[GuitarsCanada]

Is it safe to say that the 7 string thing is just about dead? I pulled out an old guitar mag last night for a read, it was loaded with 7 string slingers like Wes Borland, Munkey and Head and a half dozen more. A few years later it seems they are pretty quiet in terms of the 7 string de-tuned guitars. The bands are still rocking but I don't see the guitar companies really pushing the 7 string guitars anymore.

Anybody have one? I tried one a few year back, never got into it.

 

[SCREEM]

I always thought of them as a "shred" thing, maybe shred is out?

 

[Accept2]

7 strings were started out in Jazz, proboboly around 1940 to 1950, so it has been around along time, but it was turned into a fad a few years after Vai started on them. I think the problem is that all the 7 string players played them the same way ending up with a generic sound, something that was the opposite of why they first showed up way back when..........

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

I always thought of them as a "shred" thing, maybe shred is out?

Them are fighting words. :wink: :smile:

 

[jcon]

I was thinking the same thing yesterday... Dropped into LA Music and The Guitar Shop and didn't notice any 7 string guitars. - even wanted to buy some strings for my 7 string guitars (I have 3 of them) and neither store had any in stock

 

[Coustfan'01]

I think we saw a lot more a couple of years ago because of nu metal . Nu metal is pretty dead now , but the bands taht played 7 strings before that still do . Nevermore , dream theater , Steve Vai , etc...

 

[Xanadu]

i think the 7-string thing was nu-metal. and i think nu-metal is going out. like linkin park, korn, etc.

 

[GuitarsCanada]

Clearly Korn and bands like that are not drawing the crowds like they used to. They are back to doing those combined gigs... road shows.

 

[GuitarsCanada]

I think we saw a lot more a couple of years ago because of nu metal . Nu metal is pretty dead now , but the bands taht played 7 strings before that still do . Nevermore , dream theater , Steve Vai , etc...

Petrucci and Vai very rarely dig those 7 string guitars out anymore. Only on a selected song or two. For the most part they are all 6 string now.

 

[elindso]

Six is hard enough for me:smile:

I only have 5 fingers on my left hand.:smile:

 

[bubkusjones]

Petrucci and Vai very rarely dig those 7 string guitars out anymore. Only on a selected song or two. For the most part they are all 6 string now.

Hell, Petrucci's using a detuned 6-string more than his 7's.

 

[dtm_992]

Nu metal bands are dead! Break out the champagne!

 

[PaulS]

I think I'd rather explore a baritone guitar before the seven string. It's like elindso said we only have 5 fingers, well technically 4 and a thumb but some are pretty handy with the thumb. Maybe we should have a 5 string guitar then it would equal out....

 

[james on bass]

Enough of this 7 string nonsense - you're treading into my territory and I start to get a little uneasy. I might just get a 6 string bass.None

 

[PaulS]

Then you won't have enough fingers.....

 

[BrownID]

I'll throw in my 2 cents from a luthier's point of view...

When it came to my own designs, I debated the whole 6 vs. 7 string thing for a very long time. 7-string guitars will always have their place, but for the vast majority of players out there, a 6-string is more practical. Those needing the occasional extended range that a 7-string affords will simply detune a 6-string for that "one song" rather than turn to a 7-string guitar. I'm into the whole fanned fret thing and by using a 25.5" - 27" scale range, I can avoid many of the problems associated with detuning on traditionally fretted guitars.

There is also the issue of the limited parts available for 7-string guitars. There has never been a better selection of bridges and pickups available now for 7-string guitars, but the variety still pales in comparison to 6-string parts. There is also a premium to be paid for these specialized parts. Consequently, this raises the overall price of a 7-string instrument. At what point does a player say, “it’s worth it” especially considering when most players will be using a 6-string guitar as their main workhorse and a 7-string guitar will typically see limited use.

 

[nine]

A revolution, huh? Any casualties other than the lead singer of Korn's hair? :smile:

 

[ILUVMYJP7]

Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't post here...just kidding. I play the seven string and only the seven string. There are comments that were made here that I definately disagree with, but I won't get into it, I just want to say that, the association with seven stringed guitars and nu metal is really annoying to those of us who choose to explore the seven string. As mentioned the seven was first introduced to the world as a jazz instrument and then gained popularity when Vai started using it. These days, there are many progressive bands as well as rock/blues and instrumentalists who use the seven, so it's not limited to nu metal, death or other forms of metal.
Sure it's not as popular as the six, but neither is a 5 or 6 stringed bass, but people still play them. The way I look at the seven string guitar is basically a six with an extra string, or extended range. I can play everything that you can play on a six, and more. When looking at it that way, it really isn't such a big deal.

 

[Metal#J#]

Unearth uses them.
I'm not sure but I think Ken and Buzz have a sig. model with only one EMG 707 in the bridge position. Beautiful guitars! I'd play one!

Here's one of their videos:
http://www.metalblade.com/video/1unearth-giles.wmv

Although alot of it doesn't make it to the albums these guys can shred.:rockon2:

 

[SinCron]

I want a 7 string. Im also sick of trem bridges. Need more fixed bridge options.