7 string guitars out of style?

[The Dark Wolf]

I play both 6's and 7's too, but I hate it. The only 6 I play is my classical, and while it gives me no problems, I'd MUCH, MUCH rather have a classical 7. But those are so freakin' rare...

So, no 6's for me (aside from my classical, I guess). I'm perfectly satisfied being a 7-STRING guitar player.

[Polaris20]

Originally Posted by Wordwolf

I

So, no 6's for me (aside from my classical, I guess). I'm perfectly satisfied being a 7-STRING guitar player.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with only playing 7 strings. It's just not for me. I love my existing 6's too much to give them up.

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by Wordwolf

I play both 6's and 7's too, but I hate it. The only 6 I play is my classical, and while it gives me no problems, I'd MUCH, MUCH rather have a classical 7. But those are so freakin' rare...

So, no 6's for me (aside from my classical, I guess). I'm perfectly satisfied being a 7-STRING guitar player.

Have one converted. You can probably get one done for about $200. I had one for a whle and it was pretty food.

[Two hands31]

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I had one for a whle and it was pretty food.

Must've been tough on the teeth though

[The Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by Two hands31

Must've been tough on the teeth though

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by Wordwolf

It's a good thing I play better than I type.

[Two hands31]

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

It's a good thing I play better than I type.

Heck, I type pretty well, and you still play better than I type

We've all been there

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I'm impressed by you guys who can go back and forth. I'm pretty much lost when I pick up a 6-string in standard. I end up tuning to open D and then I can be at least remotely functional.

It's a skill like any other. It really screwed with me at first- I remember one gig in particular about two months after I got the 7 where I put down my 7, grabbed my strat, and broke into the intro of a song, and stopped and yelled "hold on, hold on!" because I thought I was WAY out of tune. As it turns out, i was perfectly in tune, but i was hearing notes a fourth higher than I expected to, and it really threw me, lol.

A few years later, every ocne in a while I'll reach for a note that's not there on my strat, but it's a pretty comfortable switch.

-D

[sanitarium]

Originally Posted by BeastofLove

Unfortunately, the prevalence of the 7-string in popular music is to be muddy riffage that spills into the bass guitar's territory... which spills into the kick drum's territory... and eventually becomes thumping sonic mud... which seems to sell.

Very true, I play bass in my band and am feeling I have to go out and buy a 5 string because one of the guitarists already has a 7 and the other is getting one too. They're not into all the low chugging thing, they just love harmonising stuff and, as has already been said, want that extra range. Problem is, if they do it a low B then I don't acctually have a lower B because they are at the same picth as myself.

I know some of you may say well don't just play the octave, but it's not that simple. If i do just feel that root notes are working better what am I supposed to do? I don't like the idea of a 5 string at all and do feel very uncomftable having to switch.

Anyway just a bass players point of view on the whole thing. Although saying all that i'd probably just go for a 6 string rather than a 5, may as well if i'm gonna have to basically re-learn my technique.

[Two hands31]

I have a 5-string bass, and played a 4-string for about a year before that. I wouldn't go back. If I got another bass, it'd be a 5-string. I just love that extra range (in all styles of music).

As for it treading on the bass's frequency range and the bass treading on the kick drum's frequency range, I've got news for ya: Kick drum and bass guitar are already in each other's frequency range. The advice I was given (from a reliable source, I'm sure you'd agree) was to have them work together as one instrument. If you have a really round, bassy sounding kick drum, make the bass guitar more defined and clear. If you have a really low, round, bassy bass guitar, use a sharper, clearer kick drum.

[skattabrain]

7 string = more range than a 6 string

being a metal fan for over 20 years now i hate the term nu-metal and it's association with low-heavy sounds. i associate nu-metal with goofs who are more concerned about their "looks" or "style" ... aka slipknot and the other clowns.

i like low and heavy sounds ... wether it's satriani, vai or deftones.

if you don't like the "style" than play it differently.

7 strings has nothing to do with the "scene".

[dex]

Originally Posted by sanitarium

I know some of you may say well don't just play the octave, but it's not that simple. If i do just feel that root notes are working better what am I supposed to do? I don't like the idea of a 5 string at all and do feel very uncomftable having to switch.

Well, I say just grab a compressor, dial a snappy funky clean tone on your amp and play the octave when you feel like it.
As long as you "colour" the drums, frequency would not be a problem for you.

ilia

[Dylan7620]

a little off topic but...

Originally Posted by skattabrain

i associate nu-metal with goofs who are more concerned about their "looks" or "style" ... aka slipknot and the other clowns.

can you expand on that? out of newer bands i find that they are exactly opposite from that. when i think of the "nu metal" i think of linkin park and the countless other copies that would be much more concerned with whats in style seeing as how MTV is making them the powerchord superstars they are.

[skattabrain]

replace slipknot with linkin park.

[Dylan7620]

i understand what you meant but i find it difficult to compare these two. seeing as how slipknot know how to play and i dont see them on tv like you would some "other" bands. and it seems they dont really care that much what the mainsteam thinks. but this all may be relative to you comparing to other bands that you listen to that may never be on tv at all and play more technical.