Bartolini makes smoking bass pickups... sooooo... squash the EMG shit.
Jackson's were good in the 80's, and their cheap models are better than most companies' cheap models. ESP's are better on both ends.
Ibanez's are shit, unless they're top of the line. The 7 string neck isnt even built for the extra tension, and will warp quite often. Schecters were good like 7 yrs ago before BC Rich bought them and made them shit. BC Rich was good in the 80's when Bernie ran the show and hand build a lot of gear.
Charvels rock, Kramers are fucking great for the $$$, and built better than most shit for twice the price. Gibsons are good, but make no 7 string off the shelf, which is what the dude was looking for.
Carvins are the best bang for your buck, _easily_... you can get a 727 for like $700... neckthru, ebony... and quality.
Washburn is for shit unless its custom, and Yamaha's made the SE1212 like 10 years ago, and that thing's a monster too.
PRS's are fucking overpriced shit unless they too, are older.
I play good gear, but I wont overpay for a Baker, GMP, Abstract or any of the super custom bullshit. I'm fine with high end ESP's, Carvins, old Jacksons/Charvels...
Keep in mind, a lot of the shit you're hearing is coming from dudes with like 3 years of playing experience who've played like 8 guitars in their life. No offense, but, that doesn't make anybody sage.
