NG(s)D: Dean Rusty Cooley RC7X and others (56K... good luck)

[OzoneJunkie]

The first set it's too dark in the room and the only bright pic it still doesn't look so brown.... can you take a better pic.

Yeah, sorry about that. It's the camera on my phone, and no flash. Best pictures of it are on the beatstreetmusic site

Dean Rusty Cooley 7 String Metallic Black Electric Guitar and Ca - Beat Street Music - We're Right Around The Corner


You can see the color of the fingerboard really well there - the one where it's head on. It's darker than rosewood - but not as dark as the US RC7.

 

[ShadyDavey]

thanks man. I am lovin the RC7 but don't get to play it much lately since I am at work 7 days a week.

Here is a pic for all the Dean Lovers (I got the MAB2 a few weeks ago and decided to take this pic) The new Dean pickups in the MAB2 are amazing.

>>>Pics snipped<<<

I think I have to go to the bathroom. I don't particularly like the MAB models (even though the armour flame is quite nice) but the US RC7 is pure win. Heck, I might even pay for that model over the Import if I find myself flush.

Lovely pics

 

[MTech]

You can see the color of the fingerboard really well there - the one where it's head on. It's darker than rosewood - but not as dark as the US RC7.

Those pictures aren't very good either..but from the looks of them it just looks like a piece of ebony that isn't so solid black..it's only really got two little strips of a lighter color through it.

 

[Elysian]

If you look at my home made guitar - and see how deep the scalloping is on that - well, you will never feel the fingerboard wood on that.

The RC7X - just doesn't seem any different, fret-height-wise, than any other guitar... to me...



You might be right. However, I'm basing my "guess" at Macassar (note, not Madagascar) Ebony on a few things:

Looking at the guitars on Mike Sherman's sight, the ones with Macassar - the RC7X fingerboard looks similar in shade/color.

Last time I talked to Mike - if I'm remembering this correctly (blame me, not Mike if I'm off here): the darker ebony that used to be used often is actually scarcer now, and that Macassar Ebony is easier to get...

Macassar ebony is stripy, like seen on this google image search

macassar ebony - Google Image Search

The wood on that RC7X you have is likely rosewood, ebony does not have wide open pores like that. I've got macassar boards in the shop that are gorgeous, and have no visible pores.

 

[OzoneJunkie]

Thanks Adam. You're likely correct. If it is indeed rosewood, beat street should change the specs on their site.

 

[Elysian]

Thanks Adam. You're likely correct. If it is indeed rosewood, beat street should change the specs on their site.

It could be Dean putting out the wrong specs. Either way, its not like rosewood is a downgrade from ebony, just a different flavor. The fretboard looks good the way it is, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[OzoneJunkie]

It could be Dean putting out the wrong specs. Either way, its not like rosewood is a downgrade from ebony, just a different flavor. The fretboard looks good the way it is, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Yeah, I'm not overly concerned about it. Again my only issue personally is the fret size, with I'm living with for the moment. Neck is pretty darn sweet...

 

[Harry]

Don't know why you can't see them Seebu. Works for me here.

So, I went to the music stores in NYC today during lunch. They don't have the US RC7. But I'll say this - almost every guitar I looked at had fretwire that was significantly wider than the RC7X, and in many cases taller fretwire. I'm convinced it's different fretwire than the US version - no way the RC7X has 6000 or 6100.

Oh, and Manny's is officially closed now. They are/were owned by Sam Ash for the past 8 years, but now they're officially done...

Well, judging from your pics, you're right, they definitely are not 6100 or 6000 fretwire. They are also too wide to be 6105 and not tall enough.
6150 is a very likely size, fairly wide but not as wide as 6100s and not as tall as 6100s and 6105s.
If you like the neck, it might be worth getting the guitar refretted with 6000s, or to get the same effect of your fingers not touching the fretboard, 6100s with a slight scallop. Granted it's not the same feeling as big frets, but you say you're used to scalloped necks anyway so it could be a good option.

 

[OzoneJunkie]

Well, judging from your pics, you're right, they definitely are not 6100 or 6000 fretwire. They are also too wide to be 6105 and not tall enough.
6150 is a very likely size, fairly wide but not as wide as 6100s and not as tall as 6100s and 6105s.
If you like the neck, it might be worth getting the guitar refretted with 6000s, or to get the same effect of your fingers not touching the fretboard, 6100s with a slight scallop. Granted it's not the same feeling as big frets, but you say you're used to scalloped necks anyway so it could be a good option.

Thanks Harry. I've decided to wait until I get my Sherman 8, and then figure out what I'm doing with the rest of my guitars. I may go down to just the 8 and the Ibby 6 for leads requiring a vibrato bar, and sell the rest.

If I do keep the RC7X, yeah, I'll consider a refret

 

[Zehailiu]

^ Have you contacted Dean to find out if the frets are what they intended to put on?

 

[OzoneJunkie]

Nope. I can't imagine it wasn't what they intended... unless there's a QC issue and the factory ignored the specs? Mebbe...

 

[st2012]

This is pretty dissapointing. So from NAMM were we were told that this guitar would have the exact specs of the USA model (without being made in the custom shop and thus cheaper) it's now got smaller frets, different fretboard (possibly) a thicker neck and a different trem?

p.s. IMO the trem change is for the best but when Dean was marketing this guitar they tried to convince everyone that an OFR isn't as "shred friendly" as the trem Rusty uses. Dean fails by the truckload.

 

[MTech]

a thicker neck and a different trem?

p.s. IMO the trem change is for the best but when Dean was marketing this guitar they tried to convince everyone that an OFR isn't as "shred friendly" as the trem Rusty uses. Dean fails by the truckload.

The neck profile is the same, neither the USA or the Import are exactly like Rusty's which was on that Red one they had when they debuted the guitar. The shoulders are slightly different that's all.

The Tak Floyd is extremely good and in a way better because the fine tuners are out of the way..it doesn't have any problems with tuning stability etc. like cheap licensd floyds have. If Floyd Rose made a OFR7 Pro than I'm sure that'd be on there but for some reason they won't make that trem.

 

[Jefonyx]

Hi !
Just bought one, and it's fabulous !
The frets doesn't disturb me at all.

I have to precise that the guitar looks very ugly in the official photos, but in real, it's not ugly at all.

I made a video with the guitar :

Do you know what kind of string tension are mounted on this guitar? I don't know, so I can't change my strings now...:/

 

[Colin Varville]

Got mine in a couple weeks ago, its the best guitar I've ever owned

The neck is the thinnest I've ever played and the cutaway is amazing, easily the most playable guitar I've ever touched.

I'm not sure what the frets are, they don't feel that much bigger to me coming from my previous experience on the Ibanez Jumbo frets on my RG7321, whatever size those are (I think I read somewhere they were 6100s? I don't know much about that) Either way they feel great and its easy to shred.

The neck and cutaway make the guitar itself awesome, plus you get EMG 707's and an OFR with a hardshell case for 900$, well worth the money. I'd recommend this guitar to anyone

YouTube - 4 String Arpeggios

To the above poster: if by string tensions you meant gauge, the factory strings feel like 9's to me, I'd guess 9-58 (or 56)

 

[OzoneJunkie]

Glad y'all are liking yours. I think refretted, it'd the best shred machine out there - maybe the US version already is

I have a Dean catalog, and they have the RC7 and the RC7x next to each other. The pictures are small, but even from pictures the RC7 frets look wider - they have to be different frets.

Well, enough of the fretwire discussion. Time to shut up and

 

[Jefonyx]

For sure the frets are different, because I can touch the wood with my fingers. It seems to feel like medium fret. I personnaly prefer the Jumbo frets, but it doesn't bother me at all. to play shred and co.

Thanks for the string gauge (tension was not the good word, sorry I'm French
The shop just told me that it was .10/.56 strings. So I will see if it's true on the next string replacement

 

[OzoneJunkie]

btw, I put on 8s for D through high E. Bends/vibrato are obviously much easier now, as is legato. Picking on those string require a lighter attack now too. But, I like the balance of the strings now.

 

[Seven]

I'm pretty interested in one of these.

How is it that it costs you guys $900 and it will cost me about £950GBP?

I may consider one if I can get it cheaper, do Dean have rules on dealers that they can't sell abroad?

EDIT: It appears Music Farm are willing to ship internationally for free. That's £609GBP current exchange rate. Why the huge price difference for different countries?

 

[Jefonyx]

I don't really know for UK, but I am french and I bought it on Music Farm. THey sent it to me and a received it in 6 days for 715 Euros + 215 Euros for taxes.

I asked another shop for the string gauge and they told me that : .009 .011 .016 .024 .032 .042 .059
This answer seems to be more in terms withs the standard.