expo.com/info/?p=12913

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Cool! Thanks Zerb. I think this one is going to be a "keeper". Any idea what she might be worth?

And now, of course, the search for the perfect pups. :scratchch



Oh yeah . . . I snagged this, along with the semi-hard shell case, for . . . . . . . $55. :banana:

 

[Zerberus]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

^^ brought back up to a clip a collector just might pay an exhorbitant sum for it... definitely more than 55$, even as she sits. You did good

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

I'll have to get her strung up and see how she plays.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Artie, that is an '87 RG 665 (silver sticker on back of headstock?)

Japanese market (some Europe) RG that should have an Ash body. I am pretty sure that guitar has some kind of pre amp as well.

PonyKiller, the 500 series RGs came with both maple or rosewood boards. The model number refenced the pickups mostly, not the fretboard. The 550 came with both maple and rosewood boards, as did the 570.

550 (HSH pickguard)
570 (HSH no pickguard)
560 (HSS no pickguard)

and so on...

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Thanks Ayrton. Good info.

Definitely a silver sticker. No pre-amp.

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Nice find artie, looks to be completely stock and just in need of a little tlc.... The push-pull and miniswitch are standard equipment.

They weren´t japan only, but they could have been for the Non-US market, I`ve seen 3 over the years and they all looked exactly like yours. But RG-665 is in fact the correct model name, here`s a black one for sale in asia...

http://guitar-expo.com/info/?p=12913

That's one of the few links that I found also. There's also a Russian one somewhere.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

It was the mini switch I was thinking of...

Been out of the Ibanez loop for sometime... brain rusty.

1987 to 1996 guitars will have a serial number beginning with F followed by 6 numbers. F is the production factory which stands for Fujigen. The first digit will be the last digit of the year, ie. F7***** is a guitars made in Fujigen in 1987. The last 5 numbers will be the consecutive number denoting production count for the year. 25899 would be the 25899th guitar built that year.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

That's one of the few links that I found also. There's also a Russian one somewhere.

Yeah, but I read your post and figured that there probably weren´t going to be too many russians selling a 1997 rg-665

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)



I wish I hadn't put "1997" in the title. My first instinct was that it was 1987.

 

[PonyKiller]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

PonyKiller, the 500 series RGs came with both maple or rosewood boards. The model number refenced the pickups mostly, not the fretboard. The 550 came with both maple and rosewood boards, as did the 570.

550 (HSH pickguard)
570 (HSH no pickguard)
560 (HSS no pickguard)

and so on...

A 6xx ibanez is something completely new to me (didn't know a 600 series even existed!) so I was taking the neck markings with a grain of salt as I've had early '90s RGs marked as RG-550 when they were 570s (RW board, HSH with no pickguard).

 

[Zerberus]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

I actually meant this, not the title, but it´s all good :friday:

Funny you should say that because my initial thought was that it is an '87 model. Then I saw one just like it on a Russian website that called it a '97. I bet they were wrong. And yes, it is a silver sticker. ...

 

[Ayrton]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Correct, the neck could be stamped "550" but it could be used on any of the 500 series guitars. The rosewood boards were normally stamped "550R"

Japan had all kinds of weird runs that never made it to North America.

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

. . . but it´s all good :friday:

Yes it is. I usually come home from the flea-market with a new beer glass. This was a little nicer find. :banana:

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD: MIJ Ibanez RG-665 (1997)

Btw, I haven't strung this up yet, (tomorrow for sure), but are these pups likely to be good, or more likely to be of the "Power-sound" variety?

There's no markings on the front or the back. Just blank plates.