Are 7 and 8 string guitars like 5 and 6 string basses?

7-strings are similar, in that they have a low B. 8-string guitars are not, as it has a F# below the B of a 7-string guitar.

 

I have a 7 string guitar and will likely order another another. It would seem that 7 and 8 strings appeal to jugga jugga dropped tune riffs. I more or less use a 7 the same way I use the low B on a bass, transposing and/or playing more notes from the same position. By the time I picked up my 7 string guitar, I had already been playing 6 string bass for several years and 7 string bass about a year or so.

 

The big upside to a 7 string guitar isn't necessarily the additional lower notes, like on a 5 string bass. It's the ability to play your scales and arpeggios across the neck without moving up and down the neck as much as you might on a 6 string. You get the extra lower notes, but it's really only the rhythm guitarists that are concerned with the lower chording. Guitarists that solo are looking for economy of movement for the most part, and looking cool

 

Kwesi, I was in your shoes, just wanted a 7-string guitar to record some metal chuggin riffs... I got a B string from a music shop for like $2 and tuned it up BEADGC.

May be a cheaper alternative? I was playing "standard" chords just the same, since the bass I was playing along with was a 6 string. I guess they were all tuned A standard.

When the novelty wore off and I switched everything back, I was sure glad I didn't drop the $$$ on a 7-string guitar.

 

The first 7 string movement was more or less killed by the fact that you could just restring. I'd guess the same thing will happen with 8 strings. Much like basses, improved construction and other techniques can make the low B sound a LOT better than something off the rack.

 

If you had a 7 string in box, I mean literally a box of parts, would you be able to assemble it? solder the pickups to the pots and such?

 

I might Let me check and see if I actually do have all the bits.

 

I personally love the feel of a 7 string guitar. A 6 just feels too small in my hands and an 8 feels too big. Not that I'm even close to being decent at electric guitar, I just like to play metal riffs on it. I have tried various 6 stringers with a heavier gauge and a set-up, and for some obscene reason I can't get over the missing string. And I don't even solo.

 

Steve Vai was one of the first to get the 7 string noticed, but that was a tiny blip on the radar compared to what Korn did. They were probably responsible for 10x the sales than Vai. This also kinda dumbed down the utility of a 7, IMO.

I actually have a 7 string acoustic on order from KR guitars. I had been listening to a few harp guitarists and figured a 7th string would be a good compromise between a standard acoustic and a harp guitar. I've even found a 7 string archtop that I'm really considering.

 

Korn and Limp Bizkit pushed the 7-string Ibanez's in the early 2000's. While I love both bands (guilty pleasure guys, I was 13 at the time!) I'd think the band that kept the 7 string around in metal was Meshuggah.

 

While Meshuggah is awesome I think it is more accurate to say that Meshuggah has 10% of the sales of Korn and Limp Bizkit and Vai probably has 1%

 

I'd agree with that. I couldnt believe how many people bought the Fieldy "K5" when they could have gotten a superior Soundgear model for the same price... same with the Paul Grey for that matter. Korn / Slipknot used to pull alotta weight.

 

Steve started the 'modern' 7 string movement. George Van Epps played a 7 string Gretsch in the 60's though - I think he was first. He tuned the low B to A though, so his bottom strings were AEA. Nice for comping.

 

I just re-strung my Les Paul from B-standard with a Drop-A back to E-Standard with a Drop-D. It was really cool to mess with the lower stuff for a while but I'm not writing music in that tuning any more so I'd rather have that guitar available for the stuff I am writing.

I didn't have a problem making the transition for my simple music, but some guitarists may, depending on the the material they are playing.

 

I had a seven string guitar but it is not like the seven string bass. I use the seven string bass because I can play with a acoustic guitarist in the dual role of being a bass player and a lead guitarist alternately. I tune it B,E,A,D,G,B,E which is not usual but you can get the same three note structures you got off the guitar without them carrying too much bass boom.

It looks like an ego trip but it is a combination of getting the same guitar structure with the low b added to go subsonic.

As for an 8 string Dunno.

 

Update: Got the acoustic 7. Still paying off the archtop 7.