It rose in popularity throughout the 1980s and had the features that musicians in the rising shred and thrash metal movements of that time were looking for: a "fast" neck,[1] comfortable body, powerful pickups, and a reliable tremolo system.

The RG Series features a neck that is very thin in cross-section, with a fretboard that is flatter (430mm/16.9in or 400mm/15.75in radius of curvature), wider, and longer (24 fret double octave) than most.

Flatter radius on a fretboards facilitate wider bends and lower string action at the expense of comfort in playing chords.

The body of the RG Series features sleek, offset pointed double cutaways giving better access to the upper frets.

The Edge tremolo incorporated several manufacturing changes when compared to the original Floyd Rose, including increased mass, relocated fine tuners and improved locking posts.