Keith Merrow Schecter Sig

[H-evolve]

I was hoping somebody could help me here. The reason here, every music store where I live is very shitty and they only sell Fender Starts or Gibson Les Pauls. If you want something else, you gotta order it without trying it first.

Now, as I grow older, the list of things I want and don't want on a guitar starts to grow.

I'm currently shopping for my next guitar and until today, I was pretty sure I found the only guitar that matched all my requirements. That guitar would be the Ibanez Premium 7-String Natural Finish RG927WFXZC-NTF.

http://www.ibanez.com/products/eg_d...3&cat_id=1&series_id=1&data_id=322&color=CL01

It is a 7 string, with passive high output pick ups, with a fast/thin neck, no TOM bridge, and it is in the price range that I am looking for (actually, it's in the top bracket of what I am shopping for).

However, today, because it is Black Friday, I got a deal email and they have a very nice Keith Merrow Signature 7-string on sale. I think the pick-ups on this guitar are freakin awesome. And it's a nice hipshot bridge. What I am wondering about this guitar is the neck. I am a "lead" kinda guy, a big fan of the Ibanez necks and Jackson necks. I have a LTD 7-string at the moment and the neck is "OK", but definitely not as good as Ibanez necks or Jackson.

Shecter call the KM sig neck as "Ultra Thin C", but I suspect it could still be thicker than the Ibanez', eventhough it is "Ultra Thing". Anybody here has had the chance to try a KM sig guitar? How would you qualify the neck? Versus Ibanez type shape or the like?

If a store would have them I'd just go try them. But as I said, I need to order first... :S So I'm looking for feedback. At the end it's still going to be my decision, so even if everybody here says "The Schecter is awesome, buy it". I might very well go for the Ibanez. But, I always like getting feedback and people's experience.

Thanks

 

[drawnacrol]

I used to own one, mine was one of the first run so had a few little errors but the fretwork was done in the US Custom Shop which definitely made up for any little flaws.

The neck is thinner than any Ibanez 7 I've played but the width will be a few centimetres more. I'm mostly a lead player but the KM7 is more of a rhythm guitar, its very tight, clear and bright which doesn't really lend itself to lead playing especially with a hi-output ceramic in the bridge. The sentient is very good for leads though and I used that 95% of the time. For the price the KM7 is one of the best value guitars you can get. I wouldn't recommend the premium range at all unless you've a very good tech who could sort out any issues. With that money you could get a good second hand prestige with aftermarket pickups.

 

[H-evolve]

I used to own one, mine was one of the first run so had a few little errors but the fretwork was done in the US Custom Shop which definitely made up for any little flaws.

The neck is thinner than any Ibanez 7 I've played but the width will be a few centimetres more. I'm mostly a lead player but the KM7 is more of a rhythm guitar, its very tight, clear and bright which doesn't really lend itself to lead playing especially with a hi-output ceramic in the bridge. The sentient is very good for leads though and I used that 95% of the time. For the price the KM7 is one of the best value guitars you can get. I wouldn't recommend the premium range at all unless you've a very good tech who could sort out any issues. With that money you could get a good second hand prestige with aftermarket pickups.

So you're basically saying that the shape of the neck is definitely "fast" enough for shreds and leads (the KM-7). You were not sold on the pick-ups for leads, is that it?

I will, maybe 95% of the time also, play my solos using the neck pick-up.

I'm surprised that you don't have a good opinion of the Ibanez Premium line. I mean, I doubt it's a bad guitar...but maybe a bit too expensive for what it is... is it what you mean?

 

[newamerikangospel]

It's a great guitar, no regrets on buying mine. And I will disagree and say I love it for lead playing. Spend some time setting it up correctly, and it shines. The Schecter ultra-c whatever neck is the best feeling neck I have played, shape and thickness. I changed the pickups out to the Jeff loomis blackouts, and haven't looked back.

 

[AD Chaos]

I tried a KMS7 some months ago, didn't like it much tbh. Could have been a dud. I'm not a fan of ash personally (unless on a Fender bass) or basswood, either (even on Prestiges). I'm biased towards big-sounding mahogany on guitars, even if the low end gets muddy for recording.

The neck on the KMS was ok, I've tried Ibanez with better (faster) necks, but it wasn't bad for a 7 string.

 

[RoTo]

I have a Schecter JL7 that is pretty similar to the KM7 (ultra thin C neck), in the other hand I own a Ibanez Prestige RGD2127FX (wizard 7 5pc neck same as your target) so in my experience I can say that my JL7 has a "faster/thinner" neck than my Ibanez, it's a really nice guitar to lead play and it feels pretty flat at touch.

There are some differences between the JL7 and KM7 neck, like compound radius, but I think that fretboard's material is the main one. JL7 has a Maple fretboard, silky as fuck.

Be aware of your target Ibanez is a 25.5" scale guitar meanwhile the KM7 is 26.5" this aspect could affect your play style in a very noticeable way.

I hope this information still worth for you