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 used to play 7-string exclusively and eventually fell out of it over the years. I still have one, but almost always use my 6-string. It’s all about vibes for me – playing the 7 string gives me a certain heavy/weighty feeling that influences the sounds that come out, whereas playing the 6 string feels nimble and versatile, which causes me to play more interesting parts (to me, at least). The extra few notes that the 7th string offers aren’t enough benefit to sacrifice that.
EDIT: Oh, and another consideration is that if you have too many instruments adding low-end on a song, there isn’t going to be room in the mix for all that. I’m often working with pretty fat bass synths and kick drums which fill up the low-end really quickly on their own. Even when that’s not the case, I like to let the bass guitar do its job and keep the guitar in its own range.
Seventh string costs a little more, in money, learning curve, fatigue, etc.
This cost, depending on one’s genre, style of playing, will to explore, etc… may be worth paying or not.
Someone needs those LOW NOTES, someone does not, and there are so much guitars out there to make both happy
There’s a ton of harmonic possibilities with an extra low string: new voicings, inversions and more opportunities for less position changes.
The downsides? The neck is wider and usually flatter. You have to careful with how you EQ- that low B can get muddy REAL quick and gets into bass frequency range which can double the mud.
They’ve evolved to be staples in DJent and metalcore because those bands value heaviness and chunkiness in their riffs and the bass is usually much more “trebly” than in pop/rock/etc. Add in the fact that 99% of all music ever made was made on a 6 string, unless you’re doing original “heavy” type music it’s just not needed. If you JUST want the low register, you can always get a baritone guitar (BEADGB) and omit the top string.
“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.
The vast majority of guitar repertoire and learning materials evolved for 6 strings. This is what people are used to and learned, so they keep it going. No blues great ever played 7string (as far as I know), no folk players, no rock (pre-2000s) when rock was in its hayday, so players of that style see no need to get one. Guitar is in a 6string world and 7/8 strings are an outlier that was never used throughout the majority of guitar history so there’s not much repertoire that would entice a casual player to get one outside of metal and sometimes jazz. The guitar “system” evolved around 6 strings. And with all that, there’s a much smaller market for them so they’re a bit pricier.
With that said, I do love having a larger range on a 7string, more musical opportunities. I myself want to get another one (I have an old one) that I can start using as my main and figure out ways to adapt it to every style I play.
They have an association with musical styles that aren’t necessarily the coolest, they’re not among the trendsetters — they’re the guy who assembles their own PC and tells you all about it.
I’m bringing that up because it needn’t be the case .
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