7 strings=6 strings! HELP!

[vyn]

Hey guys,
I want to buy gauge 11 strings for my 6 string guitar because i want to get that 7 string sound(hopefully you know what i mean). My college is hosting band auditions and i want to take part in it. But the problem is that i know this guy who said that if i wanted to be in his band, i should own a 7string guitar, which i don't own. Now, i somehow need to impress him by getting that sound on my guitar. I'll be recording a song soon and will give it to him to decide if i can be apart of his band. i was guessing that gauge 11 would help me to get that sound. This guy likes a lot of experimental/technical stuff. Please help me! And also tell me about the string thickness and the brand to buy.

[String7th]

Originally Posted by vyn

i want to get that 7 string sound

Get a 7-string.

I'm not sure what you mean by 7-string sound. I play both 6 and 7, listen to my style of playing here.
This was recorded on an Ibanez RG 7-string, but with a Floyd Rose trem. I used GHS Boomers 11-70, but I used an extra 60 from another set for the 6th String, so it was a standard tuned 7-string, B-E-A-D-G-B-E

I don't know if this is a similar 7-string sound you are looking for but, the thick strings really make this tone. I'm able to really dig in to the single-note plucking without the string waving sharp to flat in that type of sound you get when you tune low.

But also, the 7-string player who told you to try a 7-string is probably refering to the style of writing, not tone. writing a song with 7-strings is very open-ended to me. I fee that writing with a 6 in drop tuning, I'm stuck in this box of power chords and 1 key. If you are really interested in 7-strings, buy a cheap used one and write a few songs in B, D, C#, and A, but don't change out of standard tuning. You will see what I'm talking about.

[Odla]

Hey, I wonder if switching to a heavier set will give you that 7-string sound. Sure, it will give you a bit more ’tone’ and a slightly heavier sound but you still do not get that low extra string. So you will have to combine it with downtuning to at least D (I guess you will not be able to go lower as that)... but a 7 string has a B as the lowest string. What gauge are you using now? You will probably have to adjust your trussrod when you go from 009 to 011, and don’t forget you will have to adjust yourself to that gauge too (bendings etc)! My guess is that its not worth the hassle (although switching to a heavier gauge is a good thing to do), and it will probably not give you the desired effect. Just give him the best you can with the setup you are comfortable with...

[crooked09]

Yeah, buy heavier strings and tune to B. That should do it, haha. You can definitely tune super low on a 6 string, you just have to get the right strings... you might have to adjust some other little things that you should probably talk to some guys at a guitar store/bring it in, but it will work. Nile tunes to drop A on 6 strings for God's sake. Kataklysm and Cryptopsy are also names that come to mind, they use B tuning on a 6 string. And there's surely more, it's not rare.

The only difference will be missing a high string but its not totally necessary I would say. If you can play well, are creative and cooperative, the guy isn't going to care that you don't have a 7 string guitar. It's pretty understandable that as an amateur you're not able to just buy gear at command. You'll definitely have enough range to play with what he's playing, the only diff is he might use a little extra range when he's soloing but that doesn't affect you.

[ryanoliver]

"That seven string sound" is a low B, so like the other's mentioned, changing the guage of your strings won't make them sound lower. You could detune to B but unless you know how to adjust your truss rodd and fix your intonation, you'll be falling out of tune every 3 minutes. If you don't want to learn how to play 7 string you could buy a baritone, these bad boys have a 27" extended neck and are naturally tuned a fifth lower than a normal guitar. I play one of these in dropped A.

[Audio~Geek]

I like Ernie Ball Not Even Slinkies for my drop tuned guitar, it's in Drop A# now, fun times!

[rockerjeff]

If you decide to buy a 7-string guitar, then I would recommend finding one with a longer scale length than 25.5". With my experience, the low B string feels too slinky on a 25.5" scale for me. However, there are some 7-string guitar players who tune the extra string to High A. In this case, I would recommend staying at 25.5" so the High A isn't over-tensioned (is that even a word, over-tensioned?). I use 0.008 for the High A on my 28" scale 8-string guitar and I dare not to do string bends more than a half step without safety goggles haha.

My experience comes from playing guitar for 9 years and working at Halo Custom Guitars. Hope this helps.

[frshtrx]

review your harmonic minor scales...

[drgamble]

I would go bigger than 11s. I have found that 12s or 13s with a wound third string are best. If you go too light the strings feel like spaghetti. You will have to set your guitar up for this. If you don't know how to do this, you should take it to someone that knows how. The main problem with tuning a regular six string down to B is the intonation. I have also found that some tuning pegs just aren't big enough to fit the .060 string through.

[dante]

Originally Posted by Audio~Geek

I like Ernie Ball Not Even Slinkies for my drop tuned guitar, it's in Drop A# now, fun times!

i've got a steve morse y2d tuned to B with those, and emgs... fun times indeed