[JimmyTheSaint]

I have a UV777 and wouldn't mind getting a backup 7 string, maybe a hardtail. I can't figure out what exactly I'd be sacrificing quality-wise with the other models I'm thinking of. I see the K7 is roughly comparable at $300 less than the UV777. The RG1527 and the RG7321 with 2 pickups, however, cost so much less than the UV777 that the lack of an inlay, one less pickup, or no trem can't all account for the $1000 to $1500 price difference. All I can think of is that the UV777 meets some higher standard in its production or quality control. Aside from aesthetics and one less pickup, what does the RG7321 lack quality-wise compared to the UV777?

 

[Flobanez]

I have a UV7PWH and it was the most I paid for a UV. It's awesome and I love it. I also love my 7620s and my S 7420 as well. I think the RG 7620s are built nice and play and sound great . The same goes for the S. The UV however, is a guitar in it's own. It simply rules.

 

[ryanb]

The UV costs more because people will pay it. Simple as that.

 

[ibanezrg520kid]

The UV costs more because people will pay it. Simple as that.

agreed...thats how it is with everything.

 

[marianozz]

Yeah well, but when youre asking this question and then throwing a 7321 in the same paragraph something's wrong :roll:

 

[Chris From Singapore.]

Well look at this way, other than demand and supply factors, if you were to purchase a 7321 and customised it to look like a UV, you'd probably run yourself more costs than actually buying a UV for a good street or even used price.

 

[JEM10th]

Brand

 

[UV_Ray]

A good UV777 can be bought used for around a grand or a little less if your lucky- I got one for $917 on a certain auction site. At those kind of prices it's almost a no-brainer IMHO.

 

[1wi11]

It costs more cause of the binding, and all the other stuff. But all kidding a side, it does feel different than an rg7620. The back of the neck doesn't have thick clear coat. I wouldn't say it's any better than a rg7620, but hey, it's like asking if you wanna buy a civic or s2000. The only complaint about the uv777bk was that i had to have my tech round out the fret ends. I swear after an hr of playing, i thought my fingers were going to bleed from running my hand up the bottom edge of the neck.

 

[dlp777]

the K7 has some drastically different specs if you look at wood (I think that's different from memory but I might be wrong), the pickups are different, and there's no tone knob to adjust, so be careful in thinking you might get basically the same thing for less, it's definitely different. Those changes might be better to some, but just make sure you're not comparing apples and oranges.

 

[marianozz]

K7: Mahogany, two PAFs, Ubar, no tone, and nasty inlay...

UV: Basswood, HSH Blazes, standard Lo Pro (or Edge pro), vol/tone, Pyramids...

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

I realize I'm not comparing guitars that are meant to be the same. I'm just wondering if Ibanez does does anything to raise their production cost so much more for the UV777. The binding, inlay, and pickups can't account for the huge difference, and the consensus from posters here is pretty much that all the rest of the cost is due to the name the UV777 has built up over the years. Is there any other factor in the guitar's production or quality control? Is it a Korea/Japan thing? Do more UV777's get rejected at the factory because they don't meet some higher standard of quality? Does Ibanez itself claim anything in particular to promote some justification for the higher cost?

I paid $780 for a 6 year old UV777 that has a decent number of dings in the paint but looks good from 5 feet away. It needed a thorough cleaning, but it plays perfectly well. The stock pickguard had been replaced with a black one, and that's the only factor I could see that held the price down so low--people are willing to pay a premium for the original look. I see used UV777's go consistently on e-B-a-y for $1200 - $1500, and sometimes more.