How did you start playing 7-strings?

[Kane]

No, I've never heard of him. I'm still pretty new to the whole classical scene. I've loved listening to it since childhood, always wanted to play it, but it wasn't til I started taking it in college that I realized I could do it. The samples on his website are way too short, but enticing. I shall have to pick up some of his music. I had planned on getting a custom 7 string classical made eventually, but an 8 string would be even better!

 

[The Dark Wolf]

When I was studying classical guitar at college, he came in and taught a master class. It was awesome, I tell you what. The guy is incredible. Flawless, amazing technique, and the best tone.

BTW, it's no custom, but if you haven't seen it, Giannini makes a 7-string classical, in both plain and acoustic/electric versions. Very affordable! I'd like to pick one up soon, finances allowing.

http://www.music123.com/Giannini-Sevilha-7-String-Classical-Guitar-i159304.music

 

[Kagami]

I was finishing up a deal with Guitar Center because they were retards and I saw an ESP 7 string...I was like 7 STRINGS!! yay now I don't have to change tunings and I got it cuz it owned.

lol, now that I look back...FREAKING AWESOME DECISION!! best playing guitar I've played beside the JS1200 they had one time, but being 1000 less...yeah

 

[LordOVchaoS]

When I was studying classical guitar at college, he came in and taught a master class. It was awesome, I tell you what. The guy is incredible. Flawless, amazing technique, and the best tone.

BTW, it's no custom, but if you haven't seen it, Giannini makes a 7-string classical, in both plain and acoustic/electric versions. Very affordable! I'd like to pick one up soon, finances allowing.

http://www.music123.com/Giannini-Sevilha-7-String-Classical-Guitar-i159304.music

YOU SUCK!!! Now I have to have one! If it weren't for you I would have never had any idea these existed!

 

[guitarjitsumaster]

Woh dude fanned fret 8 string classical guitar


Well anyhow back to the subject. I grew first learning guitar in the grung era. When I learned I could play smashing pumpkin songs with my toes it got a bit boring. So I quit slacking and went to see if there were anybody that could play worth a flip. Lord knows they werent on the radio at that time. I read in an old mag about Steve Vai and the tab was crazy so I had to go check him out. So I went down to the CD store and Got passion and warfare and his playin was totally nuts. So anyways I was playin around with the CD insert and I opened it up and it had a poster of vai with a cool lookin guitar. While I was staring at it something looked a little odd and I noticed the thing had seven strings. I was like my mind started crunching the chordal and extra note possibilities . "Get this"! The next day a local guitar program I loved that taught shred techniques on a local TV station featured none other than rusty cooley doing a guest spot with his own sevenstring which I later found out was a universe the same as vai's in the poster. He was doing a lesson on sweep argeggios and he was including the 7th string in the sweeps and I was just . Then he topped it off by playing hillbilly militia at the end. From that day on I was saving for a 7. At first the only 7's I knew of were Ibanez. I wanted a 7string 7vwh but I was a young teenage dude and the only place I knew to go for guitars was guitar center they said they could order me one but that it would cost my first born child and possibly my soul. So I started saving anyway hoping I woud one day afford it on my weak teenage burger joint salary. Several months later I had saved up 700 bones and thought I would go look around guitar center just to see what was up. What did I behold A schecter A7 guitar. It had 7 strings! I had to try it. It had a thicker neck then what I was used to as far as depth but the neck was super fast and the frets were huge and immaculate with a body style that I hadnt ever seen before. I had never heard of schecter but I knew what my fingers even at that young age was telling me Quality Quality Quality along with buy buy buy. Unkown to me Schecter had just started putting out production line 7's and this was a new/used one that had been at a namm show or something I think and put on the floor as used gear for under 600 bucks. Ive been shredding on my A7 ever since. Though im still dying to get a Jem or universe 7 eventually.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

YOU SUCK!!! Now I have to have one! If it weren't for you I would have never had any idea these existed!

I know the feeling

Santa baby... I want a Giannini... for me...

 

[Naren]

You had absolutely zero problems with it, though, E. Took to it like a chimp slinging shit, in fact, my man! (That look on your face when you hit the open low F was priceless, though., It was like disgust mixed with awe, heh heh. )Then you went and ripped up some sick riffs with a look of bliss You were born for a 7, methinks. Most other guitarists, however, even really, really good ones, just look at it in confusion when they see that 7th string. "Is that a duh-duh-duh-seven string?"

I remember the first time I played it. I was actually very impressed about how easy it was to "play really fast" (it wasn't as fast as shredding, so I couldn't call it that) and I think I even tried a little finger tapping, which, at the time, I couldn't do well on any of my guitars (but Ibanez fretboards are great for tapping). But, yeah, some of those riffs were pretty slick. Were you on bass at that time or were you playing another guitar? I think you were on bass. I just remember that everything sounded awesome together. I also was impressed by "2 octaves on each string! sweet!" and I do like how the double dropped tuning on your guitar made some pretty awesome chords easy to play and easy to whip out. Stuff kinda like the intro to "Misery." And the piezo pickup. I'd always wanted one (I've always wanted a good midi pickup too...). Good times.

 

[Shorty]

Listened to passion & warfare by Vai in my teens and become addicted to shred music for a while. Then I read this whole guitar world issue where he talked about his Ibanez 7-string and I thought "that's gonna be the guitar for me one day".

Life kinda got in the way for nearly a damn decade but I always had it in the back of my mind that one day, Id get a 7 string guitar. Over the years, I've moved from shred music into Fear Factory, Morbid Angel, early Korn & the deftones. All with accomplished talented 7 stringers.

Last year I noticed this red ESP H207 on ebay. I was busy and missed the auction closing. I emailed the guy and the original buyer didn't pay up, so he still had it. He drove up that night and I paid £300 for what has basically been a dream for over 10 years.... a red horizon shaped esp 7 string. I took a week holiday off work (long overdue) and just played that until my fingers hurt. It felt so natural to play it and I absolutely love it!

I just recently got the emerald green version which is absolutely gorgeous. Im stoked to have two of them! Im going to buy at least one more!

I do love my 6 string Dean. That's a dimebag guitar & he was a massive influence to me but my 7's rule and I play them a hell of alot more!

 

[Sleeper]

Listened to passion & warfare by Vai in my teens and become addicted to shred music for a while. Then I read this whole guitar world issue where he talked about his Ibanez 7-string and I thought "that's gonna be the guitar for me one day".

Life kinda got in the way for nearly a damn decade but I always had it in the back of my mind that one day, Id get a 7 string guitar.

Yeah, I was much the same. I bought the tab book for Passion & Warfare not long after the album came out. Not that I could play it though, even now I'm only vaguely approaching some of it! Ever since then I lusted for a 7, but I was broke for a decade. Last year I finally got some money together, bought myself an RG1527 and have been addicted since. Got myself another 2 sevens and I doubt I'll buy a 6 in the future.

 

[Shorty]

This is so true, that's how I feel now!

When I look for guitars, I always lean towards 7's. Im considering selling my trusty "Scott Ian" Surfcaster (he used to play SC's back in the day) to make room for another 7 or two

 

[Scott]

Well for awhile I wanted to have a guitar built, or build one myself. And while I was right into DT and A change of Seasons and Glass Prison and all that, the one who made me acturally choose to make a 7 string was Dave Weiner. His music just got to me and I felt that if I wrote songs, that they'd come close to his style.

Also the challenge of having a lefty 7 built was a good insentive aswell.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

I remember the first time I played it. I was actually very impressed about how easy it was to "play really fast" (it wasn't as fast as shredding, so I couldn't call it that) and I think I even tried a little finger tapping, which, at the time, I couldn't do well on any of my guitars (but Ibanez fretboards are great for tapping). But, yeah, some of those riffs were pretty slick. Were you on bass at that time or were you playing another guitar? I think you were on bass. I just remember that everything sounded awesome together. I also was impressed by "2 octaves on each string! sweet!" and I do like how the double dropped tuning on your guitar made some pretty awesome chords easy to play and easy to whip out. Stuff kinda like the intro to "Misery." And the piezo pickup. I'd always wanted one (I've always wanted a good midi pickup too...). Good times.

Probably bass, yeah. I played drums a few times when you were goofin' on my geetar, too.

And I remember Scott playin' Surfcasters. I was a little bit like "WTF...?" first time I saw it.

 

[pooo]

Hmm, I started on the 7 when i saw a few hanging in a guitar store and decided to try them out. Plus, the want to be different from all the other guitarists out there, since 7 strings aren't really popular where i live. In fact, some don't even know such guitars exist lol.

 

[Hawksmoor]

Extended Range, low end chunk while still able to play in the same " zip code" as a standard tuned guitar, general desire to be different...

I'm forgetting a couple of reason's but these are the main reasons I wanted one.

 

[Rorschach]

For me,the one thing that made get my first 7 was Jeff Loomis,and the Dead Heart album.I really fell in love with the low end tone,and I couldn´t get it with my 6 stringed.Have not played 6 strings at all since 2000.....
Now,I´m dreaming about 8 strings...

 

[metalfiend666]

My first exposure to 7's came with getting into Korn when they released Issues. I didn't actually get a 7 until the tail end of 2003, and by then I'd discovered bands like Fear Factory and Nevermore. I went into a local store and saw a Dean MLX7. I thought "7 string, Dime shape...mmmm!" The Dime connection (slim as it was) was good, as Pantera got me into metal. Dumb thing is I paid £150 more for that then the RG7321 I replaced it with 6 months later. And the RG is a MUCH better guitar.

 

[Nats]

i play bass too. I have a Warwick 5 string. I wanted to buy a guitar and it just made sense to buy a 7 to go along with my 5 string

 

[Metal Ken]

got into 7 strings cause of shred & death metal lol. I got my interest perked by the board for 7s on jemsite and it looked intriguing, so last july, i got a RG7620 off ebay. Then it went from there. dont own 6s anymore ;D

 

[noodles]

I never really thought about seven strings that much until a half a year ago. I was always happy with down-tuning a six string. Then I joined a band that played seven strings, so I needed one.

It's been a bit of learning curve, since I went from playing in drop-D and drop-B on sixes all the time, to playing in standard sevens. I'm just now really starting to play with the full range the instrument has to offer, and now I find that I rarely pick up my sixes.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

got into 7 strings cause of shred & death metal lol. I got my interest perked by the board for 7s on jemsite and it looked intriguing, so last july, i got a RG7620 off ebay. Then it went from there. dont own 6s anymore ;D

This puts a smile on my face, I don't know why