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Ibanez RG7321
List: $950
Background
The Ibanez RG7321 isn`t a new model on offer; it debuted back in 2001 where 7-string guitars were very much the talk then. It is also not the first fixed bridge RG7 from the manufacturer, the pilot model was an RG7621 (1999) which was subsequently replaced by the RG7421 (2000) & finally the RG7321 in 2001 and to date. When every punter thought that the 7321 is a Korean dud (considering its superseded predecessors were Japanese), this guitar is quite the proof of good Korean craftsmanship.
Neck
The most obvious difference between the RG7 series & their 6-stringed cousins is definitely the neck. The width difference is truly marked, despite the manufacturer`s claim in depth similarity with the WizardII profile, the WizardII-7 make simply feels thicker across its register. However, this is simply constructional illusion because handling it is a breeze. If you are the type who hooks the thumb over the fretboard edge, you might need extra effort to do so. If you aren`t (like me), then you might feel very comfortable with extra wood beyond your thumb`s tip.
When the 7321 debuted, it blew the 7421 neck away because of the immaculate binding, I`m happy to announce that there was no dip in binding standards this year. Thumbs up. Ibanez`s fretwork had been arguably superb on all the RG series, this 7321 included. The tuners here are non-locking, each & every unit being very functional. My only gripe was the dry fretboard spots at the first fret area.
Body
Ibanez was brilliant in maintaining the basswood body size of the RG7 to that of a 6. The all-access neck joint had clever angled cutaway to ensure that no neck dipping occurs when you play sitting down. There`s more wood here since no extra cavity was gouged out to accommodate a vibrato bridge & rear tension springs. This bonus definitely contributed to sustain easily & the string-through body feature also added to proceedings. The finish was definitely reflective of stringent quality control & it`s not something to demerit the Korean standard.
Playability/ tone
The RG7 is arguably very easy to play. If you dislike thin necks, this WizardII-7 isn`t one, so there`s plenty to grab & grip, especially when the neck width feels expansive. The maple rear was smoothly buffered & it added speed to my playing. IMO, Ibanez got the formula right for the neck width. While other manufacturers had too wide/ cramped string spacing for a 7, Ibanez got it just right- sweeps & taps like a 6, pure joy. The same body dimensions (to that of a 6) also ensured that the picking hand need not stretch out unnecessarily & hinder your picking capacity. Deep, signature RG elbow & rib-cage chamfer ensure there`s no displeasure while trying to bear with the extra weight. The only hateful element here are the protruding string saddle screws for the high-E & B strings. One less physical way to cure this problem is to raise the saddles up to the screws` tips but you are terribly compromising your action this way. The more sensible answer would be to file down the tip. If you should purchase this guitar, look out for these blood-thirsty thorns…
Moving on to tone, you`d expect the repulsive, shrieky, Axis humbucker tone on board- not in this one. The overall offering in both the neck & bridge positions are susprisingly smooth & not midrange excessive. The bridge unit is easily a winner, offering very defined individual notes under lots of gain, even on the low-B string. However, the same couldn`t be said for the neck unit. While treble & midrange remain very tight, the low-B simply sounds fuzzy on all registers, more so with lots of drive. However, you need only to flick a switch to make things more palatable- the neck unit on its tapped mode is easily the 7321`s highlight. Please do not purchase this guitar in search of immaculate clean tones. The overall deep voicing makes this guitar laclustre, clean.
Final say
The RG7321 is a very good 7-string investment. It`s the fullest sounding fixed bridge 7 I`ve tried. If you believe in a name which dedicates itself to the low-B string, Ibanez is it. I had to do a second audition to check out the 7321`s sustain, which I overlooked initially. The low-B sustained for a whopping 28sec at a maxed-out gain setting, before feedback kicks in! You`d believe that it`s the pickups but it`s about having more maple in a guitar (wider neck = more maple…). Four years after its debut, the RG7321 costs a good $200 more than its original list price but it`s not about to deteriorate in tone which I believe is the reason to invest in this guitar. Forgive the dry fretboard & the malicious string saddle screws though…
