7-string as main/only guitar..

MrNiceguy87 · #1 12-01-2004, 10:56 AM

Does anyone have 7-string as their main or only guitar?

I'm interested in getting a 7-string but cannot afford a really good one while keeping my strat. Also, I'd like to use it like any guitar and not feel that it's just for using the 7th string if you know what I mean.

Do you think it would be akward? I've found a really good Ibanez RG7620 which I might be able to trade for if I put some money in between.

It's a really cool guitar and I feel really curious, but I don't know if it's worth it if it would feel really hard to play.

Drew · #2 12-01-2004, 12:23 PM

Well, I didn't sell my strat to buy my 7620, but I primarily play a 7 now, and only rarely pick up a 6 (my acosutic doesn't count

).

Can you exclusively play a 7? Sure. Would I recommend selling your only 6 to buy a 7? Not unless you're SURE a seven's for you. There are a few things you can't do on a 7 that you can do on a 6- Jimi-style thumb-over-neck chording being a primary example- and if that's going to bother you or if it just never "feels" right to you, you'll regret not having a 6 around.

but, if you've spent some time with a 7 and you're sure that that's the guitar for you, then go for it.

I prefer 7's to 6's but that's just that- a personal preference.

-D

trajectory fish · #3 12-01-2004, 01:13 PM

I play nothing but 7's. I'd like to get into classical guitar though, and I'd prefer to get a 7 string classical to be completely comfortable, ... which um, yeah... would be dificult. I've seen a few on evilbay by some guy named Matt Raines. I don't know if he builds them, or if he just markets them, but they've had good reviews on HC. There is also Buscarino, a luthier in Western North Carolina, who makes classical as well as jazz guitars, but he's a bit high dollar. Either way, $800 to $7,000 is too much to drop on a guitar I've never seen. . .

I studied classical bass over the summer, and playing on 4 strings wasn't a problem at all. Whenever I play my friends' classical guitars, I realy miss that lower string.

If you have seven strings, you still have six

MrNiceguy87 · #4 12-01-2004, 01:19 PM

When I think about it, it might. I really do prefer hard tail or traditional strat bridges as well. It's hard not to get excited when you see a really nice guitar though and I'm still curious about 7's. I'd like a guitar with dual humbuckers and good high-fret access as well so I might as well get a nice Ibanez 7, if I manage to find a good one (with hardtail bridge) and afford it.

Thanks for the reply! I really like the spirit on the Jemsite board. =)

Shakma!! · #5 12-01-2004, 02:30 PM

Ibanez has hardtail 7's, most definately. There's some nice white RG7621's that come up on Famous Electronic Auction site.

Around july/august this year, i got rid of all but one of my 6 strings, then around the end of septemeber, i sold my last one and i play exclusively 7 string guitars now. I Couldnt be happier. I'm still tempted to buy another 6 when i see those Desert Yellow RG550s and Jems or the JEm7VSBL... but a 7 will always be my main guitar from now on i think

wemedge · #6 12-01-2004, 02:34 PM

I went back and forth between 6 and 7 strings for a long time, and finally made the decision to use the 7 as primary instrument. My personal preference is a 7 because it lets me finger some chords more easily, and also some fingerings that are not possible on a 6. But yes, as the others have said, one doesn't have to use the 7th string all the time just because it's there; it's nice to have when you need it.

My other reason for concentrating on the 7-string is because instead of sucking on both 6 and 7, I can just suck on one instrument

wemedge

Azrael · #7 12-01-2004, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wemedge

My other reason for concentrating on the 7-string is because instead of sucking on both 6 and 7, I can just suck on one instrument

Now that's the spirit! I currently like sucking on my 6-string! :P

Jem7RB MK · #8 12-01-2004, 05:14 PM

I only have 1 guitar now :-( But it's a UV :-) and i suck too :-( But i suck with extra deepness

Rob

P.s. Thats a really useless reply :P

lennartengel · #9 12-01-2004, 05:54 PM

i've bought my first 7 about 4 months ago, within one month i sold a six string and bought a second 7. And now i've got some plans for a custom swamp ash 7 with vintage style trem. I just love the feel of the wider neck, and am very happy with all the new chord voicings that are possible.
Only thing i can't do on my 7 is fretting the low e with my thumb, but since i only ever played one song in wich i had to do so thats not realy a problem to me.

However i probably wouldn't sell a guitar to buy my FIRST 7. Since you just don't know if it will work out for you. It took me at least two weeks to get used to the extra string, very confusing with string skipping arpeggios and stuff like that.

Sephiroth000 · #10 12-01-2004, 08:23 PM

Since July of this year, It's been nothing but 7's for me. I'm slowly selling off all my old Six strings..

Allen Garrow · #11 12-01-2004, 10:33 PM

I've been off 6 strings for almost 2 years. Prior to that the Jem7VWH was my second guitar. I've always had one of each for at least the past 7 years.

7's are my main guitar now, I own 2 and have no 6 stringer now, nor do I intend to have a 6 anytime soon. Unless of course it's a VWH.

~A

MrNiceguy87 · #12 12-02-2004, 06:47 AM

It's getting to me again.. It's not any 7620 I have in sight either, it's been owned by Ola of A.C.T (www.actworld.nu) and I really love both his playing and sound on the album Last Epic, on which he used this very guitar.

The pickups are Lundgren M-7s which were originally made for Meshugga's Fredrik Thordendahl.

The guy who's selling them is a really cool guy as well.

I don't need it though, I just want it sooo bad

fettouhi · #13 12-02-2004, 07:58 AM

I have a 6 string and a 7 string now. I was bit worried when I bought the 7 string (RG 1077 XL lefty) that it would become my main guitar. My 6 string is a custom made guitar (EBMM EVH replica, lefty) and I didn't want to sell it of. But now it has been 4 months with the 7 string and I can say, I use them both equally much because they are so different

! So I don't think that the 7 string will ever be my main even though I am getting another one in a week or two.

Regards

André

MrNiceguy87 · #14 12-02-2004, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fettouhi

I have a 6 string and a 7 string now. I was bit worried when I bought the 7 string (RG 1077 XL lefty) that it would become my main guitar. My 6 string is a custom made guitar (EBMM EVH replica, lefty) and I didn't want to sell it of. But now it has been 4 months with the 7 string and I can say, I use them both equally much because they are so different

! So I don't think that the 7 string will ever be my main even though I am getting another one in a week or two.

Regards

André

But you wouldn't have a problem with having a 7 as your main guitar?

I think that's the main issue for me would be if the guitar actually made it harder to play the ordinary stuff that you play on a 6-string.

I have to say I'm pretty used to guitars that are hard to play though since my Fender has a fat V-neck with .11s tuned to standard E with action set pretty high. The only real difficulties with playing a seven as opposed to a sixstring guitar is the "mind issues". That you're used to having the 6th string on top and being able to relate to it when going to other strings.

The other thing is as someone pointed out, you can't put the thumb over the neck while fretting out chords, that won't be a problem though.