Thinking of making to jump to a seven string!

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schecter58

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I am thinking of finally making the jump and purchasing a seven string. I recently purchased a used esp ltd ec-1000, but decided to part ways with it and sold it to a friend of mine, found out I wasn't a fan of the les paul style body.

That leaves me currently with my Epiphone G-400 with upgraded JB in the bridge (I will never part with this guitar, first brand new guitar I ever purchased, had it for 7 or 8 years now) and my ovation acoustic. I am seriously considering buying a new KM-7. I like the idea of having a 7 string in conjunction with a 6 for a variety of sounds.

I know people are huge fans of the KM-7 on this board, what are people's experience with making the jump to a 7 string? Do you still play your 6 often?
 

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tedtan

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When I got my first seven string I was in a band that played 6 strings, mostly in standard and drop D tunings. Since my 7 had a Floyd, I kept playing the 6 for drop D material and used the 7 for anything in standard. I'm not in a band at the moment, but I still play 6 and 7 string guitars in different tunings, as well as a lot of 6 string acoustic. So I would say to keep your 6 and acoustic for the time being at least. You may decide to sell them at some point if you end up not using them much, but definitely keep them for now.
 
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I bought my first 7 yesterday. Just happens to be a KM-7. Imagine that.... Ive only played it once but its "different". Longer scale, wider fret board, lighter body, passive pickups, so on and so on. The specs are completely different than what im used too but i was able to make connections really fast on the fret board. Even the wood is different. Im hoping it grows on me and i can write some good stuff with it.
 

mnemonic

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It took me some getting used to, as the neck felt so thick in comparison. After my first couple hours of playing a 7, a 6 string neck felt so dinky!

At this point, 7 strings is my main instrument, however I also have 6's and an 8. I play all of them, but I play 7 more than the others.

My main struggle at first was getting the tone to sound right. I kind of disliked the 7th string at first since it wasn't as clear and tight as the other 6. But after getting my head around what changes I needed to make to my tone, I loved it.
 

jerm

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what is your budget? if you can afford a DC7 from Carvin, I would strongly suggest it, even a barebones one over the KM-7 (Assuming you get a hipshot and SS frets). The KM-7 is very good, but a Carvin with minimal options will play a little better.
 

vilk

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If you're not used to it, it will be weirder just to play a schecter regardless of that it has 7 strings.
 

schecter58

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My budget is around the cost of a new KM-7. I had a schecter before and I wasn't a huge fan of the neck on it at the time, but I have played some since and they seem better then previous. The neck on the schecter I had was a cheap bolt on neck with an omen 6 body.
 

jovima69

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I bought my first seven in August of this past year, a used RG7321. The transition from 6 to 7 has been relatively smooth. And I have not played my 6's since. Ready to upgrade to a nicer instrument, or modify my 7321. If I could have a do-over, I would've bought a longer scale 7. Take the plunge, and HAVE FUN!
 

Promit

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My experience playing a 7 for the first time was bizarrely natural. The only thing that was slightly weird was that I couldn't have these big sweeping pick attacks bounce off the E string, because another string was in the way. But having the extra string felt completely unsurprising, and I instinctively knew how to use it. The intervals haven't changed, after all, and the neck isn't THAT much wider.

I find 8 strings to be a more dramatic, difficult to get along with jump though.
 

HUGH JAYNUS

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Just do it. If you dont like it sell it. I prefered my 7 wayyyyy over my 6 after a couple months. 2 years later im still loving it. Just go for it
 

ZeroS1gnol

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You have to consider the G400 is 24.75 and the KM7 26.5 scale length. In other words, the distances between frets are a bit higher on the KM7, so it will take some getting used to it. If you don't really like that longer scale, the PRS 7 has a shorter scale and most Ibanez somewhere in between. But anyway, it seems like an awesome upgrade really.
 

schecter58

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Thanks for the input everyone. I am lucky in that I know someone who has a KM-7, so I am going to try it out before I order one online. I had a 25.5 " scale guitar before (schecter actually), so I don't think the 26.5" scale will be unbearable, even with shortish arms :shred:

I looked briefly into Carvin after the post above and thought about it, but the specs on the KM-7 are just soo good for the price point and the guitar looks awesome.
 

crankyrayhanky

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note that Musicians Friend has a 17% off deal to help you get a lower price on the KM7
I usually take that to zzounds to get price match PLUS but they don't seem to carry KM7
It's a great guitar and a super choice for your first 7. Ignore the Schecter haters, I too disliked Schecter until i played the KM7- it's a winner!
 

schecter58

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I jammed on my buddy's KM-7 last night for about 20 minutes or so at the end of a jam session. The guitar does feel really big, but I think it is something I could probably adjust to. Lead playing on the higher frets feels awesome, this is likely due to the 26.5" scale and stainless steel frets.

I am going to sit on it for a bit before making my decision. If I go the seven string route, it will likely be a KM-7.
 

JustinG60

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personally i had a hard time adapting. i bought a 7 to play with a friend, didn't get along well with it. started playing with a guy who only plays 7's.

many many 7's later i finally found a few i like. one thing you'll probably find about a 7 you'll be bothered with is tone wood options, they're almost nonexistent. personally i hate basswood with every fiber of my being. coincidentally a lot of 7's are made with it.

ultimately i had to throw out the $$ for a Carvin built to the specs i like. Mahogany body with a mahogany neck.

i would recommend trying to find a few in stores and play them through what ever amp you have or what's close on the floor. tone to me was just as important as feel.

FYI: i think my Jackson Chris Broderick Pro was the best 7 string for the money. it needed nothing, plays great and sounds great! heavy because it's a thick mahogany body (WIN!)
 

Kharem

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For me it depends on how I have them set up, at one point I had a 7 in a low F tuning, another in close to standard, and a 6 sitting around drop b. Sadly the 6 didn't get played much, and I regret parting with it, I feel if I moved it up to something like drop C or even a little higher It would have filled a gap and gotten played more, but at the time it seemed like a better idea to part with it.
As for adapting to a 7, I never found it a big deal, I played around drop A and drop B before moving to a 7 anyway, so it was just getting used to the neck and extra high string. Trying an 8 was more dramatic for me, and I quickly switched back to 7, even though I enjoyed the low F tuning. Although I think if your unsure about how comfortable you will feel on a 7, go with a used guitar. You can pick up some great guitars for much less, and if you don't end up getting along with it, you lose much less when you move it. Plus if you find you love it and really want a new guitar, you can always sell the used one for probably close to what you get it to and pick up a new one.
Good luck.
 

Nag

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I still use my sixes a lot, simply because they play differently.

I like comparing a 6-string tuned to B (B-E-A-D-F#-B) and a 7-string in standard (B-E-A-D-G-B-E). there are two major differences : the extra E string on the 7, and that half-step difference on the F#/G string.

on the 6-string, you can play barre chords rooted on the low B. for example, take the chord shapes 133211 or 1331111 (in this tuning, barre C and Cm chords). you can play those barre chords on the 6 because of the F# string. However on the 7, because of the G string, the chord shapes would be 133201X and 1331101X, which is impossible to play. So basically, the seventh string gives you new possibilities but it also takes away some (in that tuning). So sometimes I write music that can works better on 6 strings, and sometimes it works better on 7 strings. It all depends on what you want to do. overall I think it's great to have both and to go from one to the other depending on what you're going to play.

tl;dr don't think, jump. get a 7 :)
 

filipe

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Get one now! I can't even touch a 6 string anymore the neck looks weird :lol:
and I feel like 7 neck's are more comfortable, my transition was easy and in 30 minutes I was used to the LOW string.
 

Splenetic

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i have 24.75, 25.5, 26.5, and 27 inch scale fiddles. I'm 5'11 and I don't have huge hands.

I change between them all the time, no biggie. You get used to it, and it's actually fun to switch back and forth.
 
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