# NGD: Ibanez RGIF7



## 4x3 (Aug 28, 2015)

Picked this up last night. I'm at work so only cell phone pics for now. Plays much better than I anticipated; fret work feels good too. Pups need to be changed; I've contacted BKP to see if they're willing to make a set for me.

Only complaint are the tiny indentations on the back of the neck between the nut and third fret. The rest of the neck is smooth, so the contrast is fairly distracting. I'm not sure how/when this happened, but another one is being ordered.


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## nistley (Aug 29, 2015)

Nice! HNGD! I love the grey look of exposed grain without it looking too much like Ikea.

I've thought about it for a fanned fret guitar, but got a Boden OS 7 instead. I also got SD Pegasus/Sentient custom slanted pickup set. It sounds nice with versatile split coil on neck, overall these SDs have 'modern' slightly scooped sound. However, I'm kind of a mid-freak, so I did order a custom slanted BKP set with covers, and it turned out to be $400, so I'm not sure it'll be worth it... If i like them enough, I guess the SDs will be up for grabs.


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## odibrom (Aug 29, 2015)

Yeah!, first one to come out, now a in depth review is on order.

Let these keep rolling so Ibanez expands this approach to "S" models so I can finally get an extended range "S" with fanned frets...


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## skeels (Aug 29, 2015)

First post, first ff7 Ibanez- nice! 

I've been really liking the finish on these.. very interested to hear an in depth review!


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## Given To Fly (Aug 29, 2015)

Why do the pickups need to be changed?


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## Alex Kenivel (Aug 29, 2015)

Maybe some folks don't like EMGs...


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## big_aug (Aug 29, 2015)

The pickups look disproportionate to the rest of the body to me. I dunno why. Maybe it's the finish being so plain that it makes them pop. I just got a Boden OS7, but I'd love one of these too. They are $999 retail?


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## skeels (Aug 29, 2015)

Saw one place selling them for 899.


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## 4x3 (Aug 29, 2015)

I'd like to change the pickups because I don't care for how this set sounds. I've owned actives before, 81/85 set, and now these, but passives have always fit my playing better.

I was impressed with the weight; it's no heavier than many 6-strings. This is my first 7-string, so I don't have anything else to directly compare it to. The frets were done very well and the neck isn't too thin. I've always strayed from Ibanez and the Wizard necks because they didn't feel right to me. There's more meat on this however and feels great. 

Regarding the fanned frets, I was able to play this right away. There are occasional runs where I'm not spot on. For me, there is a marked difference in the positioning of my hand, wrist, and arm. Before, with my non-fanned 6-strings, my hand and wrist were rotated outward away from me, with my fingers angled more towards me when near the nut. This helped with fingerings by maintaining a more perpendicular angle with the board.

Now, I feel that I'm in a more neutral position with my arm and wrist. Again, near the nut, my fingers are angled in the direction of the frets now, away from me, which is causing some stumbling on the board. Transitions up the neck are pretty seamless. I now understand why there's discussion of where to have the neutral or non-angled fret. For me, I would have liked the neutral fret to be a couple frets closer towards the nut, but it isn't a problem.

Playing on the high end is even more comfortable than on the low. The ergonomics are obvious when played. I don't know if the fanned frets contributes to this, but bends and vibratos are extremely easy on this guitar. I wouldn't chalk it up to being new frets either since I haven't had the same experience with other guitars in stores.

For my tastes, I honestly feel the string tension on B1 should be tighter, but it's definitely playable. Drop A introduces fret buzz, but some adjustment may be able to rectify it. I will likely toss on a larger gauge set, but am giving the stock set more time before doing so.

The finish on the body is killer; you can feel the grain, but is smooth. I do feel the volume knob is a little in the way for me, but again, not a big deal and something I can adjust to. It's a killer guitar and the price point is reasonable at $1k imo.


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## 4x3 (Aug 29, 2015)




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## 4x3 (Aug 30, 2015)

nistley, do you have any recordings with the SDs?

If anyone is interested in specific photos or feedback on any part of the guitar, just let me know. BKP contacted me and said they could do a custom set of slanted 7-string pups. They recommended a covered set instead of open-coil due to the routing being rectangular instead of rounded. Getting off topic, but I just don't know which set to go with lol. The Juggernaut reads like a strong candidate on paper; I just don't know how to meaningfully compare their models.


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## nistley (Aug 30, 2015)

I can make some recordings of SDs. Do you want raw or my preferred Axe preset? I'd keep in mind Jugs are very middy, there are more 'normal' pickups like Aftermaths that are great. I recommend to listen to as many sample clips as you can and you will see the pickup basic characteristics regardless of the amp.
edit:
well, whats done is done, sorry I'm switching around a lot, cleans are split coils.
https://soundcloud.com/nistley/pickups-sound-sample-sd-pegasus-sentient


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## ghostred7 (Aug 31, 2015)

HNGD!!

I can't wait until I order mine. I would have done so with some of the online retailers first opened them...but not enough $$$. 

I love what you're saying about positioning. Makes me have hope for my wrist situation.


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## big_aug (Aug 31, 2015)

About how much would you say it weighs?


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## 4x3 (Sep 3, 2015)

Sorry, I don't have feel for the actual weight. I'll hop on my digital scale with and without it three times each and average the differences tonight.


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## big_aug (Sep 3, 2015)

4x3 said:


> Sorry, I don't have feel for the actual weight. I'll hop on my digital scale with and without it three times each and average the differences tonight.



You don't gotta go through all that


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## 4x3 (Sep 4, 2015)

Lol, it's all good. I wanted to ensure it was an accurate measurement. The weight came in at 7.6 lbs/3.44 kg.

I think the lip at the neck joint near the lower horn is kind of odd.


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## Alikingravi (Sep 4, 2015)

fuuudgee this forum gives me some serious GAS!!!!


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 4, 2015)

Jesus Christ, why does it have to have that piece of fretboard after the nut 
I know 95% of fanned frets have that but a veneer on the headstock till the nut is much more coooooool 
Anyway, awesome guitar, and HNGD!
My gas for it just increased a lot now that you've taken all those pics and made such a nice review, so thanks a lot!


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## Humbuck (Sep 4, 2015)

Cool guitar!! I'm dying to get some time with one of these.


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## shred-o-holic (Sep 8, 2015)

Want to try badly. Never played an FF guitar and the new Iron Labels play great.


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## neurosis (Sep 8, 2015)

Ibanez really going where the public´s going, huh? Nice to see them cater to what their audience is looking for... and not at sinful prices either!

Congrats on the NGD!


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## mattgearp (Sep 11, 2015)

i am also buying an rgif7 this week and had a few questions regarding pickups..
im a more passive fan myself and is looking to put some different pickups on it and changing it to passive. but this guitar is tricky. they put 8 string pickups on it so they didn't have to get slanted pickups made for it. this was an attempt for Ibanez to save more $$ I presume. but regardless, this made every string be between two magnets instead of directly above one. im curious on if that changes sound? also, if you get a pair of slanted bare knuck sevens for it, would they fit in place where the 808x's used to be?? or would it be a better idea to just buy 8 string bare knucks and keep the same idea? thanks!


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## A-Branger (Sep 11, 2015)

love the 4+3 headstock. Wish Ibanez would do it more often and not jsut on some icemans and 8 strings


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## Andromalia (Sep 11, 2015)

> but regardless, this made every string be between two magnets instead of directly above one. im curious on if that changes sound?


EMGs do not have poles but bar magnets* so it doesn't change anything, string location is irrelevant provided it's not too close to the border.


*Ok, most of them, those included, because someone is going to nitpick if I don't specify this.


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## nistley (Sep 11, 2015)

Woooaaah, are these really 808 and not 707??


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## TerminalFunction (Sep 11, 2015)

HNGD to you! It looks killer! 

From what I understand, these are 808s, yes.


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## Given To Fly (Sep 11, 2015)

They are EMG 808x's.


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## big_aug (Sep 11, 2015)

So that's why I thought the pickups looked odd


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## ghostred7 (Sep 18, 2015)

Did the case come with or you had to get separately? If so, do you know the "model" of the case?


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## 4x3 (Sep 21, 2015)

The case was separate; it's a roadrunner. I'll be returning it though, not worth keeping. The neck comes out of the pocket when the case is stood up width wise. The lid for the interior compartment is really shoddy too.

BKP got back to me, delay was my fault, and the only solution is to drop in a 7 and angle it, which will leave gaps on the sides of the pickups or put in an 8 and not have the pole pieces lined up.

I also go the replacement RGIF7 and the neck is better, no clustered indentations. The fretboard on this one is lighter and the grain is straight, unlike the one advertised on Ibanez's site. It's total luck of the draw on grain if your if your local dealer doesn't stock them.

If I can't reasonably get some passives for this thing, it may be a deal breaker for me. I really enjoy what it has to offer; it's a solid guitar. I just can't stand the EMGs.

[Edited for spelling and phrasing]


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## kevdes93 (Sep 21, 2015)

Maybe look into instrumental pickups, he makes them custom for any fan and in active sizes so there would be no gap


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## 7 Dying Trees (Sep 21, 2015)

See if anyone makes 8string pickups with blades (ala x2n), that should take care of pole pieces not lining up  Sure BKP do some with blades? I think?


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## Andromalia (Sep 21, 2015)

Too lazy to look it up but Lace makes some 8+ string pickups with bar magnets if I remember well.


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## 7 Dying Trees (Sep 21, 2015)

Oh, and nice guitar, I've been thinking of getting one just for fanned frets and something dfferent


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## nistley (Sep 21, 2015)

Andromalia said:


> Too lazy to look it up but Lace makes some 8+ string pickups with bar magnets if I remember well.



Good call, I always wanted to try lace pickups, myself


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## 4x3 (Sep 23, 2015)

Awesome! Thank you all for the suggestions. A friend of mine also suggested Dunable pickups; made by Sacha Dunable of Intronaut. I'm going to start contacting these manufacturers and see what's feasible.


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## Andromalia (Sep 23, 2015)

nistley said:


> Good call, I always wanted to try lace pickups, myself



Do it, I only have them in my kelliher explorer and those are pretty good. If their other offerings are of the same grade you'll enjoy them if their voicing suits you.


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## Fraz666 (Sep 23, 2015)

HNGD!
I'm waiting the deliver of my RGIF8, thanks for the review


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## cardinal (Sep 23, 2015)

That looks great. You got one with nice pieces of ash for the body. From the pics, they don't all look this good.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 23, 2015)

cardinal said:


> That looks great. You got one with nice pieces of ash for the body. From the pics, they don't all look this good.



Yeah, I'm having a hard time finding an RGIF8 with two good pieces. 

I'm glad they'er trying to keep these all two piece, center joined.


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## 4x3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Thanks again everyone! Fraz666, I look forward to see what yours looks like. MaxOfMetal, are you looking at local shops? I have only really found generic stock photos of this model online and no retailers carry this model here. I was _really_ hoping for one of the figured ash tops, like what is shown on Ibanez's site, but I'm completely happy with this. 

Now that I've spent some time with the replacement, I feel I can compare the two. The first felt like it had a better setup, the action was lower and just felt right. The replacement isn't far off, but some adjustments are needed and expected. Another example being the individual bridge pieces; they were raised more and I could feel the edge (pickup side) against my palm when resting or palm muting.

Tuning seems to be an issue with this one. The strings are stretched/broken in, so I don't believe that's a contributor. A number of things can effect tuning, so I won't speculate what the cause may be. I'll likely take it in a month or two to be Plek'd. Other than that, the top on this one looks like a one piece. It's not, but very difficult to tell because of the placement of the cut and the grain. I'll get some shots of it up eventually.

I've been traveling out of state every week for work, so I haven't contacted anyone else about pickups yet, but I'll update this thread when I do. Unfortunately this also means I've had less time to play it.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 15, 2015)

4x3 said:


> MaxOfMetal, are you looking at local shops? I have only really found generic stock photos of this model online and no retailers carry this model here.



I've only seen one in the wild, but based on NGDs, photos from actual guitars on eBay, Ikebe, and Sweetwater, all but a couple have had more than two piece bodies and the jointing is centered. 



> I was _really_ hoping for one of the figured ash tops, like what is shown on Ibanez's site, but I'm completely happy with this.


 


> Other than that, the top on this one looks like a one piece. It's not, but very difficult to tell because of the placement of the cut and the grain. I'll get some shots of it up eventually.



These aren't topped, what you see is the grain of the body itself. They're also not using figured pieces, what you're seeing is just the grain fill variation from finishing on the stock photo.

This is what figured ash looks like:


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## 4x3 (Oct 17, 2015)

Thanks for clarifying; I knew these don't have a veneered top, but was liberal in my use of "top".

The figuring I was referring to was like in the photo below; perhaps I should have said grain instead.


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## ethanwu00 (Nov 2, 2015)

Is that guitar case include?


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## s2k9k (Nov 8, 2015)

Not a fan of fanned fret guitars, but that is one beautiful axe.


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## lewis (Nov 9, 2015)

big_aug said:


> *The pickups look disproportionate* to the rest of the body to me. I dunno why. Maybe it's the finish being so plain that it makes them pop. I just got a Boden OS7, but I'd love one of these too. They are $999 retail?



Yeah Ibanez have used 8 string EMGs for these 7 string fanned frets and 9 string EMGs for the 8 string equivalent  Seems silly to me


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## odibrom (Nov 9, 2015)

lewis said:


> Yeah Ibanez have used 8 string EMGs for these 7 string fanned frets and 9 string EMGs for the 8 string equivalent  Seems silly to me



It' because they're angled, though I think the smaller models could fit the angle and still cover the strings. First ERGs I saw from Conklin used bass EMG pickups, so...


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## joeydego (Jan 27, 2016)

I'm currently doing an in depth review of this guitar. Does the OP still own it? Impressions after the honeymoon phase? Anyone else?


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## skaterboycolten3189 (Feb 4, 2016)

does anyone know if the Ibanez M100C hardshell case will fit the RGIF7?


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## Ze_F (Feb 6, 2016)

Nope, doesn't compute with 27inches scale.


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## Adriel (May 22, 2017)

Loving my RGIF7. Does anyone know which locking tuners will work with it?


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