A seven string guitar that doesn't look like a cartoon metal guitar?

[Kiichi]

What I like about the 7 string is that you donīt loose anything, you just gain. On the note of 80s hard rock, Whitesnake used a lot of 7 string when Vai was there, so it works with the genre. Vai and a lot of other players also use the 7th string differently than a lot of modern players as I have found. They sometimes go down there, but do not use it as the new base string like a lot of modern players do. That moderation works well I feel.

Also wanted to add a cr@ppy shot of my Dean, which now sports EM neck and HD bridge, making it a really 80s things, which works really nicely. Such range. Plus the brushed nickel makes it look even more classic, which is like and I recon you might too.

[Dave Sloven]

So, yeah, I should have figured out that "tune it to B" isn't that way-out an idea.

Especially given that Tony Iommi was tuning to C#F#BEG#C# in 1971!  That sowed the seed.  Originally he tried it as an alternative to lighter strings to save his injured fingers, which at that time involved using a banjo string for high E.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DvvVKzmDNU

 

A bunch of kids in Sweden were tuning as low as B in 1988

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsdWLtPAVqM

That's the famous 'Sunlight sound', btw ... Boss HM-2 with all dials dimed into the clean channel of an old 65W Peavey Bandit

[gwEm]

That's the famous 'Sunlight sound', btw ... Boss HM-2 with all dials dimed into the clean channel of an old 65W Peavey Bandit

I'm sceptical if thats really such a good tone as some people say..

[Dave Sloven]

That's the famous 'Sunlight sound', btw ... Boss HM-2 with all dials dimed into the clean channel of an old 65W Peavey Bandit

I'm sceptical if thats really such a good tone as some people say..

It's all pedal pretty much.  I've gotten the same sound from my HM-2 through the clean channel of my 6534+

Actually it was easier than with my old Bandit as the Bandit was a bit past it's prime

I don't know if I would call it a good tone.  I can get it, and it sounds like Entombed. but is it useful for playing other stuff?  No.  Would I use that sound for my own band when I have the lead channel of my 6534+ at my disposal?  No.  It's just a fun thing to do sometimes

[gwEm]

I realised after I typed that.. it could look a bit argumentative(!)

I didn't mean it to "get at you" or something Agent Orange. I have an HM-2 and it is fun.

That Entombed album has some great playing on it. Sometimes its hard to hear because the HM-2 high gain fuzz.

[AndyR]

That ain't no Hank Williams toon!

Well, I've got all the original Sabbath stuff, and I listen to it occasionally - I knew he'd tuned down, but didn't realise it was as far as C# ... and it still kinda sounds like a guitar as I know it

Entombed, though... that's from another planet as far as I'm concerned! (For example, I've been listening to Bread(!) and Creedence Clearwater Revival on the commute today)

I've only heard of Entombed because they get mentioned on here. I've never heard them mentioned anywhere else in the world I live in.

Listened to a couple of the tracks, and I was surprised at how much I was able to appreciate it, but I'm afraid I really wouldn't listen to it out of choice. If I'd stayed listening to the heavier stuff regularly (and I kinda mean Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, etc), then yeah, I might be going for stuff like this, I guess... they sound pretty good but I can't say I enjoy it.

But the guitar sound! Woof! Yeah, I can see how that would be a lot of fun to play with... can't for the life of me see what musical context I could use it in though!

[dvorak]

Why not a PRS SE 7-string? 25" scale

[Toe-Knee]

Gwem you may want to look into LTD/ESP used guitars.

They used to do 7 strings of all the models Eclipse (LP) Viper (SG) and all the stratty/tele type ones too even some of the xtone series which are semi hollow.

The best thing is you can usually pick them up for next to nothing on ebay as they are from before the model number changes. Nowadays everything sub 300 series is absolute pants but when they did all the 7s 200+ were the mid to high end as it topped out at 350.

So whenever people see LTD Viper 257 etc they think its low end agathis rubbish.

[gwEm]

Gwem you may want to look into LTD/ESP used guitars.

They used to do 7 strings of all the models Eclipse (LP) Viper (SG) and all the stratty/tele type ones too even some of the xtone series which are semi hollow.

The best thing is you can usually pick them up for next to nothing on ebay as they are from before the model number changes. Nowadays everything sub 300 series is absolute pants but when they did all the 7s 200+ were the mid to high end as it topped out at 350.

So whenever people see LTD Viper 257 etc they think its low end agathis rubbish.

Thats a good tip in fact. I've had a little look, and theres some bargains to be had. I don't mind the look of the ESP Viper.

[gwEm]

Why not a PRS SE 7-string? 25" scale

Thats another good tip. I had no idea PRS even did 7 strings. The blue and spalted maple ones look pretty without being too blingy.

[Alex]

I feel, from my experience, 24.75" scale kind of manages C standard quite well, but not really B. You can't play clean anymore, the intonation and everything is too wobbly.

I much prefer baritone scales for B standard and lower, the 27" scale is still quite manageable with some practice.