Help me buy my first seven string guitar?

[Daniel Howard]

So I just got a new job and I've got a respectable cash-flow which I am sensibly going to blow on MY FIRST seven string but the choice is difficult since there's so many, so I was hoping people could narrow me a list down and I can go try them.

atm I mainly play my Ibanez Prestige RG652ahm fixed bridge (which is beautiful btw) so I want something with a sleek, thin neck, preferably maple but more suited to metal since the 652 imo isn''t really a shredder. Good stocks would be a bonus.

Any advice would be great really!

Budget: idk like £500-800

Thanks

 

[KnightBrolaire]

cheaper option:
ibanez rg7321 or 7421

less cheap options:
ibanez rgdir7m
ibanez rgaix7fm
ibanez frix7feah

might be out of your price range:
most ibby premiums/used prestige
schecter km7

there's lots of other brands as well, but that should get you started.

 

[Curt 8771]

Used schecter banshees? Not the extreme, those are newer cheaper ones but an elite (used) or older banshee would probably be in your price range.

 

[FetzEgemony]

i know this is going to sound like heresy, but never actually plaed any 7 string ibanez, so i can't compare anything,
but i had a schecter JL7 and tha guitar was amazing, neck was very thing and played very nicely!

ended up selling it because i had the feeling that guitar was not right for me (can't really explain, but there was no "connection" between us.. maybe it was just that i really hated those inlays) anyway i really regret selling it.. and you can find it used for very a very low price

 

[akinari]

KnightBrolaire totally nailed it. My first 7 was an RG7321 and I fell in love immediately. I know everyone's tastes vary, but it's very hard to imagine not having an absolute blast playing one if 7s are your thing.

 

[littlebadboy]

I had an Ernie Ball 7 witb a floyd. I hated the floyd. Then I got an Ibby RG7321. Replaced bridge with DiMarzio Blaze and it was awesome. However, I just couldn't bond with a 7-string's wide neck and I hated it that I only have one guitar to go low on. So, I thought of using some kind of octave or pitch shifter pedal. I searched and tried different pedals. I finally settled on the Digitech Drop which gives close if not perfect to real down tuned sounds. I am now really happy with it! Now, any of my six string guitars, even my grampa tele, can do those low-tuned playing! I can choose whether I want to go standard or drop C, A, B and lower up ton octave down! It could get weird sounding though below B.

 

[lurè]

Not completely sure but with £800 you could potentially be in RG1527 territory.

 

[secretpizza]

Ibanez definitely makes really solid 7 string options at that level if you're looking to stick to 25.5 scale. But if you intend to drop the top string to A, or do drop Ab or lower, you should see about grabbing something with a 26.5" scale. I didn't think it'd make much difference until I tried out a Jackson HT7 and realized how much nicer the extra tension is (and the extra scale length is pretty negligible). I don't know what the Jackson pro series HT7 quality is like, but the Schecter KM7 is 26.5 scale, stainless frets, and can be found pretty cheap on the used market if you grab a MK1 or MK2.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Ibanez definitely makes really solid 7 string options at that level if you're looking to stick to 25.5 scale. But if you intend to drop the top string to A, or do drop Ab or lower, you should see about grabbing something with a 26.5" scale. I didn't think it'd make much difference until I tried out a Jackson HT7 and realized how much nicer the extra tension is (and the extra scale length is pretty negligible). I don't know what the Jackson pro series HT7 quality is like, but the Schecter KM7 is 26.5 scale, stainless frets, and can be found pretty cheap on the used market if you grab a MK1 or MK2.

ibanez makes 26.5" scale 7 strings as well. The RGDIR7M is 26.5", same with the earlier RGD7s or the RG1077xl (if you can find one). I'm sure they make others too, but those are ones that I know are definitely 26.5" scale. Drop A is totally doable with a 25.5 " scale, OP would just need some thicker strings and a proper setup for that tuning.

 

[MistaSnowman]

Quite a few in your price range...

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-...&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&

 

[Crimsonghost]

I just found a km7 for $600usd shipped. They are out there you just need to look around.

 

[secretpizza]

ibanez makes 26.5" scale 7 strings as well. The RGDIR7M is 26.5", same with the earlier RGD7s or the RG1077xl (if you can find one). I'm sure they make others too, but those are ones that I know are definitely 26.5" scale. Drop A is totally doable with a 25.5 " scale, OP would just need some thicker strings and a proper setup for that tuning.

Definitely - and they’re great ones. I’ve been a very happy owner of a RGD2127 in the past, I just didn’t think they’d be available at OP’s price range. But if you can snag one of those, they’re definitely worth the money. I’ve never played the iron label RGD7 but they look cool too - that might be in the range he’s looking to spend.

 

[TedintheShed]

Km7 mk II. Get the used one with the Sentient/Nazgul. Hipshot hardware, SS frets. Tremendous bang for your buck.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

ladies and gentlemen, I present JayR88, the least coherent poster on sso in years.

 

[Seabeast2000]

ladies and gentlemen, I present JayR88, the least coherent poster on sso in years.

What clock is it? Haven't been........ there in, years! Fuck it lol.

 

[Daniel Howard]

Okay Guys (OP here) so I went to the store and tried the RGAIX and the RGDIX7 and I reallllyyy liked the RGAIX, mainly the feel. The problem is my band are heart set on tuning to drop G# or even down to F and a 25.5inch scale just won't handle that imo even with stupidly thick strings :/

Any advice?

 

[gujukal]

Okay Guys (OP here) so I went to the store and tried the RGAIX and the RGDIX7 and I reallllyyy liked the RGAIX, mainly the feel. The problem is my band are heart set on tuning to drop G# or even down to F and a 25.5inch scale just won't handle that imo even with stupidly thick strings :/

Any advice?

Drop g# will be no problem, but yeah in drop f, 26.5" is the minimum to sound and feel right imo. Try a rgdix7mpb, they feel pretty great for the price and are 26.5".

 

[Daniel Howard]

Drop g# will be no problem, but yeah in drop f, 26.5" is the minimum to sound and feel right imo. Try a rgdix7mpb, they feel pretty great for the price and are 26.5".

I tried the rgdix7mpb and I really didn't like it, felt far too chunky and the fretboard felt really dry, although it was a store version so it could have been the strings because they were pretty worn.

I don't suppose anybody has here has tried an Ibanez JBM27 at all?

 

[gujukal]

I tried the rgdix7mpb and I really didn't like it, felt far too chunky and the fretboard felt really dry, although it was a store version so it could have been the strings because they were pretty worn.

I don't suppose anybody has here has tried an Ibanez JBM27 at all?

Yeah the RGDIX7 neck is a bit chunky but it makes it more stable than some other ultra thin ibanez necks.