NGD used prestige (almost)

[l1ll1]

So stoked for this one.

It's a RG7621, from october '99, still with the one piece maple neck.
Super happy since I realized I just love late 90s / early 2000s japanese built Ibanez. Also really like the saddles in the bridge, the low key appeal & finish, even though I'm probably gonna get a single nice sticker on this one...

Found it used for dirt cheap, just needed some TLC on the frets and I probably need to put in a new tone pot at some point – or take it out completely... or mod it with a second volume.

Also like the PUs, supposedly these are DiMarzio "Customs", don't know a lot about these, but they are way (!) nicer than the Fusion Edges that came in my RG2027XL.

Any info + experiences on these is welcome, still in the honeymoon phase, but whoever has good recommendations for aftermarket PUs: fire away! Apparently Tim Howley put the classic SD Distortion+59 in his 7621...

 

[Chri]

Congrats! This looks like it was babied for the most part. Depending on the style of music you play the pickup suggestions will greatly vary. Dactivators are usually a good choice.

 

[Yul Brynner]

JFC that looks almost new!

I had a 99 RG7421BK (basically the same thing as yours even with the RG7-621 neck stamp just the V77-V78 pickups with square routing for the tabs) that was pretty beat and rusty for 175$ american dollars from a pawn shop. It still played nice though. I love those pre-prestige necks.

 

[Captain Shoggoth]

Awesome! These are iconic in their own way by virtue of being all over the place at that time.

Pickup-wise, I've got a JB + 59 combo in one 7, and a Black Winter + Jazz in another. I love the JB for downtuning, it sounds exactly like I expect high-gain to sound in my head, articulate punch but with a slight looseness that really thickens out the sound, especially for chording. I wouldn't go lower than A with it, I really tried but past that point the looseness falls off the edge and dissipates entirely leaving it sounding quite thin IMO.

Black Winter sounds very similar (moreso than a Distortion) but meaner and tighter; does G# very well while still feeling quite similar and very musical throughout its range. I'd pick either over the Distortion.

I like the Jazz but it felt a tad too modern and nasal for me so I got the 59 hoping it'd solve that, but it has the same problem along with less articulation and character, so a worse pickup overall in my opinion.

With any SD pickups you'd have to trim the mounting tabs to get them to fit into the triangular DiMarzio routes. The only DiMarzios I have are Ionizers, which are cool but very weird and do their own thing - super hi-fi and twangy with very muscular split sounds.

 

[goldenaxe]

Wow this is in amazing condition! I thought mine was good but still got chips round the front edge, yours looks almost flawless.

I personally wouldn't change the pickups, I think they sound great. More importantly, you'd sacrifice the all black look

 

[cardinal]

Those are just amazing guitars full stop. Congrats!

 

[Shawn]

Nice score.

 

[l1ll1]

Hey, thanks for all the replies!

It really is in great condition – actually couldn't belive it when I tried it. And it plays so god damn well. My Prestige is a bit more fancy (binding, Lo Pro Edge, Lundgrens), but the neck on this one actually feels nicer...
Also thanks for the PU recommendations. So far I'm super happy with the stock "Customs", even the split positions sound amazing. The JB sounds interesting and I've heard a lot of good things about D-Activators on this forum...
Got this one set up it in A standard, with Pyramid 0.11-0.64 strings.

 

[cardinal]

I like the stock 7620 pickups. I bought them for some of my other RG7s too.

 

[gasolinedreams]

Got this one set up it in A standard, with Pyramid 0.11-0.64 strings.

Just got a '99 7621 myself last week, mine is a bit more beat up than yours but still loving it so far.
Did you need to do any work to the nut in order to fit the strings you're using? Don't know the gauges on mine but they're are a bit floppy even in B standard. I'm looking to downtune a bit. Would like to get the thickest strings possible without doing nut work, at this time, will do later if necessary.

Mine has a D Sonic in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck, this combo sounds fine for now to me. Will maybe swap later on when I've got more of an idea of exactly what I'm going to be playing on this guitar. I've got the stock pickups as well.

 

[l1ll1]

I like the stock 7620 pickups. I bought them for some of my other RG7s too.

I'm actually so happy with them so far, that I dont think I'll change them. But I'm also on the road at the minute and can't run them through my 2210 Marshall... That's when I'll know for sure.

 

[l1ll1]

Just got a '99 7621 myself last week, mine is a bit more beat up than yours but still loving it so far.
Did you need to do any work to the nut in order to fit the strings you're using? Don't know the gauges on mine but they're are a bit floppy even in B standard. I'm looking to downtune a bit. Would like to get the thickest strings possible without doing nut work, at this time, will do later if necessary.

Mine has a D Sonic in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck, this combo sounds fine for now to me. Will maybe swap later on when I've got more of an idea of exactly what I'm going to be playing on this guitar. I've got the stock pickups as well.

No way, from which month is yours?
Actually the 0.64 is sitting on the nut a little bit, but it actually helps with string buzz, so I'm not gonna change it right now. I want to get a different set of Pyramids after this one, with the same strength except changing the lowest string for 0.58 or 0.54. Those will fit the nut perfectly again...
Right now the intonation is ok on the low A, only the first two frets are a bit muddy. Usually I run D'Addarios, but the Pyramids feel amazing.
Did you try the stock PUs in your 7621?

 

[Crungy]

Congrats! I hope to add one of those to the collection someday. I'd be lucky to get one as clean as yours!

Here's what I'm using currently:
7620 w/Aftermath and Air Norton
7321 with 707TWX-R
7420 w/Evo7 & stock old V77
1527 w/stock V77/V87

I've also used a Blaze and PAF7, and my RGA7 has SD Blackouts.

The 7620 and 7321 get the most play time. I've been using those two for drop G and I'm very happy with them. The 7620 with that combo can do a lot: the bridge is great for heavy stuff and cleans and the in between settings are also great for cleans or Tele kinds of tones. The Air Norton in the neck is almost too bassy but better with the volume rolled back a little. Probably my most flexible guitar, plus it has a TBX kind of tone control.

The 7321 does Fear Factory tones or whatever else I want with it. I really like that pickup and it does split coil sounds as well. It's pretty flexible for a one pickup guitar.

As far as the others? I dig the Evo7 but may swap it for a Blaze. The stock V77/87's sound pretty good to me for drop A/B standard in any position. More of a mood thing if I want to use those guitars for those tones, but I get not everyone likes them.

 

[l1ll1]

Congrats! I hope to add one of those to the collection someday. I'd be lucky to get one as clean as yours!

Here's what I'm using currently:
7620 w/Aftermath and Air Norton
7321 with 707TWX-R
7420 w/Evo7 & stock old V77
1527 w/stock V77/V87

I've also used a Blaze and PAF7, and my RGA7 has SD Blackouts.

The 7620 and 7321 get the most play time. I've been using those two for drop G and I'm very happy with them. The 7620 with that combo can do a lot: the bridge is great for heavy stuff and cleans and the in between settings are also great for cleans or Tele kinds of tones. The Air Norton in the neck is almost too bassy but better with the volume rolled back a little. Probably my most flexible guitar, plus it has a TBX kind of tone control.

The 7321 does Fear Factory tones or whatever else I want with it. I really like that pickup and it does split coil sounds as well. It's pretty flexible for a one pickup guitar.

As far as the others? I dig the Evo7 but may swap it for a Blaze. The stock V77/87's sound pretty good to me for drop A/B standard in any position. More of a mood thing if I want to use those guitars for those tones, but I get not everyone likes them.

Thanks a ton!
Never tried Bareknuckles... always had Warpigs on my list, but maybe I find a used Aftermath if I feel like changing the PUs.
Everytime I tried EMGs I liked them, but never wound up buying the guitar in question.

 

[Crungy]

Thanks a ton!
Never tried Bareknuckles... always had Warpigs on my list, but maybe I find a used Aftermath if I feel like changing the PUs.
Everytime I tried EMGs I liked them, but never wound up buying the guitar in question.

Youre welcome! There's people here that have experience with many more pickups for sure. I do know that with the ones I nave experience with that they're all fairly different yet I think they're all pretty decent. It really just depends on what kind of tones you are after.

The Aftermath is my first BKP, it just happened to be in the guitar when I got it. I have played an ESP EII MII hardtail with Warpigs and it sounded really good. That's an awesome guitar as well. I'd consider getting a Warpigs set but would only get them if I found a great deal on them. There's just so many pickups out there.

 

[gasolinedreams]

No way, from which month is yours?
Actually the 0.64 is sitting on the nut a little bit, but it actually helps with string buzz, so I'm not gonna change it right now. I want to get a different set of Pyramids after this one, with the same strength except changing the lowest string for 0.58 or 0.54. Those will fit the nut perfectly again...
Right now the intonation is ok on the low A, only the first two frets are a bit muddy. Usually I run D'Addarios, but the Pyramids feel amazing.
Did you try the stock PUs in your 7621?

If I'm reading the serial right, mine's from December.
Ah cool, I'll try to up the gauge a bit from what I have now at least before filing the nut slots, apparently I've got a 10-56 on it right now and it's a bit too floppy on the B string for my taste.

No, haven't tried the stock pickups, the D Sonic and Air Norton set was already installed when I bought it last week. Haven't decided yet if I'm gonna keep the stock pickups or try to sell them..

 

[MikeH]

I've owned all the Japanese RG7X2X guitars, minus the 7621, and I really wanna get my hands on one. Nice score!

 

[l1ll1]

So little update since everyone was so helpful in terms of PUs:

These DiMarzio "Customs" in this RG7621 are god damn jewels. Really hot. Really saturated. But clear and an instant wall of sound. Palm mutes are super chunky – and in A-Standard that is. The high end can get a bit much at times, but it's managable to work with and probably adds to the "definition".
Really love distorted two note intervals in higher registers ("craaaaaaaaaa") as well as chords and single note lines on the lower strings.

 

[MaxAidingAres]

Ive owned a 7620 which i sold and I own a 7420. Honestly prefer the 7420 pickups. set them low and theyre massive!. the 7620 pickups just sounded too sterile. good for djenty kind of things but other than that ill pass.