Go Baritone or not?

[brothersnowgone]

I was looking recently at one of Stephen Carpenters signature ESP's and i came across 2 of his 7 string models. One was standard 25.5" scale and the other has a 27" scale. I've considered getting one of the extended scale ones because although i enjoy the standard B tuning, sometimes i like to experiment and go lower. My questions are: 1. Is the extra length on the neck going to take a lot to get used to? 2. Is the string tension going to be too much?(I doubt it, i play zakk wydle's .70's in B) and 3. When i play it, can i also make it sound the same as a normal scale 7 string or should i just get the 25.5" one? Any help with these questions will be greatly appreciated.

[revsharp777]

Originally Posted by brothersnowgone

I was looking recently at one of Stephen Carpenters signature ESP's and i came across 2 of his 7 string models. One was standard 25.5" scale and the other has a 27" scale. I've considered getting one of the extended scale ones because although i enjoy the standard B tuning, sometimes i like to experiment and go lower. My questions are:

1. Is the extra length on the neck going to take a lot to get used to?

I have both a 25.5" and a 27" 7-string. The difference is VERY minimal. The only things I noticed are...
A) Wide-stretched chords on the lower frets take a little more stretching.
B) The increased room on the higher frets is a good thing.
C) The string tension is a bit tighter overall.

2. Is the string tension going to be too much?(I doubt it, i play zakk wydle's .70's in B)

Nah, you should be fine. However, if you like the string tension you get on your 25.5" models, you might want to consider going down to the next lowest gauge on the baritone. Otherwise, you will have increased tension. It depends on what you want.

3. When i play it, can i also make it sound the same as a normal scale 7 string or should i just get the 25.5" one? Any help with these questions will be greatly appreciated.

I not sure what you're asking here, but you'll get the same sound more or less.

NOTE: If you're looking for the SC-607 in the 2-tone burst, mine is for sale. PM me if interested.

[Chud]

From my experience with baritones (I have a 6-string baritone tunned to B), they give a meatier sound.

This is generally due to the thicker gauge of string and there being more tension - tighter strings.

I met a man named "Mario Bartone" (bartone - ah, how convinient) at a London guitar show. He played a 9-string bass and talked to me about his theorys on how guitar would become obsolete due to the range of these 9-string basses. He owns a guitar shop and such.

When i was talking to him about string gauges he gave me one of the most valuable pieces of advice i've heard in a long time. I can't remeber what gauge he ran on his 9th string, but it was in the 1XX's.

Mario told me: Many people tend to downtune their guitars nowadays, or use baritone guitars. Detunning a guitar ruins it completely. The strings turn from being a labour of love and an art of string tension, into flappy cables. All the effort by the string companies to make the particular string ring out is ruined due to down tunning.


I guess right now i'm really ranting because it's very late where i am now and i've got nothing better to do, but the moral of the story is, the tighter the string, the better the sound. The sound differences onstage between the baritone 7 and normal 7 may be very small (because most of the time it's hidden by distortion huh? ) although you will certainly feal a difference.

I guess you'd really just have to try out the guitars. Frankly, i find baritones a bit of a novelty. I'd never play one normally just because it feals like you're playing a bass!


</ramble>

[brothersnowgone]

thanks for the advice revsharp777, i was liking the extra room i seen on the higher frets on the 607b. if i wasnt pretty much set on the sc607b id buy ur 607, but i only dont even have the money for the 607b yet haha. im tired of my 7321, the pots are cutting in and out and i cleaned them and it got no better. now my outputs ****ing with my head, and ive played a friends 7 string esp and i liked the feel. if you still have ur 607 in about 6 months, u should remind me haha, i might have the dough to take it off your hands then. if it gone by then o well.

and about the sound question, ive heard that chords on baritones ring out a bit more prominantly, because of the extra room.

[Chud]

Well, they may sustain for longer but i'd rather be able to solo then have longer notes

[Papa_Shank]

rev nailed this but basically, the difference is noticable but not restraining. Slightly more sustain, more clarity in the notes. I'm kind of in the mood to get a SC-607B aswell but without finding one second hand I doubt I'd buy one.

[brothersnowgone]

yeah i like the extra sustain. I never play solos in my band. its just really fast paced shredding type riffs, so theres no need for solos in my book.

[Polaris20]

Originally Posted by Chud

I met a man named "Mario Bartone" (bartone - ah, how convinient) at a London guitar show. He played a 9-string bass and talked to me about his theorys on how guitar would become obsolete due to the range of these 9-string basses. He owns a guitar shop and such.

Until Fender/Squire starts churning out Affinity 9-string basses for $199 for the kiddies to learn on, I think're we're safe.

[Tsorovan]

Originally Posted by Chud

stuff

Well, that's all fine and dandy I suppose, but I happen to prefer the sound of having the unwound strings detuned. The contemporary guitar is an aged and obsolete design. All electrics really would do much better being multi-scale.

I don't particularly like thick strings either, neither the feel nor the sound of them, ESPECIALLY not the unwound ones.

As for the "labour of love" crap, well...

[Chud]

Sure, whatever floats your boat.
Though that's not my personal opinion, that's a guy that i met at a guitar show.


I play a 7-string so i don't need to detune

[timi_h]

Originally Posted by Chud

I play a 7-string so i don't need to detune

YES!! that was my whole reason in getting a 7! ur hard to please if that B (and i spose A is still very feasable) isnt low enough!
one suggestion: if its not low enough, get a bass!!!!!!!!

[bonehead189]

Don't go baritone. It's just nicer that way, just my opinion.

[ajdehoogh]

Realize this is just my opion. Ignore it if you don't agree.

I say go for it. Why not? If you have the money/desire to explore and push the boundaries of what is real you might as well. The greatest joy to me is when I pickup a different guitar is when there are different pickups/tunings on the guit. You never know if you don't try something different it might not lead you down a path you want to explore more or less.

[Chud]

Originally Posted by timi_h

YES!! that was my whole reason in getting a 7! ur hard to please if that B (and i spose A is still very feasable) isnt low enough!
one suggestion: if its not low enough, get a bass!!!!!!!!

I tune my 7-string to drop A (A,E,A,D,G,B,E).
Not only does this allow me to do Dream Theater style chords and one finger stuff (Yeah, shut up guys!), but it's easier to encorporate into solos. Just think of your 7th as a 5th string and occasionally bump down there for a laugh

[brothersnowgone]

i completely agree with u ajdehoogh, i like exploring when it comes to music. and as far as the play bass comment goes, i feel tuning is a matter of preference. i would like to have an extremely versatile guitar, so baritone sounds right for me. ill be able to tune way low, im talking G and even F here(if its too low for u keep it to urself, there r no laws when it comes to playing instruments in my book) and if i wanted to tune standard, no problem just need thinner strings. btw, its not like basses can't detune too, some people like it lower. i happen to be one