Kind of thinking about a 7 string

[Steinmetzify]

Wanna do drop A for some doom stuff.

ESP would be my go to; KxK is a thing in my world.

Nut width is an issue, so is quality.

For reference, my main two 6ers are a Caparison TAT and an ESP Viper from 2011, a really good year for ESP.

I’m not really looking at Schecter or some Agile type thing (not that there’s anything wrong with that lol) or whatever.

Focused on an NT-7B for ESP, what else is out there for around $2k?

 

[Bruce]

I think those are 2 fantastic guitar brands, but from what I’ve played, only Ibanez gets the 7 string neck comfortable where it doesnt feel like a tree.

I’d be looking at an older MIJ 7 RG in great shape for that money, or maybe even a well used universe.

 

[DrewJD82]

It’s really tough to beat an RG7620, man! MIJ Ibanez with a Lo-Pro. Then there’s the RG7640 (I think?) that’s the fixed bridge version.

I’m most likely going to go Solar for my next 7-string, though. They offer a 26.5” scale and my intent is to drop it down as well, that extra inch will definitely help with the tension on that lower string. I hate using thicker strings because they tend to get a bit muddy and I don’t dig the physical feeling of them, I’d rather lengthen the guitar and use the same strings I always have.

I know there’s a small group of very vocal anti-Solar kids out there who keep sharing the same pictures of the 3-4 guitars that had cracks in the ebony that happened for a very brief period during the pandemic, but Solar would have to have someone hired to just delete negative posts working around the clock if they were as bad as that group is claiming. I’m in a couple Solar groups and haven’t seen a single post since those fingerboard cracks first happened a couple years ago. Just the same f*ckin’ pics being shared over and over with that KDH video.

 

[eaeolian]

If you want baritone and aren't looking for a trem, the Jackson B7s are freaking great, and seriously underrated/undervalued. Sadly, difficult to find, however. I love the Angel Vivaldi, personally, and never had a problem downtuning with 25.5".

The Solars are solid, especially at the price point. A friend of mine has a PRS SE Holcomb I was pretty impressed with, too, other that the pickups being kinda meh.

Honestly, though, the best 7 string I've played recently was one of the Jackson Pro Series with the baked finish. 26.5", so it drove me a little nuts, and the looks don't do it for me, but whoever is building these for FMIC (WMI in Korea, I think) is smacking it out of the park:

Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash HT7 | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

 

[sleewell]

schecters are great. haven't played mine much recently but they are awesome guitars.

 

[DrewJD82]

If you want baritone and aren't looking for a trem, the Jackson B7s are freaking great, and seriously underrated/undervalued. Sadly, difficult to find, however. I love the Angel Vivaldi, personally, and never had a problem downtuning with 25.5".

The Solars are solid, especially at the price point. A friend of mine has a PRS SE Holcomb I was pretty impressed with, too, other that the pickups being kinda meh.

Honestly, though, the best 7 string I've played recently was one of the Jackson Pro Series with the baked finish. 26.5", so it drove me a little nuts, and the looks don't do it for me, but whoever is building these for FMIC (WMI in Korea, I think) is smacking it out of the park:

Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash HT7 | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

I think @Iron1 has this same model?

 

[Iron1]

I think @Iron1 has this same model?

I do have one of those. The looks factor: each one is very unique based on the wood grain. Mine made me absolutely fall in love with it, but I've seen others that fill me with MEH... So, beauty is in the eye and all that. But, the thing is an absolute beast of a guitar. The Fishman's give it great tonal options, the neck is super fast (like you would expect from a Jackson), the body is not too heavy/not too light. Locking tuners, Hipshot bridge. I absolutely love it. Since getting it about 2 years ago, I've bought and sold about 5 other 7-strings (Ibanez, Jackson, Schecter...) trying to find a good compliment for it and none have come close.

 

[Iron1]

The Solars are solid, especially at the price point. A friend of mine has a PRS SE Holcomb I was pretty impressed with, too, other that the pickups being kinda meh.

I ordered a Solar A2.7 Canabalismo last spring and was really excited to get it as I love my two Solar 6s. But the ship date kept getting pushed back and I got impatient, cancelled my order and bought a JCA100hdm instead. Love the amp, but still want that guitar...

 

[imperator]

Do you want a larger scale length? My vote would be Ibanez Prestige RGD, Kiesel Aries. On the cheaper side Prs se Holcomb, but I'd want to check the neck out first.

 

[DrewJD82]

The Holcomb’s are pretty sweet and I almost bought the Seven last year but snagged an RG7620 for $500 instead.

 

[2112]

Another recommendation for the Holcomb SE. Does great chunky stuff but cleans up well too.

 

[laxu]

My opinion is that if it has more than 6 strings, it should be a multiscale. I love how my Kiesel Aries AM7 feels to play.

 

[Iron1]

My opinion is that if it has more than 6 strings, it should be a multiscale. I love how my Kiesel Aries AM7 feels to play.

I've never touched a multi scale... seems, to my old brain at lest, that there would be a big muscle-memory learning curve. Is that accurate?

 

[laxu]

I've never touched a multi scale... seems, to my old brain at lest, that there would be a big muscle-memory learning curve. Is that accurate?

It takes about 15 minutes to get used to it. I regularly swap between multiscales and regular scale guitars and don't even think about it.

 

[DrewJD82]

I've never touched a multi scale... seems, to my old brain at lest, that there would be a big muscle-memory learning curve. Is that accurate?

I’ve played a couple now and they weren’t the most exaggerated fans, it was actually really comfortable and I didn’t even think about it. Not sure how the wider fans feel, though.

 

[Iron1]

I’ve played a couple now and they weren’t the most exaggerated fans, it was actually really comfortable and I didn’t even think about it. Not sure how the wider fans feel, though.

If I ever see one in the wild, I'll have to check it out.

Meanwhile, I'm still GASing for this. Then I'd swap in all black hardware:

 

[DrewJD82]

If I ever see one in the wild, I'll have to check it out.

Meanwhile, I'm still GASing for this. Then I'd swap in all black hardware:

I was considering a fan fret Solar, still am but I really need to chill on buying for a bit. I really want a baritone!

 

[Iron1]

I really need to chill on buying for a bit.

From the book of "LIES WE OFTEN TELL OURSELVES"

 

[metropolis_4]

I think something that’s worth asking yourself is “Do I need 7 strings, or do I just need the lower notes?”

If you just want the low notes a 6 string baritone can sometimes be a better option.

7 strings always feel like a compromise to me. I hate the timbre of the low B on anything less than 26-27” scale, and I hate the timbre and feel of the rest of the high E and B on anything longer than 25.5”. Multi scale is OK… but again feels like a compromise to me as I’m not a fan of the string tensions. Another thing to consider is that in order to get all those strings on one fretboard you either need to have really tight string spacing or a really wide neck.

7 strings have their place, but I think a lot of times people might be better served with a baritone instead if all they’re looking for is low tunings. A baritone doesn’t have any of the compromise issues a 7 string has.

 

[DrewJD82]

I think something that’s worth asking yourself is “Do I need 7 strings, or do I just need the lower notes?”

If you just want the low notes a 6 string baritone can sometimes be a better option.

7 strings always feel like a compromise to me. I hate the timbre of the low B on anything less than 26-27” scale, and I hate the timbre and feel of the rest of the high E and B on anything longer than 25.5”. Multi scale is OK… but again feels like a compromise to me as I’m not a fan of the string tensions. Another thing to consider is that in order to get all those strings on one fretboard you either need to have really tight string spacing or a really wide neck.

7 strings have their place, but I think a lot of times people might be better served with a baritone instead if all they’re looking for is low tunings. A baritone doesn’t have any of the compromise issues a 7 string has.

There’s definitely two types of players in this context; those who prefer a 7 and those who prefer tuning a 6 down or a baritone 6.

I love 7-strings just because they feel entirely different than a 6-string tuned to BEADGB. I’ve got a 6-string in drop-A but playing the 7 in standard tuning feels heavier to me. I can’t remember what gauges I have on the 6, but I know I’m using a .59 for the low B on the 7 and any thicker than that it looses the snap. The way the sound resonates around the neck just gives it a whole different feeling. None of this has any real effect on a recorded track, they’re both going to sound like low tuned guitars, but a 6-string dropped doesn’t satisfy the 7-string itch for me.

Korn got sh*t for years, probably still do, for using 7-strings and barely going above the 15th fret but they’ve got pretty much the same feelings towards them as I do, same as Dino from Fear Factory and Stephen from Deftones and those guys use less higher notes than Korn does. There’s just somethin’ about that wide neck and the way it feels when being played.

That said, I would prefer a 26.5” scale length for them, because the low B/.59 can get a little loose and I have to watch my picking hand to not bang it out of tune for that initial hit. That’s exactly why I’m lookin’ towards Solar for my next one.

Besides, I couldn’t play this on a 6-string and this song was a huge reason I wanted to get a 7-string when I was in high school-


….and one day I might actually attempt learning the solo to Dream Theater’s “Lie”, I think he uses the high E a couple times in there.