7's - tone vs playability (opinions plz)

[_tim]

I'll start off by saying that yes, I'm an idiot.

That said, I need a few opinions from those who know better. I have a Dean Vendetta that I bought off of ebay to see if I like playing 7's. Turns out that I love it - so much that I don't play 6's anymore. I've grown up loving Vai and many others - but he was my primary influence in trying the 7 world. Having played the Dean for a while and now finding myself ready for a big boy 7, I need some guidance.

I wanted a UV777 like mad forever - but (and this is where I'm preparing for a beating) I always find that Ibanez's tend to sound kinda tinny unless you apply a decent amount of filtering to them. I encourage discussion here - if you disagree, please let me know your take and your setup. The thing about Ibanez is their playability. That is unquestionable. It's just the tinny thing that gives me pause.

I love the Carvin DC747 but I'm just not sure of it's playability relative to the UV777. I'm guessing that based on the fact that you build the guitar from the wood up, sound and tone origination can be somewhat sculpted from the start, hence removing tinniness.

I've seen this discussion before in a thread from a couple years back. I guess I'd just like a few new opinions on the matter.

My main goal is finding a great, versatile axe to play. I'm a fiend when it comes to sound though, and that's partly why I'm looking to put the Dean away. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated - and any other suggestions would be great too.

 

[MikeH]

"Tinny" sound typically comes from pickups, and rig settings. My S540 is a rather small guitar, but with the right settings, it sounds pretty giant. It's really just down to finnicking with your setup and options on your guitar. Also, technique has a lot to do with it. If you were to get a UV, I know for a fact you could get your desired sound with it. It just takes a little work.

 

[_tim]

Thanks man! I know that setup has a bunch to do with it - it's just that I have listened to so many folks play the UV's that have that same "tinny" sound. I guess I just figured that it was just a characteristic of the guitar.

Regardless - thanks.

 

[fps]

Thanks man! I know that setup has a bunch to do with it - it's just that I have listened to so many folks play the UV's that have that same "tinny" sound. I guess I just figured that it was just a characteristic of the guitar.

Regardless - thanks.

I know what you mean by tinny. To my ears, it's just my ears though, I find this with bolt-on guitars, it's like there's more snap to the sound but less sustain. It's a ridiculous generalisation to make, I know, and there will be many exceptions out there, but that's my experience from the very few guitars I've played. My neck-through Carvin sustains great, and the best sustaining guitar I've got is a maple-necked LP Studio from 1991ish, setneck. When I had an RG7620 I felt it didn't sustain as well. The trem may have had a lot more to do with this than the neck, now I think about it. Just thoughts, many players on the forum with more experience playing many guitars. Also I've never tried a Universe.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Carvin won't disappoint you. And most Ibanez fans anticipate a pickup change along w their purchase.

 

[_tim]

Thanks guys - on the Carvins, which I am constantly looking at, I am eternally wondering if the coil splitters are worth it given the single coil in the middle of the DC747.

Also - I am so curious as to wood choices. Their descriptions are pushing me into a direction that I'd love to pass by the forum. It'd be a walnut body with a walnut neck, but I'd add a figured Koa top to it. Flamed maple fingerboard (no inlays) - and without question a Floyd Rose trem with locking nuts. I don't want a "classic" tone and supposedly that's how they label Alder, Mahogany and Swamp Ash. I get that gear changes everything, but I want a base guitar that sounds great plugging straight into my amp. I know that may be a tall order, but that's what I want.

Thoughts?

 

[Konfyouzd]

Coil splitters--for me-- would be worth it bc I enjoy a single sound in the neck and could give a shit less about a middle pup, but it seems you like the middle pup so I'm going to just say "maybe" it's worth it, since you haven't yet expressed how you feel about singles in the neck.

I don't know alot about the woods you chose, but I think walnut is kinda heavy, fyi.

Also, you can get whatever tone you want out of mahogany, ash and alder. Don't believe the hype. It's the player not the guitar.

 

[_tim]

Thank you so much Konfyouzd. I love the single coil sound - my first guitar that I played for the first 9 years of my guitar life was an American made Strat. Broke my heart when I was forced to sell it. Coil splitters in!

The wood item is also very helpful. I'm going to have to really play around with the build. I tend to play what I buy for a long time so I want to get this right from the start.

 

[frogunrua]

Thanks guys - on the Carvins, which I am constantly looking at, I am eternally wondering if the coil splitters are worth it given the single coil in the middle of the DC747.

Also - I am so curious as to wood choices. Their descriptions are pushing me into a direction that I'd love to pass by the forum. It'd be a walnut body with a walnut neck, but I'd add a figured Koa top to it. Flamed maple fingerboard (no inlays) - and without question a Floyd Rose trem with locking nuts. I don't want a "classic" tone and supposedly that's how they label Alder, Mahogany and Swamp Ash. I get that gear changes everything, but I want a base guitar that sounds great plugging straight into my amp. I know that may be a tall order, but that's what I want.

Thoughts?

Sounds like you've got the right idea then going with walnut, regardless of tone it will still look nice. Imo, any wood variations you pick will still give it a great plug and play characteristic, carvin doesn't screw around with shitty woods. I suggest a flamed maple neck to go with that fretboard, but thats just me being biased lol.

 

[Bandersnatch]

You need to remember that with woods, they blend sound, they don't stack sounds on top of each other. I would personally go with a swamp ash body instead because you'd get lots of tone out of combining it with a walnut neck.

Also, as far as "tinny" ibanez's are concerned, that's usually due to the terrible stock pups that they put in their guitars.. The only exception I've had where the pickups sound very good are in my SZR720. I'll still probably swap those out for d-activators though.

All my other Ibanez guitars sound great. I've got a cruch lab/liquifire in my RG320FM which sounds awesome, and duncan JBs in my RGD2127z which sounds very deep. Konfyouzd is right on the money when he says most Ibby owners swap the pickups, but it's always for the better.

I don't have any experience with Carvins.. but the popular Ibanez 7s around here seem to be the RG7320 and RG1527. Both of which are great guitars. Another good one that I've played is the RGA7, which has active pickups, but a switch to turn them into passives and it's got a great tone to it.

 

[Sam MJ]

Good choice on the walnut neck, supposed to be nice and stable .

I wouldn't worry too much about certain tone 'properties' woods have, it's mostly negligible due to wood sounding so diverse anyways.
e.g. two peices of 'Mahogany' will sound different, there are hundreds of species and sub species that are called 'mahogany'. Then, even if you know the exact species, two peices from the same species sound different and even two peices from the same tree will sound different.
So saying that mahogany is muddy is like saying mamals are small round and furry because you've seen a feild mouse.

Personally I'd go with what you like the look of, a guitar that's good looking will make you want to play....or just stare at it in wonder .

Best of luck

 

[_tim]

Thank you all so much for the replies - I truly appreciate it. I'm taking what I'm learning here and really considering the options; purchase will be made next month. I'll be sure to post a pic once the new axe, whatever it may be, arrives.