the death of the 7 string - why 7 string popularity is falli

[Daturadeth]

I would own a seven string right now if Ibanez would make one left handed version available. I've been looking at Shecter because they make a decent one for the money but I've always prefered Ibanez guitars overall. I would even take a korean 7 Ibanez if I could play a couple and find one I liked.

[Drew]

the 7620 and 1527 are basically the same guitar. The different trem (which, after a locking post mod, performs on par) and the different pickups (which everyone swaps anyway) are the only two major differences. Personally, I've always considered it a reissue of the 7620, done at a more intelligent price point.

[Roland]

Hold on - the RG1527 nowadays is cheaper than the RG7620 went for, list? I thought it was the opposite. What I'd like would be an Edge lo-pro trem-equipped RG7 that's cheaper than the RG1527 (which runs for 1400$ in Sweden), and I thought that that was what the 7620 was. (Nifty play of words, eh?)
I'd also LOVE to see a re-issue of the S7-series, so that I could perhaps play and compare them. (I usually don't go past the 22nd fret on the high E anyways, so the 22 fret neck isn't a con for me.)

[ibanez.shredder]

Originally Posted by Roland

Hold on - the RG1527 nowadays is cheaper than the RG7620 went for, list? I thought it was the opposite. What I'd like would be an Edge lo-pro trem-equipped RG7 that's cheaper than the RG1527 (which runs for 1400$ in Sweden), and I thought that that was what the 7620 was. (Nifty play of words, eh?)
I'd also LOVE to see a re-issue of the S7-series, so that I could perhaps play and compare them. (I usually don't go past the 22nd fret on the high E anyways, so the 22 fret neck isn't a con for me.)

Yes the RG1527 is cheaper (list as well) than the RG7620 (when it was made). The RG7620 listed for $1300 (thats from jemsite archives but i assume it to be higher) and in 2004 the RG1527 listed for $800, and in 2005 it listed for $1100. Of course in sweeden the list will be higher as it is here in Australia, but that also mean the RG7620s list would have been higher. and the $1300 for the RG7620 was worth more back when it was made (inflation etc.). So the RG1527 is considerably cheaper. but due to flooding of the market the value of the RG7620s has plummeted. And guys id wish you'd get over this EDGE Pro hate, mine dosnt even have locking studs and it perfoms just as well as my orginal edge, if not better. The Lo-Pro is only equipped on one guitar now: the K7. i can understand that everybody has differnt preferences, but people saying the EDGE pro is inferior to the Lo-pro is just absurd and whoever says it is just plain dumb or stupid. if anything its better than the lo-pro (with locking studs). so guys, i can understand that you love the RG7620, but you have to accept that the RG1527 IS the prestige version of the RG7620.

[Chud]

Yeah alot of people complain about the Edge Pro but the EdgePro on my RG1550 is great. It rarely goes out of tune even with the craziest whammybar antics. The only thing that wacks it out of tune is pushing really hard to make strings go sharp, but that's because mine isn't setup very well

I don't even have a locking stud mod on mine

For divebombs, flutters and... well everything, the Edge Pro really does perform. I had the pleasure of trying out a new UV777 with the EdgePro7 and i thought it was a nice trem. It didn't stay in tune very well when i played it, but that's just because the guitar wasn't setup by the store (as most guitars in stores arn't - lazy shopowners! ). The guys at the store told me it wasn't setup but if it was it'd stay intune, and judging from my RG1550 i believed them. It still stayed in tune quite well, with a set of .9s on it.

My RG7420 is absolutely terrible for tunning stability - Lo-tres7. It used to be quite good, but it's just not getting any better. I guess it desperatly needs a pro setup because it's been beaten up and knackered for 2 years straight.
I've blocked the trem of and i'm about to put a set of .11s on it. I'm going to use it as a hardtail with fine tunners (a valuable thing on any 7-string hardtail. I just wish Ibanez brought out a 7-string with an FX bridge).

I do know a few people in my area who have bought RG1527. I'll have to get together with them and try it out.


Though if there's one thing Ibanez don't do well - It's pickups. The pickups on my 7-string are very muddy. I guess that the RG1527 is probably the same. IBZ pickups just don't cut it

[ibanez.shredder]

Originally Posted by Chud

Though if there's one thing Ibanez don't do well - It's pickups. The pickups on my 7-string are very muddy. I guess that the RG1527 is probably the same. IBZ pickups just don't cut it

Couldn't have said it better mate. The pickups on the RG1527 suck donkeys proverbials. They are the 7-string versions of the ones in your RG1550 (BTW very nice guitar there) and my god they are bad. the top 5 strings are OKAY (borderline okay) but the second you go to the 6th 7th string it just turns to MUD. ZERO note definition. are having the guitar for 2 weeks ive decided to replce them with and EMG 707, 81-7 set with 18v electronics. Thats one area the RG7620 kicks ass flobanez and roland! id take the New-7s anyday over the ibanez V7s, V8s. Btw i didnt mean to be rude or anything in the above post, seriously. its just that nobody gives the EDGE Pro a fair chance at all, everybody here is married to the Lo-Pro. and it's just annoying that everybody has all this hype about RG7620s when the RG1527 is just as good if not a better guitar. no hard feelings i hope guys.

[chris101]

Maybe I missed somthing in this thread but does Vai still use the UV anymore for any of his work or has he switched back to 6 strings now?

[dangomles]

I think 7 strings are (lot of people will be pissed for this, its my opinnion, sorry if i offend anyone) useless! i mean, you are only winning 5 notes(in standard tunning) i really, really dont see the point of that

[Nordhauser]

Originally Posted by dangomles

I think 7 strings are (lot of people will be pissed for this, its my opinnion, sorry if i offend anyone) useless! i mean, you are only winning 5 notes(in standard tunning) i really, really dont see the point of that

In that case, let's start making one string guitars. we're only losing a couple notes.

[Roland]

Originally Posted by dangomles

I think 7 strings are (lot of people will be pissed for this, its my opinnion, sorry if i offend anyone) useless! i mean, you are only winning 5 notes(in standard tunning) i really, really dont see the point of that

That is one fundamentally stupid post. You may not have a use for a seven-string guitar, but that means nothing to others. Having an extra string enables you to A) play lower in standard tunings, B) play extended scales and C) playing scales with minimal fret movement. And these are just off the top of my head.

[the.godfather]

I think that the "fad" of the 7-String has defenitely gone. For example, none of my local guitar shops carry a 7, hardly any of them would know what I meant if I mentioned 7 strings! lol

But as for th death of the 7, I dont think it will ever happen. There are just too many 7 string players out there, quite alot of people are "exclusive" to 7 strings too. Some people ONLY play 7's. There is also a growing demand for 8 and 9 strings now too, so the so called "death" of the 7 will never happen.

I have never played a 7, apart from 5 seconds on a 7321. I have never interested 100% in getting one before. But I now feel as though I want to take the "plunge". So thats 1 extra person who wants a 7! lol

[jim777]

Another nice thing about 7's is how good a lot of the pickups sound. 7's just sound good cranked up, and are fantastic for jazz. :-D

[Drew]

Originally Posted by dangomles

I think 7 strings are (lot of people will be pissed for this, its my opinnion, sorry if i offend anyone) useless! i mean, you are only winning 5 notes(in standard tunning) i really, really dont see the point of that

This is exactly what everyone who's never played a seven, or never played one for more than a few minutes, says.

Fact of the matter, is that while you only add 5 notes from an absolute perspective, you also get an extra five notes (a fourth descending, fifth ascending) in any scale on the neck. Add a single position shift and you can get an entire extra octave out of any scale or arpeggio pattern, and extend the range of your chord voicings by up to a 5th in standard tuning.

THAT is the point of a seven.

[fono22]

well said drew.

why some people sign up to this site, really confuses me.

we are all happy that you play guitar dangomles... perhaps you will find more relevant topics to your style of play in another forum.

(nothing personal, it's just 7 stringers tend to be a little touchy when naive posters start talking about things they don't know a lot about)

[skattabrain]

personally i think ibanez needs to enhance their 7 string offerings, but that's just me.

i think a huge reason why 7 sales began to slide is that lots of the 3 chord folks realized they didn't need to have 7 strings to sound heavy ... they just needed to tune down their 6's ... call me crazy but i'm certain that's the reason. several friends love the sounds from those low tunings but simply don't want to put the time in to adapt to a 7.

korn came out and many thought this low tuning was exclusive to the 7 string. it's funny cause i had friends in another band that where early adopters of 7's ... they had the original UV's it the late 80's ... i liked the sound but never felt comfortable ... oh yeah ... it was the fact that i played them for 5 minutes. anyways, i took my rg and fitted it with heavy strings and tuned way down ... people thought it was strange but it sounded insane back then.

then i took 13 years off from playing, and where i knew i had a lot to do to get my chops up again, i bought a 1077XL figuring i'll learn now while i suck. well, for me now, part of me still wants a 6, but everytime i think about it ... i know i'm going to want those low sounds AND still have all my upper range too.

another thing is the image the 7 string has ... it has the image of being a nu-metal / extreme metal only thing.

let me tell you ... take a baritone 7 string, run it through a clean amp with a little breakup using the rear humbucker (split coil) and middle pickup and it has the most gorgeous sound, i'm suprized more jazz musicians don't use them.

ps - if you play a 7 to tune down ... it really should be a baritone, you don't know what you're missing. those low tunings need a little more neck length, but that's another story.