So I travelled back in time...

[Wendigo]

...and bought my first electric guitar! 1985 Ibanez XV500 in flipflop blue. I don't care what you all say: I'm gowing a rat-tail mullet and getting out the parachute pants!

Seriously though, despite the "unconventional" optics, it's a beast of a guitar. Why can Ibanez build with this quality anymore? (for less than 5000 bucks I mean) Sounds comparable to any high quality instrument from the big companies nowadays.
EDIT: It just hit me: I only own Japaese electric guitars from '85 or earlier now. What's happening to me?

[OrangePaul]

Cool Axe

Turning Japanese, I think you're turning Japanese, I really think so

[megalithic]

Why would you sell one of those in the first place? (assuming you had another guitar which you thought was a fit replacement)

And how come you started out with a nice guitar, and not a crappy guitar with a warped neck and crappy pickups like most of us?

[Bensnake]

Love your show room, man! And that guitar IS pretty cool...

[Ronnie Robinson]

I am so with you ....Ive been looking the last 3 months for an 80s charvel which reminds me of when I started playing...fond memories of soft rock (I remember seeing Heart, Whitesnake and Europe and some I forget) and my first guitar was a Hohner with pointy Headstock...

Uber Cool room and guitar ........very nice

[Wendigo]

Why would you sell one of those in the first place? (assuming you had another guitar which you thought was a fit replacement)

And how come you started out with a nice guitar, and not a crappy guitar with a warped neck and crappy pickups like most of us?

Nooo you don't understand! There was a crappy semi-acoustic with half the value that my 18year old self wanted at the time. About the nice guitar thing: it was so strange looking that nobody seemed to want it. I got it for 250 Canadian used, with an amp at the time. It's new price back then was about 800 bucks as i recall. Anyway i can tell you it gives my other guitar a run for their money soundwise and playability wise.

[Wendigo]

You guys gotta help me! I gave the guitar to my wife, and within seconds, she turned into an 80's shredder!

[Bensnake]

[Les Paul Lover]

You guys gotta help me! I gave the guitar to my wife, and within seconds, she turned into an 80's shredder!

Must be one of the quickest shredder conversion in history!
She plays the part very well!!!

Congrats on the guitar, i bet it a fun one!

I've got an 1983 MIJ Aria Pro II RS X80 brilliant guitar. Came stock with super distortion pick ups stock, through maple walnut neck and ash wings. Very slim and fast neck.

On the right in the picture below in previous house:

[mark.r76]

I have an old 1990 rg550ex in laser blue with the blue mirror scratch plate. It is also one of the superior quality made in Japan ibanez. I'll have take a photo tomorrow afternoon and post it up. I love that guitar! It has been through the wars and had been retired, I've recently got her back up and running, which involved a complete rewire. A new bridge and I had to drill out the trem post holes in the basswood to a larger diameter. Then glue in some mahogany plugs, then re drill and press in new trem post plugs/screws. Lucky I have access to cnc machines at work to do the job!!

Next thing to do is buy a set of bare knuckle pups to finish it off!

I know what you mean about the quality of modern ibanez guitars. No where near as good!!

[Wendigo]

I've got an 1983 MIJ Aria Pro II RS X80 brilliant guitar. Came stock with super distortion pick ups stock, through maple walnut neck and ash wings. Very slim and fast neck.

Check the second picture I posted, second from the right: '79 Aria Pro II with a super distortion in the bridge! Brother!

[megalithic]

Nooo you don't understand! There was a crappy semi-acoustic with half the value that my 18year old self wanted at the time.

May I ask what it was as a model?

[S&m freddy]

Looks like my first 'good' guitar...which was an Aria Pro II YS500.... I loved that guitar...swapped it for crappy '71 Gibson SG special with a rubber neck... happy days. I still have my Washburn A20V and Fernandes STJ-75 Superstrat though.

[Wendigo]

Looks like my first 'good' guitar...which was an Aria Pro II YS500.... I loved that guitar...swapped it for crappy '71 Gibson SG special with a rubber neck... happy days. I still have my Washburn A20V and Fernandes STJ-75 Superstrat though.

It is indeed a '79 Aria Pro II YS 500AW...really nice guitar.

[Les Paul Lover]

I've got an 1983 MIJ Aria Pro II RS X80 brilliant guitar. Came stock with super distortion pick ups stock, through maple walnut neck and ash wings. Very slim and fast neck.

Check the second picture I posted, second from the right: '79 Aria Pro II with a super distortion in the bridge! Brother!

I saw it but couldn't remember if it was a westone or Aria Pro II.
Funny thing is that mine was my 1st guitar. I wanted to improve the tone, so I swapped the pick up for a Paf Pro neck and X2N in the bridge. It certainly change the tone in the right direction for me, but it didn't make the guitar sound 100x better. That was in 97. Fast forward to 2008, i finally found some info about the guitar and learnt that the original pick ups were super distortion....