7 string players in here.

[paddok]

How did you all transition from 6 string to 7 string ? Im considering purchasing a 7 string in a month or so, yet ive spent my entire guitar life playing a 6 string.

How screwed would i be ? or is buying / playing one the only real way to get use to it / understand it ?


should i just say screw it and get another 6 ?

 

[nergal_S]

There is not much diffrence from a 6 string to a 7 string. Playing wise and theory wise. The chords on a 7 string are played the same, For example a major chord is still a M3 and a P5 or a minor is still a m3 and P5. and the scales are the same because you basicly have another B string already so it repeats its self from the lower B string. Its nice to have the extra string for being able to get a wider amounts of tones with out tunning and having to move your fingers down 7 half steps. But it is not that big of a deal weather you play a 7 or 6. I have a 7 i would rather have my 7 string be a 6.

 

[Charlie E.]

To me it was really easy because I was used to thick strings from playing a guitar tuned in B, but I also had a guitar tuned in regular E. So it was pretty much like combining the two.
You could always just ignore the 7th string and play as if it were a 6 string til you get the hang of it.

 

[WarHead]

I have a seven string.,..its not too bad,.,.I hate the pick ups on it.,.piece of trash pick ups,..,the sound gets really muddy when I go fast.,.,.but I randomly need a burst of that low b sound every once in a while.,..

a really shitty thing is I cant sweep worth my life on a seven string.,.my hands are just to small.,

once I figure out more theory for my six string, then im gonna apply it to my seven and see what I come up with. not like any of you fucking care but oh well.

 

[genocide roach]

i play a 7 string. but then again, i am a bass player and i play a 5 string, and thats a big neck comparitvly. hehehehe. it feels so small, it feels like i will break it. anyways, between a 6 and a 7, there isnt much of a difference. just more to play around with. i say go for it
~gR~

 

[Splinterhead]

it kinda depends how much you want to change your playing to accomodate the low B. I needed to relearn all the modes and scales so that the root would originate off the low B as well as the low E. In a way you kinda have to revisualize the whole neck which was a real pain in the ass, (at least for me).

 

[WarHead]

Originally posted by Splinterhead
it kinda depends how much you want to change your playing to accomodate the low B. I needed to relearn all the modes and scales so that the root would originate off the low B as well as the low E. In a way you kinda have to revisualize the whole neck which was a real pain in the ass, (at least for me).

Yeah I know what ya mean. And thats probably why I'm going to sell my 7 string and buy a six and put lower gauge strings on it. Im way to lazy to relearn stuff. Maybe when Im older I'll pick one up again and shred away.

On a side note...........Anyone have any recommendations on guitars that I could buy to put lower gauge strings in?

 

[7 Dying Trees]

Transition Initialy is weird. I had to change my left hand to a classical guitar position, which in the end help my playing tremendously on a 6 as well, no more thumb on top of neck, now always in the middle

Then it took about 3/6 months to start experimenting, and now about 18months later I am completely comfortable on one. 6's feel a bit limiting sometimes , now it allows a wide range of playing (loads of positions) and is just more fun creativity wise. Also, 7string pickups sound tighter than a 6string downtuned to B (if you get good pups)

Oh, and get one with good pickups and a nice neck (along with a good stable trem system, a decent floyd not some shit budget copy, the ibanez lo-pro edge systems are fantastic), it'll make life easier and you won't end up cursing 7's for shit playability, so please! stay away from all the low end crap that a lot of compnies flooded the market with to entice 14yr old korn wannabies who just wanted a 7 because it's "heavier"

Gauge wise I prefer .009's->.056 on mine for BEADGBE tuning, gives enough slinkiness for soloing, and a tighter feel to the bottom end for chords (stops the low B feeling too floppy) , basically get a light top heavy bottom (9->46) and slap a 56/58 on it for the B, this will also allow you to get really low action as well which is cool (especially on the treble strings) Speed!!!!!!!

 

[WarHead]

Yeah I guess I got a piece of shit model from Ibanez. Its list price was $1000 but was only around $600. Plus the tremelo system sucks ass. I cant use it or it will detune the fucker and leave me with hours of fun trying to get it back in tune. Plus the pick ups on them are garbage.


I still think that Im gonna sell it and by a 6 and restring it with lower gauge strings. And most likely replace the pickups and put in Emg 81s or something. I've played 7 string for about 4 of the 8 years that I've played guitar, and Im just fed up with it. Maybe later down the road I'll pick up a better model and give it a whurl.

 

[ChromeLife]

Some of you might want to look into a baritone.. I have one and i love it.. sits in B nicely, and has 6 strings no fat neck.

 

[7 Dying Trees]

Originally posted by WarHead
Yeah I guess I got a piece of shit model from Ibanez. Its list price was $1000 but was only around $600. Plus the tremelo system sucks ass. I cant use it or it will detune the fucker and leave me with hours of fun trying to get it back in tune. Plus the pick ups on them are garbage.


I still think that Im gonna sell it and by a 6 and restring it with lower gauge strings. And most likely replace the pickups and put in Emg 81s or something. I've played 7 string for about 4 of the 8 years that I've played guitar, and Im just fed up with it. Maybe later down the road I'll pick up a better model and give it a whurl.

Did you buy it new? You should have tried to get one of the RG76xx series, or the RG1077xl, a bit more expensive for the latter, but RG76xx's can be found cheap and have a very good trem system on them (if you get an ibanez, avoid anything that has a TRS ertc on it, only get ones with an edge trem). Also check your knife edges as well, see if they are sharp enough, and the posts to see if they are worn. Failing that, make sure the string retainer bar (behind the nut on headstock) locks the strings into the nut properly (screw it all the way down). That may help your tuning stability.

Failing that, sell the fucker and try and find a nice ESP7 (the first run with neck through and seymour duncans) or a RG76xx cheap of ebay. Or a beat up old Universe, as they are very good guitars and go reasonably cheap

 

[WarHead]

I actually have the RG7462 or something like that. Yeah the tremolo system on it is majorly fucked. I guess some of the nuts or something are not smooth, so when I dive bomb the fucker it gets massive detuned. Thats what some one told me...eh...I could be confusing what he said, but basically Im not gonna sink anymore money into it and just start new.

Hmmm baritone...what companies make them? I've only see danallectro make them. Eh I think I saw an ESP, but I couldnt stand the frame of the guitar.

Esp7? That a seven string model? Im still not sure if I'm up to buying another seven string, mainly because the pickups arent the best.

As for the Universe....well I'd love to get my hands on one.

 

[Sunbane]

EMG has specific humbuckers for 7 strings - the 707. I can't say how it compares to the rest of their product line tonally and in output level though.

/'bane

 

[xenophobe]

Originally posted by WarHead
Hmmm baritone...what companies make them? I've only see danallectro make them. Eh I think I saw an ESP, but I couldnt stand the frame of the guitar.

Jackson makes a Baritone, so does Fender and Schecter. I think Carvin will make you one if you ask... not sure though.