Strat or tele 7 string?

Here's a real twist in the mist;

What about a stratocaster, but in 7 string?
So like, instead of being a generic 7 string super strat, it's literally a stratocaster (pickguard, HSS, or HSH or just SSS, though that'd probably be a pain), with a standard strat style headstock (or probably more ideally, a blank paddle, so you can go standard strat shape, or go music man shape, or whatever)

The other idea;
7 string telecaster.
They seem to be fairly popular normally. Doesn't have to be a normal tele, could be a 'super' tele, and I imagine that'd sell nicely. Always loved the idea of 7 string teles.

7 string strat though, that would get the nut. Although, unsure how popular it'd be, considering there's basically nothing like it around (aside from the upcomin angel vivaldi charvel sig, which is a floyd, and no pickguard)


Thoughts?

There's a very nice Tompkins 7 string Tele in the local music store for sale on consignment, been there for months.

It's a great guitar but according to the shop owner there's very little demand for 7 stringers of any make let alone a boutique one that has an ask of $2K 2nd hand.

Al Tompkins does make a bunch of really nice guitars and basses, Redd Volkaert is one of his customers

There's definitely demand for 7 strings.
Primarily super strats and modern t styles though, which is why that's such a big market.
Apparently lp shaped ones are harder to sell, but there's plenty of them on the market as well.
All depends on where you are, and who your market is though

Might be fun to try a 7 string guitar. I've never played one before. I'm an intermediate player (quite far from experienced but definitely not a novice) and a 7 string could be fun for improvising. Has anyone here played one before?

I played a friend's once. It's like playing a 5- or 6-string bass, and having to remember that the top string is not an E. A little odd at first, but you get used to it quickly. (I've been playing a 6-string bass since '03, and now a 4-stringer feels weird to me.)

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Originally Posted by TZK321

Might be fun to try a 7 string guitar. I've never played one before. I'm an intermediate player (quite far from experienced but definitely not a novice) and a 7 string could be fun for improvising. Has anyone here played one before?

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Half of my guitars were 7 strings for a bit there.
They're pretty nice, depending on the pickups.
From memory it's only an extra 6 notes or something, but dropping it down to a gives you nearly an octave or something more, and you can play a bunch more chords.

But, it's pretty good. If you play jazz, or other forms of clean stuff, and not metal, you can use the lower strings for bass like notes. There's a few really good jazz or blues or something players that use 7, 8 and 9 string guitars for it. Gets some really nice sounds.

I personally juse use them for drop b stuff, plus any 7 string songs I've learned (since one of my favourite bands uses 7 strings now)

Only an extra 5 notes!

It's the muscle memory that does me in trying to play anything with more than 6 or 4 strings...or anything that isn't EADGBE. I mean I can't even play that format all that well, let alone with an extra B string.

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Originally Posted by PJSprog

I played a friend's once. It's like playing a 5- or 6-string bass, and having to remember that the top string is not an E. A little odd at first, but you get used to it quickly. (I've been playing a 6-string bass since '03, and now a 4-stringer feels weird to me.)

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I've just strung my P Bass ( PBH-4 ) BEAD and moving the strings across one certainly does mess with the muscle memory.

E - E on the VI when I had it wasn't a problem

No one's making you, so don't panic. :cool:

You could go to new standard tuning if you are feeling brave C-G-D-A-E-G

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_standard_tuning

That seems all kinds of funky in regards to tensions and what not.


Also, in regards to muscle memory, it's not bad, if you use the high e string as a reference. If you use the low e string as a reference, it messes with you pretty hard.
But, also means you can play the same songs in drop b, which sounds quite nice haha

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Originally Posted by dave.king1

I've just strung my P Bass ( PBH-4 ) BEAD and moving the strings across one certainly does mess with the muscle memory.

E - E on the VI when I had it wasn't a problem

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I've lately been thinking about changing my 6-string bass to E - E, instead of the B - C that it's always been. It worked when I played in cover bands and didn't have to do the drop D tuning. However, in my original music, I just don't use that low B string. Frankly, I never really cared for it, neither the feel nor the tone.