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I switched to 7 string last August and here is my two cents...
Originally Posted by sundogg52
1. If the new guitar isnt as desirable to play as your current favorite guitar, you are probably not going to play it much.
2. Unless you can find a used af207 your cheapest option for a wellmade 7-string archtop is an eastman.
3. If for now you are not concerned with 1 or 2 get the 975. You can probably find a used one or a 2nd.
4. Learning to play the 7-string is a matter of skill that comes easily. But, "playing" a 7 string takes several months as you have to retrain your brain to incorporate the low A into your mental fretboard. (The best way to think about the low A is think of like a grand piano vs an uprite. You have access to a lower register, doesnt mean you need to or have to play those notes. But when you want that low Bb?... Its soooo awesome!"
My story - I knew item 1 for me was most important, so i took the plunge, sold off all my guitars, except my Rock gig guitar, and bought a used 7-string Moll cheap. I knew i wanted to play the 7 but had never played one before. I figured that worse case was Id sell the Moll for a slight loss and find a 6 string. Well, I love playing 7 string and its the only guitar i play.
*The bonus on buying a hand built 7-string: In general a used luthier made 7-strings can usually be found for less than a 6 string because of less demand. I got my Moll for probably 2/3 the price of a similar model as a 6 string.
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06-22-2016 07:12 AM
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I should probably have mentioned that I have been playing for a very long time and currently have both a Gibson ES175 and an Ibanez Pat Metheny 20, as well as other solid and semi-hollow instruments. I am not new to this genre or the type of guitar. The Eastman looks like a good guitar but they're tough to find whereas the Ibanez is readily available and in most cases would be returnable and have a warranty. It's a lot to consider, not even sure if the seven string is a good move although I love Pizzarelli and Van Eps.
I do appreciate the responses, thanks guys!
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If you can find a used Schecter Jazz 7, they are excellent 7 strings. Thin as a semi hollow but a true hollow body. You can always re-string for fusion or even rock if you want. The dual coil tapped HBs sound great and make the guitar very versatile.
They are also very hard to find, sorry to say.
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As a trial guitar, the Ibanez solid-body that looks like an SG (AX7221) is available on the internet in several places for around $200.00. The neck is great, a 25" scale, and pickups are OK, although I replaced them with a single EMG 7-string pickup. It's plays very easily, although it's neck heavy, but changing the strap nut fixes that. You can get a very nice Ed Bickert/Ted Greene Tele-style tone out of it, and no feedback.
The other cool option is the Godin Multiac 7-string, a nylon-string. It really functions very well, and with a Digitech processor or a Roland synth, you can get very good "jazz guitar" tones with it.
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I have decided to keep my Ibanez AF207. They are excellent guitars and nearly impossible to replace. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Keith
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Wise move! I think the AF207 is a superb guitar. I love mine. Originally Posted by floatingpickup
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Marc: Originally Posted by Stringswinger
Yeah, I have had other seven strings guitars over the years but I decided the AF207 was the one for me. I sold the others and the Ibanez was my only seven string for many years. I was going to sell it a few weeks ago, but I have changed my mind. I know I would regret it. When you compare it to most others, the AF207's smaller body, shorter scale and narrower nut width make it extremely comfortable. They are beautifully made and sound great. Mine has a Seymour Duncan SH-2N pickup with a black cover and wax potting done at the Seymour Duncan custom shop. I have had all kinds of different pickups in my seven strings and this is my favorite sounding pickup. Also, I prefer adjustable pole pieces. I attached a picture.
Keith
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Keith,
I have had a Gretsch Van Epps , A Novax fanned fret Expression and two AF207s. I sold the AF207 that came to me with a Benedetto PUP. It sounded pinky to me. The Novax had to go (fanned frets do not work for me) I sold the Gretsch. It was heavy (over nine pounds!). I kept the stock AF207. I think the Demarzio PUP they used sounds great through my Clarus/RI rig. The 24.7 scale combined with the 1 15/16 nut makes these so easy to play.
I only play 7 string once in awhile, usually where it is just me and a singer. If I was more of a 7 string guy, I might consider getting a carved example, but for a jazz guitarist who wants a 7 string archtop for occasional use, the AF207 cannot be beat.
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Allen Hanlon was my uncle! I think I got the bug, too. And I'm currently in the market for a 7-string archtop. I'm hoping that I can make do with the Ibanez for relatively short money. Any owners out there?
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I studied with your uncle for a couple of years back in the 70's. He was a great player. I even bought a Gretsch Van Eps, because Allen had one. I hated that guitar and was happy to see it go (It was heavy, acoustically worthless and had a difficult to play neck). I have tried a few 7 strings. The cheapo Ibanez is not a very good guitar, but the Ibanez AF-207 (Japanese made) that they sold from 1999-2005 is a superb guitar (I have one). The choices for a 7 string archtop are small due to the tiny market. Find an AF-207 (no easy task) and you will be set. Originally Posted by pubmgr
The last time I saw Bucky P. play, I approached him after the gig, introduced myself and told him that I studied with your uncle. Bucky smiled and said "Allen Hanlon!, I haven't heard that name in years. What a great player and a good friend he was" I think I made Bucky's night with that.
I have many fond memories of chatting about jazz guitar with Sal Salvador, Barry Gailbraith and your uncle at their teaching studio in NYC back in the 70's. Great players all.
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The "cheapo" Ibanez AR957 is quite serviceable and I've seen them go for $500, used. I first purchased mine as a "couch and traveler" that I wouldn't mind getting banged up by the airlines, but it's much better than that. I put TI flat 12s and a .75 low A on it and it sounds good, IMO. 207s (when you can find them) are running between 2K and 3K, you can purchase an Eastman 810-7 for around $2500. The gentleman I study with was the Ibanez 7 string Jazz Artist rep when the 207 came out; he lent me one of his 207s when I wanted to switch to 7. If you can find one, they are great. The Van Eps model wasn't a great 7 string, I wouldn't purchase one myself, but, if you find one and like it, go for it. Not sure what they are running now, but when I was looking they were scarce and kinda expensive. If you can go to around 4K, you can sometimes find one of Dale Unger's American Dream 7s on the used market. It is well worth that price.
I like my Eastman 905-7, I recommend it but they run around $2500 used. I think the Ibanez AFJ957 is a decent guitar, and I'm glad I purchased it; I haul it around a lot and it's loud enough acoustically to play on the couch without plugging in. You could go cheap and get a rocker special with all those pointy ends, I guess. Ibanez sells a few 7 string models for around $350 street. When I am playing better than my Eastman, I will probably go for an Unger or Bill Comins 7th Ave. I've played Benedetto's, but I do not think I will ever own one; they are beautiful to play and listen to, though. And a Comin's 7th Ave is a dream.
For traveling (as I value my 957 too much now) I picked up a 7 string Chinese Les Paul archtop copy for $199 and free shipping; I figured if it was shit I was only out $200, but, with decent strings, a setup and gig bag, I now have an airline-disposable 7 string for around $270 that is very playable when traveling.
Just my experience/opinion.
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Just un-bolt the neck for travel and rebolt it at the other end of the flight. Originally Posted by ah.clem
That's the nice thing about hardtails because they are so simple.
Heck, I'll install machine-screw inserts in the beck and matching bolts to make that easy if you want.Last edited by Hammertone; 10-10-2016 at 09:19 PM.
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You're killin' me! (or Mrs. Clem would!). You are correct, though. I thought about doing that with one of those Agile T-1 Texan 7 string Teles that were available a few years ago. I just forgot about it as I have very little experience with solid body guitars. IIRC, there was a Youtube showing how to do that using hex heads, some sort of brass insert and a small, carry-on bag. Originally Posted by Hammertone
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20 years ago I switched over to playing 7-string guitars, and have played them [almost] exclusively ever since. Here are some of my thoughts on 7-string guitars, in general, and 7-string archtops in particular.
First I should tell you that although I tried to switch to 7-strings earlier than when I finally did, I was always put off by the fact that almost all of them are strung with the standard 6-string tuning on the highest pitched strings with a much lower A or B string -- below the lowest E on a regular 6-string guitar -- as the 7th string. That essentially gives one a baritone guitar with the ability to still have a 1st string that provides the same E pitch as one has on a 6-string.
If you like playing a baritone guitar that kind of low tuning might well be the ticket for you. I, however, find the chords one plays on the lower strings a bit too "muddy" for my taste.
That is part of the reason why most of my -- maybe 20? -- 7-string guitars instead use the standard 6-string tuning, with their appropriate string calibres, while the 1st string is generally tuned to either the a or g ABOVE the 1st string "e" on a 6-string using the standard tuning. This provides several advantages to me: 1. It makes the 7-string tuning MUCH easier to learn, since one doesn't need to be forever cautious not to hit the bottom 7th string when it isn't needed. In fact, I was even able to play the tuning right out of the box on the first 7-string I ever purchased, back when good ones were very hard to find. 2. It makes fingerpicking melodies much easier and more enjoyable since even in the first position one can easily fret a c or d above the open 1st string without having to move up the neck. 3. It provides a lusher, almost harp-like, sound which obviously has more treble frequencies in it. 3. Even just the plain old open C, G, A , E, D, F major chords sound really terrific, while keys like F# Major, B, B flat, and all of the basic minor keys become vastly bigger sounding and more usable -- each with its own unique new advantages and tricks -- when one is writing new songs as I frequently do. 4. When soloing, having that extra fourth worth of notes available allows on to go very high in pitch without needing to play on the tiny top frets as one must do when the regular e string is as high as the guitar goes. This added top string also makes available many more interesting bends, and especially, high double stops, with or without bends in them.
I am getting very tired right now since I've been up since 4:00 AM, so I will only relate my experiences with the various guitars I have used and am still using if there seems to be any desire from anyone that I do so. I can however provide a quick "spoiler alert" even now, namely, my favorite 7-string archtops are my various Jose Oribe bespokes, -- two of which were originally built for classical guitar-promoter par excellence, Aaron Shearer, -- so that he could play the low Cs in the Bach cello sonatas, four great Jimmy Fosters, two David Wendlers, a Luca, a re-built 7-string version of an originally 12-stringed Alvarez/Yairi, a hand-built, but for some reason never signed or labeled, "flamenco," and then several off the shelf 7-strings of various lesser values.
My biggest pet peeve about playing 7-strings is that to this day, no manufacturer makes what would be essentially a 7-string Stratocaster. Aside from a few "heavy metal" style guitars, almost none of the 7-strings available on the market, even NOW in 2025, have three pickups configured like Strat pickups to give you not only the wider palette of sounds in general, but also the two to four "quack" settings all Strats have. Instead, you really have to search around to find a 7-string Strat, since they are almost all parts-casters of various qualities. In fact, I bought one about 6 years ago, and recently received an email from the man who built it attempting to buy it back from me! I have also myself put together a couple of 7-string Strat parts-casters. They are also fairly good sounding and playing, but hardly top drawer, like those made by talented luthiers.
OK, now I'm off to bed at last. Should I receive any interest in such, I will gladly tell you more about the guitars I have briefly mentioned here and many others that I have also played over the last 20 years.
Thanks for reading!
Funky D'Lerious
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