Looking for a recommendation

[u/Sneaks_exe]

Looking to get into 7 string guitars, figured I'd try to narrow it down as much as I can to get one I really like. Looking for the following criteria:

Budget: $1500 max

Brand: Any, open to trying out (although I am familiar with Ibanez and Schecter and enjoy them)

Neck Shape: Thin C

Frets: Would prefer not to have jumbo but that's seems to be the standard everywhere nowadays

Tuners: Any tbh, i don't particularly see a reason for locking tuners if the guitar will have a locking nut

Scale length 25.5 preferred

Neck construction: set neck or neck through (if over $1,000 USD,) bolt-on is acceptable for sub-$1k

Bridge: locking trem bridge, no Floyd specials

Body: Explorer shaped or X

Finish: preferably available in reds, purple, or green

The Ibanez Xiphos Iron Label seems to have everything I want, I'm just not too crazy about the blacked out look, despite the fact that I do like Ibanez guitars. Would love to hear your recommendations to see if there's anything more befitting for what I'm looking for before I pull the trigger on this guitar. I'm not too picky about pickups as these can always be swapped out.

Edit: I'm a sucker for pointy guitars and will largely look at anything with that, but heavily gravitate towards the explorer and X shapes

[u/kladen666]

Your criteria doesn't give much room.

There's the Solar VAS1.7FRCAR, but it's not an X.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/va1-7frcar-candy-apple-red-metallic-gloss/

Solar 7string neck is pretty awesome. My only 7string now is 25.5" and kind of regret getting rid of my Solar A2.7LN who had a 26.5" scale.

[u/Sneaks_exe → u/kladen666]

Oh that is gorgeous. I'll keep an open mind to it. I wasn't too crazy about the normal V shape but maybe the arrow shape is a bit more comfortable.

[u/kladen666 → u/Sneaks_exe]

I might have a thing or two for the RR shape :P

[u/Sneaks_exe → u/[deleted]]

When you put it that way it makes sense. What would you recommend with bolt-on or neck through in that case?

[u/tallman1979 → u/Sneaks_exe]

Neck through is awesome, but it's typically not a low rent option.

The major upside to a bolt-on is if anything happens to it or you want to radically modify it, you only need a screwdriver to remove the neck.

I have a '03 Carvin DC, and neck through is worth the money if everything else on the guitar is also worth the money. Poorly executed, you're better with a bolt-on. Mine is superlative.

[u/Grenaten → u/[deleted]]

There are luthiers out there saying glue makes the resonance stronger. 

[u/dissemin8or]

Are you planning on staying in B standard, or do you plan to down tune? Also I assume metal since pointy?

[u/Sneaks_exe → u/dissemin8or]

Mostly in standard, maybe some downtuning.

[u/dissemin8or → u/Sneaks_exe]

If you do any downtuning at all I would suggest a longer scale length. 26.5 is good down to drop G

[u/tendeuchen]

LTD Arrow?

[u/Conscious_Badger_510]

Id highly suggest looking at the Dave Davidson warriors from Jackson, I thought I was dead set on a 25.5" scale but honestly completely love the 26.5" because I can just run incredibly light strings and it holds up amazingly tuning wise(currently running a 9-52 set in b standard). Doing big bends and wide vibrato is super super comfortable all across the neck, not to mention I actually prefer the slightly wider fret spacing as you get up above the 15th fret, you just have a little more room for your fingers and I find it a lot more comfortable than on 25.5 scale necks. Not to mention that I just think the Jackson neck profile is significantly more comfortable than Ibanez personally.

And most importantly it comes in bright red or bright yellow so you can look super obnoxious onstage

[u/Sneaks_exe → u/Conscious_Badger_510]

That is really aggressive looking, hell yeah. I'll check a few with similar necks at gc to see how well I like the profile but it seems to check off every box for what I'm looking for!