Help! JPXI-7 BFR Onyx vs JP15-7 BFR Eminence Purple

[knight09]

Greetings!

I am looking to buy my first 7-string guitar, and of course, it's gotta be a Ball... I currently own a JP15 6 string in Cerulean Paradise but it has a roasted maple fingerboard, whereas the BFR has ebony, so they are different enough to justify owning two of those models.

I select these two as these are the only ones readily available to purchase over here, other than the Majesty which I'm honestly not a big fan of. The pre-owned market is also scarce here, with a couple of heavily used mystic dream JP7s floating around but nothing else.

In terms of the neck finish... The JP15 wins, and its not even a close competition. The roasted maple on my Cerulean Paradise is from heaven.

However, in terms of neck size, I feel that the thinner neck on the JPXI is going to be more ergonomic for shred. Correct me if I am wrong.

For looks, while I really dig the purple and the empty frets on the JP15, I also dig the plainness of the JPXI. Aesthetics are probably the least important thing for me, however, as I am looking for a good player here. Though they are always somewhat important, but just not as important as other factors.

Of course, I would LOVE to buy both, but I would not be able to spend any money on guitar for quite some time... So I will probably purchase one of these Ball guitars, and then possibly an Ibanez Prestige to compliment.

Pricing:

JP15-7 BFR Eminence Purple: £3965

Music Man BFR JP15 7-String Eminence Purple #F77201 | DV247 | en-GB

JPXI: £3549

Music Man John Petrucci JPXI 7 Onyx | DV247 | en-GB

Both brand new.

Help me decide! Many thanks!

 

[Etudica]

I own both. When I bought the JP15 eminence, the plan was for it to replace the JPXI since I always wanted a Majesty and didn't feel I needed two 7's especially since I keep them in standard tuning and don't do any crazy drop stuff. However, it's been two years and I still have both (and sadly no majesty yet )

You are spot on with the neck differences. JP15-7 is just a tad beefier than the JPXI, which also has a flatter radius at 20". I thought the satin neck on the JP15 would make it the clear winner, but to be honest I hardly notice a difference when switching between the two.

When I play live I usually just take one to the gig, and it's usually the JP15 because it's just plain sexy with the purple top and lack of fret markers on the board. It also has the boost which can be super handy in a live situation. However, when it comes to sitting down and recording, I ALWAYS go for the JPXI because I can just play faster and cleaner on the thinner, flatter neck especially when it comes to some super intense sweeps and arpeggios.

Keep in mind the pickups and electronics are way different too. I feel the JPXI can get a lot warmer tones but still shreds. If I'm going to play a lot of songs that require clean or piezo, I'll opt for the JPXI. If I need to shred from start to finish I go for the JP15, again, mostly in a live scenario.

So I know that probably doesn't help you make a decision, but I was in the same boat as you and ended up selling some other gear in order to keep both. I really wouldn't base your decision on the satin vs gloss neck finishes. Besides, you could always "satinize" the JPXI neck. I've done that to a few of my other brand guitars with great success. And, being poly clear coat, if you ever wanted to get it back to full gloss you just need to hit it with some high quality polishes like those for auto detailing. My suggestion is that if you plan on picking up a 7 to play live most of the time, go with the JP15. If you are more of a bedroom musician or studio musician and will be using it to record the majority of the time, go with the JPXI. Or just sell some other gear and get both! Either way you won't be disappointed.

Edit: Forgot to mention the JPXI-7 is heavy. Noticeably heavier than the JP15. It's the heaviest guitar I own.