[Dendroaspis]

Hey guys,

I ve been wanting to unblock and free-up the trem on my UV for some time now, and have been starting to look for a good hardtail, second 7. I decided I wanted to try something different from Ibanez, so after much deliberation (and glowing praise from you guys while lurking on this board for ages) I boiled it down to a Schecter, most likely a C7 hellraiser.

But after hearing from a few dealers here in Canada that it would take quite a while to get one in ( of course there's not one anywhere to had in the whole fucking province ) , there happens to be one 007 Blackjack available, which also was the only 7 string Schec around.

At first I thought it looked a bit odd with the funky horns, but after looking at again and again, it's looks started to grow on me. To me it looks like a hybrid of a LP custom and a Rickenbacker 4001, interesting looking - in a cool way. Yes, the neck is definately different than my UV - rounder, more beef, but still very comfortable. I could adjust. I didn't plug it in, but even acoustically, it had a very full, strident low B, no doubt due to the longer scale. I've been so used to Dimarzios for years, but I bet those Duncan Jb/Jazz combo will sound great. Feels solid too, not flimsy like the cheaper Jackson 7 I was looking at.

I'm thinking seriously about dropping the hammer on this tomorrow...well I wanted something very different from Ibanez - this would fit the bill.

[Ibanez_fanboy]

before you make any decisions... try out the rg7321, yes its ibanez, but for the price you wouldnt be dissapointed. the schecters are nice, i havent played them, so i cant comment on the tone, or neck, but from the feeedback here, they are a nice instrument

[Mastodon]

Keep in mind, this will be your last oppurtunity to get a brand new 007 blackjack since they have discontinued it.

[Metal Ken]

its also a JB/59, not JB Jazz. Its definately a cool guitar though.

[Lankles]

They discontinued my guitar?! WHY?

Get one quick, mine sounds killer even through my crappy Peavey. If you're looking for a change from Ibanez, Schecter is the perfect fit.

[Dendroaspis]

So things went in a completely opposite direction from what I set out to do initially.......
I went down and played the 007 for about an hour, and there was still something about the guitar that bugged me. Yeah, it's a very good, well-made axe, and sounded great, but being an Ibanez player for so long, the neck profile and archtop / TOM bridge combo was just not my speed. Seemed like a decent price though - $890 Cdn/no case.

My bassist bud says to me that my answer is pretty clear: just get another ibanez RG/UV in hardtail that your already accustomed to it's style. So off we go store hopping for just the right Ibby 7.

After searching unsuccessfully in 4 good shops (this is in the Toronto area), we finally hit one shop that had two: a 1527RB at $1100, and a 7321 at $460. Using my old Universe as a measuring stick, I played both and decided that the Ibanez necks feel right at home for me. The 1527 played nice, but I wanted a hardtail, and was shocked at how well the 7321 played. Nice neck, dead straight, no twists, tight pocket, (as a p/t tech, these are the first things I check for), and bound fb. For under $500 new?! Great bang for the buck. Of course the 1527 had the edge trem (which I didn't want anyway), slightly better pu's and heads, but $600 better? I don't think so.
So I walked out with the 7321.

Now how I'll hot rod this axe is a different matter. Sure, in the end I'll have spent as much and maybe more than the 1527, but it will be exactly as I like it, and that is what really counts, isn't it?
My impending mod list for this axe:
- GraphTech Tusq nut
- Dye fingerboard black
- poly paint dots black
- Neck pu: Dimarzio Air norton
- Bridge pu: Dimarzio Blaze custom or maybe new Drop Sonic
- GraphTech Ghost piezo saddles
- either LR Baggs Ctrl-X or Fishman Powerchip preamp
- low profile knobs

Sorry for being long-winded, but I just wanted to share with you guys. This is such a great forum, I want to try to contribute more often when i get time. A wealth of info for any fan of the 7 string. Thanks Chris for starting this saner-minded forum.

[Mastodon]

Congrats, the 7321 is the bomb-diggity-cho fo' sho'.

[Shannon]

Congrats! The 7321 is an incredible value for sure.