A quick google seems to have many good things to say about 7 string, and the answer to “whether someone should buy a 7 string” is majority “yes”, without stating possible issues. And objectively it make sense: 7 string is just 6 string with addition of low B, so on songs that don’t use that string, just don’t pick/strum it. Yet, to my knowledge, artist that use majority of 7 string are few. Aside from a few metal bands, the only other new groups I can think of that utilize 7 string is Babymetal; much less so in Blues or Rock or Pop. Even Steve Vai seems to play less on 7-string nowadays. So why isn’t 7-string guitar used more in practice? Specifically, are there some issues on 7 string (especially those on 25.5 inch scale) that a 6 string is more benefical?
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“Just don’t pick/strum it” this “works” but it doesn’t work well. If you are playing full open chords (probably the most common way to play guitar) you are going to hit that 7th string all the time, it will ring out and it will sound bad depending on a bunch of factors. You don’t have enough fingers to manage an extra with some chords. some people thumb wrap and use it to mute the low string for chords you can’t do that to both the low strings some people even play the low string on 6 strings with their thumb wrapped around.
Every 6 string song that pedals on that 6th string will not have the same tone as it’s easier to dig in on the top string and again it’s tedious because before where you could freely jam on that string with big arm motions if you wanted to will need to be carefully picked in between two strings.
You can over come all of this for sure but it does make these things harder. The other thing is there isn’t a point n playing guitar that low outside of getting a heavy sound, bands have base guitars for a reason if you want to have your music go lower it’s often more effective to get a lower bass guitar and just keep the 6.
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