Who makes a 13 inch or 14 inch 7-string archtop?

[voyage]

I need a small thin body 7 string archtop, with a 13-in or 14-in lower bout. Les Paul size would be good, or a touch larger. My shoulder tendons can't handle bigger guitars much anymore. Can anybody suggest where I can find this or what luthiers would build it?

Thanks,
Jim

[Jabberwocky]

Benedetto offers a 7-string version of its 14" Bambino Deluxe. Victor Baker can make you a 14" 7-string.

[RJVB]

Maegan Wells also builds baby archtops, I'm sure she could do a 7 string version.

[floatingpickup]

I need a small thin body 7 string archtop, with a 13-in or 14-in lower bout. Les Paul size would be good, or a touch larger. My shoulder tendons can't handle bigger guitars much anymore. Can anybody suggest where I can find this or what luthiers would build it?

Thanks,
Jim

My brother plays a Megas Athena solid (chambered) body 7 string. It is just the size you are looking for. Ted Megas is a very talented builder of extremely fine guitars. Megas Guitars – Maker of Acoustic and Electric Archtop Guitars
Keith

[voyage]

That does look good. How close does it get to the sound of an archtop? Thanks a lot.

And thanks to everybody else too I will check all of that out.

[floatingpickup]

That does look good. How close does it get to the sound of an archtop? Thanks a lot.

And thanks to everybody else too I will check all of that out.

When I play duo gigs with my brother, I use my archtops with built-in or floating pickups depending on my mood. He always plays the Megas and his tone is superb.
Keith

[ThatRhythmMan]

A excellent, young luthier I’ve been doing some work with, Aaron Wald, is making a small body archtop in addition to 17” versions. I currently have a 6 string version in my shop. It has a 13.5” lower bout. I bet he could do a 7 string if requested. He’s doing superb work. Here is a pic of the noncutaway guitar I have right now. He also does cutaways.




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[CliffR]

There's Victor Baker 7-string just showed up on reverb:

Victor Baker 14” 7 String 2012 - Nitrocelulose Gloss | Reverb UK

(Don't worry about the 'uk' bit - it's actually in the US)

[Jimmy blue note]

Believe it or not, I have one of these and after a pickup swap out, I LOVE it.
Seriously

I even had them put my name on the headstock in case I lose myself in a song.

[marcwhy]

Budget??

[voyage]

Believe it or not, I have one of these and after a pickup swap out, I LOVE it.
Seriously

I even had them put my name on the headstock in case I lose myself in a song.

Jimmy, I actually bought one of those about a year ago. I was happy with it for a few months. I live in Southern New Mexico with a very dry climate but during the late summer and early fall the humidity spikes. When that happened the guitar neck suddenly bowed back so the strings were resting on the 6th fret. I couldn't even play an open note. Then with weather changes it went back to being fairly straight, and then with humidity changes it did it again. Do you live in a place that has humidity changes? Have you had any problems with it? I'm assuming these things are so cheap they are not using properly dried wood. Another question, do you know if the trust rod is a single action or a double action? Because if it's a double action then I could maybe straighten the bow. I only loosened it until it was turning freely and I didn't try to turn it further counterclockwise, assuming it was a single action truss rod being such a cheap guitar. But I'm going to try that, turn it farther counterclockwise and see if it engages and lets me flatten the bow out of it. If it doesn't then this guitar is pretty useless to me living here. How has it been with yours? What pickups did you put in?

[voyage]

Budget??

I've been stealing myself in case I can't find something cheaper to buy a Benedetto Benny. So that's about 6 grand for a seven string I think. I really don't want to spend that much, I have other things to use it for in my retirement. Ron Eschete had a Les Paul sized 7 string C.B. Hill but he sold it before I got my tax refund. That used Victor Baker is a possibility but I'm hesitant to buy something that I've never heard or played. As soon as I'm retired I'm driving to Savannah to try some Benedetto's. But you can see why I asked the original question, I'm trying to find something more affordable.

[Jimmy blue note]

Jimmy, I actually bought one of those about a year ago. I was happy with it for a few months. I live in Southern New Mexico with a very dry climate but during the late summer and early fall the humidity spikes. When that happened the guitar neck suddenly bowed back so the strings were resting on the 6th fret. I couldn't even play an open note. Then with weather changes it went back to being fairly straight, and then with humidity changes it did it again. Do you live in a place that has humidity changes? Have you had any problems with it? I'm assuming these things are so cheap they are not using properly dried wood. Another question, do you know if the trust rod is a single action or a double action? Because if it's a double action then I could maybe straighten the bow. I only loosened it until it was turning freely and I didn't try to turn it further counterclockwise, assuming it was a single action truss rod being such a cheap guitar. But I'm going to try that, turn it farther counterclockwise and see if it engages and lets me flatten the bow out of it. If it doesn't then this guitar is pretty useless to me living here. How has it been with yours? What pickups did you put in?

Ooo, good to know. I've actually gotten two so I could keep one in the shop, a blonde and a burst. I have not had any issues with mine and I live in New England where winters are dry as a bone and summers are wet as an armpit in the Amazon. Dang, I'm sorry. I'd imagine it's a straight single truss.
In all fairness I should mention that I carved the neck to my own hand preference; just cuz I can (I'm a luthier and I always do that). No issues arising from that. On factory instruments, it's not possible to have control over the wood stabilization process. When I worked for Ibanez I saw dramatic examples of this. It's one of the reasons why some models look exactly like their more expensive models-even with the same specs on paper, but made in Indonesia instead of Korea.
When I got my guitars, I let them acclimate, then I took the tension off the strings, adjusted the neck to straight, contoured the neck to an asymmetrical cross section (I play with thumb on the back of the neck), leveled the frets to the settled fingerboard and once it was strung up and set up, it's been a very tame and lovely guitar. Strung with .012 half rounds and wired with Seymour Duncan Jazz on the neck PU on the burst, Duncan '59 on the Blonde.
As I said, I've been thrilled and it's a workhorse guitar for me. But thanks for your cautionary tale. I won't be recommending these to others from now on.
Sorry about your experience.

[Jimmy blue note]

When that happened the guitar neck suddenly bowed back so the strings were resting on the 6th fret. bow. But I'm going to try that, turn it farther counterclockwise and see if it engages and lets me flatten the bow out of it.

At that point, I'd level the frets to see if a high fret set may be a contributing factour. Just curous, how is your guitar strung?

[GuyBoden]

When I got my guitars, I let them acclimate, then I took the tension off the strings, adjusted the neck to straight, contoured the neck to an asymmetrical cross section (I play with thumb on the back of the neck), leveled the frets to the settled fingerboard and once it was strung up and set up, it's been a very tame and lovely guitar.

Excellent advice from a professional luthier. Many thanks for sharing your experience, thanks for being so helpful.

[voyage]

Well it may not be a problem. I got mine out of the case, and in trying to figure out something to do, I turned the truss rod counterclockwise until it was loose, and then I kept turning it counterclockwise and it started meeting resistance again and I gave it about a half turn pretty hard and it looks as if the neck has straightened out. Time will tell but I'm hopeful that it's going to be okay and if so then this meets the needs I was talking about. I think actually we've talked about this before. My frustration with this guitar neck moving around is why I decided to go ahead and try to find a high quality luthier-made small archtop. And that's why I posted the question here. I still want a high quality small bodied seven string achtop and I think I will be able to afford a Benadetto Benny if it comes to it. If yours is working for you I wouldn't stop recommending it.

[Jabberwocky]

...But you can see why I asked the original question, I'm trying to find something more affordable.

You could try Eastman...Edit: They've not made the El Rey for many years.

[GuyBoden]

7 string small body guitars.

Small body and larger neck, so they can possibly be neck heavy.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

You could try Eastman...Edit: They've not made the El Rey for many years.

Eastman stopped making all 7s about 3 years ago. I’ve been trying to get a good El Rey 7 for far longer than that, but there were no new ones and the few used ones I found needed work to be gig ready. The one apparently good one that came up last year was sold literally minutes before I contacted the seller.

The forum member who bought my Carvin 7 solid body years ago recently asked if I was interested in his El Rey 7. I immediately replied that I was definitely interested, asking for pics and details. It’s mighty fine and exactly what I need. But after sending the pics, he decided to keep it for a while longer - so I’m waiting.

My ‘90s Epi LP7 needs new frets but weighs 10.5 pounds and is worth less than the cost of decent fret pliers. So I need a new beater. If I don’t find one soon, I’m going to buy a used PRS Holcomb. I’d love that Victor Baker, but at my age I can’t justify the $. But it’s a wonderful guitar that I can strongly recommend to Voyage.

Once I get a replacement for the LP, I’m going to try to rout 2 pounds of wood out of it and make a rear cover plate for the enlarged cavity.

[GuyBoden]

These inexpensive 7 string guitars are from China and look nice, I've never tried these guitars, I've only seen the pictures.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007867843936.html

[voyage]

Guy, I immediately tried to go there with the idea that I might buy it right now. But the link says page not found. Any chance you could relocate that and send the link? Thanks! PS - do you remember the price?

[voyage]

At that point, I'd level the frets to see if a high fret set may be a contributing factour. Just curous, how is your guitar strung?

I will do that if it's needed but at the moment it's playing well. The Nick is no longer bowed back and it seems like it's okay now. I don't think there are any high frets or anything contributing. I want to just keep an eye on it now. The action is a little high for me so I probably will lower it and then I might have some high fret albums. But it's a process. Thanks.

[voyage]

I might be interested in buying that lp7, if you mean a Les Paul with f holes. You have a pic? So don't do anything radical to it. I knew Gibson had a couple of Les Paul's with f holes but I didn't know Epiphone did.

[Mick-7]

Search for 7 string guitars on Reverb & eBay to see what's available, Agile, ESP, PRS, Schecter, et. al., make 7 strings.
7 String Electric Guitars - Reverb.com

Epiphone 7 string Les Paul -- Epiphone 7 string Les Paul - Reverb.com

[GuyBoden]

Guy, I immediately tried to go there with the idea that I might buy it right now. But the link says page not found. Any chance you could relocate that and send the link? Thanks! PS - do you remember the price?

£221 + £64 shipping.

The link may be blocked in the USA. It's ok in the UK.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007867843936.html