I got a guitar question.(Open to anyone, but directed at Gregg/Rich mostly)

[Beyond the Pale]

I know you guys have recorded with and play with 7 string guitars pretty frequently.

I'm in the process of saving up money for a new guitar and I want a 7 string, for a couple reasons.

I wouldn't call myself skilled enough to play a 7 string just yet, but getting it would save me time and money(I like to play songs from bands who tune low, Amon Amarth for instance. BEADGB) Having a 7 string would eliminate downtuning for that because I already have the B string. It also saves me money on the alternative of buying 7-string sets of strings on my 6 when I'm gonna ditch the high E anyway >_> On top of that, it just leaves more open for when I do get more skilled.

Now my main question is, for someone who is still only really learning on the guitar, what kind of 7-string should I look for? I'm willing to spend up to about 800 bucks on a guitar here, so have at me.

 

[Rev. Clayton]

Howdy,

I'm not sure why Gregg and Rich have not gotten back to you on this one, however, I would bet that their response would be pretty similar to this one. A guitarist and their guitar are very personal. I would think it depends on the kind of sound you are trying to get...(heavy metal, blues, jazz, progressive, etc) There are going to be a lot of factors invovled including the kind of pick ups you decide to use etc...

So in general...there's no perfect answer to this one. BUT...if you submit a little more information about the sound you're looking for. I bet I can get their lazy butt's to give youa good answer...heh.

Talk to you soon
Clay~~Suspyre

 

[Beyond the Pale]

Yeah, you're right, I wasn't being too specific.

Well, for now, I wanna be able to switch from getting a more..heavy kind of sound, to play a little death metal(Amon Amarth is one of the main reasons I want a 7 string now, you guys and Nevermore being the other main ideas), but at the same time, I don't honestly see myself writing music in that vein, I just wanna do a cover or two of it to have fun. The real sound I aim for in the long run..I dunno. Maybe closer to a like, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, Frost*, Porcupine Tree-y kind of sound. More mellow prog rock, moreso than metal. I know those bands aren't exactly similar, but that kind of prog sound is what I'm aiming for, and I figured, really, having an extra string would just bring more possibilities with the sounds I could create. It wouldn't be just to do those chugging heavy riffs, I'd wanna use it in a more creative way. *shrug*

 

[Rev. Clayton]

I talked to gregg last night but forgot to mention to him to reply to this one...I will send him a message and make sure he gets around to it. Promise!

 

[Beyond the Pale]

Haha, thanks. It's not a huge rush, I still got a looot of time to think about it as I save up the money to buy it in the first place.

 

[GreggSuspyre]

Hey hey!
Sorry it took a while to get back to you - I haven't had much time to check the forum lately. Anyway, Clay was right when he said guitars are very personal. Wanting lower sounds shouldn't be the only reason for you to get a 7-string. Putting 13-gauge strings on a guitar and tuning it to B is just as effective and maybe even easier to play. A lot of the low parts on A Great Divide were recorded by doing that. Having an extra string requires you to change your technique. It's harder to play since you have to get used to the other string, and if you're playing with distortion you have to learn to mute an extra string so they don't all ring together. It took me a while to get a good sound on a 7 just because of the sympathetic vibrations that naturally occur when playing distorted guitars. But, if you can work out all your scale patterns in 7-string shapes it's definitely worth it.
If you want to look for a 7-string in the $800 range, I would try the Ibanez RG series. I don't know if they are really that price anymore, but I did enjoy them when I played them. My favorite 7 is the one I play, the Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Signature. But it was about $1,700 new. You can always use eBay. I am also in the market for a backup 7-string and it's really hard for me to find another one I like. I tried to play the Caparison but the action was set so low that it just sounded like clicking, and besides it was like $2,500. It's really hard to find one cheap, but the Ibanez ones seem to be the best bet.
-Gregg

 

[Beyond the Pale]

Thanks for the help Gregg. Heh. Even you say to use eBay.. My problem is I'm really not so sure about buying a guitar from someone I've never met before. I dunno if I'm getting my money's worth or anything.

And much like you and Clay said, guitars are very personal. I want a more or less new guitar because it'll me MY personal guitar, my story will be told with it. If I get a guitar that's in great shape on eBay but has even one imperfection, I'll never know how it started, that story left with the original owner. I wanna be able to tell everyone the shit me and my guitar went through. You know?

But I had played one of the 7-strings you mentioned, the Ibanez, at Guitar Center about 2 weeks ago. And it just..felt right for me. Like, it felt more natural to me than a 6-string does. That's another reason why I wanted it.It took me less than 5 minutes to adjust to the wider neck/extra string when playing. And it just felt great, so that's why I even bothered asking. Originally I just wanted another 6-string but now I'm pretty much deadset on a 7 string. Thanks for the help.