More thoughts on the strandberg OS7

**jzucker** · 03-01-2016, 11:54 AM

So, while the guitar's been listed forsale, I've been playing it and it's growing on me and I decided to pull the guitar off the market. I think it has some tele-vibe to it and as such, has a bit more character than the carvin holdsworth which is the other headless guitar I'm evaluating. I just don't know if I can get used to the 26.25" scale length on the lower string.

I mentioned in the other thread that the D A and E strings have higher tension than a strat which I felt was uncomfortable but a side benefit of that is that the notes in the lower register - particularly open - sound fantastic. Much more full and piano-like than a strat or tele.

I think I'm going to replace the pickups with a Dimarzio PAF-7 or EMG 57/66 set though.

**jads57** · 03-01-2016, 12:15 PM

Patience my freind, great things come out of instruments we at are first put off by. And then sometimes they never work out LOL! For me it was the 2x4 Steinberger great concept but played like a Banjo!

**petermelton** · 03-01-2016, 01:43 PM

Might be worth experimenting with some custom string gauges too. I'm using these right now and they work well enough for me with the 7th string tuned to A or B. If you find something that works for you let me know!

D'Addario Strings : NYXL : NYXL1164 Nickel Wound 7-String Electric Guitar Strings, Medium, 11-64

**jzucker** · 03-01-2016, 07:25 PM

peter, did you ground the bridge when you put in the passive pickups?

**petermelton** · 03-02-2016, 02:22 PM

I did not. Mine was already good to go. Once upon a time it had EMG pickups but they swapped them out for the passive Lace pickups before bringing it to the NAMM show.

**jzucker** · 03-02-2016, 04:55 PM

After a 2 hour practice session last night, I decided the scale length was too long for my hands so I bought an OS-6 and put my OS-7 back up forsale. The OS6 comes with a dimarzio jazz in the neck and a JB in the bridge so I'll save money not having to replace the pickups. The OS6 also has a 5 way switch that gives you different coil combinations for versatility. I ended up buying the red with the rosewood fingerboard after seeing how beautiful Peter's was.

**petermelton** · 03-02-2016, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

After a 2 hour practice session last night, I decided the scale length was too long for my hands so I bought an OS-6 and put my OS-7 back up forsale. The OS6 comes with a dimarzio jazz in the neck and a JB in the bridge so I'll save money not having to replace the pickups. The OS6 also has a 5 way switch that gives you different coil combinations for versatility. I ended up buying the red with the rosewood fingerboard after seeing how beautiful Peter's was.

Sweet! Congrats! Post some pics when you get it.

**jzucker** · 03-02-2016, 10:08 PM

thanks for all your advice and help Peter. I'm playing the OS7 tonight and someone emailed me on reverb saying they would be buying it tomorrow and I'm really torn about it!

**petermelton** · 03-08-2016, 01:19 PM

Of course! I hope it works out for you. Looking forward to hearing clips of you playing whichever you go with.

**jzucker** · 03-08-2016, 03:34 PM

it's sitting at the fedex/kinkos awaiting pickup...Damn day gig!

**petermelton** · 03-08-2016, 06:13 PM

Ah... I have my guitars shipped to the office. But then again I work for a guitar company.

**jzucker** · 03-08-2016, 10:44 PM

i usually do but this one was a fedex home delivery and I was afraid it might fall on a monday or saturday in which I'd love several days so I had it held for me at fedex. Played it for 2 hours tonight. I'd be playing it more but i had an 11 hours day and I'm really beat. It's exceeded my expectations. Super light but very resonant and the duncan pickups are a huge improvement over the emgs in the OS7 I had. It blows away the carvin holdsworth too. It's so much more resonant and lively. The carvin was nice but had kind of a dead sound to it. This guitar sounds very fenderish and with the humbuckers and the 5 way switch it covers a lot of bases. It's still a tad neck heavy standing up but much better than the OS7. The carvin was perfectly balanced but also much heavier.

**MilesPG** · 03-09-2016, 08:10 AM

Can't keep my GAS under control!!! Would be nice to see some pics

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 08:19 AM

Playing it this morning. The neck dive is bothering me a bit...

More thoughts on the strandberg OS7-mystrandberg-jpg

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 08:21 AM

I've decided to return it. The neck dive is a deal-breaker.

**MilesPG** · 03-09-2016, 08:30 AM

Is it so heavy?

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by eigenbart

Is it so heavy?

no it's super light but the body is too light for the neck so the neck creeps downward and downward. It won't stay at the playing angle that I use. It wants to creep down to about 75-80 degrees

**MilesPG** · 03-09-2016, 08:51 AM

Got it, I guess it should be difficult for you to find guitars that stay at that angle

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by eigenbart

Got it, I guess it should be difficult for you to find guitars that stay at that angle

not at all. All my archtops work fine as did the carvin holdsworth, strats, etc.

Guitars that are problematic are teles, PRS Hollowbodies, seventy seven albatross, etc.

Note, the angle I keep my guitar at is between 50 & 60 degrees approximately with 90 degrees being the neck at a right angle to the floor.

The definition of a balanced instrument is one that you can put a strap on it and it will set at any angle. If it tips one way or another, it's a sign that either the strap buttons do not position the strap at the center of gravity or in some cases, the instrument is just neck heavy. Even a les paul which is extremely body heavy - which is obviously when you play sitting - is perfectly balanced on a strap.

You can see the angle in this video although I think at this time I was at closer to a 45 degree angle.

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 02:51 PM

I heard back from the builder and he says if I move the strap button to one of the neck bolts, it will balance at 45 degrees so I'm going to try that tonight.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 03-09-2016, 04:44 PM

How far off is the balance for you? I know some people have tried adding some weight to the bottom end of the guitar strap:

The Heads Up Strap | Fretbase

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 05:31 PM

That looks cool but I don't think it'll be necessary. I explained to the rep there that I hold the guitar at close to a 45 degree angle and he told me they're designed to be parallel to the floor but he did a quick test where he put the strap into one of the neck screws and said it's perfectly balanced at 45 degrees with the strap attached there.

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

How far off is the balance for you? I know some people have tried adding some weight to the bottom end of the guitar strap:

The Heads Up Strap | Fretbase

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 06:56 PM

So I moved the strap button to the top neck bolt/screw. It definitely improved things but over a 15 minute period of standing, the guitar shifted back to it's natural balance with the neck closer to parallel than 45 degrees. Yes, I could weight the strap, yes, I could use a suede strap, yes I could use one of those special straps with weights on it but I feel like I shouldn't have to do that on a $2k instrument...

**jzucker** · 03-09-2016, 07:00 PM

i think some people and even manufacturers are confused about what a balanced instrument is. A balanced instrument is one who's center of gravity with a strap is such that the instrument will stay at any angle you place it at without it wanting to tip forward or backward, or tip towards the neck or towards the body. The ultimate test of this is to put the guitar on a nylon strap and place it on a pipe or tube. A balanced instrument will set at any angle in that situation.