Who plays the 7 string guitar ?

**Lionelsax** · 06-17-2023, 10:38 AM

Hi !

A cheap 7 string guitar is my main instrument.
I would like to know if some of you like playing this kind of instrument, and why.
Do you like it ? Do you dislike it ?

**ronjazz** · 06-17-2023, 11:28 AM

I've been on the 7 since the 70s, took a couple of lessons with Bucky Pizzarrelli, then made my living doing solo and duo work with the various7-strings I had for many years. Had a trio with horn and drums for a while, even had a 5-piece dance band with no bass or piano. Don't play it as much now, but I have 3 gigs on my Godin Multiac Nylon 7 this weekend, and that's a really nice guitar with RMC pickups that run a Roland guitar synth for when I'm working with singers. It's very useful for the most part. I actually have 5 different 7-strings, two built for me, but the Godin gets the most attention when I'm not doing group gigs.

**jazznylon** · 06-17-2023, 01:48 PM

I have a 7 and its very useful for the tuning I play. This year I 'upgraded' to a 10 string so I've been solely focusing on that as its a challenge to be precise with all the extra strings around, but its a joy to play! 10 strings is as far as I'll go since I have small hands and its difficult to play on the higher positions on the low bass strings (with my thumb behind the neck) though still doable. I like having range and more possibilities

**GuyBoden** · 06-17-2023, 01:50 PM

I played 7 string for 10 years .

I then went back to 6 string for a few years.

This year I am playing 7 String again.

I like the wider neck and you can play more notes in each position.

At the end of the day, 6 or 7, it doesn't really matter, it's what you play that matters.

**Lionelsax** · 06-17-2023, 03:03 PM

The 7 string guitar changed a bit my life, it makes me more interesting, my comping is more consistent even if I can do it on the 6 string guitar, it really makes the difference.
It is not so complicated, it's more challenging when it's about playing only bass lines without chords and comping without using the 7th string : it makes the instrument even more interesting.
Yesterday I played for an exposition (two guitars and a flute). They didn't want me to bring the 7 string guitar in order to sound more balanced.
At the end, they concluded that something was missing.
They really don't know what they want.

**Rob MacKillop** · 06-17-2023, 03:30 PM

7-string is for wimps:

**Lionelsax** · 06-17-2023, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

7-string is for wimps:

**frabarmus** · 06-17-2023, 04:18 PM

**GordonM** · 06-17-2023, 04:49 PM

Yes, sometimes I play my 7-string - an ESP E2 Horizon. (Floyd Rose, 24 frets, EMG pickups, etc) a guitar designed for shredding really but I like to play it clean, no wild dive-bombing, just some gentle shimmers from the FR and those extra bass notes on the low B.
I can't afford anything really fancy like a Benedetto so this is the next best thing for me. It's a standard 25.5 scale and has a lovely slim neck and it makes a nice change from the more usual archtop for some chord/melody playing.
I have 6 guitars that I play, all different and of course just like the others after half an hour of playing it becomes my favourite guitar ever

**Lionelsax** · 06-17-2023, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by GordonM

Yes, sometimes I play my 7-string - an ESP E2 Horizon. (Floyd Rose, 24 frets, EMG pickups, etc) a guitar designed for shredding really but I like to play it clean, no wild dive-bombing, just some gentle shimmers from the FR and those extra bass notes on the low B.
I can't afford anything really fancy like a Benedetto so this is the next best thing for me. It's a standard 25.5 scale and has a lovely slim neck and it makes a nice change from the more usual archtop for some chord/melody playing.
I have 6 guitars that I play, all different and of course just like the others after half an hour of playing it becomes my favourite guitar ever

What about the string gauge ?

**pcjazz** · 06-17-2023, 06:22 PM

I play high-A 7-string, have four of them, all different. A great solo/duo/small group instrument but not so much in a big band,

**Mark M.** · 06-17-2023, 07:25 PM

I have an Eastman El Rey 7 string that I have been playing for about the last 8 months. It was originally owned by Jeff Hale and was the last guitar sold at his store. Jeff used to gig with it. It’s been refretted and it plays and sounds incredibly good with LaBella tape wound 14’s. What a great sound!

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**GordonM** · 06-18-2023, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by Lionelsax

What about the string gauge ?

D'Addario NYXL 7-string set 9.5 - 64
In my experience D'Addario strings seem to hold their intonation for longer than others. They're light but dont take long to get used to. I change strings about twice a year, I'm not recording daily so don't really need that initial sparkle (which only lasts for 2-3 days) of a brand new set.

**Lionelsax** · 06-18-2023, 06:21 AM

That's interesting, at first I wanted a 8 string guitar with EADADGBE tuning because I thought I would be lost with the traditional 7 string jazz tuning (low A).
But I thought that with such a tuning (8 strings) it wasn't a guitar anymore and it would limit its versatility.
The first time I tried a 7 string guitar it was floppy and I felt lost.
There were too many strings, there were so floppy that on the 7th string, I could reach a perfect fourth with a bend.

Every changed when I bought one and adapted it step by step for jazz.
This is my string gauge now.
13 16 24 32 42 52 80

I also tried flat wounds (11-48) and I had had an old bass string (RW) for the low A.
I sometimes miss that bass string, the wounding was different (larger) and sounded less "acid" than a guitar string.

**Lionelsax** · 06-18-2023, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by Lionelsax

Every changed when I bought one and adapted it step by step for jazz.
This is my string gauge now.
13 16 24 32 42 52 80

It sounds like this, not extremely good but it can sound acceptable.
First Rehearsal With A Singer

A jam session

**tbeltrans** · 06-18-2023, 10:56 AM

I use low A for some things (Conti style chord melody) and low B for others. The way I see the advantage of each is:

low A - chords with root on 5th string easily can go down an octave to the 7th string, leaving the 5th string available as needed. Conti thinks in terms of the lowest note being root, making this a very easy transition.

low B - follows the pattern of the 4ths tuning, making scale patterns consistent with the rest of the strings, and that consistency makes it easy to visualize chords, runs, etc.

So I don't think of the two ways of tuning the 7th string to be mutually exclusive, but rather the right note for the job.

My two 7 string guitars are:

- Emerald X20-7 acoustic using John Pearse pure nickel lights and a .068 John Pearse pure nickel 7th string

- Jimmy Foster 7 string archtop with custom Kent Armstrong pickup and D'Addario chrome flatwound light gauge with D'Addario flatwound chrome .080 7th string.

Tony

**Lionelsax** · 06-18-2023, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

7-string is for wimps:

You need that !

**Rob MacKillop** · 06-18-2023, 12:04 PM

Yes, the Baryton is wonderful, with its sympathetic strings. Not heard it in jazz yet, though.

**Lionelsax** · 07-07-2023, 06:38 AM

Sometimes it's frustrating, I've got a gig, I will replace another guitarist, they don't want the 7 string even if I can play it like a 6 string guitar.
They want the archtop...

**Lionelsax** · 07-18-2023, 04:53 AM

Originally Posted by Lionelsax

Sometimes it's frustrating, I've got a gig, I will replace another guitarist, they don't want the 7 string even if I can play it like a 6 string guitar.
They want the archtop...

I'm puzzled ! They loved the archtop too, maybe they prefer it.
One said that it sounds like Joe Pass.
I personally love my 7 string guitar, it's very special.
A very great cheap guitar, the archtop is very cheap too.
They can't understand how they can sound so good.

**sgosnell** · 07-18-2023, 05:27 PM

I have a DeArmond 7-string SG copy that I bought on a whim, years ago, for less than $200. It is perhaps the easiest playing guitar I've ever tried, but I can't bond with it. The pickup isn't very good, and the stop tailpiece is installed off center, as is the bridge, but in the other direction. It's good enough for the money, but I rarely take it out of the closet. I don't need the 7th string badly enough to make the other drawbacks worthwhile. It's easy to play, but the sound doesn't thrill me.

**Lionelsax** · 07-18-2023, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

I have a DeArmond 7-string SG copy that I bought on a whim, years ago, for less than $200. It is perhaps the easiest playing guitar I've ever tried, but I can't bond with it. The pickup isn't very good, and the stop tailpiece is installed off center, as is the bridge, but in the other direction. It's good enough for the money, but I rarely take it out of the closet. I don't need the 7th string badly enough to make the other drawbacks worthwhile. It's easy to play, but the sound doesn't thrill me.

148 euros brand new !

**Ol' Fret** · 07-20-2023, 03:35 AM

A wonderful instrument for solo work or accompanying a singer - just not my cup of tea.

Remembering Helmut Nieberle (RIP) on a Roger Borys 7-string. It was his favorite guitar: