Affordable 7 String Ibanez RG7321 Electric Guitar

August 1, 2007 by Jo Minor 


The Ibanez RG7321 is a 7-string electric guitar with an affordable price. The list price is only $506.65, which brings the mystique and extra options of that seventh string into the realm of possibilities for almost anyone. This guitar is in a black superstrat shape with a cool looking pointed headstock with seven tuners on the side.

The Axis Humbucker 1 pickup at the neck is responsive and has a full sound. It is good for chording because the medium output gives it lots of character. The Axis Humbucker 2 pickup at the bridge has Alnico-5 magnet construction which provides a lot of clarity when playing harmonics and allows for the individual notes to be heard. It has full bass sound.

Ibanez has become a familiar name among rock musicians. The company goes way back to the beginning of the last century in Japan. The name Ibanez is not Japanese, however. It is Spanish.

The Hoshino Gakki company, a distributer and later a manufacturer of musical instruments, took on the name of Spanish luthier, Salvador Ibanez, a number of years after his death in 1920. He had left a legacy of high quality Spanish guitars, but when his shop was destroyed in the thirties, due to the Spanish Civil War, the rights to the name were sold to Hoshino.

Hoshino began doing business with Harry Rosenbloom, a luthier in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and he became the sole North American distributer for Ibanez guitars in 1965. In the mid sixties, “made in Japan” was a phrase often associated with items of low quality. That certainly is not the case these days, but at that time it seemed like a good marketing decision to move the company headquarters to the U.S.

Ibanez got into some trouble in the early seventies, because they were basically copying the popular guitars made by more expensive American companies and selling them at bargain prices. After settling a lawsuit with Gibson out of court, they began to create their own designs, and they were very good. These Ibanez guitars had shapes that appealed to hard rockers, as well as slim necks, flat fingerboards, and high output pickups. These guitars became popular with rock musicians.

Ibanez has consulted with a number of well-known artists and carries a variety of signature models developed in conjunction with them. Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Munky, Andy Timmons, and Paul Gilbert are just a few of the names on these signature guitars.

Seven string guitars are popular with rockers for a couple of reasons. The seventh string can be used for drop d and other special tunings without affecting the regular tuning. They also expand the possibilities in other ways. If a guitarist has learned just about all he can do on the six string, it only makes sense he will want to try his hand with another type of axe.  The Ibanez RG7321 is a good way to give it a try.

Advantages: The Ibanez RG7321, because of its fixed bridge, gives you an advantage in tuning. The through body strings enhance the tone, as well. The price is certainly right, and the neck is thin enough that you can get your hand around it, which is sometimes an issue with seven string guitars.

The basswood body is lightweight, so you don’t get tired at long gigs. Basswood also provides for tight, punchy low end tone and sharp high end, too. The upper frets are very accessible. The shape of the body is extremely comfortable. The sustain and pinch harmonics are good on the RG7321, too.

Disadvantages: This guitar lacks a whammy bar if you want one. Remember how much trouble it is to get a guitar with a whammy bar back in tune, though, if this fact should put you off. Also the stock pickups are not as hot as some people would like.

Specs:

  • Basswood body with two deep cutaways

  • 5 piece maple and walnut neck

  • Wizard II-7 neck profile

  • 25.5 inch (648 mm.) scale length

  • 56 mm. wide at the last fret

  • Neck dimension: 19 mm. thick at the first fret

  • Neck dimension: 21 mm. thick at the twelfth fret

  • Fingerboard radius of 400

  • Bound rosewood fingerboard

  • 24 jumbo frets

  • Pearl dot inlays

  • Black hardware

  • IBZ AH1-7 humbucking pickup at the neck

  • IBZ AH2-7 humbucking pickup at the bridge

  • Fixed 7 bridge

  • 5-way pickup selector switch

  • One master tone control knob

  • One master volume control knob

 

 

 

Ibanez has its own forum for fans and players. Check it out, get some good advice, and maybe make some friends!

Go to a group called “halfbakery” and you can read some comments about 7-string guitars, 12 string guitars, opinions, and ideas about how to play them.

The Tab World is an online guitar resource that along with tabs provides some reviews and opinions about the Ibanez RG7321 7-string electric guitar that you might want to read.

Filed under: General
Tagged:

Comments

Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!