Looking at buying a 7-string - have questions

[thetroy]

Hi there, first post here. I'm thinking that I want to get a cheap (under $500) 7-string to try them out as I've never played one. Ideally I would go to a store and actually play one, but I have never seen one around here (Detroit). I'm looking at buying used since I will probably not keep the guitar very long no matter what (either I will like it so much that I'll want a better one or I will want to get rid of it asap). I'm into shreddy metal stuff and maybe fusion when I get to be a better player. I don't want a trem, since I want to experiement with different string gauges and action a lot with this first 7-string. Here are some guitars I'm looking at (no particular order):

A - RG7321

B - RG7421

C - RG7621

D - Jackson RR7

E - Squier Stagemaster-7

F - (Insert other non-trem 7-strings here)

Questions are as follows:

1 - What's the difference between Wizard7 and WizardII-7 necks?

2 - If anyone knows, how does the RR7 or Squier neck compare to the Wizards?

3 - Besides pickups, what's the difference between RG7421 and RG7621?

4 - Anyone have any experience with the RR7 or Squier and have any general comments on them?

5 - Slightly unrelated, but does anyone make a neck-through 7-string besides Carvin?

Any and all comments would be appreciated, I'll try to update this when I make a decision. For the record I currently play a Jackson Soloist and like it very much, I also just played an RG1570 the other day and would think long and hard about trading my soloist for it (the thin neck is really nice). Ask me any other questions you'd like, I'll be lurking near for awhile. Thanks!

[Societysucks]

if you can get hold of one, the RG15271 Is probably your best bet.
Only problem is as of now, they are probably only available form japan.

Great axe mind!

[thetroy]

Originally Posted by Societysucks

if you can get hold of one, the RG15271 Is probably your best bet.
Only problem is as of now, they are probably only available form japan.

Great axe mind!

Yeah I saw that one too, doesn't look like it will be very cheap to get over here if it's possible at all.

[Mind Riot]

I have an Ibanez RG7421, and I believe the differences from the 7621 aside from the pickups are only that they have different bridge saddles (and I don't think one is better, I think they're just a different design) and I think the 7621 usually has a solid maple neck whereas the 7421 has a bubinga strip in it. Or it could be the other way around for the necks, I believe I heard that there are a lot of 7421 bodies around with 7621 necks, so there's not much difference between the two. Aside from the pickups, I personally would say that there's little or no functional difference between them. They both have the Wizard 7 neck and the same body wood, hardware save the saddles, etc.

I may be selling my RG7421 soon, but maybe not. If I do I'll put it up on the classifieds.

[Drew]

good first post.

Yeah, the 7621 and 7421 are both japanese-made. You get a slightly better bridge on the 7621, but that's a pretty easy mod for the 7421, so not worth worrying about, imo. There's the pickup difference, too, but while the New-7's are clearly better than the V7-7 and V8-8 (not knowing they were Dimarzio's, my first thought playing the 7620 I bought was "damn, Ibanez really got better with their pickups), you're probably going to want to swap them out for a better set eventually, anyway- they were a bit low-heavy for my ears, great for rhythm, but the air norton/tone zone set I've got in there now is much better for lead, IMO.

I actually got a chance to play a Squier Stagemaster 7 in a guitar shop near where I used to live- suprisingly, it was a decent guitar. It wouldn't have matched up to my 7620, but it didn't sound half bad, played decently, and the "fun" factor was much higher than the price tag would have led me to believe. I should have bought it then and there, as it was gone the next time I went into the shop ad it'd have made a great backup 7.

Of course, Squires are notoriously variable from guitar to guitar- sometimes you get one that can hold its own with most real fenders, while others are just junk. Play before you buy, if possible (for all guiars, really, but especially here).

-D