Moar 7 String Love?

[SabrePanzer]

I know that the 7-string stuff is more of a niche thing for Warmoth compared to the Strat and Tele items (and thus probably the reason why I figure that not TOO much would be done for 7-string guitars), but I've been really wanting to build myself a custom 7-string guitar for a while, and it kinda-sorta pains me to see that Warmoth doesn't really have many ready-to-build options.

I mean... I'd certainly be interested in buying myself a 7-string body blank to carve my own body. I'd also love a right hand reverse 7-string Paddle neck to carve an "Ibanez"-style or possibly even my own style of headstock. I like the RHRev look a lot more on sevens than the standard right hand orientation. Heck, there's not even a left-hand orientation for the Paddle either! I mean, the lefties might be luckier considering they could possibly just order the right hand orientation neck without a nut and just slap on it a lefty nut to have their own reverse headstock thing... But gah.

And I don't wanna do the custom design thing either, because that costs a heck of a lot more than what I want to spend. So I kinda compiled a very short list of options that I'd like to see in the future, should the folks at Warmoth be interested:

-7 String Paddle in all orientations (Right Hand, Left Hand, and Right Hand Reverse)
-7 String Body Blank in both RH and LH orientations (For those who want something other than the standard 7 string bodies that Warmoth produces, but don't want to carve their own including the special neck pocket)
-An old-school vintage Corvette-style Gretsch 4x2 headstock (unrelated to the 7-string stuff, but it would be neat to have in the standard two-on-top four-on-bottom layout on some other guitar body)

 

[line6man]

What is a right handed reverse paddle headstock?

 

[bagman67]

Good question.  If it's a paddle, as long as it has the side-dots installed, you can make it reverse, obverse, perverse... whatever you want.

 

[line6man]

Good question.  If it's a paddle, as long as it has the side-dots installed, you can make it reverse, obverse, perverse... whatever you want.

I'm averse to reverse. My friend (a nurse) was quite terse in explaining the curse of a reverse paddle headstock. She could not coerce a decent note out of the thing, as she attempted to traverse the fretboard. (And this was on the Ibanez Universe that beat the hell out of her purse.) Rehearsing each verse carefully, she conversed with Warmoth about the issue, hoping that they would reimburse her before she immersed the accursed thing in lighter fluid. Warmoth wouldn't budge, so she drove her hearse down to the most perverse place she could think of, and let the ashes disperse. But it gets worse! I am going to subject everyone to more of my very bad creative writing!  :evil4: :evil4:

But seriously, I would like to see more 7 string offerings, as well. AFAIK, Warmoth is the only game in town for 7 string parts. I think they could draw in some business with the right marketing.

 

[bagman67]

I must asperse you for your free verse  No need to immerse us in your curse.

 

[zebra]

It seems like they don't sell many of them, so they don't want to bother to tool up/program CNCs for it.  They almost never have anything 7-string in stock in the showcase.  But I agree with you, I'd like to see a little bit more...engagement. 

I posted a request for forum members to post and discuss their 7-string projects, and no one bit.  Or perhaps, there was no one to bite.  I'm neither a metalhead nor a fusion-dude, but everyone every so often, I find myself descending a scale and wanting to go just a little bit deeper...I'll pull the trigger one of these days, but too many other ideas ahead of it in line...

 

[Cagey]

It would seem to be a pretty limited market, but an American distributor of South Korean guitars has a constantly varying selection of 7, 8, and 9 string guitars that are of surprisingly high quality and reasonably priced. If you don't see anything you like, just wait. The selection changes constantly. Then, for the price, it's a pretty low-risk buy.

Personally, I have a hard enough time with 6 strings that I'm not going to try to handle more than that, but I've bought and seen others buy a number of instruments from these guys and nobody has ever been disappointed. You get thirty days to decide if you're happy.

 

[Badside]

But seriously, I would like to see more 7 string offerings, as well. AFAIK, Warmoth is the only game in town for 7 string parts. I think they could draw in some business with the right marketing.

Actually Musikraft makes 7-strings bodies and necks, in classic Strat styles too.
But I can't find a single example of one online (only thing I found is someone who replaced his Squier 7-string Strat neck with a Musikraft)

I could do with Warmoth's unique body shape for the 7-strings (does have nice upper fret access), but I can't deal with the scale length options. I've had a PRS SE Custom 24 7-strings and I never ever want another low B string in 25" scale, too sloppy. On the other hand 28 5/8" is too much... The point of a baritone scale is to be able to tune to B (or so) in 6-string format without using big strings. But if you're hoping to tune the top 6-strings to regular tuning, it's going to be tight as hell and the high-E will break all the time.

I want 25.5" and/or 26.5" scales, these are the ones that make the most sense IMHO. You would think it wouldn't be that hard to offer it in standard Fender scale.

As someone in the market for a more traditional 7-strings with a thicker neck (asymmetrical would be even better) and a traditional trem (Hipshot makes a nice one), I'm having trouble finding what I want. MusicMan makes a 7-string with a non-locking trem, but neck is too wide and thin for my taste. Musikraft will do it, but I would like better upper fret access cause I want 24-frets. The Warmoth body would do, but they don't have the neck that I want to go with it and don't offer Hipshot trem routing.

Perhaps Warmoth doesn't sell enough 7-strings to expand the options, but the current options suck so nobody is buying. If you've been to the 7 strings forum, some people pay fortunes to have 7-string custom made, they'd be happy to shave off a grand or so by assembling it themselves.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

For the approximate year that I worked at Warmoth, perhaps 3 requests came in, and subsequent orders for anything 7 string.  Only a handful of inquiries besides that.

The market is minuscule at best for ERG's (Extended Range Guitars) compared to the 99.9% of the Strat/Tele biz that Warmoth does.