Low B strings on bass guitar and electric guitar

[Mr_Music90]

Sorry if the title is wrong, but I'm walking around with a question for a while now, when it comes to 7 string electric guitars.

If there's a band where the bass player uses 5 or 6 string basses (thus with a Low B string on it), why doesn't the electric guitar player upgrade to a 7 string electric guitar, so that he / she would have a Low B string as well.

I think (and that's my opion) that bands like In Flames or Metallica could do well with electric guitar players that use 7 string electric guitars.

Is it a personal preference of the guitar player or something else?

[TheEmptyCell]

How could it be anything BUT personal preference?! Why doesn't everyone play 5 string bass/8-string guitar/ baritone saxophone/ Neil Peart massive drumset? Ridiculous question.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by TheEmptyCell

Ridiculous question.

Very good question if you ask me.

Originally Posted by Mr_Music90

Is it a personal preference of the guitar player or something else?

According to the very few 7 string guitarists I know, it's a little bit both.

It has necessarily nothing to do with the bassplayers tuning though.
According to them, it does however have everything to do with the genre, and the way the guitar player wants to play.

Just as most of the bassplayers I know, AFAIK the guitarists who use more than the "standad" strings, are more after freedom for the fretting hand position, than they are for the a few notes of the extended range the "additional" strings provide.

Guitarists are IMLE not as bent to go as low as humanly possible as we sometimes are (says someone with a F#BEADG 6er ).

Regards
Sam

[Epitaph04]

Metallica already tried downtuning. Its called St. Anger.


Also remember that Cliff Burton played 4 string bass guitars. Only when Newsted joined did the world begin to see Metallica with a 5 string bass guitarist. Trujillo also sometimes just grabs a P bass live. Just because he sometimes likes using a 5er doesnt mean that Metallica suddenly needs to grab a 7 string.

If you REALLY want to see a 7 string guitar in Metallica look for their Some Kind of Monster rehearsal. I believe Hetfield plays a 7 string on that particular performance.

[Righteous Thunderer]

I used to wonder about this a bit myself, especially since I really dig playing 7 string guitar. I've met a few guitarists who can't stand the way the low B sounds on guitar, whereas in their minds it fit in perfectly fine on bass. I've always said that if I get back into playing a lot of electric guitar, I'm picking up a 7 string.

[MarkMgibson]

Son, you're messing with forces you can't possibly comprehend. Seven string guitars are an abomination, and the Rock & Roll Gods will unleash furious vengeance against those who play them.

[crazyfaux]

I had a guitarist ask me why do you need a five string...I asked him why do you need 6 strings?

[Mr_Music90]

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Son, you're messing with forces you can't possibly comprehend. Seven string guitars are an abomination, and the Rock & Roll Gods will unleash furious vengeance against those who play them.

Yeah, probably like having more then 4 strings on a bass..?

[Herrick]

It simply isn't necessary for a guitarist to have a Low B if the bassist does. Most guitarists would rather tune down if they want to play lower. Also keep in mind that many guitar players love classic guitars that don't come in 7-string versions. If the bass is drowned out (as it is in lots of heavy music) then it doesn't even matter how many strings the bassist has.

[rtav]

Our guitarist sometimes uses a seven string for some songs, but when we play Dream Theater's "Dance of Eternity" (don't know it? Youtube it and hold on) he HAS to play a seven string in order to cover it correctly.

[MarkMgibson]

Why does a guitarist need a low B? That's why we have bass players.

[HaMMerHeD]

Originally Posted by Righteous Thunderer

I used to wonder about this a bit myself, especially since I really dig playing 7 string guitar. I've met a few guitarists who can't stand the way the low B sounds on guitar, whereas in their minds it fit in perfectly fine on bass. I've always said that if I get back into playing a lot of electric guitar, I'm picking up a 7 string.

I know a few guitarists who think the low Bs sound terrible. I think it is mostly due to the fact that the majority of 7-string guitars out come with light gauge strings on 25.5" scales. So I tell them to either try a longer scale or a heavier string, and most of them change their minds.

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Son, you're messing with forces you can't possibly comprehend. Seven string guitars are an abomination, and the Rock & Roll Gods will unleash furious vengeance against those who play them.

If 7 strings are wrong, I don't want to be right. The rock and roll gods are obsolete relics, powerless in the face of the fury of the METAL gods.

Plus they look good.

[Mr_Music90]

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Why does a guitarist need a low B? That's why we have bass players.

Yeah right. You seem like the kind of bass player that doesn't use effects or picks, cause that's for electric guitar players...

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by Mr_Music90

Yeah right. You seem like the kind of bass player that doesn't use effects or picks, cause that's for electric guitar players...

Actually, I'm a professional guitar player (who's learning bass), and I have no problem with picks or effects with basses. As for 7 string guitars - they're ridiculous.

[Mr_Music90]

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Actually, I'm a professional guitar player (who's learning bass), and I have no problem with picks or effects with basses. As for 7 string guitars - they're ridiculous.

Well I don't agree there, sorry. Just like bass guitars that have more then 4 strings, it's just more possibility's you get with each extra string. Look at Animals As Leaders for example : They play 7 and 8 string electric guitar. Maybe it doesn't look pretty in your eyes, but it sure did give them the possibility's to make the music they are known for.

And for 5 string basses in bands and 7 string electric guitars, I say : Freaking awesome!

[HaMMerHeD]

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Actually, I'm a professional guitar player (who's learning bass), and I have no problem with picks or effects with basses. As for 7 string guitars - they're ridiculous.

I know I'm going to regret asking, but....care to explain?

[MarkMgibson]

Explain what? A 5 string bass is useful because it adds extra notes to the spectrum. A 7 string guitar adds nothing, as the bass covers those low notes anyway.

Each to their own though.

[Wookieonbass]

I'm not sure he still has it but my guitarist has a Dean 7 string strat-style guitar which he used only for a couple of gigs then put away. It's not the lows, he loves 'em (cranks the bass up on his amp then complains to me his 6 string guitar is bassier than my bass - go figure) but he just didn't care for the wider neck.

[HaMMerHeD]

Originally Posted by MarkMgibson

Explain what? A 5 string bass is useful because it adds extra notes to the spectrum. A 7 string guitar adds nothing, as the bass covers those low notes anyway.

Each to their own though.

OK...but useless and ridiculous are two different things.

It's not all about how many notes you have, you know. There is a lot more to music than just that.

Guitars don't sound just like basses, and basses don't sound just like guitars. Thus, a low B (especially in a high-gain rhythm guitar crunch) adds a good deal of tonal flavor that the bass just doesn't do.

[Violen]

An extra string is an extra tool.