Why does my 555 play better than my 7v?

[mkh02]

Hey guys

Had a Jem 555 for years now that I use as a practise guitar and sometimes on stage...never let me down and really like it.

Decided to get a Jem 7V the other week and received it last night.

After a clean and a new set up i am enjoying it but it doesn't feel as comfortable to play as the 555. Legato passages especially high up the neck and tapping isn't as responsive!

The main positive thing I notice is that when I bend a string it doesn't have such a severe effect on the trem so the other strings stay in tune during bends if that makes sense compared to the 555.

It also sounds better and the build quality is superb..looks great too but I notice that I feel my fingers rubbing the fret board more than the 555.

I note that the 7V uses 6105 frets whearas the 555 uses Jumbo frets....could this be the difference?

Any thoughts would be welcome as i thought it would play like a dream...slightly disappointed!

Cheers in advance!

[Stealthtastic]

So many variables...it could even just be the action.

[mkh02]

I know it has baffeled me lol.

i have tried to set it up exactly the same as the 555. Action is 4mm at 12th fret which is how I like i like it...i find notes bend easier and clearance aids faster playing.

Just feels like those lower frets are not allowing me the grip on the strings...maybe more time to get used to it!

[Stealthtastic]

Maybe, I feel you though! My Ibanez Arc300 with stock pickups sounded 90% as good as my ESP horizon which was a lot pricier haha

[andrewsfury]

thats why you play them before you bu them.
guitars are just wood and metal ( some just flow) some not.

i had a rg350dx white that owned all my other ibanez but it didnt stay in tune well, but the tone was awesome even with the stock pickups.

[ohaple]

Perhaps the strings aren't radiused properly. If I were to guess, it would just be that they are slightly different in a couple ways. I would wager if you switch to playing only the 7v you will become accustomed to it, and then the 555 will be the weird one

[LMDAVE]

I get confused on what guitar has what neck, but doesn't the 555 have a wizard neck, and the 7v have a JEM neck? And the JEM neck has a more flatter profile than the slightly curved wizard neck. That slight difference can affect your playing until you adjust.

[AySay]

Wow...4mm action?!? If my guitar's are over 1mm at 12th I think it's too high...

[maqify]

Originally Posted by ohaple

I would wager if you switch to playing only the 7v you will become accustomed to it, and then the 555 will be the weird one

This might be the case...

[RGTFanatic]

These are two totally different guitars. The 555 has a WizII neck (400mm) as opposed to the new Jem Prestige neck (430mm). The Jem neck is also slightly thinner by 1mm all the way down the neck and wider by 2mm at the heel (58mm on the Jem and 56mm on the 555).

I would also guess that the springs are far more worn on the 555 making bends easier. Obviously you mentioned the different sized fret wire too.

I think you need to spend a lot more time with the new VWH. Make sure the setup is as absolutely perfect as you can get. I can't imagne you feeling the same way after a few solid weeks with the VWH.

[6fingers]

[djanggo]

You are so used to your jem555 that is why you need some time to get used to jem7vwh and get the feel of it.... When i started playing guitar i cant afford japan ibanez so i own the korean ibanez with lo trs trem.. I played it for years till i can afford to buy rg japan made... At first j cant get used to its feel and i feel that my korean ibanez plays better even the japan quality is better... But after awhile getting used to the japan ibanez then i thinknits better than korean one....but if you still feel that the jem555 is better than the jem7 even after playing awhile then you are few of the million guitarist who feels that jem555 feels better than jem7

[jer3d]

I notice this with my 7V and my 1550. I think I prefer the feel of my 1550's neck, but my Jem is definitely setup better and plays better.

[ShredderChick]

Did you check the nut height? When I got my 77FP2 the nut had shims that made it feel weird compared to my 777LNG and 70SFG... Once adjusted the feel became what I was expecting from a Jem

[Bryancap77]

Idk what it is about guitars, but I'm really really picky. I like my old ibanez rgt42dxfm better than at least 10 of the jems I've owned as far as playability goes. It either works, or it doesn't. I have no reason, it just is