So i was out looking at guitars the other day (go figure). Seven-
string guitars have intrigued me for a while, and while i'm fairly certain i could make use of the extended range in my music, i don't really want to lay out a huge pile of cash to see if i like it enough to dedicate myself to playing a "seven".
One guitar that caught my eye was the
Squier Standard Fat Strat 7. It sells for about CAD$369 (about USD$250) and it actually seemed to be a pretty decent guitar for the money.
Now, before everyone gets all "Squier sucks and if it doesn't have a LoPro Edge and DiMarzios, it's junk" on me, i'll just describe a bit about the guitar...
- It's definitely not a pro-quality instrument. It's made in Indonesia and has some minor fit-and-finish issues.
- The finish has visible streaks in it when you hold it up to the light (like the clearcoat was applied with a brush and not fully buffed).
- The frets have some sharp edges that overhang the fretboard a bit (easy enough to file those down), but were otherwise pretty well dressed.
- The neck was straight and true, and had a really pleasing, slightly rounded shape (not the "flat in the middle" feel i get from a UV or RG7 neck... i don't like that profile) and a fantastic natural very light satin finish... having broad hands and long fingers, i really love the feel of wider, slightly beefy necks.
- Hardware and electronics are pretty run-of-the-mill generic, but i've definitely seen worse, and stuff like that is easy enough to swap out. I don't abuse my trem, so a double-locking system isn't a terribly urgent requirement for the way i play.
For somebody who just wants to get a taste of playing a 7-string, i *think it would be a great instrument to pick up... the minor finish issues are things i can deal with, but it seemed like a pretty solid guitar otherwise.
However, i'm undecided whether to go with a cheap 7-string or just put 11-56
gauge strings on a 6 and tune it down.
What are others' experiences with entry-level 7-strings, and what are your thoughts on going with a 7 vs. a detuned 6?
