Looking to buy a seven string guitar

Malice

This is going to probably be a long-winded post so bear with me! As my SSIA is due to mature soon, one of the things I am thinking of doing, besides cashing it out in fivers and having myself a little money fight, is to splash out on a new guitar. I would like to get a seven string with a budget of say €800 to €1000. I already have a seven string, it’s a Peavey Predator and I enjoy playing it. When I bought it, the guy in the shop mentioned that Peavey were discontinuing the line. I had thought previously about maybe investing in a good-quality set of pickups for this guitar. It cost me €300 at the time (2003) so I imagine the components aren’t of the highest standard Even with new pickups though, the neck still feels a bit yuck.

I have a vague idea what manufacturer I want to go with but at the same time I’d like to play the guitar before I buy it. I bought a Fender Strat in the USA in 2000 and that was based on sitting in the shop for two hours playing a variety of makes and models before I settled on one I liked. For those of you who have ordered from Thomann and GAK and places like that, how have you been sure that the guitar you’re shelling out for is exactly what you want? As I am Galway, the stock on display is minimal and geared towards cheaper brands such as Epiphone and Squier. Would I have a better range to choose from if I headed to Dublin for a day?

I had an Ibanez on loan briefly and liked it so that’s the brand I’m leaning towards. I intend to play mostly Metal on the seven string – Fear Factory, Arch Enemy, Metallica (early stuff only). From those of you who own seven string guitars, what brands/models do you recommend?

Doctor J

Had a Schecter C7 Blackjack, definitely recommend it. Excellent guitar. The slightly longer scale gives it an edge over the Ibanez, in my opinion, makes the B string a bit tighter and a bit more defined. Their new range have Floyd trems, if you're looking for a trem bridge.

Voodu Child

You can't go far wrong with an Ibanez 7-string, and your budget will buy you some great ones new or second hand.

Karl Hungus is the man to talk to, id imagine he'll come stomping in here soon

TBH, the dublin shops don't have a fantastic selection of 7 strings, they have a few alright, but not a huge number. In any case, if you're buying new, the interweb is the place to shop, even if you wanna mooch around the dublin shops to try the guitars, you'll save a lot in the likes of guitarbargains.com

Karl Hungus

Stomping as expected.

malice_ wrote:

I would like to get a seven string with a budget of say €800 to €1000.

As long as you don't mind buying second hand, for around €800 you can get yourself a used Ibanez K-7.

Quite frankly, it's a phenominally good guitar for the money, and probably the best value guitar I've bought. Cannot recommend it enough, it's got a mahogany body, DiMarzio pickups, and easily the best trem I've ever had the pleasure to use. Just an incredible playing and sounding guitar.

Malice

Thanks for your feedback so far. It just feels wrong to buy something as personal as a guitar over the Internet without playing the thing first. Every instrument I own I made sure to sit down with for a while to make sure it was what I expected. Mind you, I bought a Pod XT last year from GAK.co.uk as they had them on special offer and I wish I'd bought one years ago! Maybe I'm just being overly cautious.

I've browsed around various sites and there just seems to be such a bewildering array of body woods, neck woods, fingerboard woods, pickups and so on out there!

Doctor J wrote:

Had a Schecter C7 Blackjack, definitely recommend it.

I found a picture of one of those here. It looks pretty sweet. How did you come across it?

voodoo_child wrote:

You can't go far wrong with an Ibanez 7-string, and your budget will buy you some great ones new or second hand.

I've played a six string Ibanez in the past and I liked the neck on it. I have no idea what model it was though.

Malice

Karl Hungus wrote:

As long as you don't mind buying second hand, for around €800 you can get yourself a used Ibanez K-7.

This is probably going to sound stupid but do the lack of fret dots on the fingerboard of the K7 not annoy you?
By the way, that is a nice axe collection!

Doctor J

malice_ wrote:

I found a picture of one of those here. It looks pretty sweet. How did you come across it?

I couldn't find a bad review of one so bought one off ebay. I hadn't played one before, but it's just a very good guitar, a simple design well executed. The neck is a bit fatter than your average Ibanez, it's like a 7 string version of a strat neck, so if skinny necks are your thing then go with the Ibanez, if you like a more traditional feel, try Schecter. I sold mine to It Wasn't Me, who, I'm sure, will gladly share his impressions of it. I just don't play 7's anymore, which is why I sold it. It sounded great, played very nicely, balanced very well, wasn't too heavy and it's built with quality parts, you can't go wrong.

Edit - keep an eye on this guy's ebay store. He ships to Ireland for free now and his prices are superb

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/STRINGS-AND-THINGS-GUITAR-WHOLESALE_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

Voodu Child

malice_ wrote:

It just feels wrong to buy something as personal as a guitar over the Internet without playing the thing first. Every instrument I own I made sure to sit down with for a while to make sure it was what I expected.

Not a big selection of seven-strings in Ireland to be honest. If you only look at what you can actually get your hands on, you'll be ignoring a lot of good guitars/brands.

That said, you can find plenty of Ibanez 7's here, but even then, if you play one here and like it, i'd still buy online, much cheaper.

Karl Hungus

malice_ wrote:

Thanks for your feedback so far. It just feels wrong to buy something as personal as a guitar over the Internet without playing the thing first. Every instrument I own I made sure to sit down with for a while to make sure it was what I expected. Mind you, I bought a Pod XT last year from GAK.co.uk as they had them on special offer and I wish I'd bought one years ago! Maybe I'm just being overly cautious.

It's always good to sit down with something, but when you consider the price difference between an online shop, and a shop here in Ireland, you're essentially paying a huge amount more (Maybe even double the online price) just so that it's actually there in your hands.

My guitars have mostly been bought online.

If you really feel the need, Musician Inc. in Dublin has a couple of 7 String Ibanezes. No K-7, but they should have a UV777BK and RG1527. It'll give you a very good idea of the Japanese made RG7s.

The quality control on the Japanese made Ibanezes is extremely good, so you could easily try out a 1527 in the shop, then go and order one online, and it'll be as good, if not better than the one in the shop. Probably better though, as a display model would've easily been pawed by muppets.

malice_ wrote:

This is probably going to sound stupid but do the lack of fret dots on the fingerboard of the K7 not annoy you?
By the way, that is a nice axe collection!

No, it doesn't sound stupid at all, it's a concern that a lot of people have.

Quite honestly though, it's the side dots I'll be looking at most of the time, on all guitars, rarely the inlays on the fretboard itself. So it doesn't matter if the guitar has an elaborate vine inlay, or no inlay at all, it'll make no difference.

Just keep your eye on the side dots.


Oh and before I forget it, go here: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/

Great site, full of friendly and honest people, who've got plenty of advice to give.

It wasn't me!

Yeah, I currently own the Doc's old C-7 Blackjack, and I haven't a bad thing to say for it. It's a lovely, rich sounding guitar, lighter than you would expect for a mahogany body, seriously good quality parts. I have mine set up nice and low and it's hot and thick and fast. Versatile too though, I go from Emperor to jazz fusion stuff. Really lovely guitars, I'd gladly buy another and wholeheartedly recommend them to others. That said, the Ibanez sevens I've played, Universe and RG1527, have also been phenominal guitars, but very very different, so it's a matter of which you prefer. Instrumental on the quays occasionally have a few Schecters in, but other than that, could be hard to find one to try, but Musician, Inc. will have a few you could try anyway.

Karl Hungus

I think the main considerations here, would be whether or not you want a guitar with a tremolo or fixed bridge, whether you'd like a thin or fat neck, scale lenth, and whether or not you'd like a Korean or Japanese made guitar.

In my own personal experience, Ibanez make the best locking tremelo systems that can be had. A liscenced Floyd Rose like the new Schecter model has to offer just isn't going to compete.

As mentioned, the necks on Schecters are quite large compared to Ibanez. Another concern would be the painted necks on Schecter, or the kinda oiled neck of the Ibanez. Some people can't stand painted necks.

Scale lenth, well I would imagine it's going to affect the playablity. I've noticed quite a different between 25.5" scale and 25" so the difference between 25.5" on the Ibanez guitars and 26.5" on Schecter is going to be very noticable, and could take some adjustment to.

And lastly, I think it's worth considering whether or not you want a Korean made, or Japanese made instrument. This not only effects price, but overall quality. It's the difference between an LTD and full blown ESP, so I think it's important to consider. All the Schecter production models are made in Korea, whereas higher-end Ibanezes are made in Japan.

Hope that helps you decide.

It wasn't me!

Tbh, my Schecter's at least as well-built as the lower chunk of the Japanese-made Ibanezes I've played, even up to maybe 1527 quality, don't let the Korean thing put you off at all, this is a seriously well-made instrument. Of course, if it does bug you, get a USA-built Schecter. Both the Ibanez and the Schecters are fantastic guitars, but I think Schecter are better value for money.

Doctor J

You haven't played a Schecter KH, don't put them down like that without knowing what they're like, they're genuinely excellent guitars and you're bordering on scaremongering there when there's absolutely no reason to do so. You highlight the differences as if the Ibanez way is somehow the right way and everyone else is wrong. Some people like painted necks, isn't the neck on your custom BC Rich painted? How is it a concern then? The Ibanez neck is left with a fairly natural finish, you can feel the wood, you may be more used to a painted neck, it's purely down to personal preference. Some people don't like skinny Ibanez necks, espcially if they're used to tradional sized necks on other gutars and you mention the longer scale as if it'd be a tough thing to get used to, it isn't, trust me, and don't forget that the guitar was designed with a longer scale to provide better tension and definition on the B string which it does very well. You could argue that Schecter went ahead and actually designed a 7 string guitar whereas Ibanez merely altered their basic 6 string design to accomodate a 7th string. Big difference. The Schecter neck isn't so much large as the Ibanez neck is small, it's a fairly traditional sized neck, it's not a tree trunk but if you like skinny necks it might feel big. However, not everyone likes skinny necks. The Schecter was a lot more playable than the two other 25.5" 7 strings I've owned. Personally, I think the longer scale is what sets it apart from other 7 strings, it is a fantastic feature and a deal maker, in my opinion.

As for the LTD vs ESP thing, that is entriely irrelevant. Japanese ESPs can cost up to and over three grand for production models. How is that relevant to the OP finding a good 7 string? Are you suggesting a low end Japanese Ibanez or any other brand is better than a high end Korean guitar purely on the basis of where they factory is located? Having played a few of the high end LTDs that have passed through the studio I can assure you their fit, finish and build quality is exceptional. It isn't an issue. Geography isn't a guarantee of superiority nor inferiority, it's the build quality and feel of the individual guitar that counts. The Schecter is not inferior in any build quiality areas. End of story. Oh, and don't forget, the Ibanez trem is also a variation of a Floyd Rose, but a licensed Floyd nonetheless and not having played Schecters licenced Floyd how can you say Ibanez is superior? You're also neglecting to mention that many Japanese Ibanez come with **** pickups which need replacing, even as high up the range as many of the Prestige line, I'm sure you'll agree, whereas many of the Schecters come with genuine Seymour Duncans. I'll also point out the Schecters are set neck with a superb sculpted heel and uninhibited access to the upper frets, whereas most(all?) of the Ibanez are bolt on with a decent sculpted heel also. It's worth bearing in mind if these things are important to the person buying the guitar.

To the OP, as you can see, there are many differences between the two big players mentioned so far, Ibanez and Schecter, there is scope to try them out in Dublin and I would definitely urge you to do so. 7 strings guitars are still a relatively new thing on the market, different manufacturers have different design philosophies which is a very good thing. The differences in feel are quite substantial and really there is amazing amounts of options to choose from which didn't exist a few years ago. You may like the way one manufacturer is doing things, or you may prefer the other, the only person who can decide is you, us old farts will argue about pointless things all day long but when it comes to the crunch there is enough differences in the guitars that you will definitely prefer the feel of one or the other and isn't having the choice fantastic?

Karl Hungus

Doctor J wrote:

You highlight the differences as if the Ibanez way is somehow the right way and everyone else is wrong. Some people like painted necks, isn't the neck on your custom BC Rich painted? How is it a concern then?

I certainly don't mean to be scaremongering, or to suggest that one way is right, and sorry if it came out like that.

Yes, the neck on my BC Rich is painted, and for me, it's not a concern. I mention it, because for man people it is a concern. As I've said, some people hate painted necks, so I think it's worth mentioning.

Doctor J wrote:

Are you suggesting a low end Japanese Ibanez or any other brand is better than a high end Korean guitar purely on the basis of where they factory is located?

To be fair, where a guitar is made can be a big concern. It's not so simple as "Where the factory is located" it's more down to the issues of quality control, and the fact is, a vast majority of Korean made guitars are built by the same factory.

Now if you'll remember back a while ago, where someone here got a Fender Lite Ash Strat that had some serious issues, and needed quite a bit of work before it was in a decent playable condition. Now those Fender guitars are made at the factory as Schecters.

I'm not saying this is going to be the case with all Korean made guitars, I've played a lot and mostly they can be excellent, but some can be seriously iffy. It's more of a quality control issue than anything, but it's definetly worth thinking about.

If you don't think this is an issue, fair enough.

Doctor J wrote:

You're also neglecting to mention that many Japanese Ibanez come with **** pickups which need replacing, even as high up the range as many of the Prestige line, I'm sure you'll agree, whereas many of the Schecters come with genuine Seymour Duncans. I'll also point out the Schecters are set neck with a superb sculpted heel and uninhibited access to the upper frets, whereas most(all?) of the Ibanez are bolt on with a decent sculpted heel also. It's worth bearing in mind if these things are important to the person buying the guitar.

Yes, there's a lot of things worth mentioning here.

The stock Ibanez pickups are crap, but my recommendation was for a guitar that came with DiMarzio pickups already.

Definetly, the set-neck or bolt-on is a concern too.



Edit: I really don't mean to look as though I'm raggin on Schecter. Because I'm not, and I would certainly like to get one myself.

Doctor J

Well dude, it certainly looked like you were raggin on them

Schecters are made in Korea, yes, to the standard of Fender Lite Ash strats? No. Again, that point is irrelevant. I'm sure the J-Craft factory spends a bit more time and energy on the higher end models than the budget lines, wouldn't you agree? You'd suspect more money goes into the materials of more expensive guitars too, no? It's no different elsewhere. The Schecters are QC'd and setup in their factory in the USA and not by the people who set up Lite Ash strats. Their final QC is nothing to do with Korea. A CNC machine routes the same in Korea as it would in Japan or USA or even Sligo. I've played some Lite Ash guitars and I've played a couple of Schecters and, though they may be constructed in the same factory, that's where the similarities end.

Voodu Child

To be honest, it's not really a fair comparison.

If you're going to compare Ibanez's to schecters, you be better off comparing the sub-prestige Ibanez's to the Schecters. They both roll out of the same Cort factory in Korea, and are closer in terms of price.

If that was the comparison, id probably go with the schecters alright.

Karl Hungus

Fair enough so.

Although it might be worth mentioning that not all Schecters feature sculpted heels. For Example.

Voodu Child

As you move up the line from low-medium-high end, you've got to really pin down what youre looking for.

Bottom of the line US highway strats have lower specs than a Korean lite-ash. Which is better? Depends what you're looking for on the quality vs spec scale.

Korean Ibanez's can have flamed tops, thru necks, gold hardware, whatever - and then you move to the cheapest Jap ones and they're all plain blue boring ones with IBZ pickups.

I'd go for the plain boring one, because i value solid inherent quality over a piece of crap with a birds-eye maple fretboard and frets that fall out, but its definitely not a clear-cut issue.

So, like I said, you've got to compare like-with like and really pin down exactly what youre looking for.

Its a real pity theres not a better selection to try out in this country.

Malice

Thanks again for all the feedback guys, I really appreciate it!
Regarding the discussion about thick v thin necks, where would a Fender Strat fit in? That's my other guitar and I quite like that style neck both in width and playability. I have quite small fingers (I won't be playing one of these without major surgery ) so I'd imagine a thin neck would suit me a lot better.

Is there much of a benefit to having a reversed headstock? I remember reading about it being better if you're pounding away on the bottom string as it takes more of the slack or something.

Karl Hungus

malice_ wrote:

Is there much of a benefit to having a reversed headstock? I remember reading about it being better if you're pounding away on the bottom string as it takes more of the slack or something.

No, that's a bit of a myth really. There's no real difference in feel reguardless of headstock, as the tension from bridge to nut is the same.

Reversed headstocks are a purely aesthetical preference.

It wasn't me!

If you like a Strat neck, the Schecter is probably more your style, though bear in mind, the neck is much broader than a six-string, does take quite a bit of getting used to.

Malice

It wasn't me! wrote:

If you like a Strat neck, the Schecter is probably more your style, though bear in mind, the neck is much broader than a six-string, does take quite a bit of getting used to.

I know all about the transition from six to seven string. In my original post you'll see that I bought a Peavey Predator back in 2003. It took me quite a while to get used to it. Part of the problem used to be that I would always count from the bottom when holding chords so for example when holding a standard G chord, I would end up holding the 3rd fret of the B string rather than the 3rd fret of the E string!

Incidentally has anyone ever played/seen a Peavey Predator? I've never been able to find much information about it online.

Karl Hungus

You know, seeing as you're in Galway, I could give you a go of my K7 and RG1527, if you'd like?

It wasn't me!

malice_ wrote:

I know all about the transition from six to seven string. In my original post you'll see that I bought a Peavey Predator back in 2003. It took me quite a while to get used to it. Part of the problem used to be that I would always count from the bottom when holding chords so for example when holding a standard G chord, I would end up holding the 3rd fret of the B string rather than the 3rd fret of the E string!

Incidentally has anyone ever played/seen a Peavey Predator? I've never been able to find much information about it online.

Woops, sorry, forgot about that. Yeah, as you know what you're talking about, I'd say your main difference is going to be in how the guitars play.

Malice

I browsed through GAK today and saw the following:

Ibanez K7 £899

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Neck Material: 5 pc Maple/Bubinga
• Neck Type/Scale: K7/25.5"
• No. Frets/Type: 24/Jumbo
• Fingerboard: Bound Rosewood
• Inlay: K7 Special
• Bridge: Lo Pro Edge-7 with U-Bar
• H/W Color: PC
• Neck Pickup: DiMarzio PAF-7
• Bridge Pickup: DiMarzi0 PAF-7

Ibanez RG-1527 £499

• Wizard-7 Prestige neck
• 5pc. Maple/ Wenge Neck Material
• Basswood Body
• Rosewood Finger Board
• 24/Jumbo frets
• Edge Pro 7 bridge
• IBZ V7-7 (H) Neck PU
• IBZ V8-7 (H) Bridge PU
• Pearl Dot Inlay
• CK : Hardware Color

Ibanez RG7321 £278

• Wizard II-7 neck
• 5pc. Maple / Walnut Neck Material
• Basswood Body
• 24/Jumbo frets
• Bound Rosewood Finger Board
• Fixed 7 bridge
• IBZ AH1-7 (H) Neck PU
• IBZ AH2-7 (H) Bridge PU
• Pearl Dot Inlay
• BK : Hardware Color

The RG7321 has a fixed bridge which I definitely don't want. While I don't use it much, it's nice to have the whammy bar available.

The page says that the Wizard II kneck is thicker than the Wizard kneck which I would prefer but of course they don't tell you how the Wizard kneck compares to the K7 kneck. Any ideas?
My fundamental question of course is whether the K7 with it's DiMarzio's is worth the huge price difference?

feylya

The K-7 has better overall specs - better wood, pickups, trem, everything. I think the K-7 neck is based off the prestige neck which is quite nice.

Voodu Child

malice_ wrote:

My fundamental question of course is whether the K7 with it's DiMarzio's is worth the huge price difference?

KH has a 1527 and a K7, i'd imagine he could give you a straight-up list of the differences.

They're both quality Japanese guitars. The 7321 is Korean, lower quality. Though if you don't want a fixed bridge, you shouldnt even be thinking about it.

The page says that the Wizard II kneck is thicker than the Wizard kneck which I would prefer but of course they don't tell you how the Wizard kneck compares to the K7 kneck. Any ideas?

Ibanez don't let the Korean manufacturers (Cort) build any guitars with Wizard profile. When it was originally introduced by Ibanez, they had terrible problems with warping (it was so thin), the only way they got around it was very careful quality control and timber treatment. At the lower price point the Korean guitars are built to, this isnt possible, so the Wizard II profile is a little thicker.

Johnny Storm

Quit slaggin' my MIK Lite Ash StratoCorter, y'bastards!

OK, so half the frets fell off - like that never happened to any of you :mad:

Malice

Johnny Storm wrote:

OK, so half the frets fell off - like that never happened to any of you :mad:

I didn't realise it was possible for frets to just fall off? Unless the build quality was absolutely terrible or it got some serious punishment once you got your hands on it?

voodoo_child, cheers for the neck info. I just realised I misspelt the word repeatedly in my earlier post. Good thing the spelling police weren't around!

feylya

I think he was joking malice...

Johnny Storm

Sorry, I was trying to be funny. In fact, several frets did become loose, causing buzzing and fretting out. It is pretty unusual AFAIK but oddly the same thing recently happened to my Steinberger so it may be just me.

Cort - incredibly they make more than 600,000 guitars per year.

Voodu Child

malice_ wrote:

voodoo_child, cheers for the neck info.

Mr. Hungus will come along at some stage and give you the lowdown on the neck differences between the K7 and the RG1527. Or you could google it if you want exact numbers, but i guess you're just looking for a general wider/thicker type comparison.

They're both good guitars. There's a 2nd hand K7 on ishibashi for about E850 all-in at the moment.

Malice

feylya wrote:

I think he was joking malice...

I figured as much hence the smiley.

voodoo_child wrote:

There's a 2nd hand K7 on ishibashi for about E850 all-in at the moment.

Do you have a link for that guitar? My Kanji reading skills are a bit poor unfortunately.

Voodu Child

malice_ wrote:

Do you have a link for that guitar? My Kanji reading skills are a bit poor unfortunately.

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/ubox.cgi?T=syosai&sline=3570&print=1&keys2=shinsaibashi%40ishibashi%2Eco%2Ejp&tid=list3

All the info you need about shipping, customs etc is in the resources sticky. I just did a quick estimate of the total cost, should be close enough.

Malice

Thanks for that link voodoo_child, I'll get reading when I'm in work tomorrow and a little more awake. Typically, as soon as I had submitted my previous post I found their English page. It's here for anyone else that wants it.

Karl Hungus

malice_ wrote:

The page says that the Wizard II kneck is thicker than the Wizard kneck which I would prefer but of course they don't tell you how the Wizard kneck compares to the K7 kneck. Any ideas?
My fundamental question of course is whether the K7 with it's DiMarzio's is worth the huge price difference?

As far as neck differences between the K7 and 1527 go, the neck on the K7 is a little thicker. Personally, I find this is probably the most comfortable, and easily the best neck on any of my guitars, it just feels more smooth and playable.

The differences between the 2 guitars are more than just the pickups, as Feylya has said, pretty much everything is higher spec.

I'd be more inclined to go for second hand though, as Voodoo has highlighted. It'd be well within budget.

Malice

Ishibashi had a second hand K7 for sale I took the plunge and ordered it. It shipped this morning so hopefully it'll be delivered sometime next week.
I have to say that their e-mail support is excellent. They answered all my questions promply and informatively.
Many thanks to Karl Hungus for letting me have a bash on his K7. It was great to be able to get a feel for the guitar. Of course then I ended up trying to decide whether I preferred it or the 1527.
The picture of the guitar that were on the Ishibashi site have been taken down so I'll have to wait until it gets here before I can post some up.

It wasn't me!

I know the one you're on about, good buy dude.

Malice

It wasn't me! wrote:

I know the one you're on about, good buy dude.

I'm actually shocked (in a good way) at the price to be honest. Buying the K7 new from GAK was going to cost about €1400 after currency conversion. Buying second hand from Japan cost just over €670. Even factoring in customs charges that's still a huge difference! Sorry for going off topic but I can't believe high street retailers still get away with the prices they charge for crappy Squires and Epiphones.

Voodu Child

Congrats, that's one seriously high-quality guitar you've ordered.

Im surprised the boy Hungus let you try his though, last I heard, he still had the taggies on it, and wouldnt let people look even.

Malice

voodoo_child wrote:

Im surprised the boy Hungus let you try his though, last I heard, he still had the taggies on it, and wouldnt let people look even.

It was okay as I let him look at mine first. Also I promised him I would be gentle. I even washed my hands before I started doing anything

Karl Hungus

malice_ wrote:

Ishibashi had a second hand K7 for sale I took the plunge and ordered it. It shipped this morning so hopefully it'll be delivered sometime next week.
I have to say that their e-mail support is excellent. They answered all my questions promply and informatively.
Many thanks to Karl Hungus for letting me have a bash on his K7. It was great to be able to get a feel for the guitar. Of course then I ended up trying to decide whether I preferred it or the 1527.
The picture of the guitar that were on the Ishibashi site have been taken down so I'll have to wait until it gets here before I can post some up.

Nice purchase man, very nice. You really cannot go wrong with it.

Ishi had two K7s though, a gray and a blue one, which did you go for?

voodoo_child wrote:

Congrats, that's one seriously high-quality guitar you've ordered.

Im surprised the boy Hungus let you try his though, last I heard, he still had the taggies on it, and wouldnt let people look even.

I try to keep my guitars in good nick, but they're there for one reason, to be played.

Malice

That's right, they did have two of them. I went for the blue one though as they couldn't find the grey one when I enquired about it. Then I couldn't find it when I went looking again for it Mind you I don't think I would have been able to choose between the colour schemes so it's probably better that the decision was made for me.

Malice

Apologies for not updating sooner. Between working and playing the new guitar it's hard to find time to force myself to sit in front of the computer Anyway, it arrived safe and sound last week. Unfortunately I was stung for €170 of customs charges Happily I had paid attention to this part of the forum sticky so I made sure to keep the cash on me. Even with that though, it really was a bargain.
The guitar came shipped in a carboard box in a padded bag with loads of bubble wrap around it. It had a couple of tremelo arms, alan keys and a pair of Japanese instruction manuals in there too. I can't compliment the Ishibashi e-mail support people highly enough. I'm sure everyone here knows what it's like to deal with unhelpful support staff so it really was a very pleasant surprise to get people who were prompt, polite and knowlegeable. This is in contrast to the E-Bay seller Doctor J mentioned. I sent three different requests for information to them and have heard nothing back. Oh well, their loss.

When I strummed it first I was getting serious fret buzz (I had no amp in work) but once I got it home and tuned up, it was fine. The guitar feels fantastic. All of my initial worries from the start of the thread were groundless. It's hard to explain but the low B string feels like a natural part of the guitar as opposed to an extention. The kneck feels fabulous. As mentioned before, the lack of fret dots has me messed up a little bit but I'm getting used to looking at the side of the kneck slowly. My chiropractor would probably recommend that for my posture too The string height seems slightly lower than my Peavey which is great. As for the sound, I'm absolutely blown away. The clarity of the sound really is something to behold. Harmonics ring out like bells and the low end growls like some sort of caged animal!

If I can get a hold of a digital camera over the weekend I'll post up some pictures.

Thanks again to everyone for all your help and advice!

Karl Hungus

Nice stuff man. They really are phenominal guitars, so I'm glad it all worked out for you.

malice_ wrote:

It had a couple of tremelo arms, alan keys and a pair of Japanese instruction manuals in there too.

Hey, if you've got a spare trem arm, I'd be interested in taking it off your hands.

Voodu Child

Good to hear it arrived safe & well. Congrats & enjoy:D

Malice

Karl Hungus wrote:

Hey, if you've got a spare trem arm, I'd be interested in taking it off your hands.

Yeah, I should be able to lend you the standard one for a while. I want to hold on to the U-shaped one purely for the novelty factor.

Now onto the pics. Apologies in advance for the image quality. I'm not exactly a camera expert by any means! These were just snapped quickly on the living room floor, resized in Photoshop and hosted on ImageShack. Hopefully they're okay.

K7 together with Peavey Predator

K7 Body

K7 Headstock