Ibanez 7 Choices

[TunedToB]

Hi, guys I'm in the market for a new MIJ Ibby 7 workhorse and I'm trying not to go over $1,300.

Overseas shipping is out of the question because it's difficult to do here in my country, so I'm limited to these tasty choices in my area:

RG752fx (Subterranean Purple)
Pros:
-Only about $700
-Simple, solid, no-frills workhorse
-Almost brand new and bone-stock
-Fixed bridge
-great mod platform

Cons:
-(shallow con) This is by far the 752 I like the least because of its color. Call me shallow, but I'm just not digging the rosewood board and dull metallic purple look.
-Not good resale value here
-Will definitely need a pickup swap
-If I want to try it out it's about a 2 hour drive which is tricky to schedule right now


UV7BK (Green dot)
Pros:
-One of my dream guitars
-Only about $1050
-No serious issues despite its age
-That legendary UV neck profile
-The allure of an OG, 29-year-old instrument
-Neck is in good condition
-Good resale value here
-One of the rarer models with an original Edge 7
-These things are getting rarer

Cons:
-Not a trem guy, but sort of willing to suck it up for potential UV hype
-Will need some cleaning, rewiring, replacing old rusty screws
-It's about a 5 hour trip if I want to buy or try out the guitar


S5527QFX (Purple doom burst)
Pros:
-Relatively near my area
-Almost brand new, unused condition
-Fixed bridge
-Mahogany with a maple top, which is my favorite combination
-Looks pretty darn slick
-Also seems like a solid workhorse

Cons:
-About $1,250 making it the most expensive of the bunch
-Will definitely need new pickups
-the S7 neck supposedly feels a bit different from RG7 necks? Anyone have experience here?
-Not good resale value here
-rush sale so the seller may need me to decide quickly

K7 (Firespeak blue)
Pros:
-Another dream guitar
-Only about $1,100
-Also an old school Ibanez goodie with a cult following
-Mahogany body
-Looks classy AF
-Good condition

Cons:
-Once again, has a trem but willing to suck it up to try a real K7
-Have to wait till July for the owner to arrive back in my country
-Owner isn't sure if it's an earlier model or the later version with a different, less popular neck profile
-...that inlay.

I'll attempt to at least try the S5527 soon but the others are totally different stories. Will need to plan ahead and block work days off if I even want try them out. What do you guys think?

 

[noise in my mind]

just get the 752

 

[Konfyouzd]

^

 

[TunedToB]

just get the 752

Thanks for the suggestion. Definitely tempted to make it a mod project especially at that price, just wish it wasn't a few hours away so I can try it.

Maybe I'll block off a weekend to try both the 752 and the UV. I'm mostly gunning for which neck feels the most comfy. My only reference was trying a 7621 that had a really sweet neck.

 

[Konfyouzd]

If you liked the 7621 you should look for one of those on Reverb too maybe. I'm pretty sure you'll like the UV's neck. And you can always block a trem.

 

[s2k9k]

OG Green Dot for $1050? That's your guitar right there.

 

[TunedToB]

If you liked the 7621 you should look for one of those on Reverb too maybe. I'm pretty sure you'll like the UV's neck. And you can always block a trem.

Shipping is a bit out of the question coz of additional costs and CITES, so I'm sort of stuck looking in my country. Sadly there's no 7621 for sale at the moment but I'm pretty lucky to have these choices right now. Also, yep was definitely going to block it if I ended up with a trem equipped guitar!

OG Green Dot for $1050? That's your guitar right there.

The pull towards the UV is crazy, I'll admit... it'll just take some serious planning to go there and get it. But yeah after seeing how much they are online, that price is actually a steal by today's standards.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Shit... I just saw your location...

 

[TunedToB]

Shit... I just saw your location...

Yeah, sadly the 7 string community isn't as big here so the selection of used extended range instruments is pretty limited most of the time. Was pretty lucky to find the sellers of these guitars though.

 

[77zark77]

Universe, then K7

 

[odibrom]

All of the above, but make sure to try out the S5527. Necks are similar (if not equal) to RGs of the same tier. S models are comfortable AF, really really comfortable. I'd have more of those if they came ou with the specs I needed (my first Ibanez was/is a '93 S540, once I got it, never bought anything else). An S5547 (preferably, 'cause of the LoPro) or the S5527 will eventually land at my door... some day... super sexy guitars...

 

[TunedToB]

Okay update: had a misunderstanding with the 752 owner and he’s actually way nearer than I thought.

Will try to test out the S5527 and 752 over the weekend to see if I jive with any of them. If not...guess i’ll plan a trip to try out the UV!

 

[bastardbullet]

I’d go for the S5527QFX without questioning the rest. Once i had the pleasure to chug it out, it’s an outstansing guitar with probably the most beautiful purple finish i’ve ever seen. Pickups were just fine; mild & reasonably edgy at the same time. Cleans were also pretty warm, articulate and full bodied. I wouldn’t bother to swap them at first place but it sure depends on your taste of tone. I have unnecessarily large palms with stupid long fingers, so the neck shape was a spot on for me. Also the built quality in total was another level of mastery.

I made a dumb move and just let it go even i had the cash in hand. I haven’t seen another one around here since then in TR.

 

[Sogradde]

If the UV is MIJ, I'd take that one because you can block a trem but you can't turn a fixed bridge floating. 2nd choice would be the S7 because it's an S. It's important that you get whatever inspires you to play though. An uninspiring guitar is worse than no guitar.

 

[skmanga]

does blocking a trem bring it closer to sounding like a hardtail?

 

[NorCal_Val]

Universe, then K7

Having both a Universe and a K7, I agree.

 

[goobaba]

S5527QFX is so dope. get that shit

 

[TunedToB]

Thanks for all the input, guys. I'll admit the one I want the most is the UV like most of you said, but I'm surprised with how many votes the S5527 is getting. I'm more of an RG guy so I was a bit hesitant to get an S series but your opinions are helping. It's a good thing I'll get to try the S5527 relatively soon. It's a bit pricier than everything else, but still within budget.

If the UV is MIJ, I'd take that one because you can block a trem but you can't turn a fixed bridge floating. 2nd choice would be the S7 because it's an S. It's important that you get whatever inspires you to play though. An uninspiring guitar is worse than no guitar.

Totally agree, man. I know I'm going by which specs and neck profiles may seem most familiar to me but if I jive with a guitar I wasn't expecting, I'd get it no questions asked.

 

[TunedToB]

Also, does anyone have any experience comparing the old school Ibby neck profiles (like the Uv7 and K7) with the newer Prestige necks (for the 752 and S5527)? Like I mentioned before my only references have been my RGA121 and an RG7621 I borrowed for a week and OMFG those wizard profiles felt like they were made for my hands.

 

[odibrom]

In the end, a guitar is as good as its setup for the player, when we're talking this tier, obviously.

If you dig the "fanboy" thing, either UV or K7 will serve you well. If that is irrelevant, do try the S. It is a newer guitar, it will have less things to worry about (like fret wear, cracked neck at the nut and so on, cracked heel, cracked body at the trem posts...).

If I'm not mistaken, K7 is mahogany, as well as the S, so if you like that wood, there's another argument. My preference goes for mahogany as it vibrates better with my belly and chest, but there are as different mahogany woods as there are socks.

If you value the resale option, forget the S. and go for the UV. If you don't want to spend much, then the RG may be the solution.

Now, imo, you should look for a guitar that pleases and inspires you to play. Old School guitars are cool and have lots of mojo, but they may also be "broken inside", or be already "dead". Be cautious on your decision and MAKE SURE to really test drive and inspect the guitar you'll take home. If possible, try to talk to the sellers and see if they can hold the sale until you try these 3 or 4 guitars...

In the end, you'll buy the S...