NGD: Ibanez RG7621 content

[eudaimonia02912]

I picked this up (a 1999 MIJ Ibanez RG7621) on eBay for a decent price:

 

 

The pictures aren't too exciting, but, well, it's not the most exciting guitar to look at. It's a black RG.

 

I bought this to replace my Schecter Avenger 7. The Schecter plays well, but it has a big fat Schecter neck. I wanted something with a thin neck and better upper fret access. As soon as I played this RG, I knew I was going to like it better than the Schecter. The RG came strung with a heavier string gauge than I prefer, but thanks to the thin Wizard 7 neck and jumbo frets, it was easier to play than the Schecter. Now that I've restrung it to my custom gauge, it's even better. I'm finding it much easier to solo on this than on the Schecter, and presumably it will get better as I play it more.

 

These RG7621s come with DiMarzio "New 7" pickups, which were made for Ibanez for these guitars for a few years. If my research is correct, the neck pickup is very similar to a 7-string version of a Super 2, while the bridge pickup is similar to a 7-string version of a Super Distortion. I've never played a Super 2, but the bridge does remind me the SD I had in my Heartfield Talon a few years ago. The bridge pickup has a lot of midrange and gets pinch harmonics easily. It stays thick on the high notes and so can work for both soloing and riffing. It could use a bit more clarity on the B-string. I prefer this pickup to the Blaze I have in the Schecter. The Blaze sounds better on the 7th string than the New 7, but I like the New 7 better on anything in the normal range of a guitar.

 

The neck pickup has more treble and snap than I usually use. (In my other humbucker guitars, I have a Liquifire, Tone Zone, and Air Norton 7 for neck pickups.) Still, it's quite full and nice, and sounds good for the range of the guitar. It even could be used for riffing on the 7th string, which I could never do with the Air Norton 7 I have in the Schecter. I'll probably keep it and leave the AN7 in the Schecter. I suspect I'll end up putting the Liquifire 7/Crunch Lab 7 combo in this guitar eventually.

 

The five-way selector switch is . The positions are 1) neck humbucker in series, 2) neck humbucker with coils in parallel, 3) both humbuckers in series, 4) inner coils of neck and bridge in parallel, 5) bridge humbucker in series.

[leadfootdriver]

That's a nice guitar. I bet it's nice and resonant with the string thru bridge.

[DeadNight Warrior]

Haven't tried the Liquifire 7 and Crunch Lab 7 pickups yet, but am considering it. Other than those, I'd probably consider a TZ7/AN7 or BC/AN7 combo, depending on how the thing sounds unplugged. Can't stand those New 7 pickups personally.

 

I've got my RG7620 wired up with a three way, with push-pulls for separate parallel switching of the two pickups. The RG2127X is similar, but push-push pots to coil split the pickups. Much prefer that to a 5-way.

[Ovid9]

HNGD man!

[shred-o-holic]

Those are cool guitars. Used to have a 7620 would like a non-trem..

[Jesse G]

RG's are wonderful guitars, especially the 7-strings- I'll never get rid of mine.

 

Happy NGD, here's to many happy years together

[eudaimonia02912]

I'm considering putting on some Jocomo decals on it. It's just a touch too boring for me. I didn't buy it for the looks, but it just needs something.

[Jesse G]

needs a white paint job!

 

nah maybe some white (or color of yer choice) f-hole decals

[angusjohnftw]

Extremely comfortable necks on those IMO

[BryanFTWL]

That's just begging to be swirled.

[Xenoanthropus]

The New7s are very similar to the Blazes, I've found. Not quite as hot as a blaze (), but hotter than something like an Air Norton. I really like the New7 in the neck, actually. It leaves something to be desired in the bridge, though.

 

 

The way to spice up those axes is to hit up banjomikez on ebay and get you some brightly-colored dimarzios for it.

[Rydock]

Screw the Jocomo decals. That thing is so simple that it's awesome! Like a machine made for metal. I bought a Jocomo skull sticker that I was gonna put on my MH-1000, but I decided to keep it simple.

[fistacuffs]

that looks like a 7421?

[Murdoch]

I used to have one of those. Very sturdy, especially for the basswood body, and it had really nice tuning machines on it. As long as the strings were stretched thoroughly, it hardly ever went out of tune. I think mine had the "Blaze" pickups in it, though. Really nice guitars, especially for the price. HNGD!!!

[eudaimonia02912]

 

that looks like a 7421?

 

 

Yes, you are right. I missed that. It's a transition model with the RG7621 neck but with the RG7421 body and pickups. Damn. Now I have to decide whether to keep it or contact the seller.

[HumanFuseBen]

That's just begging to be swirled.

 

i agree!!!!!

 

and yeah, that is an rg7421. basically the same guitar, only it has a different bridge (which is just as good as the 7621 bridge), and Ibanez V7-7 and V8-7 pickups. Dude, if you are considering a Crunchlab/Liquifire set, DO IT!!!!

[eudaimonia02912]

I just called the place I bought it from (off of eBay). The sales guy is talking over with his manager about refunding some of what I paid to make it in line with an RG7421 price. So, if they do, I'll keep it and just replace the pickups.

 

I have the crunch lab/liquifire combo in my JP6 and love them, so it's a natural choice for this guitar (especially since my amp is tweaked for that pickup combo).

[eudaimonia02912]

Okay, it's resolved. They're giving me some money back, and I'm putting in the better pickups. At least it has the RG7621 neck. If it didn't have that, I'd have sent it back period.

[Mustaine-who?]

i agree!!!!! and yeah, that is an rg7421. basically the same guitar, only it has a different bridge (which is just as good as the 7621 bridge), and Ibanez V7-7 and V8-7 pickups. Dude, if you are considering a Crunchlab/Liquifire set, DO IT!!!!

 

Crunch Lab is a killer PuP. Love mine in my RG550...

[eudaimonia02912]

I've got a Liquifire 7 and Crunch Lab 7 on the way.

[HumanFuseBen]

haha sweeet! you got a good deal here, man. and just so you know, the rg7621 and 7421's both had the same neck on them (wizard 7). the newer, {censored}tier rg7321's have the Wizard II on them.

[eudaimonia02912]

 

haha sweeet! you got a good deal here, man. and just so you know, the rg7621 and 7421's both had the same neck on them (wizard 7). the newer, {censored}tier rg7321's have the Wizard II on them.

 

 

Yep. In fact, mine is a 1999 RG, one of the early ones that came with the RG7621 neck. (I checked the stamp inside the pocket.) The neck is great. The frets are in excellent shape--I suspect it was refretted recently.

[Xenoanthropus]

I've owned pils of RG7s, i don't think i've ever seen a neck stamped 7420 or 7421. Probably just would have been too time-consuming to make 2 different stamps, considering they're the same neck throughout.

 

That said, every 742X I've owned has had the bubinga stripe on the neck, and only one of my 762Xs did. I think traditionally, the 742Xs had the stripe, 762Xs did not have it.

[HumanFuseBen]

there are a handful of 762x's that have the skunk stripe, but the majority don't. i have two 7421's and one 7621; one of my 7421's doesn't have the bubinga, and the other two do. veeerd, huh?

[angusjohnftw]

The later ones had the skunk stripe i think.