Anquished
hhnice!
My 6's and 7 get my vote. I'm still new to my 8 string and I just mess about with it rather than do anything serious.
How many do you prefer as your main guitar and why?
- Thread starter Axiom451
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exo
Well-Known Member
My preferred number of strings varies day to day, depending on what guitar I pick up and where inspiration leads me......
My current "obsession" revolves around a 7 string drop A song, but the high e is only a drone string in one riff.
Another bit I'm working out was written on a 6, but has parts that are being adapted to a dropE 8 string.
Not sure I have a real preference, other than the fact that if I only NEED 6 strings for a given song, it's sometimes cleaner/easier to play on a 6......
My current "obsession" revolves around a 7 string drop A song, but the high e is only a drone string in one riff.
Another bit I'm working out was written on a 6, but has parts that are being adapted to a dropE 8 string.
Not sure I have a real preference, other than the fact that if I only NEED 6 strings for a given song, it's sometimes cleaner/easier to play on a 6......
BangandBreach
Kaboom.
My RG7621 is the most comfortable guitar I've ever played, anything smaller feels weird. I have enough 7's that owning a 6 string would be a waste of space.
Shoeless_jose
Well-Known Member
Trying to get more into my 8 string I love the possibilities and the range and it just has the most super comfy neck ever. But I'm still super in love with my Les Paul just it's flawless. I'm trying to do most of my writing/creating on my 8 string tuned EAEADGBE and then when recording I can do some epic lead work on the Les Paul and just keep the ambient stuff and the ultra brootz on the 8
LordCashew
Death Punch for Cutie
Wish I had more use for 7+ strings, but the contexts in which I currently play call for 6s >95% of the time. I only use a 7 for solo classical music, specifically baroque lute transcriptions.
metalstrike
I love signature guitars!
7 Strings for sure. They have more range of course and just feel better and more comfortable most of the time due to my larger hands.
ohmanthisiscool
SS.org Irregular
Yeah id say 7's are my happy medium. sorta like how stef carpenter explains it, "they just fit me better"
odibrom
.
lol, it took 2 pages to get there...
kamello
DESU METARU!
Jhey
Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2017
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 6
7 or 8, depending on what I'm doing.
I prefer 7 strings for rock and metal stuff and don't really see the point of 8 strings for that, atleast for my own playing.
I do however prefer 8 strings when doing finger style stuff, clean stuff where extended chords can be heard completely and making some cool arrangements for classical pieces and things like that.
I prefer 7 strings for rock and metal stuff and don't really see the point of 8 strings for that, atleast for my own playing.
I do however prefer 8 strings when doing finger style stuff, clean stuff where extended chords can be heard completely and making some cool arrangements for classical pieces and things like that.
BetterOffShred
Well-Known Member
I have never really thought about how many strings I like the best really. For me i just have guitars sitting around on stands and I'll pick one up and play all the time. I cycle them out which 2 are in my living room, but it's always one 6 and one 7. I think honestly I play them about the same amount and it's really just a function of what I feel like playing. I built a reverb pedal and wanted to try out some real deep droney ambient stuff so I picked up the 7620 and went to town.. then I wanted to try out a new tube screamer type thing, so I plugged in the LP..
I don't really notice I guess, but I do play differently on each. So it's really hard for me to say which is my "main" though for the record I voted 7 hah!
I don't really notice I guess, but I do play differently on each. So it's really hard for me to say which is my "main" though for the record I voted 7 hah!
Shoeless_jose
Well-Known Member
stuff like this makes me feel so small musically, thats awesome that you're doing such diverse stuff, I really need to take a step back to basics with my playing get it together.
8 is great for metal. If I'm about to play through my real amp that's my go to. However, its hard for me to keep my fingers straight doing a lot of hybrid picking on the 8, especially stuff that was written for 6 where you use the E string as your bass note, so I play my 6 for my clean stuff. I haven't really played the 7 much recently because my 7 is not up to par and I've gotten a lot better at keeping that 8th string quiet while riffing on the 7th. So yeah. 8 and 6.
This poll makes me sad. 
Maybe we should rename the site sevenstring dot org, nope sometimesSIXorsometimesSEVENstring dot org
Maybe we should rename the site 
zappatton2
Well-Known Member
I think maybe 5 years ago I would have said 7-string, just because it gives you everything with extra range, but since I do tend to play within a standard range, I am tending to go back to 6-string (though I still love and play my 7).
I had an 8, it was fun for a bit, but I can't do longer scales, they just are not comfortable at all to me. I'm a small guy, don't have a large "fingerspan", but it isn't just about being limited in reach; I don't like the tension it brings to the high strings. I like a certain amount of give in the upper register, and tightly wound E and B strings (even at lighter gauges) just are not my thing.
I had an 8, it was fun for a bit, but I can't do longer scales, they just are not comfortable at all to me. I'm a small guy, don't have a large "fingerspan", but it isn't just about being limited in reach; I don't like the tension it brings to the high strings. I like a certain amount of give in the upper register, and tightly wound E and B strings (even at lighter gauges) just are not my thing.
I get this. That's the main reason I pick up my 6 to noodle around as opposed to my 8 string. Even with 9s on it and in half step down, it's still too tight. You really have to work to get full note bends, which makes playing exhausting. I really want to try a multi scale for this reason.
gingerman
Well-Known Member
Seven - a perfect compromize between 8 (a little too much) and 6 (easy to play but you have to compromize on range) 
dantejayg85
Se7en
It really depends on my frame of mind
6s tuned to drop C or A# when I'm in that early 00's Nu Metal/Hard Rock type of mood
6s tuned to standard or drop D for early 90s type of rock/grunge/punk
7s for literally everything
8s for metal or jazz and usually for layering in recordings
I guess I'd say 7s are my favorite all around. If I had to pick one guitar to take to a gig or to jam with friends it'd always be a 7. I find that the way I play changes very drastically depending on the guitar, I'm definitely the weakest on the 8 string which is why it mostly is used for texture or layering and never really as a main instrument because I tend to chug away and that's not really my style these days.
6s tuned to drop C or A# when I'm in that early 00's Nu Metal/Hard Rock type of mood
6s tuned to standard or drop D for early 90s type of rock/grunge/punk
7s for literally everything
8s for metal or jazz and usually for layering in recordings
I guess I'd say 7s are my favorite all around. If I had to pick one guitar to take to a gig or to jam with friends it'd always be a 7. I find that the way I play changes very drastically depending on the guitar, I'm definitely the weakest on the 8 string which is why it mostly is used for texture or layering and never really as a main instrument because I tend to chug away and that's not really my style these days.
