[zimbloth]

People are always starting threads asking such questions as: "How does ____ compare with ____?" or "What's better: _____ or _____?". I figured I'd review my recently aquired EBMM JP7, while also comparing it to many other popular Ibanez models, and basically give an overview of what you could expect from any of these models. Perhaps this will help people in their future buying decisions.

First of all, the lineup (L to R): S7420FM, JP7, K7, UV777BK, 2027X:



The playability of all of these guitars are top notch (fast, flat necks, shredders dream, excellent tuning stability, perfectly balanced, etc), so I'm going more to focus on the tone, features, craftsmanship, etc. These guitars have been thoroughly tested with the following amps: Mesa (Triaxis, Recto Pre, Single Rec, Caliber .20), Laney GH50L, Peavey Ultra Plus, Marshall JCM900.

JP7 Review

This is the first time I've played any of the Petrucci 7s, and I have to say I was instantly smitten. Donnie had it set up flawlessly and it came perfectly in tune, despite traveling from Washington State to Massachusetts.

Features
These models don't have fine tuners or locking nuts like all the other Ibanez' have, instead opting for Sperzel locking tuners. I have to say this works out splendidly. The guitar probably stays in tune at least as well as all the others, if not better. It also makes for faster string changes which is always a plus. The JP7 features a basswood body (light-weight, but easily heavier than the Universe), a figured maple neck, 2 custom-wound DiMarzio pickups, piezo acoustic pickups, string-thru floating trem, sperzels, etc.

Sound

The DiMarzio bridge pickup in the JP7 is outstanding. It's hard to compare it to any of the production DiMarzio models. It's meaty and hot like a Blaze, but it's not scooped and has a pronounced midrange growl, yet its not MIDDY like a Tone Zone. These actually sound similar to the Parker pickups, which of course is a GREAT thing. If I had to compare it to a DiMarzio model, I'd say it's someone like a Blaze Custom, only without the treble roll off and not as compressed sounding. Runs on low notes growl and have a very unique sizzling flavor which is ubersexy. Chords are huge, meaty - yet defined. Leads are clear, crisp yet fat. Basically perfect. They also clean up very well, sound far better clean than any of the other bridge pickups I have, with the possible exception of the PAF7 in the K7.

The neck pickup DiMarzio is excellent too. It sounds more like an Air Norton than a Blaze neck, a bit more punch... the Blaze neck is very smooth, this is more articulate. Superb for sweet hi-gain lead tones, or clean chording. I won't pretend to be a neck pickup guru though, I mainly stick to the bridge pickup. I will say the in-between sounds on this guitar leave a lot to be desired. It sounds good, very fenderish, but the way it splits... the volume drop off is very apparent and it's not as full and clear as the middle position on the S7420FM.

The Piezos don't work, I'm guessing Donnie's battery or died or something. I haven't bothered to fix it yet. I'm sure they're nice though.

Comparisons

S7420FM

My saber is loaded with a DiMarzio Blaze (Neck Model) in the bridge position, and the stock Ibanez neck pickup in the neck position. This guitar has a very smooth yet crisp/clear sound. The Blaze Neck in the bridge has all the output you'd ever need, but provides a tighter low end, clearer chords, less compressed, and a generally heavier sound than the Blaze bridge model. On distortion, low notes are very polished and powerful... not too bright, not muddy or woofy, very balanced. It doesn't quite have the clarity and present chunk of the PAF7, nor the searing overdrive of the Evo7 in the 2027, but it definitely cuts through and as I said previously, sounds very polished and professional sounding. Supposedly this is what was used in guitars made for Korn before they switched to PAF7s, but in my estimation that tone isn't here at all. It sounds much more like Petrucci's rhythm tone than anything Korn. Of course, this guitar is mahogany with a flame maple top, which changes the tone a lot... it definitely adds definition and a singing, resonant quality to it that some of the other guitars such as the Universe don't have.

The S7420FM is by FAR the lighest guitar of the pack, making it easily the most comfortable to play...and helps the resonance and sustain as well. Despite being the lightest, the natural tone of the woods here really shine through better than any of the other guitars. I firmly believe that light-weight guitars exhibit these qualities better than heavy clunky guitars like Les Pauls. Anyone who's had a lot of time playing USA Parkers or USA Jacksons can attest to this.

Bottom Line: I'd rank this #1 as far as comfort and playability. Tonewise, the mahogany body and maple top really add a warm, fat yet defined character. The pickups I'm using with it, provide an inspiring well balanced tone, perfect for any application: rock, metal or otherwise. It should also be noted that this guitar far-and-away sound the best for clean work. The neck pickup, and the middle position (or splits) is truley inspiring for both chording, legato, anything - either with a dry setup or with an fx processor where the clarity, warmth and punch really push this over the top.

K7

The K7 is a superb guitar. It has a mahogany body and direct-mounted (!) DiMarzio PAF7 pickups. Along with the 2027X, it's the heaviest guitar of the bunch in terms of weight. The neck feels a little different, it's not a Wizard neck, I don't know what it is but it's just as comfortable. For playing fast/articulate/brutal heavy metal stuff, this guitar is the winner. The tone is DEEP, RICH and most of all ARTICULATE. The PAF7 pickups when adjusted to the proper height, are second to none. Don't be fooled by the low output of these pickups, this is easily the ultimate technical/melodic death metal guitar. The lows growl with a ferocity that I've never heard. Palm mutes are so crisp, so chunky, so huge, yet also so organic and sensitive to your pick attack. Fast single note runs are orgasmic, and chords are heavy as hell, yet every single string rings through loud and clear. If you like to play palm-muted, machine gun trempicking riffs ala Fear Factory or Cannibal Corpse... this is the guitar for you. For leads, the tone is fat and in your face, but it's not as smooth as the Blaze bridge would be in a Universe. It's also not the most resonant guitar in the world due to it's woods and weight, so if sustaining slow leads is your thing, stick to something else. If you want to throwdown, this is the one for you.

The neck pickup for leads is incredible, not quite as hot or sweet as the Blaze neck or Petrucci neck pickup, but very clear and articulate. Cleans are very warm and deep, yet clear.... but lack some of the soul of the other neck pickups mentioned here.

Bottom Line: Absolutely outstanding for the heaviest of metal or hard rock. Deep, throaty, growly, brutal, crunchy, sexy. The middle position provides an incredibly interesting and unique twangy yet deep clean tone. Add a bit of delay or chorus, and prepare for your jaw to drop to the floor.

UV777BK

I'm sure most people what what this one is about, seeing as the Universe is the staple of the 7-string world, but here goes anyways. On the bridge position, the tone is thick and heavy, but lacks definition on the low end. It's an excellent, unique and brooding tone... excellent for many styles not reliant on a crisp attack or articulation on the low end. Although the fat tone you get on the low end can be detrimental at times, it's definitely a plus on the high end. Leads and solo work here are terrific. It's fat and bright, yet smooth at the same time. The neck pickup here is the highlight, I'd have to say the UV777 has the best prog/metal neck lead tone of any of the guitars here (unless you put a Blaze Neck in the S7420FM).

Bottom Line: Excellent for fat chords, unique fat doomy low single notes (think Morbid Angel). Bridge pickup lacks definition needed for most metal styles, but is very versatile and would work extremely well for almost anything else. The Middle pickup is essentially useless and sounds awful IMHO. The neck as previously stated is top notch. This is the guitar for you if you're a neck pickup shredder, want heavy chords in high-gain, or want the versatility of using all the split options to achieve interesting clean tones.

RG2027X

This guitar came to me with a Blaze Neck in the neck, and a Evo7 in the bridge. It also has the LR Baggs piezo system. The piezo sounds good, but it doesn't really come close to the quality of the piezos in the Parker guitars (fishman systems I believe). That being said, I'm only playing it through a tube amp, and not a PA or acoustic amp.

The Evo7 in the bridge, with this mahogany guitar, is an excellent combo. Evo7s are extremely bright and powerful, but the mahogany mellows it a bit and adds necessary warmth and body. Excellent combo. I can't really find a bad thing to say about this configuration. Mid-gain sounds are bright and in your face, but not harsh. In metal applications, searing high gain and toneful harmonics abound. The sound is very crunchy and in-your-face, but has enough guts to sound excellent with low B riffage. The guitar sounds somewhat similar to the JP7, but is a bit more over the top and not as tight on the low end. The Blaze neck model in a mahogany guitar is interesting. Mahoganys rich tonal characteristics add more flavor to the neck lead tone which is very pleasing. It seems like it fills in more, whereas in basswood it sounds more scooped and hi-fi.

Bottom Line: It's hard to compare this guitar to the others, because the pickups are not what usually comes stock, but I can definitely attest to the fact that the tone is very rich despite the ridiculously hot pickups, which is a good sign. With the pickups my particular piece has, it excells for any form of metal, but is so over the top heavy that it might not be the best for jazz or most rock. The tone is very unique, and plays second to none. Love this guitar.

Conclusion:

All these guitars would be fine choices, but definitely have strengths and weaknesses. If I had to rate things which is hard to do, I'd say the JP7 and S7420FM play the best. The K7 and JP7 sounds the best. The S7420FM is best for bridge or neck cleans. The K7 is best for mid-position cleans. The 2027 is best for death metal/thrash. The K7 is best for heavy tones. The UV is best for hi-gain bridge soloing. The JP7 is best for hi-gain neck soloing. The S7420FM is the lightest and most resonant. The JP7 sustains the best (S7420FM close 2nd) and has the best meaty-yet-defined combination. The UV is the muddiest. The 2027 is the hottest. The UV777 is the sexiest. The 2027 is the most classy looking.

Anyways this was too long, and I could have analyzed things further, but half-way through this I got kind of bored of it I hope this helps someone out there. If this was a waste of your time, my apologies.

[Ibanez_fanboy]

awesome dude. they all look hot. heheh i like the JP7

[The Dark Wolf]

Most kick-ass review, I think ever. Look out Drew. Nick is supplanting Shannon as the board gear whore, Donnie as the JP7 fan, and Drew as the literary genius. Pretty soon you'll be runnin' this fuckin' place, bro.

Absolute sweetness. Rep points for you, Nick. This was the shizzle.

(You have me dying to try those PAF7's, dude. That's just my type of music. Plus, these PAF7's are supposedly among the best out there for jazz, which I love, especially according to Jim Soloway. Must try them soon. I know in the 'Live at the Hammerstein' DVD, Head is playing his K7 throughout, and his tone is just sick. You can really hear that distinct guitar sound.)

[zimbloth]

Originally Posted by The Dark Wolf

Most kick-ass review, I think ever. Look out Drew. Nick is supplanting Shannon as the board gear whore, Donnie as the JP7 fan, and Drew as the literary genius. Pretty soon you'll be runnin' this fuckin' place, bro.

Absolute sweetness. Rep points for you, Nick. This was the shizzle.

(You have me dying to try those PAF7's, dude. That's just my type of music. Plus, these PAF7's are supposedly among the best out there for jazz, which I love, especially according to Jim Soloway. Must try them soon. I know in the 'Live at the Hammerstein' DVD, Head is playing his K7 throughout, and his tone is just sick. You can really hear that distinct guitar sound.)

haha, thanks

[bostjan]

If I may try to add to this, although I'm sure it won't be a thorough.

I have pretty much a complement to Nick's collection:


Left to right: Samick, Washburn WG587, BC Rich MB7 (USA), Fernandez Revolver Pro 7, Ibanez RG7620VK, and Dean AV7. I also have an Ibanez RG7321 (newly acquired, not pictured).

Samick:

Playability: 6/10
I can honestly say that this guitar is hard to play. When I recieved it, the action was very high, and the intonation was very poor. I restrung the guitar with Ernie Ball .008"s and a .048" and tuned it to standard plus a high g. The following problems occured at set-up: The action came down quite a bit, but the neck was a tiny bit warped. This warping was not noticeable with high action, but with lower action, it caused some major problems, also the low e is on the very edge of the fretboard as the bridge is not set in the proper position. Intonation was a stretch, but backing the saddles all the way to the far end of their throw got things liveable if a brought the height up just a tiny bit more. The neck is not nearly as thin nor as flat as an Ibanez, but it's not bulk, neither. The neck feels a bit narrower than what I'm used to playing, but it doesn't feel too cramped compared to a Mosrite, for instance.

Sound: 8/10
The Duncan Designed pickups, although not the clearest nor most powerful pickups, have a nice focused tone. They hold their own in terms of output, although the bridge could use a bit more "oomph" to get into metal territory. Both pickups have a great tone to go with hard blues or rock, and the alder body gives a nice punch in the upper mid.

Features: 6/10
Three way toggle, volume, tone, stop tailpiece. The angled output jack is nice, and (although you can't see too well from the picture) the stain finish looks classy. With the placement of the truss adjustment and the neck pickup, it wouldn't have killed them to put in another two frets.

Overall: 6.3/10
I have played quite a few Samicks, actually. Some of them are fine instruments. This one, however, is not so great. If I had to descibe it to another seven string player in one word, I'd say "meh..."

Washburn WG 587

Playability: 8/10
I get great stability out of the bridge. The action came quite low, and I haven't tweaked with it since I obtained the guitar. Most of the time, I feel comfortable on this guitar, but sometimes I have to wrestle with it, particularly when reaching for the bass strings above the seventh fret. Sometimes this guitar just feels bulky, although it's not terribly heavy.

Sound: 6/10
The stock pickups offer a variety of sounds. They aren't bad, but there is a good deal of mud to deal with in the bridge position, giving the guitar a grungy sound when overdriven enough. I find it difficult to get a bluesy tone out of the pups without coil-tapping, and even then it's iffy. This is the darkest sounding guitar of the bunch. I have replacement pickups on order, I may re-review it once they are installed.

Features: 8/10
Three way toggle, push/pull coil tap volume and tone, licensd FR. I like the look of the guitar, and the ease of control with the electronics.

Overall: 7.3
For the money, this guitar is great. For a few dollars more, you can get a guitar that plays a bit easier with fewer features. I use this one for band practice and for kicking around, so that I can save wear on other guitars.

BC Rich USA Mockingbird 7:

Playability: 9/10
This guitar is a beast. Heavy Lourde! The neck seems longer because of the way it balances, and it has a 2" wide nut. That being said, it's actually very easy to move around the fretboard. The neck is very straight, the action stays low without fret buzz, and because of the flatness of the neck, it's amazing how easy it is to reach the bass strings anywhere on the neck.

Sound: 10/10
The pickups are Dimarzios, but I have no idea which models. They may well be Blazes, but the Ebony fretboard and solid maple body, along with the active electronics (wolf rose low b bullet) brighten things up to a very consistent, clear and focused tone with plenty of bass and mid. I can get tones acceptable for jazz, blues, rock, and metal easily with this guitar. I've done almost all of my serious recordings with this badboy.

Features: 10/10
I can't say it's missing anything, since it was customized to my liking with the active electronics, coil tap, and series/parallel switch. It also has a 25th fret, which is easily reached. It also has a licensed FR, which seems nothing like the other LFR's I own.

Overall: 9.5/10
If you have $2000+ USD and two to three years to wait, get a custom shop guitar. I am very satisfied with this instrument. The drawbacks are that it won't resell for nearly as much as you pay for it, and that you may feel neglected by the lack of progress reports from the builder.

Fernandez Revolver Pro 7:

Playability: 7/10
This guitar feels stiff. This is the only guitar that I ever wanted to replace the neck after owning it for a week. The trem is not very stable, so I keep it loaded with five thick springs. It's not awful or unplayable, but I felt clumbsy on this guitar. As I played it more and more, I got accustomed to the feel of it, and now I don't think I have a problem.

Sound: 6/10
The stock bridge pickup is horrible, to the point where I think it's just a dead pickup. It has a low output with no bass, mostly lower midrange, and some highs. It also makes noise on rare occasions, but the neck pickup sounds fine, with plenty of spunk. It's not the best neck pickup sound (not like AN7 or Blaze Neck), but it holds it's own. The wood has a balanced sound acoustically, with plenty of rich highs and lows, the pau ferro fretboard not only looks cool, but has an interesting sound, too. It's not as bright as maple, but brighter than rosewood, for a nice middle-ground tone. So as soon as I replace the bridge pickup, I'll re-review.

Features: 10/10
This is where the guitar truly shines. The sustainer system is loads of fun to play with, and operates in two modes. The standard mode gives you a thick sustained sound on the higher strings, but gives you feedback-like harmonics on the low e and low b. In harmonic mode, it does just the opposite. I'm not sure if this is a malfunction or a design flaw, but it's absolutely fine for my applications. Access to the controls is easy with the push/pull pots, so you can switch back and forth with little distraction, plus your right hand won't be too busy as long as the sustainer is engaged.

Overall: 7.6
This guitar was well worth the money. It takes a while to get used to the feel of the neck and the trem, but ironically, the electronics take ten seconds to get familiar with. I really bought it for the sustainer and because of the looks of the fretboard and finish.

Ibanez RG7620

Playability: 9/10
This guitar has an inflated reputation for being so playable. Most of the stories are true. The neck is so incredibly thin and flat and fast. The problems I have had with the guitar is that the neck moves way too much. So I adjust the truss every two or three months, big deal? Also, I started having problems with string breakage, which Dan "dpm" helped me remedy (thanks Dan). I have much love for this guitar due to it's ease of play. The tuning stays...fairly stable. If the guitar sits while I play my BCR, it goes out of tune. I have to adjust the trem angle constanly, but I keep the trem very loose so I can flutter easily. The trem feels great, though, so if the angle gets a bit off, you hardly notice until the string height gets wacky.

Sound: 9/10
Frankly, I like the sound of the el cheapo New 7's. I thought this thing had Blazes when I obtained it. I would prefer to stick with the New 7 in the neck position. The bridge pickup could be a tad bit brighter with a little more focus, but I'd hardly call it muddy. It's just got some mid-punch. The extra sounds from the five way toggle are very useful. The parralel neck pickup position is raunchy and nasal, very distinctive, and the coil tap out of phase position also has a unique sound, although hardly like a single coil.

Features: 8/10
The flashiest thing about the guitar is it's playability. The trem system is nice, but the RG1527 trem is more sleek, and probably more stable. The wiring and the different sounds are interesting. One word of caution: Wrap your cable around your strap. The downward position and flush nature of the output jack leads to issues of unpluggage. Even with a single wrap around the strap, my chord comes unplugged, just from gravity and leaving too much slack.

Overall: 8.7/10
These guitars broke the price barrier on sevens. They had many of the features of the upper end UV's along with the nice price of the RG's. With decent pickups, a great neck (later models had a reinforcing strip to solve stability issues I have), and one of the nicer trems available, this guitar is a loaded gun.

Dean Avalanche 7

Playability: 6/10
For less than half the price of the Samick, this guitar can play circles around it. The unfinished maple neck has a nice EVH/Axis kind of feel. The frets are reachable and it's not at all hard to get used to playing. Here's the catch- my frets rusted and turned green and red and orange and brown. No joke. With rusty frets, a nice vibrato sounds like a butcher knife on a chalkboard. I kept this guitar with my others, and they never had rust issues.

Sound: 5/10
The pickups that come with it are shit. It's hard to explain, but they just didn't have any balls. They could probably work for country and blues, but no way for metal. I swapped them for EMG's, but then I had to send it in for the frets. Upon removal of the old pickups, I observed quite a bit of weird rust on them as well. I didn't have much time to mess with it with the EMG's, but as far as I could tell, they sounded like six string EMG's, which I know and love very well.

Features: 4/10
Strings through body and 24 frets. This is really pretty much a straight-up guitar with neither bells nor whistles to play with.

Overall: 5/10 with potential to make it to 7/10 with some simple mods
New pups, new frets, and/or a five way switch would bring this guitar to life. With a decent neck, great stability, and a cool finish, it has the foundation of a much nicer guitar, but the upgradable stuff begs to be upgraded.

Ibanez RG7321

Now, I just got this one, but I think you will be able to find other's opinions quite easily on this forum if you feel unsure.

Playability:
So far, so good. It came from the store with the strings pretty low. A little saddle adjustment and it was all better. The neck is five pieces of what appears to be maple and perhaps walnut. (?) It looks very cool. This neck is not quite as flat as my RG7620, but it's darn close, and I'm hoping it holds steadier, but I can't judge that until the next snowfall. Fret access is great, and the strings play like buttah.

Sound:
Basswood body and rosewood fretboard out to give it a dark sound, and it does. It's not as mellow as mahogany, but with the Ibanez pickups, it sounds plenty dark. These Ibanez pickups have some growl and some spunk. I bought this guitar to mod, so the stock pups are coming out, but the neck pickup in particular caught my attention with it's creamy sustain.

Features:
This guita was exactly what I was looking for. All black with white fretboard binding. It has a fixed bridge with strings through the body. The stock tuners may need to be replaced, but the strings might still be stretching. I certainly don't mind tuning it every couple hours since it's a hardtail. There is a small chip in the binding that appears to be from the manufacturer, but no one will know, except the person playing it. This guitar is the mod'er's dream come true for seven string guitars.

[metalfiend666]

Good reviews Nick. You've increased my GAS for a K7 and a JP7! It's also the first time I've seen a JP7 pickured with an Ibanez 7, so it's good to see how the contours compare. Thanks for taking the time to write this review.

[Mark. A]

I am so jealous of you two, good reviews man. Pity all of them are so dang expensive

[Freddie]

Very nice dude and congratulations on an almost pornographic collection. I also love the way the 2027 looks sooo red in those pics. SUperhot!

[darren]

Good reviews! The tone of the K7 sounds very interesting.

One minor correction on the JP7: The tuners are Schallers, not Sperzels. I think Donnie mentioned to me that the piezo battery in the Medallion Gold JP7 was likely dead (so mine might be, too).

You'll definitely get a better piezo sound running into an acoustic amp or a PA. I ran my Parker's piezos through a SansAmp Acoustic DI (and later a Yamaha AG Stomp) and it sounded awesome. I can't wait for this weekend when i can try my JP7 through my full rig!

[Leon]

Greatest. Review. Ever.

of course, we're STILL going to get people starting new threads, asking about the differences. i mean, just look at all the threads asking about, "what pickups should i use?" there are already several huge threads about most of the ones available. when will people learn to use the search function?