I play six, seven and eight string depending upon the song application. The J7 exceeded all expectations as I was looking for an adequate substitute for my vintage Ibanez Universe because I wanted something that had more tone flexibility for recording. the pickups are spot on and provide a plethora of options for any style including old school blues, 80's hair metal and modern djent shred. Ibanez got a lot right with the Universe in 1990 at the time because of all the work that Steve Vai did on the Jem. Because the Universe was so well done, I've never really played anything that could be a worthy substitute. I've had my Ibanez Universe 20+ years and it's been my main 7 string. I've tried a lot of the usual brands and they always lacked something and just felt like a poor copy of the Universe. The J7 ticked every box in terms of being the next step in terms fo progress from the Ibanez Universe. In terms of the J7 it's the easiest playing seven string if you are doing a lot of one and a half step bends or jazz chording because of the comfortable asymmetrical neck configuration. It's reminiscent of a more extreme SRV or EVH neck profile catered for an extended range guitar playing. If you want the best modern playing and most versatile seven string, the J7 is the gold standard especially with the wenge/maple configuration because of the snappy deep bright tone. It's clearly a combination of all the best things in modern guitar playing since the Ibanez Universe.