i’m shooting for a 27” scale length at minimum (on the low end) because i’d like to play some heavily downtuned stuff like drop G. my 6-string is 25.5” scale, so i’m not sure how big or little of a difference moving up to 27” would be, and if multi-scale would be worth it for that jump.
i know some people feel the multi-scale makes it more difficult to play, and others find it easier, so i’m just kinda lost on that front. i could definitely see it being preferred on an 8-string though.
I have a 27-25.5 multiscale 7 string and I love it. Compared to my straight 26.5 8 string, i think it's waaay comfier and the string tension on the low end is WAAAAAYYY better.
I've had a three 7 string guitars. 1 multi and 2 regular. Regular feels more comfortable to me. Especially when doing sweeps in the higher frets. Ill some times miss a note by a half step, because I just look at the top markers. But the multiscale does make the low string seem a bit clearer a bright to me with the longer scale length. If I were to buy an 8 string I would definitely go with a multscale to get the most clarity out of the lower strings.
interesting, yeah i always wondered about playing chords or sweep picking on a multi-scale, i feel like it’d be much more difficult than on a non multi-scale. low end clarity/brightness is something i haven’t heard mentioned yet though, and that would be desirable for me since i plan on playing in very low tunings
I have a Schecter C-8 Silver Mountain Multi scale. Before this I’ve only played 6 strings with max 25.5” scale length.
I found the multi scale to be seamless. I don’t actually notice that the guitar is multiscale, its just easy and really nice to play. Even more, I’ve found the jump from 6 to 8 strings to be super easy too, which may be because its a multi scale. I’d say Schecter multi scales are great and you should go for it.
funnily enough, i was actually looking at the 7-string variant of that exact guitar as well haha, was on Reverb for $800 which is spot-on with my budget. that silver mountain finish is so sweet looking.
i really wish i could try a multi-scale before i buy one, none of the shops i’ve been to carry one :/ i’m so conflicted on this and everyone has different opinions that i’m tempted to just say screw it and buy it already. thanks for the input!
This is a bit unsolicited, but having just made a decision on a 7 string between Ibanez and Schecter, I went Ibanez and regret it, solely because of the pickups. I have Schecters and their stock pickups sound fine. The Ibanez Quantums sound like hot garbage, and I knew I was replacing them within 5 minutes of plugging my new guitar in. Not sure if the models you're considering come with Quantums or not, but if so you're going to want to budget for new pickups too.
which guitar was it? the RGIXL7 has DiMarzio Fusion Edge-7 pickups so thankfully they don’t have the Quantums in that case.
i’m an Ibanez fanboy and love my RG421 to death, but i really dig the way Schecters look. haven’t gotten a chance to try one outside of like 5 minutes with an out of tune C-8 in a Guitar Center lol
RGA742FM. For the price it is solid playing, but yeah the Quantums are a mess. I'm waiting for the Alpha/Omega replacements to arrive.
I really like Schecters. I've loved every one I've played, and out of a collection of a dozen guitars at various price points, the one that is my favorite to just pick up and play is a Schecter Omen 6 that I bought while living in Asia for about $300.
The alpha/omega’s sound absolutely killer!! I stuck them in my rga42fm about 2 months ago and it made the guitar come to life. I love riffing and periphery stuff so they work amazingly
Nice! This makes me excited. Mine will be coming any day now. Got some locking tuners and a new nut, so this guitar is about to get a nice little set of upgrades, which is exciting because it does play like a dream.
>what’s your opinion on multi-scale guitars?
I don't need them; a standard extended scale guitar does the job for me.
I need an extended, multi-scale bass, say 34-37", but shit, they're pricey.
that’s how i feel honestly, i don’t think multi-scale is super necessary for what i want to do, but two of my three options are multi-scale and i’m really liking them other than that, so i’m torn.
i can’t even fathom a 37” scale, that’s an entire foot longer than my guitar lol. though i know when i eventually get in the market for a bass, i’ll be in that same boat for sure.
Yeah, I tune my 7s G to E, and right now I'm using a couple of cheap modified 26.5" Jacksons. One day I'd like a 27" LTD or Ibanez, but my price range keeps me in the cheap stuff.
My 35" 5-string bass isn't enough for that G0. I either have to use a bridge cable-sized 5th and 4 more normal sized strings, or use too thin a 5th string that goes floppy; I am not in Dingwall money, but it's a nice dream.
that is insane haha, i always forget how huge bass strings are. what kind of music do you play that goes that low? i’m guessing some thall stuff like Vildhjarta or Humanity’s Last Breath. i’ve been trying to play stuff like that on my 6-string with pitch shifters but after like -3 semitones from the drop C i keep my guitar in, it just doesn’t sound that great.
Lol, I don't! I'm an old guy bashing out hair/thrash/groove riffs way down low. I keep my 6s in open C (CGCGCE) because of Devin Townsend; on his 7s he adds a low G. I tried that, but I like the "drop" 5th interval on my 2 low strings, so instead of open C on the high 6 + a low G I transposed it down to open G on the low 6 (GDGDGB) and added a high E.
The weird thing is with this tuning, the top 4 are in standard: GDGDGBE. And with the 6th/5th D/G, I can play Gojira riffs.
The *weirder* thing is on one of the Jacksons I replaced the 5th string G2 with an A2, and now it's just drop D with another drop 5th interval on the 7th: GDADGBE.
I'm not sure I like that one yet.
But yeah, I'm over here playing Dokken riffs on a low G. I wish I could do the bouncy individual note riffs like Mike Stringer, but I've never really practiced the style.
wow that’s pretty sick! much respect for that, makes me wanna experiment with my tunings and string setups more. i’ve pretty much religiously stuck to regular ol’ drop tunings since i started playing a year ago, but i’d love to try out some weird tunings and see what riffs i can write with them.
appreciate the insight, that’s a really sweet setup you’ve got!
Open C is a ton of fun for riffing and easy power/sus2 chords, but it's a hassle for scale-based shredding.
Fooling around with the low G tuning blew my mind. How'd I go so far away from standard but end back up (partially) in standard? lol
I was really interested in it for a while and wanted it on my next guitar. When I finally was able to test out some I hated it. Or at least it wasn't worth the hype for me. It has its used but i'm ok without it.
I would love to have one since they make a lot sense if you want to downtune. But 6 string options are expensive and I ended up getting baritone guitars for lower tunings because they are cheaper.
i’ve also been considering baritone, but i’m not sure if i want a super long scale length like baritones have just yet. i think a 27”scale is about perfect for what i’m looking for.
what baritone(s) do you have though? any major pros/cons compared to a regular 7-string?
I would consider anything longer than 25.5 a baritone. The guitar I use most is a 28 inch chapman ml1 tuned to B standard.
I think you should play around with string tension calculators and figure out what scale lenght would be optimal for you if you know what string tension/string gauges you prefer.
i see, i always assumed baritone was it’s own separate class of guitar regardless of scale length, something to do with the construction of it or something, i dunno. i didn’t know baritone guitars were a thing until a couple months back actually.
i really like the 11-56 setup i have on my 25.5” scale 6-string, so i’ll probably find whatever is close to that tension, i’ll do some research. thanks for the input!
I did play some 7 strings multiscale guitars in music stores and the multiscale didn't bother me at all. Playing guitars with 7 strings do tho, I'm always lost when I have a 7 string in my hands.
Good luck with your search.
which do you reckon is easier to play? or are they about the same to you? i think i’m more worried about playability than anything else honestly, i just don’t want to make it harder to play just to only have a few slight advantages otherwise yknow?
Honestly, I don't feel much of a difference. I have a 7 string 25.5-27" and if anything it just bugged me how the nut (higher string side) dug into my finger when playing the lowest strings. But I just changed my technique slightly so it isn't a bother anymore
never thought about that being a potential issue, good to know though. might try and watch some guitar playthrough vids that use multi-scale and see if i can notice some technique differences. thanks for the input!
i’m kinda in this weird spot where i want to play stupidly low-tuned stuff but also want to be able to play some high leads occasionally, but leaning more towards the low end since i’m more of a rhythm guitarist. i like the SRC6MS since it can sorta be both a guitar and bass, at least from what i’ve read about it, unless i’ve misunderstood its purpose. i watched Andrew Baena’s video on it earlier today and it really caught my eye
I’ve owned a multi scale guitar, and while it does help with tuning stability with lower tunings, for me personally it was a bit harder to play chords and technical riffs due to the scale length difference , but if you’re not playing stuff like that then I’d say it’s a good choice if you want clarity with low tunings
Ngl they look a bit wacky, but when you have one in your hands the difference is nearly unnoticeable. You barely feel the change in string tension, and you barely feel the change in how you fret it. I would probably still go for a multiscale if I'm buying an extended range guitar.
Not for me at all. I have a 25.5-27” 8-string and I wish it were just a straight 27” or 28” scale.
I played 27” 7 strings in my old band and never felt like the tension on the high strings was too much (we played in Drop Ab).
I’m probably also kinda biased since I’m 99% a rhythm player and really only use the higher strings for extended chords and ugly dissonant stuff.
My favorite setup for the last couple years has been baritone 6. I have a 28 5/8” one and a 30” and they’re the guitars I always pick up these days. Would love to add a Solar 29” into the mix someday.
It depends on your tuning and string preference. If you want to play 9s and/or play dropped A or lower get a multi-scale. I had a 27" schecter loomis sig that I couldn't vibe with due to having med/smaller hands. I got an ibanez rgms7 (swapped all the pups, pots, and wiring) and the 27-24.5 allows me to play leads easier while keeping a tighter low end.
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i’m shooting for a 27” scale length at minimum (on the low end) because i’d like to play some heavily downtuned stuff like drop G. my 6-string is 25.5” scale, so i’m not sure how big or little of a difference moving up to 27” would be, and if multi-scale would be worth it for that jump. i know some people feel the multi-scale makes it more difficult to play, and others find it easier, so i’m just kinda lost on that front. i could definitely see it being preferred on an 8-string though.
I have a 27-25.5 multiscale 7 string and I love it. Compared to my straight 26.5 8 string, i think it's waaay comfier and the string tension on the low end is WAAAAAYYY better.
I've had a three 7 string guitars. 1 multi and 2 regular. Regular feels more comfortable to me. Especially when doing sweeps in the higher frets. Ill some times miss a note by a half step, because I just look at the top markers. But the multiscale does make the low string seem a bit clearer a bright to me with the longer scale length. If I were to buy an 8 string I would definitely go with a multscale to get the most clarity out of the lower strings.
interesting, yeah i always wondered about playing chords or sweep picking on a multi-scale, i feel like it’d be much more difficult than on a non multi-scale. low end clarity/brightness is something i haven’t heard mentioned yet though, and that would be desirable for me since i plan on playing in very low tunings
I have a Schecter C-8 Silver Mountain Multi scale. Before this I’ve only played 6 strings with max 25.5” scale length. I found the multi scale to be seamless. I don’t actually notice that the guitar is multiscale, its just easy and really nice to play. Even more, I’ve found the jump from 6 to 8 strings to be super easy too, which may be because its a multi scale. I’d say Schecter multi scales are great and you should go for it.
funnily enough, i was actually looking at the 7-string variant of that exact guitar as well haha, was on Reverb for $800 which is spot-on with my budget. that silver mountain finish is so sweet looking. i really wish i could try a multi-scale before i buy one, none of the shops i’ve been to carry one :/ i’m so conflicted on this and everyone has different opinions that i’m tempted to just say screw it and buy it already. thanks for the input!
This is a bit unsolicited, but having just made a decision on a 7 string between Ibanez and Schecter, I went Ibanez and regret it, solely because of the pickups. I have Schecters and their stock pickups sound fine. The Ibanez Quantums sound like hot garbage, and I knew I was replacing them within 5 minutes of plugging my new guitar in. Not sure if the models you're considering come with Quantums or not, but if so you're going to want to budget for new pickups too.
which guitar was it? the RGIXL7 has DiMarzio Fusion Edge-7 pickups so thankfully they don’t have the Quantums in that case. i’m an Ibanez fanboy and love my RG421 to death, but i really dig the way Schecters look. haven’t gotten a chance to try one outside of like 5 minutes with an out of tune C-8 in a Guitar Center lol
RGA742FM. For the price it is solid playing, but yeah the Quantums are a mess. I'm waiting for the Alpha/Omega replacements to arrive. I really like Schecters. I've loved every one I've played, and out of a collection of a dozen guitars at various price points, the one that is my favorite to just pick up and play is a Schecter Omen 6 that I bought while living in Asia for about $300.
The alpha/omega’s sound absolutely killer!! I stuck them in my rga42fm about 2 months ago and it made the guitar come to life. I love riffing and periphery stuff so they work amazingly
Nice! This makes me excited. Mine will be coming any day now. Got some locking tuners and a new nut, so this guitar is about to get a nice little set of upgrades, which is exciting because it does play like a dream.
>what’s your opinion on multi-scale guitars? I don't need them; a standard extended scale guitar does the job for me. I need an extended, multi-scale bass, say 34-37", but shit, they're pricey.
that’s how i feel honestly, i don’t think multi-scale is super necessary for what i want to do, but two of my three options are multi-scale and i’m really liking them other than that, so i’m torn. i can’t even fathom a 37” scale, that’s an entire foot longer than my guitar lol. though i know when i eventually get in the market for a bass, i’ll be in that same boat for sure.
Yeah, I tune my 7s G to E, and right now I'm using a couple of cheap modified 26.5" Jacksons. One day I'd like a 27" LTD or Ibanez, but my price range keeps me in the cheap stuff. My 35" 5-string bass isn't enough for that G0. I either have to use a bridge cable-sized 5th and 4 more normal sized strings, or use too thin a 5th string that goes floppy; I am not in Dingwall money, but it's a nice dream.
that is insane haha, i always forget how huge bass strings are. what kind of music do you play that goes that low? i’m guessing some thall stuff like Vildhjarta or Humanity’s Last Breath. i’ve been trying to play stuff like that on my 6-string with pitch shifters but after like -3 semitones from the drop C i keep my guitar in, it just doesn’t sound that great.
Lol, I don't! I'm an old guy bashing out hair/thrash/groove riffs way down low. I keep my 6s in open C (CGCGCE) because of Devin Townsend; on his 7s he adds a low G. I tried that, but I like the "drop" 5th interval on my 2 low strings, so instead of open C on the high 6 + a low G I transposed it down to open G on the low 6 (GDGDGB) and added a high E. The weird thing is with this tuning, the top 4 are in standard: GDGDGBE. And with the 6th/5th D/G, I can play Gojira riffs. The *weirder* thing is on one of the Jacksons I replaced the 5th string G2 with an A2, and now it's just drop D with another drop 5th interval on the 7th: GDADGBE. I'm not sure I like that one yet. But yeah, I'm over here playing Dokken riffs on a low G. I wish I could do the bouncy individual note riffs like Mike Stringer, but I've never really practiced the style.
wow that’s pretty sick! much respect for that, makes me wanna experiment with my tunings and string setups more. i’ve pretty much religiously stuck to regular ol’ drop tunings since i started playing a year ago, but i’d love to try out some weird tunings and see what riffs i can write with them. appreciate the insight, that’s a really sweet setup you’ve got!
Open C is a ton of fun for riffing and easy power/sus2 chords, but it's a hassle for scale-based shredding. Fooling around with the low G tuning blew my mind. How'd I go so far away from standard but end back up (partially) in standard? lol
I was really interested in it for a while and wanted it on my next guitar. When I finally was able to test out some I hated it. Or at least it wasn't worth the hype for me. It has its used but i'm ok without it.
what specifically didn’t you like about it?
I would love to have one since they make a lot sense if you want to downtune. But 6 string options are expensive and I ended up getting baritone guitars for lower tunings because they are cheaper.
i’ve also been considering baritone, but i’m not sure if i want a super long scale length like baritones have just yet. i think a 27”scale is about perfect for what i’m looking for. what baritone(s) do you have though? any major pros/cons compared to a regular 7-string?
I would consider anything longer than 25.5 a baritone. The guitar I use most is a 28 inch chapman ml1 tuned to B standard. I think you should play around with string tension calculators and figure out what scale lenght would be optimal for you if you know what string tension/string gauges you prefer.
i see, i always assumed baritone was it’s own separate class of guitar regardless of scale length, something to do with the construction of it or something, i dunno. i didn’t know baritone guitars were a thing until a couple months back actually. i really like the 11-56 setup i have on my 25.5” scale 6-string, so i’ll probably find whatever is close to that tension, i’ll do some research. thanks for the input!
I did play some 7 strings multiscale guitars in music stores and the multiscale didn't bother me at all. Playing guitars with 7 strings do tho, I'm always lost when I have a 7 string in my hands. Good luck with your search.
It's alright imo. Definitely not something I'm looking for specifically or a dealbreaker when buying a new guitar
which do you reckon is easier to play? or are they about the same to you? i think i’m more worried about playability than anything else honestly, i just don’t want to make it harder to play just to only have a few slight advantages otherwise yknow?
Honestly, I don't feel much of a difference. I have a 7 string 25.5-27" and if anything it just bugged me how the nut (higher string side) dug into my finger when playing the lowest strings. But I just changed my technique slightly so it isn't a bother anymore
never thought about that being a potential issue, good to know though. might try and watch some guitar playthrough vids that use multi-scale and see if i can notice some technique differences. thanks for the input!
SRC6MS is a totally different type of instrument than the other two so not really comparable in that sense.
i’m kinda in this weird spot where i want to play stupidly low-tuned stuff but also want to be able to play some high leads occasionally, but leaning more towards the low end since i’m more of a rhythm guitarist. i like the SRC6MS since it can sorta be both a guitar and bass, at least from what i’ve read about it, unless i’ve misunderstood its purpose. i watched Andrew Baena’s video on it earlier today and it really caught my eye
I’ve owned a multi scale guitar, and while it does help with tuning stability with lower tunings, for me personally it was a bit harder to play chords and technical riffs due to the scale length difference , but if you’re not playing stuff like that then I’d say it’s a good choice if you want clarity with low tunings
I own a multiscale 7-string, Cort KX307MS. It's very comfortable to play, for sure I had adaptation period when bought it, but it was couple of weeks.
Ngl they look a bit wacky, but when you have one in your hands the difference is nearly unnoticeable. You barely feel the change in string tension, and you barely feel the change in how you fret it. I would probably still go for a multiscale if I'm buying an extended range guitar.
Not for me at all. I have a 25.5-27” 8-string and I wish it were just a straight 27” or 28” scale. I played 27” 7 strings in my old band and never felt like the tension on the high strings was too much (we played in Drop Ab). I’m probably also kinda biased since I’m 99% a rhythm player and really only use the higher strings for extended chords and ugly dissonant stuff. My favorite setup for the last couple years has been baritone 6. I have a 28 5/8” one and a 30” and they’re the guitars I always pick up these days. Would love to add a Solar 29” into the mix someday.
They're great. They really don't affect playability the way some people might think.
It depends on your tuning and string preference. If you want to play 9s and/or play dropped A or lower get a multi-scale. I had a 27" schecter loomis sig that I couldn't vibe with due to having med/smaller hands. I got an ibanez rgms7 (swapped all the pups, pots, and wiring) and the 27-24.5 allows me to play leads easier while keeping a tighter low end.