New Guitar-My new Favourite guitar: a total surprise-7 string tele

[Jimmy blue note]

I'm a 7 string player, so I don't lust after most of what turns on most players here. I have some beautiful 7 string archtops, and I also try out instruments that I can customize for players and sell through my shop.
Being an Ed Bikert fanatic, I've wanted a tele since I heard him when Pure Desmond came out. The idea of a workhorse modest tele I could shlepp to a gig and use as a pure music making tool was an ideal, but who actually made a 7 string that was outfitted for a jazz sound and feel? Never found one.
Until I came across the Michael Kelly 507. I picked one up for a little over $300 and took it to the work bench. Nicely built. I swapped out the pickups for a pair of Duncans, set it up just the way I wanted and...I have fallen in love with it.
Tele type body. Two full octaves. Fingerboard access ALL THE WAY UP! Body tuck cutaways. I put a performaxe on it and it balances with the 45 degree neck up that I play with when I'm playing my archtop. It's got a 26.5 scale so I dropped my string gauge down and it feels amazing and full with lighter strings (.011 on a long scale plays like a .012 on a regular scale-and as a pure electric guitar I can lower the action.) You know that feeling that you get where it seems you can play anything? That's what I'm feeling here.
Think I'm going to have to keep this one.

[rolijen]

Looks really nice! I always wanted to learn 7, but I can barely play 6!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Nice to know! I’ve looked at them many times but bought a Raines Tele 7 a few years ago because I’ve known Matt for over 20 years and he told me that Chris Forshage designed it. It’s very well made and quite versatile. But it has a hint of Tele twang that even a big tone cap doesn’t completely kill through amps or speakers that are at all bright. The best jazz tone I get from it is through my DV Mark EG250 driving my RE bass 10 cab.

I’m ordering a Grote 7 semi based largely on your impressions of it. With your enthusiasm over it, the Kelly is inexpensive enough to go on my list too. The only other one I’ll buy as soon as it appears is an Ibanez AFJ-957 - I need a beater archtop 7.

[Jimmy blue note]

Nice to know! I’ve looked at them many times but bought a Raines Tele 7 a few years ago because I’ve known Matt for over 20 years and he told me that Chris Forshage designed it. It’s very well made and quite versatile. But it has a hint of Tele twang that even a big tone cap doesn’t completely kill through amps or speakers that are at all bright. The best jazz tone I get from it is through my DV Mark EG250 driving my RE bass 10 cab.

I’m ordering a Grote 7 semi based largely on your impressions of it. With your enthusiasm over it, the Kelly is inexpensive enough to go on my list too. The only other one I’ll buy as soon as it appears is an Ibanez AFJ-957 - I need a beater archtop 7.

Yes, I love seeing what's out there, especially with guitars that are inexpensive enough to experiment with. I re-outfit them and what results can be stunning.
I've said it before, the baseline of real quality builds is VERY affordable now and with the knowledge to do self customizing, you can very well build your own dream guitar unlike anything out there and perfect for YOU.
After Mick retired, he gave his Klein to a friend who could play it the way it deserved, but he kept his cheap little Hohner Steinberger was still his favourite guitar, so I re-built the body so it had the leg lift the Klein had and that became everything he could ever want.
These are great times for the self motivated mad scientist who's into tricking out Asian guitars.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

These are great times for the self motivated mad scientist who's into tricking out Asian guitars.

Yes indeed!! Here's my Raines as it came to me -



Here it is now with a Hipshot bridge, Lace Alumitones, Tusq nut, 0.15uF tone cap and excellent setup:

[jim777]

Congrats! What's better than a new favorite guitar?

[GuyBoden]

Excellent, those are two very nice looking 7 string Tele guitars.

Not at the standard of those two, but I built/assembled a 7 String Tele about 10 years ago, I don't play it now, due to the body shape being wrong for my newer style of seated playing. I tuned it E-A-D-G-C-F-A#, but the high treble A# string kept breaking. It has a great Oil City neck pickup.

Here's a dusty recent photo of my sadly neglected 7 String Tele:

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I built/assembled a 7 String Tele about 10 years ago, I don't play it now, due to the body shape being wrong for my newer style of seated playing. I tuned it E-A-D-G-C-F-A#, but the high treble A# string kept breaking. It has a great Oil City neck pickup.

It looks great! Is it a parts guitar or did you make it from scratch? If it were mine, I'd set it up for standard tune plus low A, put on a Hipshot bridge / talipiece and a neck HB, and wail on it.

[Jim Soloway]

I'm a 7 string player, so I don't lust after most of what turns on most players here. I have some beautiful 7 string archtops, and I also try out instruments that I can customize for players and sell through my shop.
Being an Ed Bikert fanatic, I've wanted a tele since I heard him when Pure Desmond came out. The idea of a workhorse modest tele I could shlepp to a gig and use as a pure music making tool was an ideal, but who actually made a 7 string that was outfitted for a jazz sound and feel? Never found one.
Until I came across the Michael Kelly 507. I picked one up for a little over $300 and took it to the work bench. Nicely built. I swapped out the pickups for a pair of Duncans, set it up just the way I wanted and...I have fallen in love with it.
Tele type body. Two full octaves. Fingerboard access ALL THE WAY UP! Body tuck cutaways. I put a performaxe on it and it balances with the 45 degree neck up that I play with when I'm playing my archtop. It's got a 26.5 scale so I dropped my string gauge down and it feels amazing and full with lighter strings (.011 on a long scale plays like a .012 on a regular scale-and as a pure electric guitar I can lower the action.) You know that feeling that you get where it seems you can play anything? That's what I'm feeling here.
Think I'm going to have to keep this one.

I believe that's the same guitar that Steve Herberman bought. He sounds great with his.

[Jimmy blue note]

I don't play it now, due to the body shape being wrong for my newer style of seated playing.

I play sitting down. This performaxe lift is a game changer.

[GuyBoden]

It looks great! Is it a parts guitar or did you make it from scratch?

I bought an unfinished tele body and a few unfinished necks that had a larger 48mm width at the nut. Cut the small head paddle to shape, the 7 mini tuners only just fit. It has a Teak floating bridge.

I play sitting down. This performaxe lift is a game changer.

I changed my playing position, so that the neck is more vertical, I had played upright bass for years, so I find that a more vertical neck position is very comfy and natural. The Strandberg type body shape was the answer for myself. This works well for me, but we are all different shapes and sizes, there's no one solution that fits us all.

Here's a pic of me in my playing position.

[GuyBoden]

I believe that's the same guitar that Steve Herberman bought. He sounds great with his.

Yes, I remember watching Steve Herberman with his tele on youtube, I attended his workshop in the UK many years ago, a great 7 String player. He would sound great on anything.

[Lionelsax]

Yes, I remember watching Steve Herberman with his tele on youtube, I attended his workshop in the UK many years ago, a great 7 String player. He would sound great on anything.

I think its tuning was GDGCFAD

[NSJ]

Err, I have an 8 string fanned fretless Tele. Thank you Victor Baker in San Diego.

[Lionelsax]

Err, I have an 8 string fanned fretless Tele. Thank you Victor Baker in San Diego.

A fanned fretless guitar, that should be such a strange thing !

[GuyBoden]

Err, I have an 8 string fanned fretless Tele. Thank you Victor Baker in San Diego.

Yes, "fanned fretless" that does seem a bit strange. They must be just fret markers.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Yes, "fanned fretless" that does seem a bit strange. They must be just fret markers.

I think “fanned” probably refers to the graduated scale length across the board in this case. Frets (or fret lines) produce the visual illusion of an opened folding fan, but scale expansion is the functional basis of the design. Just calling it multiscale would make more sense to me.