Just De-Tune a 6 String or Go To A 7 String? Opinions!!

[Audioholic]

no way. you picking up a tyler? if so the les paul or the Strat style?

Black Les Paul JTV-59. Line 6 asked if I would do some videos using it.

Very cool. I spent considerable in store time going back and forth between the Tyler Paul, and the Gibson which I ended up walking out with. The setup on the Tyler wasn't very good, high action, and thicker neck, give that the Gibson felt better in my hands and it had more balls in the bottom, that is what I chose. honestly it was a very hard choice because the Tyler sounded great, very open and there was a lot of clarity in the top end, more so then the Gibby, but the bottom end wasn't as full. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on the different models in clean, cause I was not looking for a clean machine. But like I said, the alt tunings were VERY cool, and it was hard pressed to find artifacts and fakeness. At least the instore demo, and going through a line 6 DT25. I was so close to getting the tyler just for the studio versatility it offered. wonder if I made the right choice...

The Gibson was of course the better feeling and higher quality guitar, since you are paying for the technology. but having not been impressed with the line 6 variax, the tyler was a welcomed surprise. not perfect but pretty cool

 

[Audioholic]

Personally, I could never in a million years play a Variax or any guitar of the sort.

yeah I did not like the line 6 guitars at all. The tyler guitar I tried seemed like a whole different thing. It has its own pickups and you can use the guitar without any modeling and alt tunings and it will act just like a normal guitar. the modeling was pretty neat actually. def a step in the right direction for this type of guitar

 

[shred-o-holic]

Yeah I've played one of the Tyler Line 6 Variax guitars. Well-built for sure and the pitch shifting is good but to me I still preferred just the natural sound of the guitar which was good.

 

[killertone]

I play 7s and 6s in the same set with my band and I do not feel that is hard to go between the two. Currently I use my BRJ 7 or ESP 7 and go to my LPC and it feels fine.

 

[fluff191]

I plan to use the Variax just for different tones. I am not into modeling tunings either. So I think I will just go for a 7 string and call it good. Maybe eventually an Ola sig model

 

[PeteLaramee]

I switched to a 7 after almost 30 years playing a 6. Now I can't see switching back. Nor do I have a reason to.

 

[racerevlon]

Depends on your needs and where the song is. My band has a couple of songs in drop-D (everything else is concert pitch) and it's easier to keep a stop-tail guitar tuned to drop-D on a stand and quick-change than re-tune a Floyd (no way) or play the song on a 7-string. I have a Washburn 7-String I got a great deal on a long time ago and refitted with a Dimarzio X2N7 bridge and Blaze neck. Sounds KILLER, just haven't found many applications for it.

 

[mboogman]

I like both. I do play differently on a 7 than a 6 though. My brain seems to have a hard time playing "normal things" on the 7, but when I'm playing something intended for the 7, it just fits.

 

[155]

anything lower then drop b id say get a 7..

 

[Skrapmetal]

I've been debating the same myself. I picked up a cheap 7 string... it definitely isn't natural to me yet, so I haven't been playing it. If I played it more I imagine it would grow on me.

 

[university81]

i would probably go for a 7 string

de-tuning might feel more natural, but an extra string opens up some pretty cool options and chord voicings and such which you simply can't do without the extra string,fun to experiment with

 

[Ventura]

"getting a cheap 7"

Herein lies the problem... I've picked up a few 'cheap' 7s and they felt, well, cheap. I'm now on the ESP NT-7 bandwagon because I've got an NT-II and an FR-II and I love how they play. I can only imagine the consistency and feel will be similar across the board. So, I guess what I'm saying is, if you want to venture into 7 string land, make sure it's an axe you'll jive with, otherwise it'll just end up being an ornament. I think there's a lot that can be done with a 7 string, then again, a lot can be done with a 4 or 5 string a la Keef. It's all in how we want to approach it.

Seeing as a lot of music is going lower and lower, trend or not, to get there you want a tool to make it easier. De-tuning a standard guitar works up to a point, after which it's crap. Getting a proper 7 string is therefore the way to go. As for the whammy pedal above, some people gravitate towards stomps, others don't. I prefer to have everything in my hands, not at my feet - albeit I have a lot of stomps... But it's the guitar that's my weapon of choice, not the additional add-ons.

2 cents.

 

[Soundguy213]

the reason i would say to use a 7 string over a 6 string is the tension difference. the B string is the same tension as if you drop tuned the 6 string, but its a bigger gauge for nice darker tones. The rest of the normal tuned 6 strings is the big difference though. I feel having the normal tension of the EADGBE on the 7 string is far superior for recording that a dropped 6 string. Even with big strings the 6 string will feel loose and "rubber band-like"

I have played and recorded in a band that dropped to Bb for 8 years. There has never been a time i prefer my 6 strings over my 7 strings in recorded tones when it comes to the low register tuning, and my 6 strings are superior guitars to my 7's

To take it even further, for tension, get a baritone 7 string. It's the most low end clarity. I wish i picked one up when i got my 7's but i didnt and regret it. Good Luck with your tone hunt!

 

[fluff191]

Wow guys lots of good info thank you very much! I think I will go ahead and look for a 7 string. My 6 string is in Drop B but Drop A would be pretty cool!

 

[dwizted]

7 strings to me is the way to go for the brutes IMHO. I have several of them and got used to them pretty easy. Now I just keep my sixes for when I am in the mood to cry the blues and it really helped me with my speed and teqnique on the sixes. I can easily reach for the notes I had a lot of trouble before on. Ibanez and even some ltd esp feel really comfortable to me.

 

[guitarobert]

I have had a 7 string for many years but recently decided to abandon it and get a 6 string dedicated to b standard. I actually feel more restricted on the 7 string. There's an extra string to mute and the neck is so wide. When I pick up the 6 strong it feels effortless in comparison. I just always enjoy playing the 6 string more - simple as that.

So I keep a guitar in e or drop d and another one in b. They are focused on very different goals and they do them very well!

 

[bubbastain]

Wow guys lots of good info thank you very much! I think I will go ahead and look for a 7 string. My 6 string is in Drop B but Drop A would be pretty cool!

What string gauge are you using for Drop B? Is it a 24.75" scale length?

 

[fluff191]

Using 12-60 set with a 25.5" scale.

 

[thenine]

Buy a 7620. They are quite cheap on the used market. I went through this same thing. My 7620 has BK Miracle Mans in it and it sounds freakin huge. I dont know if its the larger headstock or what, but what a monster. The 7620 is still 25.5 scale so switching to it is not a major change feeling wise. They can be had quite cheap, if you dont like it, or it doesnt work for you, you can easily flip it. Chugging on the low B is lots of fun though I must say.

 

[travis bickle]

ive been on the fence for years about this same question, and finally decided to go the 7 string route. i'll be using my detuned 6 strings until i receive my brj 7 string, and will get getting an rg 7*21 as a backup, or possibly a UV777 or the aforementioned esp nt-7. decisions decisions. hahaha.