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Published on 10/24/11 at 10:32Neck-Thru-Body Construction
27" Baritone Scale
Alder Body
Maple Neck
Ebony Fingerboard
47mm Graphite Nut
Thin U Neck Contour
24 XJ Frets
Chrome Hardware
Sperzel Locking Tuners
Tonepros Locking TOM Bridge
EMG 81-7 (B & N) Active p.u.
Finish: BLK
UTILIZATION
As with most ESP products, this guitar is very well made. It has a bit larger neck carve than I'm used to - not terribly great for shred, at least not to my hands. I like to be able to get around the guitar with absolute precision and ease, and this guitar feels a touch too chunky to do that. But the extra scale length and the neck through body helps the sound definition - the strings sound more piano-like in general. This guitar sounds better than my RG7621 that I raved about, but only unplugged.
SOUNDS
The definition is great on this unplugged, but the pickups are a bit too sterile for me. I know, that's a common theme among EMGs, but I feel like some nice passives, or even the new 707X pickups would help this guitar's tone out. The problem with most EMGs is that the guitar sounds like every single other guitar out there that has the same pickups - it's like you hear the tone of the pickup far more than the tone of the wood or the guitar as a whole. That annoys me - I think one should be able to hear the guitar's character inherent, but still have the pickup color the output in its own way, but not dominate the sound.
I will say that I'm impressed with the middle pickup tone - it sounds like a neck pickup in depth. It is definitely a unique feature to have no neck pickup and have a middle pickup instead.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a great guitar in the right hands. Steph makes it sound otherworldly huge and agressive. I just play with too delicate a touch to really appreciate it fully. Bottom line - great guitar, just not for me. I'd probably get one if they had a thinner neck profile and different pickups.
27" Baritone Scale
Alder Body
Maple Neck
Ebony Fingerboard
47mm Graphite Nut
Thin U Neck Contour
24 XJ Frets
Chrome Hardware
Sperzel Locking Tuners
Tonepros Locking TOM Bridge
EMG 81-7 (B & N) Active p.u.
Finish: BLK
UTILIZATION
As with most ESP products, this guitar is very well made. It has a bit larger neck carve than I'm used to - not terribly great for shred, at least not to my hands. I like to be able to get around the guitar with absolute precision and ease, and this guitar feels a touch too chunky to do that. But the extra scale length and the neck through body helps the sound definition - the strings sound more piano-like in general. This guitar sounds better than my RG7621 that I raved about, but only unplugged.
SOUNDS
The definition is great on this unplugged, but the pickups are a bit too sterile for me. I know, that's a common theme among EMGs, but I feel like some nice passives, or even the new 707X pickups would help this guitar's tone out. The problem with most EMGs is that the guitar sounds like every single other guitar out there that has the same pickups - it's like you hear the tone of the pickup far more than the tone of the wood or the guitar as a whole. That annoys me - I think one should be able to hear the guitar's character inherent, but still have the pickup color the output in its own way, but not dominate the sound.
I will say that I'm impressed with the middle pickup tone - it sounds like a neck pickup in depth. It is definitely a unique feature to have no neck pickup and have a middle pickup instead.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a great guitar in the right hands. Steph makes it sound otherworldly huge and agressive. I just play with too delicate a touch to really appreciate it fully. Bottom line - great guitar, just not for me. I'd probably get one if they had a thinner neck profile and different pickups.