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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I am an owner of a Schecter 007 Elite — 7 String guitar. The B string, if you understand the standard tuning of a guitar: **E** A D G B **E**, you really only need 5 strings for standard tuning as the E repeats, as does the B. With that out of the way, all it does is allow you access to a effectively what would be a ‘bass’ gauged string at around a 70.
For reference the 2nd lightest string on a bass is about a 65, so its about as heavy as that.
I find it interesting to transpose some music onto the B string to get a deeper tone, or make it easier to play, so it gives you some flexibility there, but as other have pointed out… it mostly just fits metal style music because deeper tones complement well with metal.
Aside from that, in a band setting you generally leave those notes for your bass player, but if you just tool around it definitely gives you more versatility, which is why I enjoy it.
Note: 7 string guitar necks are much wider, and also in general the strings are closer together so overall they are harder to play, but not so much as I’d discourage anyone from switching. It does take your wrist a bit to adapt and makes doing ‘bar’ chords much harder due to the extra force required to push down the strings.
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