How did most of you 7 string-ers start out? My Dilemma!!! I hope to hear your story!!

[Kristianx510]

I say go for something cheap to see if you like it. I started off with a used RG7321 that i got for $150. Since buying that I swear by 7 strings. I hardly play any of my 6's anymore. and if it turns out you don't like it so much, with a price that low you cant really regret it.

 

[Dayn]

I had only played six-strings. I wanted an eight-string. So I ordered one. Two painful weeks later, it arrived in-store. Picked it up, went home. Happiest day of my life.

That was about 2.5 years ago. I only wanted to play Meshuggah on it. Now I can't remember the last time I did, or even tuned to F standard... Now I play music on it so far removed from Meshuggah.

I say go for it. I got my RG2228 after a lot of research and was dead sure I wanted it. Oh, and for 'tone'... I mostly play unplugged, so I had no worries there! It's a new instrument, if you're suitably excited you shouldn't be able to put it down, plugged or unplugged.

 

[GSingleton]

Just do it. haha, I just dove in and bought an RGD7321 from the original run and I have not looked back. Got me into 7s and 8s.

 

[IB-studjent-]

I used to go to a guitar teacher. I had forgotten my guitar at home, so he let me use his 7 string conklin, I had no idea what it was back then, but liked the larder neck ( I have huge hands) so i kept leaving my guitar at home and kept playing his conklin

 

[ASoC]

The bass player in my band encouraged it so that his 5 string bass would see more usage.

I ordered a decent one after only having played a 7 string guitar once. I got it in the mail and I've never looked back. My sixers are for playing covers/weird tunings now. Extremely glad I switched to 7's

 

[abadonae]

Hi dude, my first switch over to a 7 was massively due to Divine Heresy and Nevermore, i wanted to learn as much of their stuff as i possibly couldn't really achieve that on a 6 string. So i took the plunge and bought a Schecter C-7 Blackjack.

I'll admit i went into it slightly blind, being a lefty i didn't have a chance to try one before i bought it, i didn't do any research into it, i literally just thought 'well if they can then dammit so can i!!'

Turned out to be awesome, i've got all the usage of a 6 string with the added bonus of that extra low end, it changed the way i play, the way i look at the guitar, my ability improved dramatically as i explored more ways of playing. Overall the best choice i ever made musically and i literally would never look back again.

So yea man, if i was you i'd take the chance and go for it. I doubt you'd regret it

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

Op bought a 7421

 

[TehPatch]

I've always loved detuned guitars but had always been scared of the idea of a 7 string because for whatever reason I thought i'd have to reteach myself from ground up how to play with an extra string (Yeah .. kinda dumb in retrospect)

I ended up picking one up after I was finding that I just didn't have the hand strength to play a standard guitar in drop A because of the ridiculously thick strings I was using.

With the extended range you can get that low tuning and have a nice smooth feel. Amusingly I picked up a 7 to play like Periphery and ended up falling more in love with Loomis and most recently Ola Englund

 

[keithhagel]

I only recently got into 7's as well. After a lot of research it seemed to me like the RG7321 was the best way to go. It's a cheap starter, but very easy to upgrade into a better instrument. If you don't end up liking it too much you didn't spend a whole lot. If you like 7s then you can upgrade it into a very nice guitar or at least a decent backup.

 

[berserker213]

I'd already been playing for 7 years or so when I got my first seven - an Ibanez S7320. Didn't really like it, nor did I have any particular need for it, so I ended up selling it off. Then in '09 I picked up a Schecter 7 (a Damien. what was I thinking?!?!) because my bandmate got the ESP Stephen Carpenter sig and had started writing material on it, but before it was all said and done, our bass player didn't want to make the transition so we stuck with drop C, hence I sold that one as well (didn't lose anything though...the heel made the thing damn near unplayable except for rythm).

Now I have an Ibanez ARZ307 and I love it. I ended up getting it since I had experimented with some lower tunings on my RG, and fell in love with Bb standard, but missed having the high Eb for playing leads, so there was only one way to go from there

I have a lot of material I've written with the 7 string, but I still favor my 6 strings and try to show them as much love as my 7.

 

[John54]

howdy. i was learing lots of metal songs and was tired of having to retune my guitar for each song. then i listened to unearth and watch a dvd bonus disc or something like that and said wow a seven string guitar, doesnt sound to hard(im kinda tall so i have large hands...). went down to guitar center and got my RG7321 and now i cant imagine a guitar without seven strings, i just feel so restricted. also its a blast when i meet someone new and there like "i play guitar too. what do you play?" and i say " an ibanez RG (pause, maybe a shrug of the shoulders from the other guy) 7 string (instantly turns into a WTF!?!? face)" then he says "how do you play that?" and I say" same as a 6(very nonchalantly[i suck at spelling and caps])" and all he can say after that is "but uh but but but what about uh the ermm and yea but....(confuzzeled look) ha that never gets old. but back to the point i love my seven string. im trying to decide now if i want a 7 or 8 for my next guitar. you can get a cheap 7 like i did and swap pickups, but it wount play of feel like a nicer instrument. i would recommened at looking around the 700 to 1000 and try it for a few months because it does take a little while to get used to. if you dont like it the post it in the classifieds here and im sure it will sell, you can never have to many guitars.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

RG7321 (try a few out they can be hit or miss)

-OR-

Schecter Hellraiser 7

 

[areyna21]

I had been interested in sevens for awhile and one day i walked into guitar center and that was it. I saw a used rg7620 with emg 707s for 300 bucks in pretty damn good condition. I just didnt have any choice but to buy it then and there. I do not even remeber why i went in there but after that i have been playing every since.

Edit:Got an avenger elite 7 in a jsx + cash trade also which was a great guitar. I got stuck on sevens for awhile but now i find it to easier to switch back and forth. It helps me from hitting writing blocks and now i just need an 8 string.

 

[Chalupacabra]

You really ought to try one in a store or wherever. Then, but the one that inspires you the most. Get a seven string book and learn to incorporate the extra string. You'll be fine.

 

[lucasreis]

I first heard about the 7 string when I got the Passion & Warfare vynil from Steve Vai, I think it was in 1991 when I first heard it (the year I also started playing guitar). I though, woah, what a cool and alien idea, but didn't think much about it for years after.

Then, I got into Helmet and started detuning my guitar to D to experiment, because I realized it wasn't in standard. I detuned the whole guitar, but later my brother also taught me how to do drop tunings (I didn't know about it until he told me).

Anyways, later, I started listening to a lot of Sepultura's Roots era, which was tuned to Bb and E, and I started messing around with tunings (that was 1996). I was already a fan of Korn as well, and I knew they used it.

Since tuning down to play those songs was a bitch, I thought about getting a seven string after I started messing around with tunings and stuff, but they just weren't available here in Brazil, they were extremely niche instruments. With the nu-metal wave, they became more available and I got my first seven in 2001.

I've been playing them since 2001 (I got the first on my 18th birthday, I'm 29 now), but I also still play sixes, I like having the variety, so I'm not 7 exclusive. I play a huge range of styles from alternative to hard rock to death metal to stoner to nu-metal, etc, etc, etc, and having the 7 helps me with all of them, the added range is just incredible.

I've been recently thinking about getting an 8, but I don't think there's a huge need for one in the kind of music I'm making, but I'm considering getting one for myself because it's also an interesting option to keep things fresh and stuff! I know, I talk too much! lol

 

[Heliumbunny]

Got into seven string guitars first when I started listening to KoRn, tried out a few sevens at the local music store, then a week and a half ago, I got my first seven string as a gift. It's an Ibanez RGD7421. I named her Emily. She is my favorite guitar ever.

 

[Schizo Sapiens]

I was into all kinds of detuned metal but my only guitar was kept in standard tuning (I play rock in a band). I wrote some B/DropA material at home using my guitar in standard or dropD and lowering it by 5 semitones using guitar processor. It sounded shitty, of course, so I wanted to get another 6-string and dedicate it to low tunings.

When I finally did it, I wasn't impressed by results. It was not really good sounding guitar, also I realized that I miss high range without the high e-string.

At the same time my drummer friend was getting into Meshuggah and AAL. One day he said to me: "You should get an 8-string". I thought: "Well, i'm not ready for eight yet, but seven would be awesome!". Suddenly I realized that seven string can solve several problems:
- I'll be able to play B/DropA material (just drop g-string down to f# and you have "six-string B-standard" tuning).
- I will have spare guitar for standard tuning, in case there's something wrong with my six-string, or just for different sound.
- And last but not least: I will have seven string, new and interesting instrument to explore.

That's how I entered the seven string world (in this february).

By the way, seven string revived my love for six-string. Now, when I get bored with seven string, I can pick a six string and vice versa, thus changing the feel completely.