7-string acoustics. Do they exist?

[jpbat]

Seven strings nylon guitar is traditional in choro bands.

Also, there are some inexpensive steel strings models made by SX.

[zombywoof]

Firs time I came across a 7 string guitar was in 1965 or so on a Spider John Koerner record. He played a guitar strung with a second G string tuned an octave higher. I believe he added a banjo tuner to an old Gibson L-1 or something. Myself and others went a different route by simply removing strings from a 12 string.

More recently we had a Martin McGuinn Signature 7 string in the house. My wife loved the thing.

[GGNJ]

Check out John Pizzarelli on Utube playing his 7-string Moll at Fretboard Journal

[Brucebubs]

Raise your hand if you want a 7 string guitar.

[KenL]

Alvarez-Yairi used to make a 7-string. The usual six, and one of them was doubled up like a 12-string. The B string, I believe. I can't remember the model number.

They used to go for a pretty penny. Have never seen one in person, and haven't seen one for sale anywhere online for a couple of years.

[Orfeas]

yes! Check this out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kbv1OpIpaA

[gfspencer]

Originally Posted by Orfeas

yes! Check this out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kbv1OpIpaA

Wow! That's fantastic.

[s2y]

They exist at my house. I also have a 7 string guitar and a fretless 7 string bass.

[rbeechnut]

Are you familiar with a Martin HD-7?

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by dodge

The Martin Roger McGuinn signature model:
http://guitarz.blogspot.com/2012/04/...signature.html

Originally Posted by rbeechnut

Are you familiar with a Martin HD-7?

I don't think those are the same thing that the OP means. The extra string on them is an octave "course" always sounded with the G .


Emerald already have a standard model in their range (X20-7) and can apparently make you pretty much anything you can think of.

[rogthefrog]

PM me if you're interested about a 7-string guitar that will be announced soon.

[tbeltrans]

Here is another example of 7 string - fingerstyle:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H03LEx8-3Uo

By the way, since I last posted in this thread, I sold the Dean 7 string when I got a shot at a used Godin Multiac Encore 7 string nylon. The Dean was OK as I stated, but I like a wider string spacing. The Godin has a WIDE fretboard and it just fits me better. It is a 12 fret instrument.

As for learning to play 7 string, I got a book, but have largely ignored it because it is for a 7 string with the low string tuned down to A. Everything I have read seems to indicate that rockers tune the low string to B, and jazzers tune it to A (the book is for jazzers). Robert Conti, the jazz guitarist, told me that he tunes the low string to B, and I have found that musically, that just works better for me too.

What I have found is that my daily 2 minute exercise of finding a note all over the fretboard does wonders for including that low 7th string. I described that exercise in these forums some years ago a few times, but it seemed folks wanted to complicate the matter by looking for books on how to learn the notes on the fretboard, so I just stopped posting about it. This exercise came from Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry book on one of the first pages in it. When you are comfortable including all those extra notes, it becomes much easier to get around on the 7 string. I can voice chords using that string because I know where the notes are, as well as how to spell chords. Same for scales or arpeggios. I don't need a book to give me these. It is not necessary to use the 7th string for everything, any more than one would the 6th string on a 6 string guitar. It is just there when needed.

Tony

[PHJim]

Originally Posted by dodge

The Martin Roger McGuinn signature model:
http://guitarz.blogspot.com/2012/04/...signature.html

There are various configurations of 7 string guitars.
- The one popularized, if not invented, by George Van Eps had an extra bass string. Bucky Pizzarelli was a disciple of Van Eps and his son John has carried on the tradition. I have seen solid bodied seven strings as well, but haven't heard them much, if at all.
- Lenny Breau played a nylon seven string guitar with an extra treble string. Lenny is the only player I've seen using this configuration.
- As Zombywoof mentioned, Spider John Koerner was heard on at least three great LPs in the mid-sixties playing a seven string with an octave third course. Roger McGuinn has had Martin make him a "Spider John" style seven string guitar, but it doesn't seem to be very popular yet. (Spider John is still playing, but usually uses a 12-string these days.)

[Steadfastly]

http://www.rondomusic.com/RENAISSANCE7XNA1.HTML

[rmgjsps]

My Doctor is Russian. We were talking about guitars and I asked if he played. He said that he used to and said, "You know, in Russia, guitars have seven strings." I didn't know, but now I do.