Ibanez RG7EXFX2-IPT.

[ken]

I'm not kiding, that's its name:


I was looking for an end of year present to myself. Something a little different. So I got this Japanese market MIK Ibanez 7-string 27" scale baritone. Usual prompt service from Ishibashi.

The body colour is Iron Pewter, which looks black in normal light:


But green metallic under bright light:


Bound neck and headstock:


Five piece maple/walnut neck:


Don't know what's up with the piece of wood they chose for the bottom of the headstock, but I like it:


It has a Basswood body, with two EMG 707s and a light-coloured rosewood fretboard that looks like it could do with an oiling. Fit and finish is good, apart from a couple of fret ends that can be seen through the binding. Plays great (although I'm used to painted necks). I find the extra fret spacing that the baritone scale gives is really comfortable. Sounds great too. I like it a lot.

Best of all, for no apparent reason, Customs didn't stop it, so I didn't have to pay duty and VAT. Thanks for the Crimbo present MR Customs Man.

[Bengal65]

Wow, that guitar looks flat out killer. Not good for my GAS! The specs are great with the 5 piece neck and basswood body. I bet she sounds awesome! Congrats on the score! Can you order direct from them in Japan?

[toejam]

Nice! That's not good for my 7-string GAS either. :ROTF:

[ken]

Thanks guys.

You can buy from Ishibashi or Ikebe Gakki directly and have them ship to the States, although I've only used Ishibashi (twice). There's no import taxes for you guys from Japan, but the dollar to yen exchange may not make it worth your while. Using xe.com that guitar would work out around 900$ inc. shipping and insurance.

I have to say, I really do like it. The fretboard is fabulously flat, which you need, given it's broad. It only weighs about 2/3rds of what my Jackson Stars KE7 does, so it won't break your back either. Yet it still sounds really full and powerfull. Me likey.

Total aside: Toejam, have you seen/heard the Talking Metal podcast episode 187? They're talking to Mustaine and he has his Dean with him... As you'll soon own one, you should definitely check it out:

http://www.striglsmusicnews.com/podcasts/talkingmetal/index.htm

[toejam]

Cool. Thanks for that! My Dean is more than half paid off, so I should get it in a couple of weeks.

[Robert Burns]

I dig the 2 Hum set up...never liked the middle single coil that Ibanez
almost insists upon! Great color too...would like to see that one outside
in the sunshine? For the $'s..imo you cant beat Ibanez for overall quality.

[ken]

Cool. Thanks for that!

I should probably have said he doesn't exactly cover himself in knowledgeable guitar glory ("I think it's made from mahogany" etcetera), but you'll probably have expected that.

My Dean is more than half paid off, so I should get it in a couple of weeks.

Great! I'm looking forward to reading your review. I'm sure it'll make me crank up the KV2.

I dig the 2 Hum set up...never liked the middle single coil that Ibanez
almost insists upon! Great color too...would like to see that one outside
in the sunshine? For the $'s..imo you cant beat Ibanez for overall quality.

Hey Robert, if this guitar is anything to go by, you're on the money. I'll get a few pictures outside once the sun comes out. Unfortunately, at 53 degrees North, it rarely does this time of year.

You know you've bought a good guitar when you're worried you'll like it more than your existing (more expensive) guitars! Bring on the beaters.

[Bengal65]

Ah, now that I look closer, that finish is exactly like my Peavey Predator 7 string made in Korea. It's black looking on inside lighting, but outside or in bright light it has green in it. It's a really cool finish.

[Evilution]

Nice guitar but I can't dig the strat style bridge, it's like buying a new car and finding it had manual window winders.

[fuel0707]

Interesting guitar, for sure. Is it just an effect of the flash or does the finish have some blue in it? It sort of looks like a metallic dark blue in the close-up of the body.

Regardless, enjoy it!

[ken]

Nice guitar but I can't dig the strat style bridge, it's like buying a new car and finding it had manual window winders.

I know what you mean.

Personally, I prefer fixed bridges to floating trems. Most of my guitars have TOMs, but this style of bridge is actually very comfortable. It's similar to the one Carvin uses for the DC727.

Interesting guitar, for sure. Is it just an effect of the flash or does the finish have some blue in it? It sort of looks like a metallic dark blue in the close-up of the body.

Regardless, enjoy it!

Thanks, I will.

Bengal65 described the finish pretty well a couple of posts ago. It's sunset here right now and from five feet away I'd swear the guitar looks flat black, but if you get real close to it you can see it has metallic green flecks in it. Under direct light you can see the metallic green clearly. It's quite an effect. I have no idea how they decided to call it "Iron Pewter". Bless the Japanese. I love them. I really do.

If I get the opportunity tomorrow (i.e. if it's not pissing rain), I'll do as Robert suggested: take a picture outside in natural light and post it.

It sounds great, but I have to admit, in comparison to the Jacksons it has no bling to it at all. Definitely a player, not a looker.

[Bengal]

Interesting, Ibanez used the name Iron Pewter back in the late 90's, but it was a dark gray, a pewter color. Yours is very different from that color...

Here's a scan from the 98 catalogue...

http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1998/98054.jpg

I bet the IPT at the end stands for the color but what does T stand for?

[kmanick]

Cool!
I've got a 7620 on it's way (my first Ibby 7)
did you post this over on Sevenstring.org?

[ken]

Interesting, Ibanez used the name Iron Pewter back in the late 90's, but it was a dark gray, a pewter color. Yours is very different from that color...

Here's a scan from the 98 catalogue...

http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1998/98054.jpg

I bet the IPT at the end stands for the color but what does T stand for?

Cool. Thanks for the link, I don't know much about Ibanez. Maybe the "swish" across the image is to show it's a metallic colour? Who knows? Not me, anyway.

IPT is definitely the colour code as can be seen on the current ibanez.co.jp page (the link incorrectly says scale is 25.5", incidentally). Oddly enough, their pic looks just like the colour you linked to:

http://www.ibanez.co.jp/japan/products/eg/page/RG7EXFX2_IPT.html

Maybe even they can't get a good photograph it?

[ken]

Cool!
I've got a 7620 on it's way (my first Ibby 7)
did you post this over on Sevenstring.org?

Good stuff Nick. I'd say you'll like it. Biggest change for me is the unfinished neck. Sort of feels slower to me, but I like it.

I was tempted to get one of the Ikebe-Gakki limited edition black mahogany fixed bridge 7 string prestige RGs with 707s, but they're 25.5" scale guitars and I wanted something different. That and I don't really like dot inlays.

I posted a pictsory on ss.org (hey it's the ss way!); that's where I heard about this Japanese-only model. Yay for the Interweb. However, I put it in the extended range section and as it's not a 29 string bass, I doubt many people will read it. Here it is:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/extended-range-guitars/44905-ngd-baritone-beater-7-picstory-56k-ready-09-a.html