My main problem with 7 string guitars..

[arie]

in stringed instruments i have 4, 6, 7, & 8 bases/guitars. i like hopping about on all of them. makes one versatile.

 

[Dayn]

That's what I thought about my 7-string after about eight years of solely using an 8-string. The 7-string felt small and I kept reaching for a string that didn't exist.

I haven't played a 6-string in over a decade now. I keep thinking I want one again, but then I think... sure, but I'd always use an extra string on it, so why not get a 7-string instead? So I still haven't really found a definitive use for a 6-string...

 

[Themistocles]

Honestly my main problem with 7 strings is most production guitars are super strats designed for metal. Sorting out the build for the axe I want now.

 

[Marked Man]

Imagine playing bass.

I play 35" to 37" bass, 25.5" to 26.5" 7-string, and 24.75" to 25.5" 6-string all the time. No problems.

 

[Matt08642]

I don't feel uncomfortable going back and forth after doing it a few times. The biggest wtf moment for me was going back to 6 string guitar after playing 5 string bass for like half a year. 34" scale to 25.5" was a bit of a thing to get over lol.

 

[jwade]

Don't get me wrong, I love my 7 string. But, due to its size, it makes 6 string guitars feel like a twig. After months of playing my 7, going back to a 6 just feels uncomfortable. Does anyone feel similar about this?

Fully don’t get this. I don’t play on one individual guitar for months exclusively, I play multiple guitars every day. I have a 28” baritone 6 string electric, a 25.5” 7 string electric, a 24.75” 6 string electric, a 25.1” 6 string acoustic, a 24.5” 6 string acoustic, and a 25.5” 6 string electric. It’s VERY rare for me to play only one of those in a day. Most time, I play the baritone primarily, and then one of the more ‘normal’ scale length electrics, and usually one of the acoustics.
I think if you’re getting yourself in a position where you’re uncomfortable going between string configurations, you might want to consider a rule where you play on the other options at your disposal every 2-3 days for a bit just to keep that muscle memory from disappearing.

 

[Emperoff]

Fully don’t get this. I don’t play on one individual guitar for months exclusively, I play multiple guitars every day. I have a 28” baritone 6 string electric, a 25.5” 7 string electric, a 24.75” 6 string electric, a 25.1” 6 string acoustic, a 24.5” 6 string acoustic, and a 25.5” 6 string electric. It’s VERY rare for me to play only one of those in a day. Most time, I play the baritone primarily, and then one of the more ‘normal’ scale length electrics, and usually one of the acoustics.
I think if you’re getting yourself in a position where you’re uncomfortable going between string configurations, you might want to consider a rule where you play on the other options at your disposal every 2-3 days for a bit just to keep that muscle memory from disappearing.

Well, you fully don't get that because it's not your case

I've only had 7-string guitars for the last 15 years. If I play a 6-string, it feels weird. Same as people that only plays 6-strings (most people) when they play a seven. Nothing outworldly about that.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I play 35" to 37" bass, 25.5" to 26.5" 7-string, and 24.75" to 25.5" 6-string all the time. No problems.

For real though, I never implied that there was a "problem". Also, lighten up guys. No one is saying their hands are falling off, it's just something that we all experience or have experienced switching between various instruments.

 

[DjentyBoi7]

I guess I really just don't play 6 strings anymore, unless I'm recording for a song. 7 strings are everything a guitar should be to me, and if it weren't for 7 strings, my guitar playing wouldn't be where it is right now IMO.

However, this is coming from a 15 year old cheapskate who would play Polyphia on a fanned fret 8 string because I can't afford a 6 string for standard tuning, and who knows some other young guitarists who would do the exact same thing. We don't care if it looks authentic or not. (I don't believe in "metal" guitars or "classic" guitars anymore. As long as they have 24 frets they're good to me. )

 

[LostTheTone]

I think the thing is just familiarity and generalisation. When you have only played a 6 string, then a 7 feels huge, but then coming back a 6 feels small, but then when you play both for a long time then they both just feel... Themselves. The difficult part is figuring out to practice enough with all of your instruments to have enough muscle memory that they all work well for you.

 

[Hoss632]

I can definitely relate. Anytime I play a 7 then grab a 6 right after my hands feel gigantic on the fretboard. That said the one thing i've found is that in getting use to a 7 string, I find that with a 6 string I now prefer a thicker neck to make up for that "smaller" feeling on a 6 string. So thicker necks like some a lot of the PRS stuff or the neck on the Music Man cutlass models feel more comfortable now.

 

[angl2k]

Can't relate since my 6ers are 42mm and my only 7 string is 45mm so I barely feel a difference

Once owned a 48mm Ibanez and that felt uncomfortable swapping back and forth with a 6 though.

 

[LostTheTone]

I can definitely relate. Anytime I play a 7 then grab a 6 right after my hands feel gigantic on the fretboard. That said the one thing i've found is that in getting use to a 7 string, I find that with a 6 string I now prefer a thicker neck to make up for that "smaller" feeling on a 6 string. So thicker necks like some a lot of the PRS stuff or the neck on the Music Man cutlass models feel more comfortable now.

Personally I think that scale length makes a much bigger difference. Yes, the physical width is different, but there are also more strings so my brain is ok with that. The strings are still spaced almost the same distance apart, there is just one more.

No, going from my 27" seven string to a 25.5" six string is what makes my brain hurt. Just having to change how far you stretch, or even whether some things are playable, is much more frustrating.

 

[drb]

Honestly, the string spacing difference between a Floyd and a TOM bothers me more than the other string.

This is the problem I find rather than the fretboard width, scale length, or the extra (or 1 less) string. Swapping between Floyd, hipshot style, and TOM bridges completely confuses my right hand, particularly if I'm skipping any strings. Takes a good 15-30 minutes to adjust at least.

I've never seen anyone else mention this before so thought I was just being soft.

 

[LostTheTone]

This is the problem I find rather than the fretboard width, scale length, or the extra (or 1 less) string. Swapping between Floyd, hipshot style, and TOM bridges completely confuses my right hand, particularly if I'm skipping any strings. Takes a good 15-30 minutes to adjust at least.

I've never seen anyone else mention this before so thought I was just being soft.

You're definitely not alone!

I think (although can't say for sure) that the problem with bridges is actually a problem with the shape and balance point of the guitar. You naturally position the guitar so that the body feels in the right place, but each body has a slightly different profile and that changes where the strings/bridge sit in relation to your hand. And so you have to shift your hand just a little bit to match the guitar, so that you still get a good palm mute or pinch harmonic. I think this is one reason why most guitarist develop a preference for one particular shape, because then you can just pick up any and they feel good. Helps even more if they all have the same bridge!

 

[budda]

Sometimes I go from 30" baritone to air guitar and it's quite the difference!

 

[Musiscience]

Sometimes I go from 30" baritone to air guitar and it's quite the difference!

Air guitar can be challenging, you need the proper technique.

 

[drb]

You're definitely not alone!

I think (although can't say for sure) that the problem with bridges is actually a problem with the shape and balance point of the guitar. You naturally position the guitar so that the body feels in the right place, but each body has a slightly different profile and that changes where the strings/bridge sit in relation to your hand. And so you have to shift your hand just a little bit to match the guitar, so that you still get a good palm mute or pinch harmonic. I think this is one reason why most guitarist develop a preference for one particular shape, because then you can just pick up any and they feel good. Helps even more if they all have the same bridge!

This makes a lot of sense, you may be sitting/standing in the same position but the different body sitting in a different position changes a lot. Now I need to buy a guitar which is identical to one of my current ones but with a different bridge and see how it feels!

 

[JimboLodisC]

I don't see that as a problem? 6 strings seem easier to play, and I feel more at home with my 7's. I don't see a negative here.

 

[torchlord]

That's what I thought about my 7-string after about eight years of solely using an 8-string. The 7-string felt small and I kept reaching for a string that didn't exist.

I haven't played a 6-string in over a decade now. I keep thinking I want one again, but then I think... sure, but I'd always use an extra string on it, so why not get a 7-string instead.

I've only ever had two six string guitars 20 years ago. I have neither now and I don't feel a need to buy one because every time I play one I get stuck do to the lack of a string. I won't buy a guitar with more strings because I don't want to do this with my seven strong guitars.

I also don't any more strings because it causes issues going one for one with string tunings on a bass guitar to guitar.