Seven-string guitar in jazz

[Luan]

I have an ibanez rg1527 which is a sevenstring, and I have found that not only you have 5 extra low notes (B, C, C#, D and Eb), but also you have the 5th of the chord you are playing with the root on the 6th string and you can alternate the bassline playing root and 5th like in bossa nova, etc,
and of course you can create chord melody arrangements using that string, if you want a Gmaj7 with the lowest G available as a bass note, and the B as the melody note on the 7th fret at the high E string, you can play a chord that don't require stretch by using the 7th string.
Walking bass sounds incredible, and some chords really resonate a lot if you spread the notes a little.
Does anybody use a sevenstring here?

[Walter]

I don't but I have tried it before and liked it. There was a professional who did it, Bucky or Billy something. I saw his signature guitar in a book, a seven-string archtop. Very traditional, except for the extra string. The guitar was a Bendetto I believe.
Anyway, I have found that the seventh string is very useful for chording inversions with the E barre form.

[mr. beaumont]

george van eps essentially invented the seven string. bucky and john pizzarelli, lenny breau (with high A) and many others have done it over the years, but there's not too many vocal 7-stringers over here.

that's right, metal kids. your grandpa invented the seven string.

[Walter]

Heh, I always hear that Steve Vai invented the 7-string, but I always knew to take that with a grain of salt......

[mr. beaumont]

just like al gore invented the internet!

i'm sure there were some seven string guitars made long before george too--after all, the guitar is a descendant of the lute, which certainly has more than six strings. but van eps was the first one to my knowledge, to have a seven string electric guitar made with the expressed purpose of playing jazz on it, with a low A.

he made some solo albums in the sixties where you can really hear it in full glory--soliloquy is my favorite of these. bucky and john are still kicking out the seven string jams, and i think howard alden is still playing one too. jimmy bruno has gone back to six strings, i think. but there's a lot more cats out there rockin' the 7!

to give vai some credit, the rock/metal 7 string may have likely been his idea. I'm pretty sure, when he first showed up with one, he was going high A with 'em too-- not sure now. and yes, since i'm giving credit where credit's due, i believe it was korn who said, hey, why not a low string on these ibanez's again, and they spawned a whole lot of imitators.

i'd love to get into the 7, but on the cheap, in case it's just a passing fancy. sadly, the only seven strings you can get into on a budget are the "heavy metal" 7's, who's looks are one thing, but who's wide, flat, skinny profiled necks and big frets just make 'em unplayable for me.

are you listening ibanez? artcore seven string, @500 bucks. I'd buy one tomorrow.

[Jazzaluk]

Maybe a 7-string Tele...now there's an idea.

[Luan]

george van eps essentially invented the seven string. bucky and john pizzarelli, lenny breau (with high A) and many others have done it over the years, but there's not too many vocal 7-stringers over here.

that's right, metal kids. your grandpa invented the seven string.

Actually, the ones you mentioned aren't either who invented it, the guitar itself has centuries of existence, there were some classical guitars that had it as one string more, not as a drone string.
But yes, Steve Vai made the first production model, thanks to him it is very known.

Maybe a 7-string Tele...now there's an idea.

I will search for one, I've seen some for sure.

Also, yes, steve first wanted a high A but the string always broke, so they used the extra string as a low string.

[bluemood]

How about something like this Kleven 7 string guitar archtop -Jazz Guitar - vintageSB - eBay (item 370168281189 end time Apr-03-09 12:07:39 PDT)

[wizard3739]

Don't forget about Ron Eschete, a master of the 7-string guitar. Ron was the chord melody instructor at G.I.T. for many years. Also, Bucky Pizzerelli (not sure about the spelling). Bucky is actually the guy who got Howard Alden (another master of 7-string) started with a 7- string.

wiz

[bluemood]

How about something like this Kleven 7 string guitar archtop -Jazz Guitar - vintageSB - eBay (item 370168281189 end time Apr-03-09 12:07:39 PDT)

or http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...DLVI%26ps%3D54

[David B]

George Van Eps is the father of the 7 string guitar in jazz. Most 7 string jazz guitarists will have the low string as A below E, rather than a B. So if you play a chord that would usually have its lowest note on the A string (between E and D), you just reach over the low E and play the note on the same fret of the low A string. Gives a bigger and warmer sound to a voicing.

George enjoyed an Indian summer in his career thanks to four albums he recorded with Howard Alden. Howard switched to 7 string by the recording of their third album, 'Seven and Seven'.

Gretsch offered a George Van Eps 7-string signature model in the '60s and '70s: Gretsch Van Eps 7-string

George and Howard playing 'Night and Day':

George playing 'Stompin' At The Savoy':

Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli:

Bucky Pizzarelli and Frank Vignola:

John Pizzarelli:

Steve Herberman:

[Luan]

[mr. beaumont]

yep, luan, that'd be it. too bad they don't make 'em anymore, and they go for over a grand on ebay.

[David B]

Eastman now offer a 7 string version of their El Rey model. Pictures at Eastman Guitars from J Hale Music

[brian evans]

I used to own a custom made 7 string through-neck Tele that Lorne Lofsky had made by 12th Fret in Toronto. Extremely nice guitar. It was originally an 8 string, it was modified to 7 string by Lorne, I think the string spacing didn't work well. I played it with a low A, but I think Lorne played it with a high A on top of a regular tuning.

Brian

[Abaddon2005]

Maybe a 7-string Tele...now there's an idea.

Robert Conti had one with an extra string! ;

[Dookychase]

I have one. Its a St.Charles model from luthier Jimmy Foster. You can see it at Fosterguitars.com

You can also see clips of Jimmy playing.

Also, I did see a tele style 7 string but don't remember what company makes it.

check out Diana Hubka. She's a singer and plays a 7 string.

[David B]

Maybe a 7-string Tele...now there's an idea.

Here you go: Agile T-7 Texan Nat 7 String at HomeOld

[David B]

I have one. Its a St.Charles model from luthier Jimmy Foster. You can see it at Fosterguitars.com

You can also see clips of Jimmy playing.

Jimmy has a video on YouTube explaining how to try out 7 string playing on a 6 string guitar. Tune your A string down to E and the low E string down to A. I've tried this a couple of times recently and although the strings can get a little flappy due to the slackness of the tuning, it's good fun.

[Marcel]

I have an Eastman 810-7. Had it about a year and I'm almost to where I fell real comfortable with it. It's a great guitar. I'm still trying to figure out different chord voicings. I don't think I'll ever go back. the only time I use my 6 string is to teach.

[Dookychase]

Once you get used to hearing that 7th string it's difficult to go back to 6 strings.

Alan DeMause has a book on 7 string playing and Jerry Sims has one on chords.

[Paul Jerome]

Bucky, Howard Alden and Howard Paul (the CEO of Benedetto) play shows together...All play 7 string Benedettos because they endorse each other.
Incredible sound and incredible players.That is one fine piece of expensive equipment. The amps are not cheap either. Usually HENRIKSON ...Bucky uses an old JazzKat too.

[Marcel]

I have a Henrikson 12" combo. It's great. Very nice clean tone and nice and small. I find it nice not having to haul around a big heavy amp. I searched the web and found a real good deal on mine. I didn't consider it that expensive. No more than a Fender Twin or something like that.
I also play bass quite often, and I fimd myself using the henrikson instead of my heavy SWR just because of the weight. I don't have a roady and my wife got tired of lugin my gear for me. LOL

[Paul Jerome]

My partner in our duo PAIRADOCS uses that amp...Dr.Frank DiBussolo.... plays a Benny signature model...that amp is the best....Powerful and small and in that great bag .He added some stuff to it but it is light and easy to move. I have a Roland cube 30X but since i'm not good enough to play on a gig I don't worry about moving. It's light anyway. I have to bring my 250w Fender suitcase P.A. though...that's 100 pounds. I'm the vocalist so I bring it when we need it. On some really small room gigs we play through the P.A. , SURPRIZINGLY, It works nicely.....Just not as great....Maybe someday i'll be good enough, but doubtful...at 62 I don't have the time to get THAT good......need about 25 years...then i'll be like Bucky and still not nearly as good.

[Shadow of the Sun]

The seven string guitar originated in Russia, to my knowledge. If it did not, Russia was where it first saw widespread use.

However, the russian seven string guitar was tuned differently to the seven string used in western music; it was tuned to DGBDGBD, an open tuning.