Spec me a 7 string guitar please :)

nealw · 12 Apr 2006 at 19:51

I'm in the market for a nice seven string guitar so that I can actually play some dream theater stuff and the like.

Budget is pretty much not a problem, most i could afford is about £2,000.

I just dont really know what is out there, any suggestions and experiences?

Cheers

Phalanx · 12 Apr 2006 at 20:16

since budget is a problem, you might want to check out the Steve Vai signature 7 string. those are really good.
The cheaper Ibanez 7 strings are really good as well but they have no tremelo

nealw · 12 Apr 2006 at 20:21

Phalanx said:
since budget is a problem, you might want to check out the Steve Vai signature 7 string. those are really good.
The cheaper Ibanez 7 strings are really good as well but they have no tremelo

is the vai signature seven string the universe 777 thingymajig with the eye and pyramid graphic?

that does look quite nice indeed, not seen any uk sellers though and i would like to give it a go before buying.

anyone tried the petrucci 7 string signature?

Phalanx · 12 Apr 2006 at 20:25

The petrucci signature is supposed to be god but I haven't played it

Yeah, that's the Steve Vai guitar I was talking about.

Heck, with 2 grand, you could get a custom 8 string and some crunchy meshuggah

nealw · 12 Apr 2006 at 22:17

^^ haha i dont think my guitar skills are l33t enough to handle 8 strings lol

7 will do just fine for now, im gonna try and find a uk seller of that petrucci and see what its like

thanks for your help

samat2001 · 12 Apr 2006 at 22:27

If you're going for the Petrucci model, try before you buy...Ernie Balls are, in my opinion, a definate 'love them or hate them' make - they're not for everyone...

PikeyPriest · 12 Apr 2006 at 23:50

I have seen the universe at Rose Morris just off charring cross road (near tottenham court tube station). That was 6 months ago or so, but they do tend to have some top level guitars there. Played the universe and the k7 - universe was much nicer to play and definitely has a different design

edit- cant see U777 or K7 listed on the website. Give them a call though, they may not put the top end guitars on due to low numbers.

Andelusion · 13 Apr 2006 at 00:38

Ahem *walks into thread*..

Wellll

The Ernie Ball musicman Petrucci 7 string is a great guitar. It's quite expensive in comparison to the Ibanez models suggested but it also allows you more scope for customisability as you can choose from a huge range of colours, special inlays AND (the most important extra feature imo) you can have a piezo bridge installed if you wish, this is what may set this model apart from others. However the Petrucci models don't have floating bridges so if you're into heavy trem work they may not be for you, the Universe however..

The Ibanez Universe is also a fantastic guitar, although i wouldn't say the money extra you have to pay over something like an Ibanez 1570 is worth it, as all you're paying for is the DiMarzio Breed pickups (which are fantastic by the way) and the extra cosmetics. But if you want the real thing then you'll find a UV orgasmic.

You can also search ebay for an Ibanez RG2027 which is another 7 string prestige model with a fantastic flamed maple top, these are quite rare though but already come with DiMarzio pups as standard.

If it were my choice i'd go for the ErnieBall but that's only because at the moment i'm GASsing after a Piezo bridge and i've already got 2 Ibanez, one of them being a Vai signature model, the UV is still a fantastic guitar though.

EDIT:

By the way UV77s are easy to get in the UK, go to GAK for a start, if you search hard enough (well not toohard) you can also find the Petrucci models, infact here you go: http://www.firstguitarshop.co.uk/view_product.php?product=JOH32CTQ62

EDIT again!:

If you check the John Petrucci forums, in particular this thread: http://www.petrucciforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33755 you'll find a guy with an awesome selection of Petrucci guitars, some 7s aswell, he's actually looking to sell some, he lives in Europe also, apparently he's a sound guy and keeps them all in fantastic condition, I don't know him though.

nealw · 13 Apr 2006 at 01:39

thanks for all the advice guys, its been very helpful

what i think i might do, just so i get used to using a seven string and not jump right in at the deep end spending a small fortune on one, ill pick up an Ibanez RG 1527, GAK have them in at £499, seems quite reasonable.

stick an Evolution 7 in the bridge, make sure its well set up and see how i get on with it.

i don't suppose anyone has used this guitar have they? harmony central seems to like it, but apparently it gets much better with aftermarket pickups, which i suspected anyway.

cheers.

Andelusion · 13 Apr 2006 at 11:37

That sounds like a good idea

The 1527s are great, they're more or less the same as all the high end signature models, just as the 1550 is basically the same as any Jem/J-Custom just without the fancy cosmetics.

Some people really like the stock Ibanez pickups, I have some in one of mine and they are actually quite good, but if you swap them out for some DiMarzio's of your choice (or other pickup) you've basically got one of the top end models.

Get us some pics when it arrives :cool: