Features: The Ibanez UV7BK is through and through a legendary, shred guitar, designed as the first ever mass produced 7 string guitar by Steve Vai.
It sports a basswood body, maple, bolt on neck, rosewood fretboard, an Ibanez Lo Pro Edge 7 string tremolo, and Steve Vai's Dimarzio Blaze II pickups. All the plastics are colored green, and it really adds to the unique aesthetics of this guitar, which I'll discuss more later. It also comes with a green Dimarzio Clip Lock strap.
Playability: If there's one thing to say about old Ibanezes (Ibani?), it's that their playability is very, VERY hard to match. The necks are so super thin and just feel perfect. Absolutely perfect for shredding, and if anyone needs a super thin neck, then it's shred-god Steve Vai, so his guitar would, of course, be built for it.
The bridge, regardless if one like tremolo units or not, is extremely comfy on your hand, and the fine tuning pegs are very far out of the way, so there's no accidently hitting them!
The craftsmanship is absolutely on point, as are all guitars that come out of the Fujigen factory in Japan. Some of the best guitar builders on the planet in that factory.
Sound: Is there such thing as a perfect guitar? I've not found one (with extensive play time) yet. The Ibanez UV7 falls short in sound to me. The Dimarzio Blaze II pickup in the bridge position absolutely nails lead tones (which I would expect from a Steve Vai pickup), byt the rhythm, riffing tones all sound very crunchy. The perfect example is Lie by Dream Theater (as John Petrucci used one of these to record that).
It just sounds like that ALL THE TIME. It's good for playing old school stuff like Morbid Angel or old Dream Theater, but modern metalcore or prog (dare I say the D word?) or whatever? Forget it.
The neck pickup is okay. I don't really feel one way or another about it, along with the middle pickup.
Fortunately, pickups are changeable, and I plan on switching the bridge pickup out for a Bare Knuckle Juggernaut pickup.
Aesthetics: Most Ibanezes are a rather boring cookie cutter formula of: Black body, rosewood fretboard, maple neck. And while the UV7BK fits under this formula, the pickguard has this unique neon green outline, along with green plastics (pickup bobbins, switch cap, knobs, and inlays), which make it stand out. I'm not sure why, but I'm just such a sucker for the green accents and logo!
(forgive the photo quality. Indoor cellphone pics!)
Thoughts: I love this guitar. I really, really do. One of the best feeling guitars I've ever owned, but again, the bridge pickup HAS to go for my needs.
Notable Players:
- Steve Vai (duh)
- John Petrucci - Dream Theater
- Trey Azagthoth - Morbid Angel
- KoRn
