# 7 string neck widths...



## Captastic (Aug 17, 2011)

O-k...I've been wanting to pick up a 7 string. I've been drawn to Ibanez...but have a question. I played a 7321 (I know...cheap entry level very hit or miss) and felt that the neck was too wide string to string even for a 7 stringer. Is that the nature of the beast, or are other manufacturers necks narrower? My main guitar is a Caparison TAT...and the neck profile is kinda like the older MIJ Jackson professional Pro's.

Anyone care to share their experiences between different manufacturers? And for a first time 7...not interested in $$$ custome guitars...

TIA


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## sk3ks1s (Aug 17, 2011)

It may just be me, but I don't notice a huge width difference between my Ibanez 6-stringers and my 7420/7620.


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## vampiregenocide (Aug 17, 2011)

You felt the 7321 is too wide? Mine feels perfect. I have played a few schecters and they're very wide by comparison.


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## Captastic (Aug 17, 2011)

sk3ks1s said:


> It may just be me, but I don't notice a huge width difference between my Ibanez 6-stringers and my 7420/7620.


 
I think that Ibbie 6 string necks are a little wider per se...than say Jackson necks...so that may be exaserbating the feel of width...



vampiregenocide said:


> You felt the 7321 is too wide? Mine feels perfect. I have played a few schecters and they're very wide by comparison.


 
Well...its hard to say "too wide" as I've only played Ibbie 7 stringers. Hence why I'm curious about others...


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## vampiregenocide (Aug 17, 2011)

Oh right, well I'd say you'll have a hard time finding a 7 string neck thinner than an Ibanez. It sounds like you just need to get used to the larger size.


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## killertone (Aug 17, 2011)

My ESP NT-7 neck is extremely comfortable and pretty damn narrow. Much more so than my BRJ. I would look in to the MH-417 or similar model if you don't want to drop a ton of coin.


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## Floppystrings (Aug 17, 2011)

The carve of the RG7321 neck is weird. Straight up. The shoulders of the "D" shape make them feel all kinds of weird.

Try a Schecter 7, LTD, or Japanese Ibanez. Much rounder.

Funny story, I had always hated 7 strings because all I had played was a RG7321, but when I played an LTD SC-607B I learned that the neck can actually be comfortable. It was an eye opener.


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## Captastic (Aug 17, 2011)

vampiregenocide said:


> Oh right, well I'd say you'll have a hard time finding a 7 string neck thinner than an Ibanez. It sounds like you just need to get used to the larger size.


 Oh I agree from front to back it is thin. I did notice the hard D shape. I meant less wide from low to high string...not thickness front to back...


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## RobZero (Aug 17, 2011)

i've got a rg7321, as floppystrings says it's a weird neck shape, flat with big shoulders, probably it gives the feel of being narrower...but it's the same as the 7420!


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## vampiregenocide (Aug 17, 2011)

Captastic said:


> Oh I agree from front to back it is thin. I did notice the hard D shape. I meant less wide from low to high string...not thickness front to back...



I know what you meant bro.  I was referring to the fretboard not the neck.


From what I've played in terms of fretboard width, Agile and ESP/LTD feel similar (Little wider than an Ibanez) and Schecter feel much wider than all of them.


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## nkri (Aug 17, 2011)

vampiregenocide said:


> From what I've played in terms of fretboard width, Agile and ESP/LTD feel similar (Little wider than an Ibanez) and Schecter feel much wider than all of them.



Same. I've played plenty of 7s and in my experience, Ibanez is always the narrowest while Schecter is the widest (both in terms of neck thickness, i.e., front to back, and width, i.e., low to high strings). The difference is usually marginal, but noticeable if you're used to playing 6s. It may feel really wide simply because you're not used to the extra string


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## Captastic (Aug 17, 2011)

The particular 7321 I played was in real good shape...with SD BO's installed (not sure if 1 or 2's) for $299...still might head back and get it...

What string gauge for tuning 1 step down? ADCFAD...


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## cardinal (Aug 17, 2011)

I think most have a 48 mm nut width, but some ESPs use 45 mm.


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## Sephael (Aug 17, 2011)

vampiregenocide said:


> You felt the 7321 is too wide? Mine feels perfect. I have played a few schecters and they're very wide by comparison.


...except the whole part about them being the EXACT SAME WIDTH. Stop the hatin' without the facts.

At the nut Schecter, LTD and Ibby are all 48mm, ESPs have 45mm.


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## Rook (Aug 17, 2011)

As said before, it's not the width that felt weird, it'll be the almost rectangular cross section of the neck.

Try a Universe or something if you want to see how good a 7 string neck can be, the nut widths are generally very similar give or take a mm or 2


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## Lewk (Aug 17, 2011)

As already mentioned, ESP do a 45mm nut which is only a couple of mm thicker than alot of 6strings, in fact I had a Fibernare 6 that had a 45mm nut. I've no idea how people get on with 45mm on a 7, though. Metal guitars for midgets perhaps  my 7 has a 50mm nut and it's stupidly comfortable but I am a fat fuck.


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## infernalservice (Aug 17, 2011)

I have always felt caparison necks were a little on the narrow side, so coming from that world you are probably going to want to avoid ibby.


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## rippedflesh89 (Aug 17, 2011)

RobZero said:


> i've got a rg7321, as floppystrings says it's a weird neck shape, flat with big shoulders, probably it gives the feel of being narrower...but it's the same as the 7420!


 
a 7420 is not even close to a 7321 neck... theyre almost worlds apart... the 7420 is a C shape w/no shoulders at all while the 7321 has the most pronounced shoulders i have ever felt


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## filipe200x (Aug 17, 2011)

killertone said:


> My ESP NT-7 neck is extremely comfortable and pretty damn narrow. Much more so than my BRJ. I would look in to the MH-417 or similar model if you don't want to drop a ton of coin.



Also the Ibanez 7 string Artist has a 67mm last fret width. It may help him with the wider problem.


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## filipe200x (Aug 17, 2011)

Captastic said:


> Anyone care to share their experiences between different manufacturers? And for a first time 7...not interested in $$$ custome guitars...
> 
> TIA



Caps, did you feel it was too wide at what part of the neck? the nut, the middle (around 9th to 13th fret) or more at the end (15th and on)?


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## filipe200x (Aug 17, 2011)

Lewk said:


> my 7 has a 50mm nut and it's stupidly comfortable but I am a fat fuck.



What's the spacing at last fret?


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## Sephael (Aug 18, 2011)

filipe200x said:


> What's the spacing at last fret?


hard to find last fret widths, they will list nut and 12th fret.

And you can respond to more than 1 comment in a single post, editing it if need be.


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## Lewk (Aug 18, 2011)

filipe200x said:


> What's the spacing at last fret?



No idea sorry


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## RobZero (Aug 18, 2011)

rippedflesh89 said:


> a 7420 is not even close to a 7321 neck... theyre almost worlds apart... the 7420 is a C shape w/no shoulders at all while the 7321 has the most pronounced shoulders i have ever felt



i was talking about the nut width, i know the profiles are different coz i had both


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## filipe200x (Aug 18, 2011)

Sephael said:


> hard to find last fret widths, they will list nut and 12th fret.
> 
> And you can respond to more than 1 comment in a single post, editing it if need be.



Width: Ibanez lists nut and last...But i asked Lewk for he owns a 50mm 7. You can just use a ruler to measure though...

Post: Thanks for the tip, but i thought it would look messy writing a whole bunch of things in a single post.


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## filipe200x (Aug 18, 2011)

rippedflesh89 said:


> a 7420 is not even close to a 7321 neck... theyre almost worlds apart... the 7420 is a C shape w/no shoulders at all while the 7321 has the most pronounced shoulders i have ever felt



What do you mean shoulders?


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 18, 2011)

Play an 8 string for a while... Then play a 7 again.


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## rippedflesh89 (Aug 18, 2011)

RobZero said:


> i was talking about the nut width, i know the profiles are different coz i had both


 
even in that case, the nut widths on both the 7321 and the 7420 is 43 mm... the 7321 will feel wider because of the shoulders

and by shoulders, i mean the corners on the back of the neck that come from having a flat spot on the back... D shaped necks really..... the larger the flat spot is, the larger the shoulders are...

play a C shaped neck (most fender strats ive ever played are C shaped) and youll feel that has a perfectly round, uniform profile... no shoulders whatsoever


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## filipe200x (Aug 19, 2011)

It's not Rippedflesh. 7321's nut width is 48mm...43mm is the nut width for 6 string RG's.


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## Lagtastic (Aug 26, 2011)

Since someone mentioned the Universe, here are the neck specs straight from the website, apart from the 19th fret measurement which I did myself on a 2005 Universe 7 when I was deciding on my first 7:

Ibanez Universe neck measurements:

Scale/Length 648mm/25.5"
Width at Nut 48mm
Width Last Fret 68mm
Thickness 1st Fret 19mm
Thickness 12th Fret 21mm
Thickness 19th fret 24mm
Radius 430mm


Here are my measurements on my Dean USA RC7G:

USA RC7G neck:

Scale/Length 648mm/25.5"
Width at Nut 48mm
Width Last Fret 68mm
Thickness 1st Fret 19mm
Thickness 12th Fret 19mm
Thickness 19th Fret 19mm
Radius - I don't have a tool to measure this, but it is a touch flatter than the Ibby



You'll notice the main difference is the neck does not get thicker as it approaches the body. This is the only guitar I have ever owned with this specific feature in a neck. If you are looking for a high quality 7 with a ridiculous thin neck, check out the Dean RC7G. The "G" model is the higher quality one. The RC7X is the lower cost version, and the neck is thicker.


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