# BEST 7 STRING? who other than Ibanez makes a great 7 for your money?



## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 20, 2010)

*im looking to get either a custom 7 made or an ibanez xiphos xpt707 modded. the other option is to get a great stock 7 string. had a uv777, and im sure most people here would vote for ibanez if it were on my pole. i own 4 ibby's but i want to see what other brands are as worthy....please suggest something you have knowledge of. thx*

*also washburn is not on the list cause i already own one. suggest a model too if you can. id prefer something pointy, crazy, or just plain different. a strat shape is ok but i have several of those too. kinda want something "METAL" looking!*

*here are seven (pun intended) brands i see talked about all the time in no particular order:*


*Jackson*
*ESP*
*BC Rich*
*Dean*
*Agile*
*KXK*
*Schecter*
*remember..........there can only be one (ahem, highlander) so pick only one-thx for your help!*


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## ittoa666 (Apr 20, 2010)

M3CHK1LLA said:


> *im looking to get either a custom 7 made or an ibanez xiphos xpt707 modded. the other option is to get a great stock 7 string. had a uv777, and im sure most people here would vote for ibanez if it were on my pole. i own 4 ibby's but i want to see what other brands are as worthy....please suggest something you have knowledge of. thx*
> 
> *also washburn is not on the list cause i already own one. suggest a model too if you can. id prefer something pointy, crazy, or just plain different. a strat shape is ok but i have several of those too. kinda want something "METAL" looking!*
> 
> ...



Schecter and Agile are great brands, but for a sevenstring esp or jackson, expect to pay a liitle more. KxK is great if you're loaded.


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## Deadseen (Apr 20, 2010)

best deal for the money feels like schecter and agile, but i'm pretty sure kxk is much better guitars then both of those brands. Also it differs from model to model, a schecter omen and a schecter jeff loomis is miles away from each other. So is the standard ltd and the carpenter esp's


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## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 20, 2010)

thanks for the respone & info. i just figured out how to turn the poll on. were you able to vote? did it give you a choice? if not, you can cast your vote for one. thx


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## arktan (Apr 20, 2010)

I love my xiphos. 

But since you want non-Ibanez's i recommend you to also take a look at Gary Kramer (not Kramer) guitars. It's the Guy from Kramer guitars but he sold his old brand and made a new one. Here is the turbulence, a very nice 7string model:







We use one for the recordings at the moment and we both (the other guitarist and me) love it.

There's also a sexy 6string:


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## machinehead91 (Apr 20, 2010)

being a schecter player i had to vote for them, every schecter 7 string ive played have been pretty epic, including the blackjack, damien and the omen extreme =]


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## ittoa666 (Apr 20, 2010)

M3CHK1LLA said:


> thanks for the respone & info. i just figured out how to turn the poll on. were you able to vote? did it give you a choice? if not, you can cast your vote for one. thx



 Poll works.


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 20, 2010)

Deadseen said:


> best deal for the money feels like schecter and agile, but i'm pretty sure kxk is much better guitars then both of those brands. Also it differs from model to model, a schecter omen and a schecter jeff loomis is miles away from each other. So is the standard ltd and the carpenter esp's



totally 
Schecter and Agile are excellent "bargains" tho the diff between the Omen and the Loomis is pretty much the same as the ESP LTD to the SC607b to the B7... KXK or Rico Jnr's are the puppies privates if you have the cash to spare.... Tbh you pays your money you takes your choice really... all depends on how much cash you got and can you afford and have the patience for a custom build? If your after a METAL!!! 7 strign that ain't an RG/Super Strat shape then custom is the way forward my friend...


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## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 20, 2010)

did not know about this brand, thx for the info-that second guitar (v) is really cool


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## Emperoff (Apr 20, 2010)

Almost any brand. "good bang for the buck" isn't one of Ibanez strong points, actually.


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## jymellis (Apr 20, 2010)

Emperoff said:


> Almost any brand. "good bang for the buck" isn't one of Ibanez strong points, actually.


 
i used to agree but the new 2010 line is looking promicing. the new rga has actives and a gibralter bridge for under 500.


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## simonXsludge (Apr 20, 2010)

arktan said:


>



i'd might wanna eat this banana, but play it? i don't know. the inlays are cool though.


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## Emperoff (Apr 20, 2010)

jymellis said:


> i used to agree but the new 2010 line is looking promicing. the new rga has actives and a gibralter bridge for under 500.



Really? BC Rich has a 7-string mahogany neck-thru-body guitar with a transparent finish, ebony board, original floyd rose and non-retarded pickup routes for under 600$.


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## jymellis (Apr 20, 2010)

Emperoff said:


> Really? BC Rich has a 7-string mahogany neck-thru-body guitar with a transparent finish, ebony board, original floyd rose and non-retarded pickup routes for under 600$.


 
thats all good if you like nech-thru(i dont) also if you like the ofr(i dont) and if you like bc rich (i dont lol) i did have a REALLY nice 6 string warlock in the early 90s, it was painted all snakeskin like, but even then(90s) it was over a grand lol.i also see nothing wrong at all with the pup routes,clean and tight!

http://www.portlandpercussion.com/2010Ibanez/IBANEZ RGA7BK08.jpg


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## Deadseen (Apr 20, 2010)

Emperoff said:


> Really? BC Rich has a 7-string mahogany neck-thru-body guitar with a transparent finish, ebony board, original floyd rose and non-retarded pickup routes for under 600$.



How's the quality on those these days, bc rich was basically falling apart by themself a couple of years ago.


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## eaeolian (Apr 20, 2010)

Practically everyone. I probably wouldn't own a CS Jackson if all these options existed when I went to 7s.


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## Jay Jay (Apr 20, 2010)

If you're looking for a really nice quality guitar, I'd go for an Agile. My friend owned an Interceptor 7 which was beautiful and played really well, and he still owns his Intrepid 8, which is probably the nicest guitar I've ever played.

I'd have one, but I just crashed my car and now I've got to start working towards a new one, haha.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 20, 2010)

Despite their recent move to fuck over foreign customers by forcing people outside the US to go through dealers/distributors (which goes against their business philosophy), I'd say Carvin offers the BEST bang for your buck in a 7.

You can get a BEAUTIFULLY made, first world crafted 7 built to your specs in a semi-custom format, all starting at about $800 delivered, with HSC. Even the most decked out DC747 (with a lot of the upgrades being aesthetic) will only run you $2500, which is NOTHING for a custom USA made guitar. 

Another company to look at would be Strictly 7 Guitars. They're fairly new, but their prices are remarkable. You can get a fairly well equipped 7 for under $2000, and they offer a good deal of options that Carvin doesn't. 

Though, if we're talking about mass market, full production guitars only, I'd say Ibanez (12) and Schecter (10) are just about tied for first place. They cater to two VERY different markets to mark one as the clear winner. If you're a fan of bolt-ons with thin necks NO ONE out there at the moment has your back like Ibanez. Though, if you want a Mahogany bodied set-neck with active pickups and a neck with some heft (because not everyone likes super thin Wizards) the Schecter will give you more options than any other. 

As for the other brands:

ESP/LTD (ESP:3 LTD:5): They have some great stuff, but ESP's NT-7 and Viper 7 really don't cater to much of the 7-string public. They're great but very limited. The SC series aren't bad but for $3000+ they aren't great bang-for-buck buys. LTD has some interesting things, but overall they just make cheaper versions of ESP's already VERY limited offerings.

Jackson (1): They only have ONE 7-string that's not a high cost custom. While it's a nice guitar, it really is nothing all too special. As for the USA stuff, in that price range there are plenty of other shops which can give a great guitar. 

B.C. Rich (3): They've certainly hit the ground running this year, releasing three new 7s, all greatly spec'd for under $1000. If some of the more pointy and non-traditional shapes are your bag, then they're offering a fine selection and product. Though, once again, they really are limited in their options.

Dean (5): Same as some of the others, they really don't offer a lot pf 7s, and the ones they do offer (which are just RC's) really don't vary a lot. The lower end RC7X seems VERY promising though, kinda an Ibanez for someone who doesn't like Ibanez. No one else is really doing that in the production market.

Agile (6 Base Models): The lack of QC, and refusal to take care of overseas customers, even when Rondo is the one who fucked up tends to irk me about this brand. Though, in actuality, they do have a great product. They offer a very "Schecter-ish" product, so the Ibby fans won't exactly be buying a whole lot, but They kinda bridge the gap, as far as necks go, and really, the prices are pretty great. Though, you couldn't pay me to order one abroad. 

KxK: USA based Custom Shop. Need I say more?

*Numbers in parenthesis are the number of production 7s that company offers.*


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## 777timesgod (Apr 20, 2010)

Does Dean have any 7 strings beside the 2 signature models of Dime (never knew he played 7 strings ...) and the other guy (cant remember his name)?

Never saw a 7 Dean in my life if you believe it, having played the rest of the brands i'll go with KXK of course, not because its the best in the world but because its the best on the list imo.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 20, 2010)

777timesgod said:


> Does Dean have any 7 strings beside the 2 signature models of Dime (never knew he played 7 strings ...) and the other guy (cant remember his name)?
> 
> Never saw a 7 Dean in my life if you believe it, having played the rest of the brands i'll go with KXK of course, not because its the best in the world but because its the best on the list imo.



They make three Rusty Cooley sigs, have an entry level Vendetta 7, and then one Razorback 7.

The last two are nothing to write home about, but the RC's are actually pretty nice, lame graphics and douche nozzle artist aside.


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## jymellis (Apr 20, 2010)

777timesgod said:


> Does Dean have any 7 strings beside the 2 signature models of Dime (never knew he played 7 strings ...) and the other guy (cant remember his name)?
> 
> Never saw a 7 Dean in my life if you believe it, having played the rest of the brands i'll go with KXK of course, not because its the best in the world but because its the best on the list imo.


 

you remember diamond darrel and not rusty cooley,what is this world coming too lol


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## eaeolian (Apr 20, 2010)

jymellis said:


> you remember diamond darrel and not rusty cooley,what is this world coming too lol



Dime sold a few more CDs. 

As for what I'd play, well, I'm a Jackson endorser, so there's a SLAT3-7 in my future. If I weren't a Jackson guy, it would be a KXK or the ESP Horizon NT7. For "budget" (sub-$1000) guitars, well, there's a lot of options.


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## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 21, 2010)

so far i have had alot of great input on the brands, prices & quality. i love the fact that other good brands (some of which i had not heard of till now) are being mentioned and making me do research. im sure this has helped others as well as anyone in the future just starting their 7 string journey.

it seems we have one dumb A that marked this thread as "stupid". 
there is always atleast one in every group - not helping, just complaining. luckily you dont have to participate. infact start your own poll or thread.

most people here get it. let me explain to make things clearer for those who dont quite understand. 

1) ibanez was not listed because they would obviously win!

2) best - is a matter of opion, thats why i ask to see what *most* people here think. one person hung up on a brand & bad mouthing others for their opions will count little in this poll.

3) bang for your buck - if guitar brand A cost $500 but brand C is 5 times better for $200 more, then i will buy brand C.

4) if brand D cost the most, but its the best you can get & you believe it is worth the money? then vote for it!

pretty simple folks, right?  thx!


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## M3CHK1LLA (May 21, 2010)

poll closed - so here are the results at the begining of the thread.

any other comments? maybe a good brand not mentioned?


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## Fred the Shred (May 21, 2010)

I stand by Gary Kramer Guitars, honestly. KxK are absolutely awesome as well, so it does boil down to what you WANT in a guitar, not its quality alone. You have quite a few brands more than capable of producing rather fine instruments.

As for the original banana remark on the GKG, I never really understood why, of all colors, they added yellow to the possible finishes. 

Here are my three Turbulence guitars:











The 729 is a neck-thru construction guitar, while the T / R 36's are bolt-on.

As for KxK, here is my lovely orange-ish axe:





I absolutely love all of them, so while they aren't easy axes to find (and I thoroughly support hands-on experience prior to buying), I'd try to give one of these a spin.


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## ralphy1976 (May 21, 2010)

i can see a Universe green dots there too...the messerschmidt is really nice, personally i'd prefer ebony fretboard, but the paintwork is really cool!!!

is the other one the Fredbulence?


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## ShadyDavey (May 21, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Despite their recent move to fuck over foreign customers by forcing people outside the US to go through dealers/distributors (which goes against their business philosophy), I'd say Carvin offers the BEST bang for your buck in a 7.





Even while being one of those Foreign Johnnies, my Carvin stands up to anything outside of full custom shops - they truly are great bang for the buck.

In a full custom scenario...Bernie Rico Jr, KxK, Daemoness perhaps? 

GKG are also very intruiging as their options are quite unlike most other guitars in that price range.


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## Fred the Shred (May 21, 2010)

ralphy1976 said:


> i can see a Universe green dots there too...the messerschmidt is really nice, personally i'd prefer ebony fretboard, but the paintwork is really cool!!!
> 
> is the other one the Fredbulence?



The black one is just a standard R36 which I retrofit with a red CS DiMarzio EVO7. The Frebulence is the R729 you see in the pic below.


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## ralphy1976 (May 21, 2010)

Cool one!!! really like the look on that too!!


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## vhmetalx (May 21, 2010)

I gotta say Mech, after finally getting/playing my rc7x, i would go for that baby out of any other 7 i have played before. and if you could get it refretted as well, then i think that would kill everything else on the market. ofcourse i havent refrettted mine yet but i can feel how amazing it will be.


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## budda (May 21, 2010)

There's a used KxK on here - pick it up.


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## Fred the Shred (May 21, 2010)

vhmetalx, I don't mean to sound nasty nor am I attempting to diminish your axe in any way, but surely you realize that no matter how much of honeymoon phase you're going through with your new guitar (and it's awesome that it is so), it will only be competition for some of the behemoths mentioned here when a selective cataclysm destroys all examples of them. I can state quite objectively that it will not even come close to a KxK, a proper Jap ESP, or a CS GKG like the Frebulence, for instance. I state these examples because I do own KxK and Gary Kramer guitars, and I tested the RC7X. 

If you meant the US model, while not mind-boggingly amazing for MY personal taste, it is indeed very well built and has a far more luxurious feel to it than the mass produced RC7X. Does it make it a bad guitar? Far from it, but one must be realistic regarding the "you get what you pay for" factor.


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## ShadyDavey (May 21, 2010)

Oh Fred, you rotter....

.....you forgot the Mayones


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## Jugulator (May 21, 2010)

You know what this thread needs? Ran! They will build you fucking anything for a good price, I got quoted $2600 CAD for a 27 fret 7 string Xiphos with trem (sound familiar?)


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## MaxOfMetal (May 21, 2010)

Jugulator said:


> You know what this thread needs? Ran! They will build you fucking anything for a good price, I got quoted $2600 CAD for a 27 fret 7 string Xiphos with trem (sound familiar?)



The year+ wait times and the strength of the Euro keep defeating my RAN GAS. That and the fact every quote I've sent them has been about $3800. 

That being said, I'm really surprised they're not as popular. Especially considering their "we'll build ANYTHING" attitude.


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## HaloHat (May 22, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Another company to look at would be Strictly 7 Guitars. They're fairly new, but their prices are remarkable. You can get a fairly well equipped 7 for under $2000, and they offer a good deal of options that Carvin doesn't.


 
Oh my they sure do. And their customer service smokes Carvin in my experience, both professional and consumer. I am NOT a Carvin hater. Actually tried really hard to be a Carvin fanboy. I loved my DC127 and agree Carvin can be a great deal if they have what you want. Their 10 day return is very good and they do honor it without any B.S. I would be lying if I said their sales dept ever made me feel like I was dealing with someone who actually gave a shit though.

Strictly 7 is awesome for the money and their customer service and communication is the best no matter the money. And they love 7 strings and metal and ERG guitars. They get my business. [so would KxK and BRj but they are beyond my budget right now]


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## M3CHK1LLA (May 22, 2010)

Jugulator said:


> You know what this thread needs? Ran! They will build you fucking anything for a good price, I got quoted $2600 CAD for a 27 fret 7 string Xiphos with trem (sound familiar?)


 
yeah it does - just what i wanted. thing is they never gave me a quote & at the time i heard it was taking over a year to get one.



MaxOfMetal said:


> The year+ wait times and the strength of the Euro keep defeating my RAN GAS. That and the fact every quote I've sent them has been about $3800.
> 
> That being said, I'm really surprised they're not as popular. Especially considering their "we'll build ANYTHING" attitude.


 
$3800! what were you trying to have built - batio's 4 neck dean? 


a friend told me about them & i did a little research. ive heard nothing but good stuff about them. you can see the quality when you go to their gallery....you will droooool


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## Whitestrat (May 23, 2010)

No EBMM???


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## vhmetalx (May 23, 2010)

Fred the Shred said:


> vhmetalx, I don't mean to sound nasty nor am I attempting to diminish your axe in any way, but surely you realize that no matter how much of honeymoon phase you're going through with your new guitar (and it's awesome that it is so), it will only be competition for some of the behemoths mentioned here when a selective cataclysm destroys all examples of them. I can state quite objectively that it will not even come close to a KxK, a proper Jap ESP, or a CS GKG like the Frebulence, for instance. I state these examples because I do own KxK and Gary Kramer guitars, and I tested the RC7X.
> 
> If you meant the US model, while not mind-boggingly amazing for MY personal taste, it is indeed very well built and has a far more luxurious feel to it than the mass produced RC7X. Does it make it a bad guitar? Far from it, but one must be realistic regarding the "you get what you pay for" factor.



No worries man, I see where you're coming from, from being able to play/test them all out. but I also was just talking from my experiences. I dont think i live anywhere near a KxK. I've never played a Jap ESP (that i know of) but if theyre anything like the jap jackson then i would expect awesome things from that (those) guitar(s) 
Plus i dont think i would recommend the USA model unless whoever i was recommended it to were to order it in a straight color. 
Sure the RC7X is a mass produced 7 string, but its a pretty damn good mass produced 7 string for the price if i may say so myself. 
So yeah....
tl;dr just talking form my personal experiences.


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## M3CHK1LLA (May 23, 2010)

HaloHat said:


> I am NOT a Carvin hater. Actually tried really hard to be a Carvin fanboy. I loved my DC127 and agree Carvin can be a great deal if they have what you want.
> 
> Strictly 7 is awesome for the money and their customer service and communication is the best no matter the money. And they love 7 strings and metal and ERG guitars. They get my business. [so would KxK and BRj but they are beyond my budget right now]


 


ShadyDavey said:


> Even while being one of those Foreign Johnnies, my Carvin stands up to anything outside of full custom shops - they truly are great bang for the buck.
> 
> In a full custom scenario...Bernie Rico Jr, KxK, Daemoness perhaps?
> 
> GKG are also very intruiging as their options are quite unlike most other guitars in that price range.


 


Whitestrat said:


> No EBMM???


 
i guess i need to research some of these other brands mentioned. i always forget about carvin...a friend of mine had one and i remember it was quit good. they just never stick out in my mind for some reason.

strickly seven? need to look into this & the gk's which i am starting to hear more & more good things about.

bernie makes great stuff i know & like kxk can be big bucks. i guess im looking to spend about $1000 new or used w/trem.


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## Dragonfly (May 23, 2010)

Fred the Shred said:


> Here are my three Turbulence guitars:



That 38th fret must be tiny as hell! 

On topic, I would say check out used guitars aswell, that way you can allways get a good bang for your buck (if you don't mind a few scratches).


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## M3CHK1LLA (May 24, 2010)

Dragonfly said:


> That 38th fret must be tiny as hell!
> 
> On topic, I would say check out used guitars aswell, that way you can allways get a good bang for your buck (if you don't mind a few scratches).


 
38th fret??? crazy! that gk is looking more and more tempting - especially the fighter plane graphic. flat black looks cool too. i also noticed that little knee pad thing on the bottom. not sure what to think about that...wonder if its removable?

used is the way i prob would go. you can get good deals now a days. the other thing is i see more & more b stocks or 2nds being sold. some of those look like good deals but i wonder sometimes if there is more damage or factory defects then just chipped paint. anybody have any luck with them?


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## Dragonfly (May 24, 2010)

M3CHK1LLA said:


> used is the way i prob would go. you can get good deals now a days. the other thing is i see more & more b stocks or 2nds being sold. some of those look like good deals but i wonder sometimes if there is more damage or factory defects then just chipped paint. anybody have any luck with them?



Well I bought a used guitar which is a 2nd, at first I was like, "hmm, is this going to be ok?" but it really just was the first laquer layer that bursted and then they just painted over it, it's not seeable for the public, it's not in the way and it's only the size of my pinky nail.

Maybe I'm just really lucky with that (plus the previous owner as well), but I'd certainly check them out. The internet told me that 2nds can also have twisted necks, so just check them/ inform them if they have, because that's hard to fix I guess.
If it's just uneven fretwork, then a luthier (or maybe someone else) can fix that.
And if it's just paint chips, well, then you just saved a lot of money


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## Fred the Shred (May 24, 2010)

Dragonfly said:


> That 38th fret must be tiny as hell!
> 
> On topic, I would say check out used guitars aswell, that way you can allways get a good bang for your buck (if you don't mind a few scratches).





Everyone has that reaction, mate. I only play regularly up the 31st, and other than some taps and whatnot, I'm not too prone on making runs up there (there are 36 frets, not 38, for the 3-octave per string range), as it is, quite obviously, incredibly cluttered. 

M3CHK1LLA - As far as the leg rest is concerned, it's just a single screw holding it in place, so it's quite easy to take off. Personally, I like its quirky look.  Unfortunately, there are no more warbird Turbulence guitars, as my Messerchmitt is a one-off, and certified as such.


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## M3CHK1LLA (May 24, 2010)

Fred the Shred said:


> M3CHK1LLA - As far as the leg rest is concerned, it's just a single screw holding it in place, so it's quite easy to take off. Personally, I like its quirky look.  Unfortunately, there are no more warbird Turbulence guitars, as my Messerchmitt is a one-off, and certified as such.


 
of course the one i like you cant get anymore! well there is always ebay. what would be a good price on the warbird? did they make one with a trem?



Dragonfly said:


> Maybe I'm just really lucky with that (plus the previous owner as well), but I'd certainly check them out. The internet told me that 2nds can also have twisted necks, so just check them/ inform them if they have, because that's hard to fix I guess.
> If it's just uneven fretwork, then a luthier (or maybe someone else) can fix that.
> And if it's just paint chips, well, then you just saved a lot of money


 
a few dings and scratches dont bother me. that is why i think i will go for a used or b stock to get more for my money. just wondered cause i have never bought b stock. just seeing if it is a good deal or hidden nightmares.


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