Is a 7 much harder to play than a 6?

[nosajwp]

I've always used 6 string guitars, but have recently thought about trying a 7 for more low end. Is the switch from 6 to 7 difficult? Do you find the low B getting in your way, or that it doesn't fit in sometimes?

 

[Platypus]

I'll give you my experience with it. Keep in mind I used to play 5 string bass so that might have had something to do with it.

Basically it feels a bit awkward at first but after a few minutes you really don't notice or think about it. I don't really think it gets in your way (unlike 5 string bass ) if you're a good picker. Other than that it's a pretty easy transition that I doubt you'll have problems with.

The only difficult thing is wishing you had as much versatility with your 6 string and / or picking up your 6 afterwords and feeling like IT'S weird to play

 

[redmax61]

I just restrung a couple of my guitars to B-B tuning. The band I'm in does almost everything in that tuning anyway. I'm using a string set that goes from 60-11. It does the trick nicely.

 

[dylan7620]

"harder"? NO, it can be awkward at first as thats typical. but depending on what guitar you get (i love the feel of my ibanez RG7 but some of the other low end models after korn got big, there are some real crap ones out there, just like any other guitar quest.) it may also be a little more akward if you've been playing on a 6 for quite some time.

sit down and play with one for a while. and try as many as you can. and most importantly have fun! its just one extra string!

 

[wildealien]

it was hard for me at first, since i sorta have a top-down feel for my strings... meaning, i was playing everything up a string. well, once i got over that, then i was really able to cook

 

[ytse_jam]

hey redmax61 what kind of pickups do you use in your guitar? I use 0.060/0.013 strings in my (lower to higher) C F A# D# G C guitar, but it's very very hard not to get muddy sounds! lower C string has got also a quite low tension...give me some tips!

 

[Platypus]

hey redmax61 what kind of pickups do you use in your guitar? I use 0.060/0.013 strings in my (lower to higher) C F A# D# G C guitar, but it's very very hard not to get muddy sounds! lower C string has got also a quite low tension...give me some tips!

I don't have this problem with my EMG active 707s and my extra B on top becomes a G when I tune it the way I play usually. I think the DR helps too, most amps would get super muddy on notes that low.

 

[dylan7620]

just a note, don't be afriad to turn down the bass control.... a lot... i run my bass conrol @ 3 o'clock on my lead channel of my nomad and then take a hair more off with the ODs controls and i've still got plently of low end....

 

[ytse_jam]

for platypus and redmax: do you use standard guitars in 2-whole-steps-down (or more) tuning or baritone guitar models??

 

[dylan7620]

well im not platypus or redmax.. but i have tuned down my six string to A before. and it works fine, as long as you have some heavy duty strings. and a scale length of at least 25.5 would be preferable. my other guitarist has tuned his jackson SL-1, his gibson explorer and his rhoads V to B. they all work well, and sound huge. :wink: as long as you're willing to spend the time to make sure the intonation is right it'll be fine.

 

[Platypus]

for platypus and redmax: do you use standard guitars in 2-whole-steps-down (or more) tuning or baritone guitar models??

I use my 7 string which has a 26.5 inch scale (almost baritone or even right on) for those tunings. My PRS would never be able to handle that sort of tuning, it starts slipping if I tune it to C because I use 9-42 strings and it has a smaller scale than the 7. If you use some heavier strings and your guitar has a scale that can handle it (25 would prob work) I'm sure you can do it but the intonation might get muddy depending on your bridge.

 

[MesaMadness]

It only took me about 3 months to become well aquainted. I played 6 strings before and was always switching between dropped & standard tuned guitars. With a seven string tuned down to A, I feel that I got the best of both worlds. A standard tuning guitar, but also the unique chord voicings available with drop tunings.

 

[jvk]

Hi everyone, this is my first post

Obviously a 7 string neck is wider and sometimes a little thicker & chunkier, so it should feel at least a little different to most people who play 6's, but that's dependent on so many factors.

Personally, I felt very comfortable with my Ibanez 7s since the beginning, it took me just an hour to get used to playing one, and churning out songs that I learned for the 6 string. My hands aren't very big by the way.

Every now and then I forget my 6 strings exist, but switching suddenly back to one feels very good, my fretting hand feels solid. So for me, playing a 7 means that I can play a 6 with ease, especially for playing material like Dream Theater songs.

But when I don't play my 7s for a while and I pick one up, again it takes me just a couple of hours to completely re-adjust and my hands to feel relaxed.

Playing heavy riffs on a 7 string feels **** good!!! Especially power chords, and it's not much harder than playing a 6 - try any Metallica tunes you know etc.

When playing on the high strings [g,b,e] especially playing the blues where bending is prominent, most people including myself tend to hook their thumb over the neck, so in this respect at first it may prove more difficult with the wider 7 string neck. Playing shred, especially wailing away on the high strings, probably won't feel so different.

My advice is to try it plugged into a Mesa Boogie 8) and not have any preconceptions about how it will feel. The low end that 7 strings have - not only due to the thicker string gauge, but also more wood being on the neck and body - will mean that powerchords sound chunky, rock out!!

 

[John Orange]

Great post jvk. Welcome to our forum.

 

[MesaENGR412]

I've played 6 strings for over 9 years now ( i know to some of you that's not very long), but i have recenetly borrowed a buddy of mine's Ibanez 7-string RG to learn some music from a band called "Unearth" and to me it is not a very hard transition at all. The low B string adds ALOT of girth to the music, and man, coming through a Mesa Triple Recto, it sounds Sick! I plan on getting a Seven string in the future, and possibly using it in my band to expand the horizon's a little. The neck it's thicker, and when you got back to the 6 stings, you may find the the neck feels very thin.The string spacing is very close to normal on the 7, and if you just ignore the 7th string, you can play any six-string based song. But, to me, practicing on the thicker neck just makes it easier to play the 6. haha.
Bottom line, if you want something a little different and a sound that will rattle the walls off buy MESA , and a seven string!