RG7620 Production questions

[Jazzedout]

I have an 1998 RG7620 which is still in bits, trying to deceide what color to go for, but that's another story in an other thread on Jemsite (link: RG7620, bored with its looks. Post your modded pics. - Jemsite I hope I don't brake anu roles by linking it here).
I was wondering what was the first year of the RG7620? Was it 1998? Also were there any differences in the neck sizes between the years? I played a friends 2000 model last week and it felt thicker than mine, but I haven't played mine in some time since it is still in pieces. Is it just my idea? (Btw my setup certainly was waaay better than his;could this also be it? but it got me thinking anyway...)
Also the pickups: They say Dimarzio made in USA on the bottom. What's the confusion between Blaze/Blaze II/New 7 etc? What were put in 1998?
Thanks in advance for the clarification.

P.S. Waiting on a new 7 that will be posted here also possibly next week if all goes well with the postal services!

 

[Michael]

I'm pretty sure 1997 was the first year of the RG7620 and they had always been stock with New 7's if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Jazzedout]

That's what I thought initially but I don't see anyother 7 string listed in the 1997 catalog found on Rich's site ( Ibanez Rules 1997 US Catalog ) On the other hand the 1998 catalog has a whole page feature on the RG 7 string guitars. Like it is the first time they came out.....

 

[WarriorOfMetal]

1998 was the first year of the 7620 and as i recall, they always had the New 7 pickups....although, for some reason this page says 1997: Ibanez 7-string Guitar Specs

 

[Drew]

If I had to guess, I bet it's one of these deals where production started in '97, but it was for the '98 model year. I've certainly heard about 7620's with F97 serial numbers - my old one might have been one, in fact.

There's no such thing as a Blaze II. That's a mistake (??!!) on Ibanez's part, and a long running one at that too. The Blaze is the pickup Vai designed for the UV, and there's no difference between the UV's stock pickups and an aftermarket blaze, except I believe for the baseplate being made of a different material. The 7620 was originally inadvertently spec'd with Blaze II's as well, but shipped from day 1 with "New7's," which while I have no formal proof of this I suspect are the pickups originally wound for the CT/CST series. They're based off the same pickups, I believe.

 

[scott from _actual time_]

I've certainly heard about 7620's with F97 serial numbers

mine is. they were selling 7620s in the US as early as June 1997.

There's no such thing as a Blaze II.

actually, there's no such thing as a Blaze. or at least, they're two names for the same thing. the UV pickups were called Blaze II from the start. the OEM Blaze/Blaze IIs were stamped B1, N1, or the single-coil M1 for bridge, neck, middle. they had brass baseplates until ~1997 or so when DiMarzio switched to the phenolic resin ones for the humbuckers. there are OEM versions of those too, stamped the same.

The 7620 was originally inadvertently spec'd with Blaze II's as well, but shipped from day 1 with "New7's,"

actually the 7620 pickup mis-labeling as Blaze didn't happen until a later Ibanez catalog, 1999 i think. the pickups yes were from day one the New 7s, which are stamped B2 and N2 and have only come with brass baseplates AFAIK, but they were not mis-called Blaze until after the 7620s had been out a year or so.

at some point in the late 90s/early 00s, they strated putting the skunk stripe on the neck, but you'll have to find a more recent 7620 historian than i am to get info on that.

 

[Metal Ken]

. I've certainly heard about 7620's with F97 serial numbers - my old one might have been one, in fact.

I know for a fact i owned a F97.

 

[Jazzedout]

Thanks guys, so what about the necks? Which is the thinner 7 neck? Were older UV's thinner than the 7620? Are newer UV's the same as the 7620? I am confused about which is the thinner...

 

[djpharoah]

Most older UV necks were thinner than the RG7620 however you can find exceptions as the necks were finished by hand. The newer UV necks just suck and are just a lot fatter compared to the older UV/RG7620 necks.

 

[canuck brian]

1998 was the first year of the 7620 and as i recall, they always had the New 7 pickups....although, for some reason this page says 1997: Ibanez 7-string Guitar Specs

I bought mine in June of 1997 as soon as it arrived in Canada. The neck on it is pretty damn thin and it's definitely thinner than the newer universes.

 

[tehk]

I HAVE QUESTION!

1 of my RG7620's has a glossy neck.
The other has a sanded neck (similar to that of an RG7321, etc..)

Both are 99's.

Help?

Is one just modified?

 

[Michael]

Is one just modified?

Yep. My '99 has a clear coated neck too.

 

[Jazzedout]

Were there any changes in neck thickness when they added a bubinga stripe on the necks? Mine is a F98 one without the stripe. When did they switch to the bub. stripe?

 

[tehk]

Yep. My '99 has a clear coated neck too.

Cool. Thanks for clearing it up .
I'll keep them the way they are.

However.. the sanded one does feel a lot nicer...

 

[jacksonplayer]

The bubinga stripe was added in 2000, I believe, which was the only year that the 7620 and 7420 overlapped. My 7620 with the stripe had an "F00" serial number. And the neck was considerably thinner than any other 762x I've played.

 

[Andretti]

I have a 1998 7620 also, Does anyone know what size allan wrench it uses?

 

[Pewtershmit]

I can confirm, My neck from a 2000 with a Bubinga stripe felt considerably thinner than my 99 w/o bubinga stripe. However, I seem to feel that this neck is slightly more comfortable.

On another note,

suggestions for a pickup change? The new 7's I find are way too muddy and lack definition in the low B.

 

[Vision]

I have a 7621 and it is an F97 serial. I think they came out at the same time as the 7620's.

 

[Digital Black]

I have a 98 7620 also. My stock pup's had a black baseplate. I don't think they are blaze series, but possibley made by Dimarizo for Ibanez.

 

[Andretti]

So does anyone know the allan wrench size on the 98 models of 7620s for the trem bar?