Which guitar?

[DagMX]

I'm getting a new guitar for my birthday and I want a 7 string with a floyd-rose bridge or something similiar and my budget is about $600-$700. Also a thinnish neck would be preferable. I'm playing a special edition warlock so something along that thickness. I would also like to install a tremol-no so that I can easily go from hardtail to full floating mode. I also play mostly rythm but need a floyd for a lot of songs I do.

In this range I've found the following guitars and I need some advice:
1)A kramer 7 string with a licensed floyd rose. The neck is almost flat and probably one of the thinnest I've played. Very nice. Haven't heard the stock pups yet though but it was a nice guitar to play. Easiest to get and I've heard generally good things about it. I believe its alder and has 24 frets.

2)An ibanez S7320. Haven't gotten to play one yet but I've heard really good things about this one. Has a mahogany body and a ZR trem but only has 22 frets. It wont be too hard to get but would take a while

3)Schecter C7FR 7-String. I hear it has the thickest neck, but the res of the guitar is nice and its also the cheapest. Problem is that getting it will take a long while sine its out of stock everywhere but schecter have been getting a load of good reviews lately so..

Anyway, I hope you guys can help me out. Thanks

 

[Bassies7string]

imho, the S7320 is the best guitar of the three. Why? Ergonomics, mahogany, ZR trem. Only thing is that it's 22 frets and BLACK only(

 

[Rayder]

well, you did put ibanez into the equation, so you are going to get very biased reviews... jk

besides the kramer (cos i have no idea), if you were to choose between the ibanez and the schecter, you should compare the specs, and see which one you think would suit you best ie trem model, pickups, neck specs (width, shape), woods, controls etc. i dont know the specs of either so i cant give you a side by side list. if you suggest what type of music and type of sound you are after that would help us decide much easier

i dont know the specs of either so i cant give you a side by side list

EDIT: im not familiar with ibanez, but the schecter is a 26.5" scale. is the ibanez 25.5? that is also something you should consider

 

[Stitch]

Where is the Kramer? What colour, maple or rosewood fingerboard?

Having not played the Kramer, I would suggest the S7320 over the Schecter especially if you are looking for a flat thin and fast neck.

You say the C7 has great reviews - point me to a single bad review of the S7320.

 

[yevetz]

I thikn Ibanez it's a great 1-st 7 string guitar

BTW welcome

 

[DagMX]

Where is the Kramer? What colour, maple or rosewood fingerboard?

Having not played the Kramer, I would suggest the S7320 over the Schecter especially if you are looking for a flat thin and fast neck.

You say the C7 has great reviews - point me to a single bad review of the S7320.

Kramer is in a local guitar shop. Sunburst body, maple fingerboard.

Any idea how the licensed floyd on the schecter compares to the ZR trem? what exactly is different between a ZR and a normal floyd?(Something to do with ballbearings)and what actual difference does that make and can I lock and unlock the tremolo easily, or do I need to install the tremol-no?(I hear you can lock some ibanez trems)

besides the kramer (cos i have no idea), if you were to choose between the ibanez and the schecter, you should compare the specs, and see which one you think would suit you best ie trem model, pickups, neck specs (width, shape), woods, controls etc. i dont know the specs of either so i cant give you a side by side list. if you suggest what type of music and type of sound you are after that would help us decide much easier

i dont know the specs of either so i cant give you a side by side list

Im not familiar with either trem model or any trem model for that matter.
Scale isn't too much of an issue and wood on all 3 are nice(mahogany on all but the kramer that has alder). They are all pretty close in terms of specs...except that the ibanez has 22 frets but it also has a ZR bridge which people tell me on other forums, is better than most licensed floyds.

As for music, I play pretty much everything from metal(korn, metallica, pantera, trivium, dream theatre) to lighter stuff(beatles, zeppelin) so I want a sound thats heavy but sounds good clean..

Sorry for so many questions guys...but I gotta get the best I can for the money...and thanks for the help

also...what are the stock pickups on the schecter and the ibanez like? I'll fin out what the kramer is like in a couple days and see if I can get the ibanez to play on for a bit..

 

[Stitch]

The official position is that Ibanez pups suck ass, and while this is for the large part rtue, the V77 and V87 really are not that bad.You may find yourself craving more definition down ther line but stock out the box they do sound great, just a little mushy for really super-accurate-hi-gain-djenting.

The neck pickup is actually quite good.

The ZR7 is, hands down, the best trem ever produced for a guitar. Silky smooth, and the ZPS means snapping a string and tuning up are not the total disasters they often turn out to be on floyd roses.

I would venture the S7 is the most versatile (it also has a five-way switch for coil taps and parallel pickup combinations, whereas I believe the C7-FR has a three-way toggle for neck, both and bridge settings) and the Kramer the least - simply because it doesnt really look the part for Beatles playing.

 

[DagMX]

The official position is that Ibanez pups suck ass, and while this is for the large part rtue, the V77 and V87 really are not that bad.You may find yourself craving more definition down ther line but stock out the box they do sound great, just a little mushy for really super-accurate-hi-gain-djenting.

The neck pickup is actually quite good.

The ZR7 is, hands down, the best trem ever produced for a guitar. Silky smooth, and the ZPS means snapping a string and tuning up are not the total disasters they often turn out to be on floyd roses.

I would venture the S7 is the most versatile (it also has a five-way switch for coil taps and parallel pickup combinations, whereas I believe the C7-FR has a three-way toggle for neck, both and bridge settings) and the Kramer the least - simply because it doesnt really look the part for Beatles playing.

The ibanez has coil tapping? well thats something I wouldn't mind having..but whats ZPS?

EDIT:Nevermind...found out its zeropoint system.

Well i think Ill try in this order for the guitars:
Ibanez>kramer>Schecter

Also I heard ibanez has a system of their own where you can lock down the bridge to make it a hardtail. Is that a part of the ZR trem? and if it doesn't, can I install a tremol-no or is it not compatible? Or would I even need it? I'm so confused

Reason I want to be able to block the tremolo is so I can go to drop D tuning when I need to without any problems or maybe even lower to about a whole step down.

 

[Stitch]

Zero Point System.

You'll need to scroll down to the bit about the ZR trem.

The ZR and the ZR7 are identical mechanically, so don't worry about any differences between the S7 and that article.

 

[DagMX]

Zero Point System.

You'll need to scroll down to the bit about the ZR trem.

The ZR and the ZR7 are identical mechanically, so don't worry about any differences between the S7 and that article.

Okay thanks. That cleared up a lot. So how hard would it be to drop a full step, or would I need to set up the trem again for that big a drop?

 

[playstopause]

Based on your description ---> The Ibanez.

Good lord, i would love to see pictures of the Kramer...
Only saw a blue and a red 7-string Kramer. Must look good with that sunburst + maple board

Go at the shop and take some pics for us, pleeeeeeease
We'll cover you with positive rep!

 

[DagMX]

Based on your description ---> The Ibanez.

Good lord, i would love to see pictures of the Kramer...
Only saw a blue and a red 7-string Kramer. Must look good with that sunburst + maple board

Go at the shop and take some pics for us, pleeeeeeease
We'll cover you with positive rep!

haha, next time I go there