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97K views 132 replies 83 participants last post by  billq 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well, after an early rumor of the change and much confusion due to the ibanez.com website specs on the VWH I can now confirm, the 04' VWH now has a ROSEWOOD fretboard. The one shown at NAMM was ebony so I never gave it a second though afterwards. It is a nice dark select rosewood but it is rosewood nonetheless.

Just an FYI ;)
 
#78 ·
Someone earlier said that people have complained for years that the VWH wasn't the same as Vai's, but it still isn't.

I think the hardware is the thing that separates the factory models to evo more than the rosewood fretboard.

Steve still doesn't use the gold hardware on Evo and uses the old style bridge.

(but hey, i don't want to see that happen to the factory models hahaha - well maybe a few chips in the paint)
 
#84 ·
I have the 7v with the ebony fretboard, always loved the feel of the ebony board, glad I scored one before the spec change. Rosewood is an excellent fretboard also, but the vine inlay sure shows up nice on the ebony. My777dy obviously feel's much differen't, maple and all, but the ebony takes the blue ribbon. Just my opinion. JCA
 
#85 ·
ebony change can be a major tone change, feeling and dynamics. personally I love it. From my personal experience sustain is increase, presence (highs) are increased and mids are slightly flattened. I'd guess it depends on the guitar but it is a major change in tone, at least for me.
 
#87 ·
Geez people, the 7VWH is Vai's sig guitar. Vai plays rosewood boards. The 7VWH should have a rosewood board.

People complain endlessly that the 7VWH should have a Sustainer, or Buzz Feiton, or whatever, because "Vai's guitar has it". They change the thing to be more like Vai's by putting rosewood on it and everyone complains. Pick one: Do you want it to be Vai's guitar or not?

There are 10 years of 7VWH guitars out there with ebony, buy one of those if you have to have it. :p
 
#88 · (Edited)
toshiro said:
Geez people, the 7VWH is Vai's sig guitar. Vai plays rosewood boards. The 7VWH should have a rosewood board.

People complain endlessly that the 7VWH should have a Sustainer, or Buzz Feiton, or whatever, because "Vai's guitar has it". They change the thing to be more like Vai's by putting rosewood on it and everyone complains. Pick one: Do you want it to be Vai's guitar or not?

There are 10 years of 7VWH guitars out there with ebony, buy one of those if you have to have it. :p
We have/will.

I think the complaint here is IMO Ibanez started with a new bridge that could've had locking studs but didn't (Thank God for Rich's quick fix). Even if we amuse the "floyd patent running out and the lo-pro tooling nearing end of life cycle" they could've installed the locking studs which set this floating bridge apart with a form of tuning stability yet they didn't for the public. Then they abruptly changed the fretboard to rosewood w/o any news yet at the same time the rumor/news emerges about ebony wood. In addition many of us loved the look/feel of ebony on this white guitar (and it was really the only model available in the US with ebony).

The claim to the fretboard change is Vai has been using rosewood so they finally got around to changing it to match what the artist has been using however the artist (and other endorsees) still receives a lo-pro. Basically it seems they only want to match the artist to the artist's production model when it suits their bean counters.

Correct me if I'm wrong however the only big "high-end" guitar builders left widely offering ebony on a super strat is Jackson and Carvin (with some cuttings into to replace the pups I've read).

Though I admire Vai's talent and music I didn't buy a VWH to emulate him. I bought a VWH because I wanted a quality super strat with a great neck, a stable floyd trem, alder body, and ebony neck. (I have to admit though the vine is very cool.)
 
#93 ·
They had to give final aproval on the trem, I remember the inside scuttlebut at the time was spec was still undecided for the 03's until they finally got Joe's and Steve's aproval. I do not think they had any say in the studs.
 
#94 ·
I personally prefer the cool, refreshing taste and feel of the ebony as opposed to the rosewood. Ebony feels smooth, rosewood feels soft, and maple feels like something you could pick up and kill a man with.
As much as I like having one thing a certain way, I think change can be good because it forces you to diversify a little. Then again, not all of us can have three billion guitars like RICH!!!

: )
 
#98 ·
The Guitar Center on I-45 in Houston has two JEM7VWHs in stock right now.

A brand new 2005 with rosewood
A very lightly used 1997 with ebony

I was with a girl and I played both. I noticed no difference whatsoever in play except the used one had a reasonably good setup and the new one had terrible action.

The girl I was with commented that the "dark one" looks better. "The dark one is formal like... white gold and super dark wood. The light one clashes!!! Who wears white gold and light brown brown together?"

IMO- it's a cosmetic change only. Sounds the same. But still a downgrade.

The argument that "now it looks like Steve's!" is a dumb one from top to bottom.

Steve's has silver hardware and an original Edge. If Ibanez really cared about making the JEM7VWH mirror Steve's, we'd get silver hardware and an original edge. This is about saving money, and it just happens to mirror one of the uglier aspects of Steve's current setup.
 
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