7 (and more) strings.

Karl Hungus

As my intrest has been seriously peeked lately about guitars with extended range, I've certainly noticed that there's a great deal of snottery and ignorance geared towards anything with more than 6 strings. Now as I'm on the verge of ordering my custom shop BC Rich, which will be a 7 string with 25 frets (Yes, you read that right, twenty five frets), I've already gotten a few comments on other sites, and on IRC that I should "Just downtune" or "Just get a baritone" where people just miss the whole point completely.

Here's a few gems:

"i played one and i don't feel a need to get that low
thats what bass is for"

To which I replied: "YAH! Because when I need to get that low, I just stop in the middle of a song, and take up a bass!!!"

Or how about: "you can do anything you can do with a seven with a six it'd just be in a lower key on a sevenstring"

****ing genius!

Now, I remember a thread a whiile back where DoctorJ noted that where bassists seem to embrace extra strings and over innovations, on the whole, guitarists are almost phobic of any deviation from electric guitar design set out by Fender or Gibson. So what is the consensus on boards?

feylya

Yay extended range tbh. I've a 7 string guitar and a 5 string bass, as you know, and I love that little extra edge it gives you. Different tunings and such. Generally, guitarists are very stuck in their ways, using only certain guitars and certain amps.

It wasn't me!

I have an interest in extended range but I wouldn't be bothered enough to teach myself seven or eight string guitar. Strangely enough though I'm far more open to the idea of a five string bass. Odd. I think extra range can be used to amazing effect but it wouldn't suit my style. I get confused enough with six strings. :rolleyes:

feylya

I've noticed over the last few days, it's far easier to play a 5 string bass than a 7 string guitar. Odd really.

It wasn't me!

Seven string guitar is closer to six string bass in terms of crampedness. Five string bass is no real adjustment for me.

feylya

String spacing aside, when I started playing seven, my mind kept saying "play on the bottom string". Damn annoying.

Karl Hungus

It wasn't me! wrote:

Seven string guitar is closer to six string bass in terms of crampedness. Five string bass is no real adjustment for me.

But there's a hell of a lot more confusion on the 6 string bass, what with the extra strings above and bellow what you're used to, 7 string guitar is more akin to 5 string bass in reguards to which strings are what and where.

I'd love a 6 string bass, myself.

[ Daithí ]

I'm a seven-stringer, and I much prefer it to six. Such a wider range to experiment with, and a whole new set of open chords, too.

John

I've never played a 7 so I can't comment but I would be very much open to trying one. I don't see what people have against an extra string. Now those people who play 11 string basses, they have problems.

feylya

Damn right they have problems. Can you imagine trying to find strings for the thing?

John

whatever about strings, what about the extra fingers needed to play it?

feylya

Dunno about you but 12 is enough fingers for me!

feylya

9 string...

Oeneus

I really want a 7-string. When I get enough money, and it becomes a priority, I will grab one. But if I do, to hopefully prevent the confusion mentioned with the extra bottom string, I would probably tune it drop D style but with a low A.

AEADGBE


Also, I've seen these 8 string basses which are set up in the same fashion as 12 string guitars. I really want to see what they feel like.

Doctor J

I've a 6 string bass and I do think it's a speacialised instrument, I don't think it'll ever be as common as a 5. In fairness with bass, it was always crying out for something lower than E. However, if I've something I can play on a four, I'll use a four string. The 6 is much harder to play and I've found I have to continually keep my technique sharp on it or else it's a bastard to play if I've neglected it for a while.

As for guitar, I've only ever played a 6 string, though I'd be interested in 7 strings, low B. I'm not sure I'd be bothered with more than that tbh. 6 string bass, 7 string guitar, that's about as far as I can see any practicality for what I'd like to play. I do think hyper extended range instruments, such as the 12 string above, are more cumbersome than their range justifies, though if someone can genuinely make use of it then fair play to them, just not my cup of tea.

feylya

What do you think of the Chapman Stick? I saw John Myung playing one on the DVD and it's mighty impressive...

Doctor J

feylya wrote:

What do you think of the Chapman Stick? I saw John Myung playing one on the DVD and it's mighty impressive...

Yeah, nice sound but nothing I'd be interested in myself. The guy who played for Cynic, Sean Malone, has put out a couple of albums under the name Gordian Knot which feature a lot of Stick (and some dealy guitar playing by Jason Gobel too)

D!ve^Bomb!

7 string isn't for me tbh... i just don't have any need for it.. it all depends on the kind of music you want to play..

Karl Hungus

Oeneus wrote:

I really want a 7-string. When I get enough money, and it becomes a priority, I will grab one. But if I do, to hopefully prevent the confusion mentioned with the extra bottom string, I would probably tune it drop D style but with a low A.

AEADGBE

Funny you should mention that, I plan to tune mine ADGCFAD when I get it.

LOW END!!!!

feylya

Pansies, the both of ya. I've mine tuned GCGCFAD!

Nidge

are the strings not bouncing everywhere?

feylya

Nope. They're 10's and the action is high enough.

Mr. CooL ICE

About that 12-string doc had a pic of... How exactly would you play the thing?

Nidge

I can only think you'd play it like a piano, or like that justin king guy people had been talking about in another thread. I think that is the ugliest instrument i have ever seen. I'd be amazed if anyone could make use of that thing.

Doctor J

Consider yourself amazed