A couple of months ago, I wrote a long post extolling the virtues of my 'new to me' Private Stock 513, and how I would play 594s and 513s and sell everything else. Things were beautifully on track despite the pandemic, having sold 3 guitars since that post and I was literally playing nothing else.
But now, suddenly I feel like I have made the first purchase of several to follow. And this is why...
Well, I'm a metalhead at heart and of late have really gotten into modern metal bands like Jinjer, Toska and even Architects that tune deep in the depths of doom. I have been setting up my DGT (with Bare Knuckle Aftermaths) and 513 to explore these depths, but as much as they held their own, ultimately they were not the best tools for the job
I have a couple of baritones whose large scale length (28inch) is fine for some but for me, these are large enough to feel like completely different instruments
Nature drew me then to the only guitar that I had with a scale length exactly in between (26.5 inches)..horror of horrors a 7 string...
It was a nice enough Chapman Ghost Fret I had bought off some epic deal in Andertons last year but after a couple of tries, I had decided that 7 strings was just too much and too complex
This time round though I persevered. The first week was tricky but somewhere along the way, something clicked. A long weekend where my wife let me play guitar ten hours a day (like I did when I was in college) really helped. A new door opened. And I felt a feeling that I hadn't felt in 15 years since I first picked up the six string, that things would never be the same again.
I was now officially a seven string player and dare I say, even gravitating towards it...
The Chapman was nice but even putting aside the 7th string, it didn't exactly feel like home. I knew exactly what home felt like to me which was the familiar PRS shape, but PRS doesn't really make a core 7 string. It's either a $10K private stock or sub $1K SE. I think I'll choose the latter for now, until I'm convinced my 7 string obsession is not a passing fad.
So without further verbal diarrhea, here it is..my brand new PRS SE SVN in Black Cherry, purchased off Thomann for the princely sum of $550 euros.
Quick link of me playing it on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CApqIulAt9d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Initial impressions
- I've heard the quality of Made in Indonesia PRS's were improving and almost feel like the Korean ones so I hoped for the best but didn't expect much after buying and selling a pretty nasty Made in Indonesia Ibanez. This guitar indeed felt like a Korean SE, and I was all set to praise the Indonesian factory when I turned the headstock. I was then very pleasantly surprised to discover it was actually made in Korea. Given the price I paid, I was shocked. Made in Korea Schecter's are going for more than twice this little beauty cost.
- Playability is great and almost feels like playing a Custom 24. Beyond the seventh string, you would need little adjustment. Sits on the body exactly the same, no neck heaviness or anything . The neck profile is a pattern thin but since a seven string neck is wider, if you like large six string necks (like I do. Pattern Vintage and Wide Fat are my go-tos), it's feels quite chunky and perfect
- For any price, the quality is outstanding and the pieces of mahogany and rosewood for the fretboard are quality pieces that won't look out of place on a core. However I'm not a big fan of the flamed maple veneer but hey, I am very spoilt with my harem of Private stocks.
- Only disappointment which was expected per the reviews I read were the Pickups...I simply cannot stand these 85-15 S 7s or whatever they are called. If something can be muddy and tinny at the same time, these are it. I know I may have higher expectations than most given I either play 58/15 LTs, High output Bare Knuckles and the genius system of the 513, but these are terrible. The middle position and bridge position actually hurt my ears when they are clean and dry and I dare not touch the coil splits. Also it has a microphonic effect on pick scratches, which sucks if you play Gojira like me.
Luckily I have a set of Bare Knuckle Brute Force 7s lying around (bought for/together with the Chapman but never got round to it) and these will slot in as soon as the restrictions in Singapore open up and my tech can resume work.
But all in all, a beautiful guitar. I am going to be on a new journey now..swapping 6s for 7s so to speak, but worry not, my 513s and 594s are safe. As is the Modern eagle. The little shop of Gibson's that I have..not so much...
And I have a new dream. It is this guitar..
https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop1484/DS05051535/
But now, suddenly I feel like I have made the first purchase of several to follow. And this is why...
Well, I'm a metalhead at heart and of late have really gotten into modern metal bands like Jinjer, Toska and even Architects that tune deep in the depths of doom. I have been setting up my DGT (with Bare Knuckle Aftermaths) and 513 to explore these depths, but as much as they held their own, ultimately they were not the best tools for the job
I have a couple of baritones whose large scale length (28inch) is fine for some but for me, these are large enough to feel like completely different instruments
Nature drew me then to the only guitar that I had with a scale length exactly in between (26.5 inches)..horror of horrors a 7 string...
It was a nice enough Chapman Ghost Fret I had bought off some epic deal in Andertons last year but after a couple of tries, I had decided that 7 strings was just too much and too complex
This time round though I persevered. The first week was tricky but somewhere along the way, something clicked. A long weekend where my wife let me play guitar ten hours a day (like I did when I was in college) really helped. A new door opened. And I felt a feeling that I hadn't felt in 15 years since I first picked up the six string, that things would never be the same again.
I was now officially a seven string player and dare I say, even gravitating towards it...
The Chapman was nice but even putting aside the 7th string, it didn't exactly feel like home. I knew exactly what home felt like to me which was the familiar PRS shape, but PRS doesn't really make a core 7 string. It's either a $10K private stock or sub $1K SE. I think I'll choose the latter for now, until I'm convinced my 7 string obsession is not a passing fad.
So without further verbal diarrhea, here it is..my brand new PRS SE SVN in Black Cherry, purchased off Thomann for the princely sum of $550 euros.
Quick link of me playing it on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CApqIulAt9d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Initial impressions
- I've heard the quality of Made in Indonesia PRS's were improving and almost feel like the Korean ones so I hoped for the best but didn't expect much after buying and selling a pretty nasty Made in Indonesia Ibanez. This guitar indeed felt like a Korean SE, and I was all set to praise the Indonesian factory when I turned the headstock. I was then very pleasantly surprised to discover it was actually made in Korea. Given the price I paid, I was shocked. Made in Korea Schecter's are going for more than twice this little beauty cost.
- Playability is great and almost feels like playing a Custom 24. Beyond the seventh string, you would need little adjustment. Sits on the body exactly the same, no neck heaviness or anything . The neck profile is a pattern thin but since a seven string neck is wider, if you like large six string necks (like I do. Pattern Vintage and Wide Fat are my go-tos), it's feels quite chunky and perfect
- For any price, the quality is outstanding and the pieces of mahogany and rosewood for the fretboard are quality pieces that won't look out of place on a core. However I'm not a big fan of the flamed maple veneer but hey, I am very spoilt with my harem of Private stocks.
- Only disappointment which was expected per the reviews I read were the Pickups...I simply cannot stand these 85-15 S 7s or whatever they are called. If something can be muddy and tinny at the same time, these are it. I know I may have higher expectations than most given I either play 58/15 LTs, High output Bare Knuckles and the genius system of the 513, but these are terrible. The middle position and bridge position actually hurt my ears when they are clean and dry and I dare not touch the coil splits. Also it has a microphonic effect on pick scratches, which sucks if you play Gojira like me.
Luckily I have a set of Bare Knuckle Brute Force 7s lying around (bought for/together with the Chapman but never got round to it) and these will slot in as soon as the restrictions in Singapore open up and my tech can resume work.
But all in all, a beautiful guitar. I am going to be on a new journey now..swapping 6s for 7s so to speak, but worry not, my 513s and 594s are safe. As is the Modern eagle. The little shop of Gibson's that I have..not so much...
And I have a new dream. It is this guitar..
https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop1484/DS05051535/
So, that year, I took advantage of Sweetwater’s Father’s Day deal (bonus 10% on gift cards) and bought enough to get to within $2 of the price. My sales rep said, “You seriously planned that? I’m not even going to make you read the credit card to me - that alone is worth $2.”
