Talk to me about 7-strings

[Grandturk]

So I've recently gotten this hankering for a 7 string. Now, I know I'm about 20 years behind the times (certainly, 15 years behind the Korn, anyway). All I know from 7-strings are the original Ibanez Universes from way back.

What's out there in terms of brands? Who's putting out good 7-strings? Who's putting out duds?

Is the a "Model" series of 7-strings - you know, something cheap but of good quality.

[markD]

there are a lot of guys into the 7 string guitar on here. there are some really cool 7 strings out there. if you just wanna try one out (like i did) i would recommend and ibanez rg7 just to see if you dig the feel. i liked mine a lot and it was fun for playing heavy stuff, but i ended up dumping it about a year after i got because all i DID was play heavy stuff on it...

others should chime and tell you all about the esoteric and exotic 7 strings that are available and how brutal you can play on one shortly....

[Spivonious]

Ibanez probably has the biggest selection of 7-strings. Things to look for are neck widths and scale lengths. I've got a 24.75" Ibanez neck that makes it pretty difficult to play since even 11s are a little loose.

I'd also check out Schecter's Diamond Series 7-strings. The Jeff Loomis model has a longer scale length (26"?) that makes it much easier to deal with lower tunings while still maintaining string tension.

As far as a "cheap but good"...really any used one from the late 90s, since that was their big boom in popularity.

[asix]

i have an or 470 that i set up b to b and just lost the high e. im testing until i can make my mind up to get a 7 string or not. i do have a 5 string bass as well.

[levantin]

I have a Schecter omen 7, nice quality and I gig with it regularly. I changed out the pickups. It probably doesn't measure up to some of the more expensive 7's out there but hell, for 200$ on ebay you can't really go wrong!

[missionguitars1]

Is the a "Model" series of 7-strings - you know, something cheap but of good quality.

Try looking for the DR-7 (Japan-made), it's the one with brushed satin hardware. A little cheaper is the DX-7 (India made) - chrome hardware on those.

The Duncan Designed p'ups aren't the most wonderful in the world, change those out and you'll have a decent axe for under $500 easy...

[pro-fusion]

It depends on how you define "cheap," but the Jackson COW-7 is a very nice player. I enjoyed my old one, though I ended up going with more expensive guitars in the end. For the features, they're probably overpriced, but the sound and playability are a step above most of the Korean sevens I've played, including Schecter.

On the cheaper end of things, I think the best value for the money is the Agile Interceptor Pro, which is available in both 25.5" and 27" scales. www.rondomusic.net

My old Interceptor Pro was a very nice guitar that I wish I still had.

[jgcable]

Ibanez RG7420/21 and the RG7620/21 and of course the Jem 7's. The Schecter Diamond Series 7 stringers are a nice bang for the buck too.

[Bengal65]

There's few here that have Carvin 7 strings. Great build and playability. I have an older cheapie Peavey I play occasionally. Usually for Jazz stuff. They can sound pretty heavy for the metal tones. Pretty neat.

[Ben...]

Hmm... What can I tell you about seven strings...

This guy likes them.



He makes them sound good.

[Neoclasiccl]

I have played a bunch of 7 strings and ended up getting the Vai 7 string UV777BK. I plays so good I sometimes forget there is another string on top.

[ken]

Get yourself over to ss.org (http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/sevenstring-guitars/) and get your GAS going. You'll find discussions and reviews on every brand and luither. If you're looking for bang for your buck, most people there will send you to http://www.rondomusic.com/ to look at Agile 7 strings. Most of those were made based on specs decided by the ss.org members. Personally, I'd strongly recommend getting a 27" baritone scale 7-string rather than the more common 25.5". It suits their character better, IMO.

[Grandturk]

Thanks all for the recommends.

I checked out a cheapo Ibanez at GC East Brunswick today - its played pretty good - dunno about the electronics - I was more enthralled with a Mk III Boogie that I now must have.

[eakinj]

This is the one I have been drooling over. http://www.rondomusic.com/interceptorpro27.html

Apparently it's too late to order one of their 8 string guitars

[ken]

Given the choice, I'd take an Agile over a 7321.

Apparently it's too late to order one of their 8 string guitars

More than likely there will be another small batch of Intrepids available for order in March '09, once the current batch comes in, with a 3 month build time. You'd want to be quick to get in on the order. Periodically they also open up a "custom" facility through which you can order an 8.