My white whale: the SR7viiSC!

[Hollowway]

I’ve been wanting one of these crazy beasts for a looooooong time. One finally popped up on reverb Sunday, so I snapped it up. I way overpaid ($650 more than the one listed for $1175 A MONTH AGO. I don’t know how the fudge I missed that. I mean, I’m on reverb like it’s my job, and I’m following “sr7viisc” so you’d think I would have seen that one, and this would be about that. But I missed it.) but I didn’t want to wait around for these one of rarities to pop up again. I guess I’ve had enough good deals that I can afford to take one in the pants every once in a while.


Anyway, for those who don’t know, this is a 30” 7 string bass (tuned like a 7 string guitar, but down an octave) with 11 mm string spacing, a jazz middle pup, and two Jax bridge pups wired as a humbucker. It’s suuuuuuper cool! I have zero idea what I’m going to do with it, but I love that it exists, and I have always wanted one. Here are the seller’s pics (because I literally just got it a few hours ago, and tuned it back up).

 

[Leviathus]

Not sure i've ever seen one of these before. Very cool!

 

[Hollowway]

Not sure i've ever seen one of these before. Very cool!

Yeah, they came out in 2009, and only sent 10 to the USA. I would guess there are more here, given the penchant we all have for buying JDM stuff. They’re a weird fish, which is why you’ll see some of these pop up for sale, and sit untouched, and eventually sell for low. And then there are people like me that will pay a good deal. List price was $2100 when they came out, and I got this for $1950 shipped. Which is, as I said, more than I should have spent, but I didn’t want to sit around hoping it wouldn’t sell.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Congrats!

 

[Noodler]

I’ve been wanting one of these crazy beasts for a looooooong time. One finally popped up on reverb Sunday, so I snapped it up. I way overpaid ($650 more than the one listed for $1175 A MONTH AGO. I don’t know how the fudge I missed that. I mean, I’m on reverb like it’s my job, and I’m following “sr7viisc” so you’d think I would have seen that one, and this would be about that. But I missed it.) but I didn’t want to wait around for these one of rarities to pop up again. I guess I’ve had enough good deals that I can afford to take one in the pants every once in a while.


Anyway, for those who don’t know, this is a 30” 7 string bass (tuned like a 7 string guitar, but down an octave) with 11 mm string spacing, a jazz middle pup, and two Jax bridge pups wired as a humbucker. It’s suuuuuuper cool! I have zero idea what I’m going to do with it, but I love that it exists, and I have always wanted one. Here are the seller’s pics (because I literally just got it a few hours ago, and tuned it back up).

But does it Djent? lol

In all seriousness though, that's an amazing find! I thought the headstock on my SR406 was cramped... lol

Congrats man!

 

[Hexer]

conrats! That's an interesting bass... or... guitar.... or whatever it is

No seriously: as a bass it wouldn't be my thing but it's definitely a cool instrument and I'd absolutely try it out if I got my hands on one! Nice score!

 

[Winspear]

WOW dude what a score! Congrats.

 

[CanserDYI]

Duuuude congrats, very very cool. That bridge is very unique!

Also, one of the only instances I've ever seen that I can say a painted neck that's bolted on doesn't look weird!

 

[odibrom]

I vaguely remember seeing this advertized and thinking "wtf? Who is going to play it? Hardware is all custom, changing pickup, finding strings it will be a pain..."

... but also thought it to be a cool looking instrument...

Nevertheless, congrats on getting it. Please acknowledge that you are now bound by contract to supply us with a full review video with different sound demos and applications... no pressure...

 

[Scordare]

Dude, I’m so jealous!! I have wanted one of these since they first came out. You have a Zeus 7 bass too, right? I have a Galveston 7 I tune like a guitar and it’s a blast to play.

 

[Hollowway]

Dude, I’m so jealous!! I have wanted one of these since they first came out. You have a Zeus 7 bass too, right? I have a Galveston 7 I tune like a guitar and it’s a blast to play.

Yeah, I picked up an in-stock ZBM7 a few weeks ago. I have that tuned in 4ths, but maybe I should tune it like a guitar!

It'll, be interesting figuring out a cool use case for this. It's funny that nearly every one I've seen come up for sale have been in excellent condition. I take that to mean that people never played them much (and certainly not live) because they are so odd.

I mainly can't wait to tell someone I play lead on a 7 string tuned to B0, and have them say, "hurr durr, why don't you just get a bass," and I will say, "It is a bass."

 

[Hollowway]

WOW dude what a score! Congrats.

As a fellow lover of odd, low tuned instruments, I figured you'd think this was a cool one!

 

[LordCashew]

Dude, that’s super cool! I also want to see a demo video, with djenting obviously.

Where’s the ZBM7 NGD anyway?

 

[InfinityCollision]

You must have snagged this one instantly lol, don't think I even got a message for it. Nice score. Wish they'd make more of these, they so rarely pop up anywhere.

 

[Hollowway]

You must have snagged this one instantly lol, don't think I even got a message for it. Nice score. Wish they'd make more of these, they so rarely pop up anywhere.

Yep, within an hour or so. Did you see the one that sold for $1175 last month? Apparently that was up for a few days. It was labeled correctly, but it never showed up on my feed.

 

[Sermo Lupi]

Well done! It's always heartening to read White Whale stories. There's usually a lot of patience and waiting hidden behind the payoff.

What made these basses unique compared to other 7-string models? I notice the nut and neck width seem quite narrow, almost as if this was seven strings squeezed onto a bass designed for six.

 

[odibrom]

Well done! It's always heartening to read White Whale stories. There's usually a lot of patience and waiting hidden behind the payoff.

What made these basses unique compared to other 7-string models? I notice the nut and neck width seem quite narrow, almost as if this was seven strings squeezed onto a bass designed for six.

Shorter scale length as compared to regular SRs, these are 30", against the regular 34". Also, this one was projected to be played as a 7 string guitar, but tuned as a bass and using bass strings, so string spacing at nut and bridge are obviously different than those found on regular basses. A few years later Ibanez released a different approach to this one, with a 6 string version, also 30", but loaded with guitar EMG pickups...

These instruments aren't guitars, but also not yet basses, kind of a cross-over of both and they navigate on both's tone worlds... weird as shit hehehe...

 

[Hollowway]

Well done! It's always heartening to read White Whale stories. There's usually a lot of patience and waiting hidden behind the payoff.

What made these basses unique compared to other 7-string models? I notice the nut and neck width seem quite narrow, almost as if this was seven strings squeezed onto a bass designed for six.

Yeah, the string spacing at the bridge is 11mm, so it’s almost as narrow as a guitar.

 

[NeglectedField]

I remember when this came out as a small run thing. Such a niche instrument. One way of thinking of it is that it's like a 7-string version of the Fender Bass VI (or of Ibanez' SRC6 which was their modern take on it). I imagine the scope is maaaybe somewhat limited by the fact that with that string spacing it's gonna be tricky to play it with the fingers, but whaddo I know.

Great find. Videos of anyone playing the damn thing are even rarer.

 

[zerofocus]

Wow, never seen one in the uk at all,

there’s so little about these so I always thought they were one of namm prototype unicorns, would love to see/hear a video about this bass