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The Official 7-String Bass Club.
- Thread starter Watchootognbout
- Start date
Just restrung the Bill Dickens with a .205 balanced set from Kalium - look at that low F# string! Can't wait to play it through my rigs…
Edit: also installed a set of Gotoh's so I could fit the string ends into the machine heads - this was a problem on my GT7; these work much better than the originals anyway.
Edit: also installed a set of Gotoh's so I could fit the string ends into the machine heads - this was a problem on my GT7; these work much better than the originals anyway.
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Opportunities to acquire a seven string bass don't come around often, and last week I had a most unique opportunity present itself. I set out on a long drive to meet a chap selling a guitar head, as I'm going to be taking guitar lessons with my son (and everything that led up to that is another long story) but as I was checking out the head and chatting with the owner, the topic turned to bass guitar and he also plays and has over 40 years in the music industry.
His current bass is a six string USA Cirrus - but then he mentions that he has a couple of Ibanez seven strings and never plays them - and asks me if I want to buy them. He goes and grabs two HSC's, sets them down, and inside one is a mint BTB747 (matte finish with Bart's). In the other is a flawless BTB7 (glossy finish with the narrower CAP pickups)! I think you can figure out the rest of the story - wasn't really in the budget but they both came home with me.
I suppose I could do a big comparo between them, the Conklin GTBD, and my Wolf (my GT-7 found a new home this past summer); Skip @ Kalium Strings just did a happy dance because eventually I'll want to string them up with low F#'s. I think this also means I need to join some sort of support group where I admit I have a problem.
Cheers to the rest of you seven string aficionados!
His current bass is a six string USA Cirrus - but then he mentions that he has a couple of Ibanez seven strings and never plays them - and asks me if I want to buy them. He goes and grabs two HSC's, sets them down, and inside one is a mint BTB747 (matte finish with Bart's). In the other is a flawless BTB7 (glossy finish with the narrower CAP pickups)! I think you can figure out the rest of the story - wasn't really in the budget but they both came home with me.
I suppose I could do a big comparo between them, the Conklin GTBD, and my Wolf (my GT-7 found a new home this past summer); Skip @ Kalium Strings just did a happy dance because eventually I'll want to string them up with low F#'s. I think this also means I need to join some sort of support group where I admit I have a problem.
Cheers to the rest of you seven string aficionados!
Opportunities to acquire a seven string bass don't come around often, and last week I had a most unique opportunity present itself. I set out on a long drive to meet a chap selling a guitar head, as I'm going to be taking guitar lessons with my son (and everything that led up to that is another long story) but as I was checking out the head and chatting with the owner, the topic turned to bass guitar and he also plays and has over 40 years in the music industry.
His current bass is a six string USA Cirrus - but then he mentions that he has a couple of Ibanez seven strings and never plays them - and asks me if I want to buy them. He goes and grabs two HSC's, sets them down, and inside one is a mint BTB747 (matte finish with Bart's). In the other is a flawless BTB7 (glossy finish with the narrower CAP pickups)! I think you can figure out the rest of the story - wasn't really in the budget but they both came home with me.
I suppose I could do a big comparo between them, the Conklin GTBD, and my Wolf (my GT-7 found a new home this past summer); Skip @ Kalium Strings just did a happy dance because eventually I'll want to string them up with low F#'s. I think this also means I need to join some sort of support group where I admit I have a problem.
Cheers to the rest of you seven string aficionados!
I'd really like to see that! I've seen a bunch of videos comparing different 7 string but they seem never to do any justice or the audio quality is poor.
Ugh - having done some amateur video production in the past and considering my lack of equipment I'm not sure I'm ready to take on a full-blown compare/contrast. However, I'd be glad to answer any questions about them, and once I get them restrung I may see what I can do for that.
Hi everyone, I'm selling my Manne 7 Strings Woody, 4600 Euros + shipping
A beautiful and unique custom hand made 7 String Manne Bass.
- 33" Scale Lenght
- 16.5mm spacing
- Korina chambered Body
- Burl Poplar Top
- Special Custom Passive Electronics:
1 Volume,
1 Tone,
6 Position Varitone,
1 Electronic-Engagement control (gradually allows to bypass the electronic color morphing from whatever setting is dialed into the uncolored sound of the piezo straight into the output).
A beautiful and unique custom hand made 7 String Manne Bass.
- 33" Scale Lenght
- 16.5mm spacing
- Korina chambered Body
- Burl Poplar Top
- Special Custom Passive Electronics:
1 Volume,
1 Tone,
6 Position Varitone,
1 Electronic-Engagement control (gradually allows to bypass the electronic color morphing from whatever setting is dialed into the uncolored sound of the piezo straight into the output).
Attachments
This is THE bass from one of the very best musicians to ever play the instrument. Wish I had the money for you my friend!
My Pratt 7 string is up for sale on Reverb, don't be shy, make an offer,lol.
Looking forward to joining. I have a BTB747 coming in from Reverb tomorrow. Good deal on it; factory 2nd and 15% off sale with free ship.
I'm fully willing to admit that this is bound to be more of a collector piece than a regularly gigged instrument; but one never knows!
I'm fully willing to admit that this is bound to be more of a collector piece than a regularly gigged instrument; but one never knows!
I found that my BTB7 comes close to the sound of my custom five string, so that makes it a good backup. I also have a 747 that I haven't tried in my band context yet - I think it might get closer as it has a darker sound - and Barts. I need to put new strings on them though; got them about six months ago and haven't been able to mess with them all that much yet.
I prefer a darker, fatter vintage bass tone overall. I sold off my SR1200e with the Nordstrand Pickups. But expressive chording and melodic / psychedelic range still appeals to me, and I'd like to spend some time with a 7 to see what comes out of my hands and head.
Aguilars are my favorite modern pickups, as they have modern treble extension but remain fat and vintage voiced at heart. I don't know if they manufacture a set correctly sized for the BTB747
I have a Ibanez BTB7, 2nd generation.
New Bass Day. I love how it plays. I expected it to be something of a novelty for me, a bass to round out the collection. But I couldn't put it down. I didn't get lost on it like I expected to. Very natural feeling.
I like it so much that I really may consider upgrading the pickups and sanding the sharp upper bout where it cuts into the forearm a bit.
The pickups on the BTB747 are growing on me. I usually like a fat low mid vintage but articulate sound, as on my RB850.
The Barts aren't that. They do have a scoop to them. But this works for chording and melodic playing up higher.
The real improvement came when I brought them closer to the strings with a turn of the height screws. More attack and bloom to the notes the way I like a bass to respond under my fairly heavy RH touch.
I recommend raising the pickups to anyone who'd like to change up their stock BTB tone.
The Barts aren't that. They do have a scoop to them. But this works for chording and melodic playing up higher.
The real improvement came when I brought them closer to the strings with a turn of the height screws. More attack and bloom to the notes the way I like a bass to respond under my fairly heavy RH touch.
I recommend raising the pickups to anyone who'd like to change up their stock BTB tone.
Recently I took my Bill Dicken's in to have the nut replaced and frets leveled - it plays really good now, and sounds excellent. The preamp on these is something I would like to add to other basses I have, hmmm...
I see that Harley Benton just released a MK II version of their previously discontinued BZ-7000 - it looks pretty cool!
Here's a question for you guys. I've got one of the Ibanez BTB7MSNML basses on preorder. Similar to the BTB474, but multi-scale. I normally play an SRF706. I don't consider my myself a bad-ass bass player but I'm in a trio and the ability to play some chords intrigues me. I want to be able to fill in some guitar parts during songs with little to no bass. I am totally looking at this bass as a utilitarian bass/tool. Do you guys get looks when you pull a 7 string out of its case? I do get some looks when playing my 6 string fretless, but not real often. I'm interested in your responses. (One thing for sure, the ones that do notice are, most the time, bass players themselves.)
