A reputation to overcome?

[7 Dying Trees]

I was just thinking that when it comes to 7strings there's a lot of negativity towards them from the general "guitar" slinging population. I suppose that when 7strings became popular, save a few bands here and there that were technical, most bands paraded them around like a fashion accessory and thus they kind of got pigeonholed as a gimmick.

DO you think that this "bad" rep is going away? Do you see a new dawn for the 7string where it comes into it's own, and if so do you think it will take a new musical movement. Andf then, once that movement has gone do you think they'll sink back into the mire of "novelty" guitars? Any other points?

Discuss!

 

[Leon]

@ people who are too close minded to look at 7 stringed guitars as anything but a novelty!

there are qualities in a person can i can sidestep (like being republican ), but musical close-mindedness i can't

besides, i somewhat rather enjoy the small community.

 

[Drew]

Hell, I can't answer this. Lately, the most "musician" exposure I have is here, and, well, we're all pretty cool with the idea, and we've got guys who play everything from blues to jazz to death metal on their 7's here.

 

[sepsis311]

most people stop the shit when they see me play. but right i guess it's their right to think you suck cause you play 7's unless you show them otherwise.

 

[Chris]

- Part of me wants sevens to become so popular that major brands produce a ton of really great guitars in the $500-600 range, instead of the dozen or so there are now. As well I'd like to see a piezo seven available for under a grand.

- Part of me wants them to go back into anonymity.

- All of me doesnt' fuckin' give a shit either way, because I play guitar for me, and I like sevens because of my own tastes, not for the public opinion.

 

[7StringofAblicK]

I saw Unearth Live this past Friday...if this is the direction of the Seven then i think we are in good hands

 

[Shannon]

- Part of me wants sevens to become so popular that major brands produce a ton of really great guitars in the $500-600 range, instead of the dozen or so there are now. As well I'd like to see a piezo seven available for under a grand.

- Part of me wants them to go back into anonymity.

- All of me doesnt' fuckin' give a shit either way, because I play guitar for me, and I like sevens because of my own tastes, not for the public opinion.

I kind of with you on this one.

If they become popular again, we'll get all kinds of new guitars to choose from.

If they stay unpopular, the market price on used guitars will stay relatively low.

It's a vicious circle.

 

[Vince]

I like the fact that 7-string players are unique.

Most people I run into don't give me the Korn-wannabe stuff, because if they do, as soon as my band rips out the first song on the 7, that Korn talk goes away.

Most musicians I meet are in awe of the 7-string, to be honest. It's the rare few that I meet that think it's a gimmick, and like I said above, I quickly show them otherwise.

Gotta represent as a seven string slinger.

 

[eaeolian]

A lot of guys I know that play "straight" metal are going 7 string now - I think Loomis is leading the charge there - and many death metal players I know have been using them for a while.

Humorously, the "Nu" bands around here have all gone to baritone 6s - which actually fits what they're doing better, anyway, since they don't solo or really use a high E.

Chris is on to something, though - I doubt I'd own my CS Jackson if there were as many 7 string options when I ordered it as there are now. I'd like to see that continue...

 

[Vince]

A lot of guys I know that play "straight" metal are going 7 string now - I think Loomis is leading the charge there - and many death metal players I know have been using them for a while.

Humorously, the "Nu" bands around here have all gone to baritone 6s - which actually fits what they're doing better, anyway, since they don't solo or really use a high E.

Yes, as styles evolve, they move toward what fits them best.

I'm waiting for 4 string baritone guitars. I can see them coming. Some of this music on FM right now is down right "simpleton music" IMO.

 

[eaeolian]

I'm waiting for 4 string baritone guitars. I can see them coming. Some of this music on FM right now is down right "simpleton music" IMO.

I know - we play some of it in my cover band. On the plus side, I don't have to devote a lot of time to learning it...

 

[Shannon]

I'm waiting for 4 string baritone guitars. I can see them coming. Some of this music on FM right now is down right "simpleton music" IMO.

Well, Schecter did have the 5-string Celloblasters for a while. Now, I believe PentaSystem makes them.

 

[Drew]

And, in their defense, Limp bizkit's Wes Borland had a couple custom 4-strings.

-Drew

 

[metalfiend666]

There's a lot of shit left over from nu-metal surrounding 7's in the general music populus in my area. There are a lot of fans of bands like Nevermore and Unearth who realise the potential of a 7 in the right hands, but it's still generally seen as something to avoid.

There's only one guitar shop here that's worth going in (all the rest are just after a quick buck from high volume low end sales), and they will only get a 7 in if you order it and pay in advance. They refuse to take 7's as trade in's now, but that's probably partly due to me. I traded my Dean MLX7 in against my RG7321 and it took them a year to shift it. I think they ended up sending it to their Brimingham store...
The best reactions to a 7 though are saved for my mate Mark. He plays a K-7 so instantly gets the "Korn-wannabe" crap. Until he pulls out the rapid sweep arppegios of course...

 

[metalfiend666]

And, in their defense, Limp bizkit's Wes Borland had a couple custom 4-strings.

-Drew

From memory, one was a tapping guitar and the other was one he made himself. It had 3 guitar strings and one bass, one guitar pickup and one bass pickup each routed to their respective amps. Nuttier than a squirrel's sandwich that bloke.

 

[tongueofcolicab]

i think i'm the only one here who actually appreciates what those numetal artists like head and munky from korn and wes borland from limp bizkit have done. they've totally discovered a different way of playing that's outside the box. of course it's not really technical, of course it's not cool with most guitarists, but i for one appreciate it. it made me realize the potential of a seven string and that's why i got mine. of course it's those people who don't grow from that whole 90's raprock thing that make me sick. if you can't evolve, even in your own way, what's the point.

 

[Shannon]

I personally don't see much of that "nu-metal" mentality anymore. If anything, I've seen 6-stringers make the excuse that "I have a hard enough time with 6, why would I need 7?"

And yes, regardless of your thoughts of Korn's style/playing/etc, they were responsible for bringing the 7-string to the masses, so deal with it!

 

[giannifive]

Personally I don't care what the reputation of 7 string slingers is. I play 7 because I like it.

And I actually prefer that the 7 string has lost its popularity. It really drives down prices on the used market

 

[eaeolian]

And yes, regardless of your thoughts of Korn's style/playing/etc, they were responsible for bringing the 7-string to the masses, so deal with it!

But did 7 strings ever really get to "the masses" before now? You see people playing them a lot more now than you did in, say, 1998. I actually think we're at the high water mark for 7 string sales right now - look at all the different models available, and some (like the Schecters) are backordered.

 

[Dylan7620]

i dunno, if you look through say feb '00 guitar world theres 7 string ads all over it. i didnt even remember them being that popular. and as much as head and munky are not quite up to the level of virtuoso its safe to say i wouldnt be here right now. i wouldnt have even picked up the guitar.

i was gonna buy an S470 in jewel blue, then i saw the 7620 when i was browsing about the net, remembering from when i was 13 "thats the guitar that korn uses blah blah blah" but what really got me was when i was laying in bed trying to sleep and a song off life is peachy came on and i was like "my god those guitars sound friggin HUGE!"

and sure they might not be able to pull off sweeps or anything in a traditional mode perhaps but at least they did something different and for that i give em props. its not really their fault every nu metal kid on the block saw them and decided they wanted a 7 string too.