7 string debate

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7 string debate

Hey Guys!

I'm thinking about getting a new guitar and I thought a lot about a 7 string guitar. The question is, I'm not sure I could use it properly other than chugging the low string in songwriting. I'd appreciate if you'd share your experiences about this.

metalhobo

seven strings look gay

Joshua F.

Conquering Dystopia. Look it up, listen to the track Ashes of Lesser Men. Great example of 7 strings being used to full effect. If the guitar is tuned to standard, you can drop the 7th string down to A and have a bar chord on the heaviest strings, which adds a lot of depth to your heavy chords.

Adam Kasnyóczki

Yeah but I'm far from Mr. Loomis or Keith...and it's not really my style.

slab

Don't listen to metal homo, er ist nein kreig 

tx-ogre

I bought my first 7 string a few weeks ago.   Since I'm not an ultra high gain, uber metal type, I wasn't sure it was a good choice.  While doing my research before I bought, I did an Internet search of 7 string players.  While the lists included the "usual suspects" within the various metal genres, there were also a lot of other 7 strings player, including Classical and Jazz players.  Neither genre is my first (or even second) choice of music, but after watching their YouTube videos, I was impressed with the way they did things on a 7 string that I hadn't seen before.  It made me think about the possibilities of what could be done with a bit of imagination and creativity.  There is life beyond 7th string chugging.

Adam Kasnyóczki

I know, I just don't know how to incorporate that into my style, it's hard to guess or imagine when I look around on youtube and every video is some core bull****(which I'm tired of) or death metal stuff.

Chris W.

Most people become dependent on the low-end, regardless of their tuning, when playing metal in general, and it seems a lot easier to do on a 7, I will give you that. 

Bands like Unearth don't seem to write on the extra string, but instead use it as an accent and for breakdowns, which gives that extra power and emphasis. 
Emmure (and a boat full of other similar bands) basically play one string, so 7's work well for that style even though they could almost just play a bass instead. heh

 

Also, go for it! Expand your bounds! Who know what you'll do with that extra option!

tx-ogre

I am new to the 7 string.  What I've been doing so far is taking songs I know with 5th and 6th string chord roots and moving them to the 6th and 7th string for a different sound while still playing leads, fills, etc., on the same higher strings.  I am also re-learning scales, argeggios, licks, etc., to incorporate the 7th string.  That combined with also experimentating with the 7th string tuned down to A has been refreshing in that it makes me leave my comfort zone and look at the fretboard from a different perspective.  I'm just glad I took the time over the years to learn theory so I don't have a perpetual "deer in the headlights" look.

Chris W.

I got thrown in head-first, in a way. I joined a band that played in Drop-A and I didn't have a 7-string, so we transposed a few of my songs to the tuning and I put super heavy strings on a 6, leaving out the high-e. It was rough, and limited my ability to groove since the relationship between notes changed. 

Now I'm more used to it, and I love it, though I never took theory (been thinking about learning formal guitar lately).

Adam Kasnyóczki

Thank you all for the answers , thought a lot about it but I think I just stick with 6 strings and learn more theory stuff before I move onto the 7.

jt76

Sorry to jump in a bit late but here is my opinion

I would go find a used LTD m17 - they are really cheap should be able to find a decent one for less than $150, but they should play fairly decent.  Play with it for a while and decided if you like it.  I think they are great if you are playing with someone that plays a 5 or 6 string bass or another 7 string guitar,  not so great if you are playing with musicians that play standard insturments.    I bought a cheap used ltd m207 - and played it for 2 months.  I liked it enought that I ended up buying an new LTD AW7.   I still like 6 strings better but it is nice to have a decent 7 string available.   It also great when I get hung up writing on a six string and just want to broaden my horizions a little.  

 

 

The G.

A few years ago I traded a Jackson PS2 for a M-207. Looked nice, sounded great, but didn't play well on the neck. Traded it for a Dillion RG7 copy with a licensed Floyd. That thing is a beast! Used it to convert some old band songs that were in drop B on a 6 string.

jt76

My - m207 played great but the licensed floyd on it would not hold tune that well.  Also I thought the duncan designs were a little loose sounding.   The Alex Wade is a hard tail, and the Dimarzios sound great, it also cost 3 to 4 times as much as the m207.   I still want to get a 7 string with EMG's in it at some point.   Never tried a Dillion, looks kinda in the same ballpark as Agile.  Some of the lesser known korean made stuff is pretty incredible for the price. 

BOOTY'OS

i would get it

Döme N.

Turst me, you could use it in your personal style as well.. plus it djents

Adam Kasnyóczki

duhjent duh-duh duduuduhjent

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brainiac7

I know the OP is no longer interested in a 7, but in case anyone else wants an opinion. Here goes.

 

Obviously, if you want to be able to have the full range, you have no choice, and you must get a 7, or 8 for that matter. I don't want to address that here.

My comments want to address the player that wants to take a chance on an instrument that might expand their creativity.

 

The 7 string and in addition the longer scale "baritone" incarnations can be slightly more of a strain to play. Whether it's string tension, size of neck girth or fret spacing. Even the length to the end of the neck which will affect the angle of your shoulder, elbow and wrist AND finger joints to varying degrees. The first thing to address is how comfortable you will be with this different beast on strictly an ergonomic level.

 

After that is to your satisfaction, what about the 7 string is worth exploring to make you a more creative musician?

 

In my experience, your relationship with your instrument should be like with your spouse. You ideally should be most concerned about how the instrument makes you feel and not about how pretty it is. Well, if you are only interested in showing it off, I guess looks are the most important, but... if you care about making music you need to feel something special and unique with that guitar in your hands.

 

The lowest string can allow you to increase the number of musical variations available to you. Typically, the lowest string on a 6string guitar will be used to "drone" a note. If one were to treat the 7string guitar as a 6 string guitar and only use the 7th string sparingly for accents rather than using the 7th string as a lower register "drone" string, that could be a style to explore.

 

One could try to do hybrid jazzy sorts of things wherein you could have walking lines on the 7th string while you do whatever it is you care to on the rest of the strings. There are books on playing 7string jazz. I'm firmly a believer in the shape of a guitar not preventing you from playing any genre you wish. So if you get a metal looking guitar and play jazz on it, more power to you. Screw people that say this or that guitar can or can't play this sort of music. It's absurd nonsense.

 

In standard tuning, the new string will be the same as the 2nd string which is tuned to B. If one were so inclined, they could work out chord inversions pretty easily up to the new string. Personally, with distortion, I don't like to have full chords and do a lot of experimentation with triads. So taking the various triad shapes I'm used to on the 6 string, then working out the inverted note on the "bass" 7th string would be a nice road to explore.

 

Tapping, if that's your thing, on the 7th string could open up a fuller sound for you.

 

Different tunings are another area to explore. There are books... did I say books? I mean, there are resources on the net explaining alternate tunings and with some exploration you could come up with your own unique things with the addition of a 7th string.

 

There is the Animals as Leaders style of hypertechnical playing one could be inspired by. Obviously, the Meshuggah percussive sound lends itself to the 7th string.

 

Well, that is more to read than folks on the internet are comfortable digesting at once, so I'll stop here.

 

TL;DR Test one out. If it feels comfortable to play and it "speaks" to you, and you are the adventurous type, it's a nice tool to have in your arsenal. I'm not sure it should

be your first girlfriend though.

 

 

Good luck!

Adam Kasnyóczki

That was a nice read, thank your for your opinion. 

brainiac7

You are very welcome. It was my pleasure.

Adam Kasnyóczki

Thought about what you guys said and I think if I get a chance at a 7, I'll take it. I can't lose anything, right?

tx-ogre

Go for it.  There was a time I never thought I'd consider playing a 7 string.  But now that I've taken the plunge, I wish I'd done it sooner.

Adam Kasnyóczki

I'm on it, but I don't really know what guitar to get.

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