does anyone here like 7 strings?

[Moustache_Bash]

i was watching some video about this dude who plays one in standard, but the b is in a so that he can do really simple chords but with a lower fifth (i think? idk, i don't know theory) so it sounded big. i don't like metal, but i still thought, "cool."

anyways, how do 7 strings make you feel?

[kbit]

Paging backwardsvoyager... think he might be lost in Japan

[chuckjaywalk]

I've always been tempted. I have weird hands and love big necks. Only thing is, I already play in a fucked up tuning, so I don't know how useful it would be to have that extra bass string. (DADABE or DADABD, depending on if I want to bother tuning the high string.)

[skullservant]

I've wanted one for a while, but I'm picky and mostly play my EGC's. Tuning the B down to A is awesome and how I would play it if I had one. Just gotta find a maple necked shredder

[chuckjaywalk]

I guess I could tune it ADADABD...

[WayToHip]

I was going to ask if anyone has recommendations about 7 stringers.

[PeteeBee]

I don't quite get it unless you're going all animals as leaders. I tune my sg to C standard or drop B pretty often. If it's just to get low, there are other ways to do it. I'd like to spend some time with one. Try to come up with other uses than chugfests.

[backwardsvoyager]

Paging backwardsvoyager... think he might be lost in Japan

reporting for duty

i like 7 string guitars and i wish more people would use them outside of metal and prog. they are absolutely not just for metal or chugfests, they were developed for jazz in the first place so i find the whole djent association to be kinda depressing, i think maybe a lot of people want the downtuned hebbies as well as the high E string for sweeping and tapping and stuff but can't wrap their brains around tunings that let you do that on a 6 string. anyway, there can be advantages which depend on your playing style, stuff like arpeggiating and shifting bass notes is so much more versatile and deep sounding with an extra string, and it gives you a lot more space for two handed tapping techniques. most 'conventional' guitar technique is less well suited to it because we only have so many fingers.

if i had to own a single guitar it wouldn't be a 7 string but i'd attribute that more to having my dream guitar built as a 6 string before dipping my feet into 7's. you should go try one out sometime, might not suit or it might be an invaluable spark of inspiration. i wouldn't worry too much about the difference in feel, you get used to the bigger neck easily enough. the annoying thing is that you don't have a lot of variety and most production 7's are super lame. i highly highly recommend schecter japan but you'd have to import without playing one first, they are considerably better than the korean ones and anything else i've seen in the same price range. i think danelectro did a 7 string at one point that can show up cheap-ish from time to time too.

[Chankgeez]

... they were developed for jazz ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAAbQWAYW3s[/youtube]

[Faldoe]

Played one of the lower like $700 model John Peturchiaci models at GC. Plays well.

That video is sweet^^^

[Moustache_Bash]

Paging backwardsvoyager... think he might be lost in Japan

reporting for duty

i like 7 string guitars and i wish more people would use them outside of metal and prog. they are absolutely not just for metal or chugfests, they were developed for jazz in the first place so i find the whole djent association to be kinda depressing, i think maybe a lot of people want the downtuned hebbies as well as the high E string for sweeping and tapping and stuff but can't wrap their brains around tunings that let you do that on a 6 string. anyway, there can be advantages which depend on your playing style, stuff like arpeggiating and shifting bass notes is so much more versatile and deep sounding with an extra string, and it gives you a lot more space for two handed tapping techniques. most 'conventional' guitar technique is less well suited to it because we only have so many fingers.

if i had to own a single guitar it wouldn't be a 7 string but i'd attribute that more to having my dream guitar built as a 6 string before dipping my feet into 7's. you should go try one out sometime, might not suit or it might be an invaluable spark of inspiration. i wouldn't worry too much about the difference in feel, you get used to the bigger neck easily enough. the annoying thing is that you don't have a lot of variety and most production 7's are super lame. i highly highly recommend schecter japan but you'd have to import without playing one first, they are considerably better than the korean ones and anything else i've seen in the same price range. i think danelectro did a 7 string at one point that can show up cheap-ish from time to time too.

cool, cool.

good info.
if i were to get one it would probably just be an agile one because i am left handed and don't know why i bother living.

does anyone know what 7 strings accomplished for jazz people? was it just the sole purpose of extended range?

[backwardsvoyager]

if i were to get one it would probably just be an agile one because i am left handed and don't know why i bother living.

deepest condolences i've heard decent things about the agile ones though

afaik it's pretty much just extended range in relation in jazz guitar, for example if you're making a guitar arrangement from a piano composition you can include more bass notes or have more of them matching the original octaves rather than having to adjust to the narrower pitch range of a normal guitar. 7 string is still nowhere near the range of a full size piano but it's definitely an improvement being able to go down to that low B, and if you listen to 7 string jazz guitarists you can often hear a more defined separation between bass lines and upper register chords.
also on a 7 string you can tune every interval to a major third and keep the range to the same E - E as a 6 string, which is kinda neat.

[Chankgeez]

yeah, it was extended range. Had to do with chord voicings too.

George Van Eps was pretty much the developer of the jazz seven string.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSdiKRgrrPg[/youtube]

Van Eps was a pianistic guitarist. Not a huge fan of that style.

I like Bucky Pizzarelli's style much better:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goDqtP4MtqQ[/youtube]

Bucky plays some mean rhythm. Skip to 21:21 for Bucky:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvimuOkZhbY[/youtube]

Lenny Breau add a high seventh string:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX9re6k9k8c[/youtube]

(… and backwardsvoyager types faster.)

[scienceman]

Guitars with 7 or 8 strings make me feel scared and confused. I just don't know what to do with the extra string.

[Moustache_Bash]

deepest condolences i've heard decent things about the agile ones though

afaik it's pretty much just extended range in relation in jazz guitar, for example if you're making a guitar arrangement from a piano composition you can include more bass notes or have more of them matching the original octaves rather than having to adjust to the narrower pitch range of a normal guitar. 7 string is still nowhere near the range of a full size piano but it's definitely an improvement being able to go down to that low B, and if you listen to 7 string jazz guitarists you can often hear a more defined separation between bass lines and upper register chords.
also on a 7 string you can tune every interval to a major third and keep the range to the same E - E as a 6 string, which is kinda neat.

yeah, it was extended range. Had to do with chord voicings too.

George Van Eps was pretty much the developer of the jazz seven string.

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSdiKRgrrPg[/youtube]

Van Eps was a pianistic guitarist. Not a huge fan of that style.

I like Bucky Pizzarelli's style much better:

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goDqtP4MtqQ[/youtube]

Bucky plays some mean rhythm. Skip to 21:21 for Bucky:

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvimuOkZhbY[/youtube]

Lenny Breau add a high seventh string:

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX9re6k9k8c[/youtube]

(… and backwardsvoyager types faster.)

thanks, friends.