Talk to me about 7 stringers...

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Ventura

Ventura

Well-known member
ESP? Ibby? I'm kinda leaning towards picking one up for the hell of it. But I know next to jack-jimmy-squat about what's out there and what's good. I'm an ESP Horizon guy for my shredders, love the necks, but outside of this, a Lester kinda guy through and through.

Thanks for any info... New or used, no biggy, so long as it's solid and toneful, I'm happy :rock:

Mo

PS - my preference lays with a fixed bridge as opposed to a trem system, just FYI.
 
My two favorite 7 string guitars are the EBMM Petrucci and the Schecter Loomis, in that order. Both are outstanding guitars, and if you don't want the trem, blocking it is a piece of cake.

Both feel great and sound monstrous....slightly different styles though...

If you want the best, IMO, the EBMM Petrucci is the 7 string guitar to have.

Eric
 
Thanks man... Hell, I followed your lead on REAPER and I gotsta say - thank you :worship:

I'll check into the Ernie's and see what they're all about...

Mo
 
Glad I could help :thumbsup:

Let us know what you find on the 7 stringers. What I like about the Petrucci, other than the amazing tone and playability, is the neck....it's SOOO damn comfortable, and makes the jump to the wider neck of a 7 much more natural.

Eric
 
ive been doing a bit of research on my own, and its come down to Ibanez for now, and possibly a KxK guitar in the future only because i cant make the deadline for the model i want, and by the time i muster the cash it will no longer be available. i looked at agiles and schecter as well, the loomis was the one that caught my eye the most but i do not want a maple neck/board both, already got that covered.

for woods though i cannot recommend enough basswood or mahogany - they do excellent in the lower tunings.

good luck my friend keep us updated on your own personal choice that you make :rock:
 
Thanks Gents!!

Will keep you posted... Thus far, the ESP NT-7 caught my eye, hence my mentioning it. But overall, I'm a luddite in this...

Will chat soon :thumbsup:
Mo
 
Hey V, for the $$$ you can't beat the Agile 7s, http://www.rondomusic.com/7string.html. I have two, one kick-around but my fave is the Agile Septor Elite 727 DNC EB Tribal Green Q http://www.rondomusic.com/septoreltdnctrigreen.html. The neck is just so fast and comfortable, just perfect for a wide-thin neck and almost plays by itself.

Forget the John Petrucci 7, isn't worth more than half what those psychos are asking for it. Plus it's a standard 25.5" scale. If you get a 7 make sure you don't get less than a 26.5" scale, preferably a 27" scale.

Also check out the Schecter 7s. The Blackjack ATX C-7, http://www.schecterguitars.com/Products ... X-C-7.aspx is also a very nice 7 as well.

All are ebony boards.
 
Disagree about Agile and disagree about the scale length. Agile's build quality can be really hit or miss, and their guitars, while looking pretty, don't seem to be any better than a dirt cheap 7620. I find that the 7620s/1527s have better fretwork, too. 25.5'' is perfectly fine, and you can tune down to G with it. Just listen to Born of Osiris.

Been a 7 string player for the past 6+ years now. Ibanez makes the best bang for the buck guitar, but you have to like basswood. Schecter is good, but I find them to not resonate as nicely as I'd like, and I believe that's due to the crazy thick finishes. EBMM guitars are amazing, and you're paying for that quality. ESP sevens are cool, and if you like the Horizon, I'm sure you'll like the NT-7. Caparison also makes high quality sevens, but your choices are very limited. Carvin makes quality sevens, but try to buy used as their resale is awful. I'm also not a huge fan of their stock pickups. Most of the other stuff is usually custom, and you'll want deep pockets for that.
 
Code001":2juvlyb4 said:
Disagree about Agile and disagree about the scale length. Agile's build quality can be really hit or miss, and their guitars, while looking pretty, don't seem to be any better than a dirt cheap 7620.
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Couldn't be more wrong friend. My Agile is spectacular.

And you completely missed my point - $$$. Petrucci 7 is no better than a $700 Agile 7.

Scale length is key with 7s and 8s, especially if you want to down tune further. The shorter the scale the shorter the spacing is between frets. And for any given gauge (thickness) of string the tension required to produce a given note is less than the same string on a longer scale. So for a given string gauge, a guitar with a longer scale will have more string tension along the neck. Giving you much more control, definition and less flub. Therefore a 27" scale is much more preferable for 7s and 8s.
 
Ventura":xqy2e7kr said:
Thanks Gents!!

Will keep you posted... Thus far, the ESP NT-7 caught my eye, hence my mentioning it. But overall, I'm a luddite in this...

Will chat soon :thumbsup:
Mo
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You will definitely like the NT-7 playability wise. It is very nice. You'll be stuck with active pickups because of the routes, though which was a deal breaker for me on that guitar. My first 7 was an LTD I got 10 years ago and I still love that guitar even though I have a Bernie Rico that costs 5 times the LTD.

edit: just saw the post about scale length. Unless you want to tune down, 25.5" scale is where it is at. I have been playing 7's for a long time and have played all scale lengths. For B standard, nothing feels as good as 25.5 scale.
 
i am playing a 7620 with BKP Miracle Mans. Awesome sounding guitar. 25.5 scale BTW.
 
Long time Ibanez 7 user here.
If you really want to use the B string for proper riffage or even would go Lower than B, do not get an Ibanez. Maybe the Universe may deliver, but the rest won't. I have a lovely 1527 which I modded heavily, but still is not delivering any "present" low notes like a Loomis does.
Loomis might be the best price to performance guitar. It fits the rest of your gear. The only problem would be the PUs, if you want to go Passive.

Agile is hit or miss. Could be awe(some)or(ful).
The Petrucci plays wonderful, but I dunno if hat justifies the price.
The NT7 is a great guitar.
 
Rezamatix":1i2fymjw said:
25.5 scale unless you need to go lower than drop A. (ala Korn)

The Ibanez rg1527 (once set up and dialed in) plays awesome and has a great tone. And it's sub $1k used..
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Exactly my 2 points in my original post.
 
King Crimson":u8zjyd63 said:
Code001":u8zjyd63 said:
Disagree about Agile and disagree about the scale length. Agile's build quality can be really hit or miss, and their guitars, while looking pretty, don't seem to be any better than a dirt cheap 7620.
Click to expand...
Couldn't be more wrong friend. My Agile is spectacular.

And you completely missed my point - $$$. Petrucci 7 is no better than a $700 Agile 7.

Scale length is key with 7s and 8s, especially if you want to down tune further. The shorter the scale the shorter the spacing is between frets. And for any given gauge (thickness) of string the tension required to produce a given note is less than the same string on a longer scale. So for a given string gauge, a guitar with a longer scale will have more string tension along the neck. Giving you much more control, definition and less flub. Therefore a 27" scale is much more preferable for 7s and 8s.
Click to expand...

It's personal preference. You don't HAVE to have a 7 string over 25.5''. It's not needed. They work perfectly fine, even when downtuned. You like the longer scale; that's cool. However, don't telling people they're wrong because they prefer a smaller scale. I've tried every brand I listed. Have you?
 
From what you said it seems pretty straight forward that you should like the Horizon NT-7... also the idea that extended scale is better isn't really true. Longer scale adds clarity on the lower strings, but it also tends to give the higher strings a tonality some people really don't like for leads. I've done both longer and shorter scales (including a 28" 8 string) and tend to prefer 25.5" for most stuff
 
I absolutely hate seven strings, which is my personal preference. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them; I just don't like them. I will tell you this though, I had an Ibanez S7420FM in the Twilight Blue finish, and that guitar was the MOST COMFORTABLE, best playing, best intonating guitar I have ever owned aside from my Stinnett. If I liked 7's, I would have held on to it forever, but I don't jive with any stringed instrument with more than 6 telephone cables :) I like 5-6 string basses, but for guitar, it just confuses the living hell out of me. I gauge my playing by the highest string, and it's one string too far away :lol: :LOL:
 
Played 7's the past 5-6 years off and on and an RG1527 is a very good guitar for the price.
 
Code001":1qdf916c said:
It's personal preference. You don't HAVE to have a 7 string over 25.5''. It's not needed. They work perfectly fine, even when downtuned. You like the longer scale; that's cool. However, don't telling people they're wrong because they prefer a smaller scale. I've tried every brand I listed. Have you?
Click to expand...
Calm down code. Personal preference, tomato, tomahto. This is a music board where we share amongst one another. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on RT, including you too. :thumbsup:

And yes I've played/owned pretty much all the worth while 7s on the current market . As well as I have played/owned pretty much every booteek guitar amp worth a thorough investigation.

Also code, if you are in the states then Agile gives you (like GC) a 30 day trial period, no questions asked.

Peace, Brotha from another Motha... :)
 
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