Ibanez RG1527

[Mike]

OK, so I've come to my senses and decided that I'm going for a 7. Mainly because alot of the bands that I listen to use 7's (Unearth, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Deftones, etc.). I've been looking at tremmed 7's and this one just really took it for me. I've played many Prestiges so I know the neck has to be just amazing. And I've played a couple K7's, and let's just say that I wasn't disappointed. So my question is, has anybody had any experiences with this guitar? How is the playablilty? Any insight is helpful.

[1trussell]

I had one for a while. They are great guitars, but the pickups didn't suit me. I ended up dropping in a Duncan Custom/Jazz combo which was a big improvement. Some guys prefer the newer Edge Pro trem, some Ibanez purists say its not as good as the original Edge.

The neck was finished very well, but it was a bit too thin for my taste. That was the main reason why I sold it.

Are you looking to buy new or used?

[Bengal]

Mike,
If your looking for used, try to find a RG7620. Great guitars with the Lo-Pro Edge. They can be had pretty cheaply...

The 1527 is a fine guitar. The trem is good. I like the older ones better but the one on that guitar is quite good...

The pickups are kinda weak on both models. But build quality is good on both...

[Mike]

I'm looking to buy new. I want the UV777 really badly, but this is the next best thing. I think I may consider dropping some new pickups in it. Maybe Some EMg 81-7's or DiMarzio Blades.

[AfterForever]

If you want a UV777, save up and get it.. the 1527 is good, but a UV is much much nicer.. with better re-sale too probably.

I like the K7s.. especially the pearloid binding.. and the pups don't need replacing.

[Mike]

Well, after the summer, I have no way of getting money. I start next week at $360 a week, but I'm only working about 7 weeks and I need a little cash leftover.

[Bengal]

Mike,
That's when you find a 7620 for $300. Less than a week and you get it...

[LEOKV2]

Okay, I'll be honest. The guitar feels like any Ibanez you've played. The flat fretboard, the neck profile, etc. Of course it's a bit thicker (fretboard) but it's not that dramatic, you can get used to it.

I owned a 1527 for about a year until I sold it. When I first got it, I had to change the pickups 'casue they were crap, total crap. I bought a set of Duncan Invaders 7 string after seeing that the guys in NILE used them (Nile = extreme death metal). I was hoping to get higher output and character, but the pups sounded the same. My guess? the crappy BASSWOOD Ibanez uses.

Okay, so the main reason I sold the guitar was the following. My band plays in B, so I got the 7 string. But, before that, I was tuning my Gibson Flying V down to B standard. Which is different than on a seven string since a seven string is like a guitar tuned in E standard with an extra low B string. Tuning down to B standard is like tuning the whole guitar down 5 semitones. BEADF#B or something. Which is different. And I tuned the sevenstring different than the way it's usually tuned, like having a 6 string guitar tuned down to B standard with an extra high E string (BEADF#BE) So I said to myself... "hummm, I'm dealing with this crappy bolt-on basswood guitar, which is uncomfortable to play compared to a six-string... and I still tune it like a six string tuned to B, meaning, BEADF#BE having an extra E high string which I rarely use..." and yeah, I sold it and bought me a Jackson KV-2.

But one of the MAIN reasons I sold it, was the amazingly stupid desition Ibanez made about using powder coated hardware. Yeah, mine was the model BEFORE it had the 5 piece neck and SMALL dots. Mine has big dots and a 3 piece neck and powder cosmo hardware. The hardware PEALED ITSELF OUT after about 2 months, it first started to show these weird freckles and stains, even after I cleaned the guitar well after each play, and I have DRY hands. Now, the new model has the COSMO BLACK hardware, which is still crap! My bassist has an SR505 bass with the cosmo black hardware and yeah, guess what... it peals off and stains and all, just like the powder coated version.

My opinion? Get it. It's not that expensive, it's made in Japan, it may work for you. But, if you're concerned about cosmetics and pickups, maybe look for something else, which actually, I dunno what could it be.

[Mike]

Well, I have had no problems like that. And like I said, most of the music I listen to and try to play requires to be tuned down to B, or have a 7 string. I've played quite a few Ibanez 7's and all in all, they're pretty great. It may just be your opinion, but I like the pups that they have in them. I ran a RGT320QM (same pickups, only for 6's) through a Line 6 Pod and it sounded great. If that's what you think though, more power to ya.

[LEOKV2]

Well, of course it totaly depends on what you like. But usually, most people don't like the Ibanez V7 or V8 or whatever pickups, they're crappy. But again, if you are using a POD for comparison... well, it really doesn't help, it makes a lot of guitars sound the same. Try playing that same guitar through a tube amp and then play another guitar with Duncans or EMG's and you'll see what I mean.

Most of the guitarrists you listen to use 7 strings, that's correct. But MOST of them use the lower 4 strings most of the time, and if you think of YOUR music as "it's written down to B", then it may get confusing when you work up scales or stuff like that. Since you'd treat the 7th string as your 6th string on a regular guitar. But if you play regular E standard music with "touches" of low B, then that's great.

[Bengal]

I'm no fan of powder coated hardware but something must have been going on with your hands for it to flake that badly. I've never heard of that happening so fast...

The Cosmo Black hardware is the same? Hardly. It does discolor and pimple. But then again, so does gold. They all will sooner or later. but CB holds up much better than the powder coated stuff. But to say that it's somehow inferior because of that doesn't make sense to me...

You can do just about anything modern guitarists are doing on a 6. Fear Factorys best stuff was when Dino was using 6 strings. So unless you doing walking basslines, you can do the same stuff on a downtuned 6 string...

You may want to try to spend some time with one before you buy. I've read lots of testimonials of people who just can't get use to the neck. That's the camp I fall in. I dig 'em, just can't get use to the neck...

[LEOKV2]

Yeah, I mean, the "fancy" thing with 7 strings is that you can get the low B sounds most people like. But, why do you need to go with an uncomfortable new way of playing, when you can just detune the guitar down to B and use heavier strings, like 12's ?

If you listen to Korn, Limp Bizkit or whatever bands that made the 7 string popular, they all use it "for show" since they just use their low B's most of the time and for that, all you need is your good 'ol 6 string. I mean, unless you plan on playing scales from the low B string up to the high E string like some shredders do, and if they do, they do it some times only, then yeah, 7 string is the way. But if not, just tune down your 6 string to B standard. You'll play much better since the neck is famliar and the sound IS THE SAME EXACT THING.

[ambitotpuphang]

I am in Unearth and especially in TTEOTD too. Try old greeny Ibanez UV7 BK.

[IrfaanSE801]

I've got one and I like it. I like the extended scales that Schecters offer because it tightens up that low B without having to use a heavier gauge string, but the 1527 is still a really good guitar and worth the price I think

[thetroy]

I have an RG7621 with the stock pickups and the low B sounds good through my lowly Peavey Valveking 1x12. I thought about changing the pickups but I only would if it were my main guitar.

I'm thinking about grabbing an RG7620 to use as a main guitar - I'd choose that over a new 1527 just because of the price difference