Ibanez JEM7V7WH Steve Vai Signature 7-Strings Japan made Electric Guitar

Ibanez JEM7V7WH Steve Vai Signature 7-Strings Japan made Electric Guitar

Steve Vai was the founder of the modern 7 string guitar. When he originally teamed up with Ibanez to make the worlds first production 7 string Steve wanted a guitar with more punch, more power but with the same playability he loved out of his 6 string guitars. That is how in 1990 they came up with the Universe guitar that inspired generations of musicians to see what they can do with extended range guitars.

Now they are releasing a 7 string model that is not part of the Universe line and is instead based on the amazing JEM7V 6 string guitar. The JEM7V7 takes the original design, modifies it to allow for a 7 string hardware and replaces some parts for a more stable feel in the hands.

JEM Design

The biggest difference when comparing the JEM and Universe models is the fact that the JEMs all have the monkey grip on the top horn letting you dive around the stage without worry of dropping it. The other big visual change is the use of the Tree Of Life inlay which you would have seen on so many JEM models in the past.

Making The 7 Fit

One of the biggest issues when adding a 7th string on to any guitar is string tension. While a neck may be more than stable with 6 strings adding on a 7th can be a bit to much. So Ibanez ditched the Walnut stripes in the neck for a much stronger 5 piece Maple/Wenge design which can more than easily take the tension of an extra low string.

Still Got The Fire

The pickup that originally brought the JEM7V its incredible following was the DiMarzio Blaze pickups. This 7 string version still features the same DiMarzio pickups that its little brother is known for but with some modifications that allow it to have great low response and attack on the low B string.

Specifications

neck type: JEM7 5pc Maple/Wenge neck

body: Alder body

fretboard: Rosewood fretboard w/Tree of Life inlay

fret: Jumbo frets w/Prestige fret edge treatment

bridge: Lo-Pro Edge 7 tremolo bridge

neck pickup: DiMarzio Blaze (H) neck pickup (Passive/Ceramic)

middle pickup: DiMarzio Blaze (S) mid pickup (Passive/Ceramic)

bridge pickup: DiMarzio Blaze (H) bridge pickup (Passive/Ceramic)

hardware color: Gold

Specifications

FRETBOARD WOOD: Rosewood

PICKUP CONFIG: H/S/H

NUMBER OF STRINGS: 7 String Guitars

BRAND: Ibanez

HARDWARE COLOUR: Chrome

NECK WOOD: Maple

BRIDGE TYPE: 0

CASE/GIGBAG: HardCase

BODY WOOD: Alder

SCALE LENGTH: 26.5″ and Over