# Opinions on 7 string guitars with a 24.75'' scale?



## elkoki (Mar 16, 2018)

Has anyone tried one? I've seen a couple of 7 string guitars now with 24.75'' scale lengths. The idea of it makes me think the low B will be super floppy and muddy unless you use a very heavy low B, but I image the high strings are very comfortable to play. 

Epiphone has a couple Les Paul's with a 24.75'' scale, 2 of them are Matt Heafy signatures, and Ibanez' has at least 3 that I know of. 

Reason I ask, there's this guitar for sale locally for $100. What makes it more interesting is that it was actually made in Japan in the Fujigen factory. Worth it or not? Or pass? Looks kinda cheap, but if it plays great, and is built well I don't see why not?

http://ibanez.wikia.com/wiki/AX7521


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 16, 2018)

That's a steal. Even if you don't like it you'll easily be able to make your money back. 

Personally, I like the 24.75" scale for all kinds of guitars.


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## Jake (Mar 16, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That's a steal. Even if you don't like it you'll easily be able to make your money back.
> 
> Personally, I like the 24.75" scale for all kinds of guitars.


Agree with Max. I enjoyed my AX7521 a lot.


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## elkoki (Mar 16, 2018)

Jake said:


> Agree with Max. I enjoyed my AX7521 a lot.



Why'd you sell it?


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## KnightBrolaire (Mar 16, 2018)

ehhh.. personally I'd hate 24.75 scale for a 7 string, but that's just because I'm surrounded by 27" and 28" scale guitars and can't fathom going back to flub city. Can't argue with that price though, that's a steal.


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## Jake (Mar 17, 2018)

elkoki said:


> Why'd you sell it?


I was in college, broke and it was an easy flip more or less. Was definitely a well made guitar though.


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## eggy in a bready (Mar 17, 2018)

Grab it and do a high a


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Mar 17, 2018)

My main 6-er is a 24.75, so I have no problem with a 7 in the same scale, or 25" for that matter. Easy enough to up the gauge of lower strings, but it's comfy for me since I've been playing .010's for 30+ years.


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## gujukal (Mar 17, 2018)

Matt Heafy's Epiphone 7 sounded really good live when i saw them, not muddy really. It's probably best to not go much lower than standard though.


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## USMarine75 (Mar 17, 2018)

Sounds perfect to me!

Then again, I have a baritone 25.5".


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## Edika (Mar 17, 2018)

I hear all the time about people saying that 7 strings and 24.75 scale is not a good combination and I'm wondering how bands with 6 string Gibsons in B standard make it work.

I briefly had an Epiphone 7 LP standard made in the Fugijen factory and while it sounded good it was super light and felt plasticky. It also had a bit of hump onon t fretboard due to improper storaging by the previous owner up in the neck where the trussrod could do nothing, so have a good look over the guitar before buying. $100 is really cheap though and if the guitar is ok ok's worth it. My experience so far shows that the thickness of strings really affect the tone of the guitar. If you don't mind the sound of thicker strings then it should be fine with the 24.75 in B standard.


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## cardinal (Mar 17, 2018)

I’ve had several Epiphone and Gibson 7-strings. They sound fantastic at least with a low B. Lots of guys tune 6-string LPs to B and sound great. 

If you want to tune below B, it might not be the best choice. Or if you must smash the strings when you pick. But for low B and with reasonable attack, it’s great.


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## Shask (Mar 17, 2018)

I am sure it will be fine, unless you are uber-anal about string tension.


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## BillCosby (Mar 17, 2018)

gujukal said:


> Matt Heafy's Epiphone 7 sounded really good live when i saw them, not muddy really. It's probably best to not go much lower than standard though.



They play a half step down and even have some songs in drop Ab.


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## gujukal (Mar 17, 2018)

BillCosby said:


> They play a half step down and even have some songs in drop Ab.


Majority is B standard on their sevenstring songs. I know they have like one song in drop Ab, but that would start to sound muddy on that scale, if you don't want super sloppy strings.


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## BillCosby (Mar 17, 2018)

gujukal said:


> Majority is B standard on their sevenstring songs. I know they have like one song in drop Ab, but that would start to sound muddy on that scale, if you don't want super sloppy strings.



No, I mean, they transpose everything a half step down live from In Waves and prior, and everything after that is already a half step down on the albums and live. 

My point is, anyway, that having a shorter scale doesn't automatically mean mud. He uses EMGs and is a very clean player, so even tuned down he has a clear tone.


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## auxioluck (Mar 17, 2018)

I'll be honest, I used to pluck around on one of those when I used to work in a music store (we had a used one). It was honestly really fun to play.


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## AkiraSpectrum (Mar 17, 2018)

$100? Buy it now!

A lot of people are increasingly becoming biased towards regular and short-scale 7 string guitars. Is it true that shorter scale guitars are often more warm, deep, bass heavy than longer scale guitars? Yes. But this doesn't mean all you get is mud from these guitars. With the right settings it need not be muddy; especially if you have a tight bridge pickup (e.g. Dimarzio Titan).

The stock pickups in that guitar are likely going to be a little muddy but i'm sure with a little bit of EQ it will sound relatively fine; if not, try a tight bridge pickup.

In terms of tension, this is up to player's preference and even sometimes the guitar itself. 

I have a PRS SE-7 (25") in Drop A and it plays and sounds great (although I did upgrade pickups). I have no issues with tension using 10-59 gauge strings. I even drop to Drop Ab sometimes and am happy with the results. 

Ultimately the only way you'll know if you like it or not is to try it for yourself and for $100 that guitar is an absolute steal.


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## Vyn (Mar 17, 2018)

Have played the Matt Heafy 7 and it's definitely on my list of shit to buy once I've finished my live rig. Felt great, played awesome and had a good tone acoustically which is always a good sign. Didn't find the scale length to be a problem.


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## Strobe (Mar 17, 2018)

Bandmate has a Matt Heafy. I prefer longer scale, but it is a nice guitar overall and I have no qualms with its feel in standard tuning, was even ok in drop A. Felt like a les paul if that is your jam.


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## Flappydoodle (Mar 18, 2018)

They absolutely work, if set up well

The main problem is that short scale guitars usually aren't "meant" to be used with low tunings. But since that's a 7 string, we assume it can at least handle a low B.

So you'll need to put on thicker strings, make sure the nut is cut properly, adjust the truss rod for the higher tension etc. It's $100 man - go for it!


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## GenghisCoyne (Mar 18, 2018)

you dont need that big of a string to have a good B on that scale. i wouldnt join a meshuggah cover band with it but no lower that B youre absolutely fine.


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## Chokey Chicken (Mar 18, 2018)

I played A standard on a heafy sig. Sounded great. For $100, buy .


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Mar 18, 2018)

They’re fine. As long as you dont wanna tune it down too low. Otherwise you’re gonna just have to use a hella thick string to compensate for the lack of tension. They handle B and A standard fine


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Mar 18, 2018)

This was actually my first 7.


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## elkoki (Mar 18, 2018)

HUGH JAYNUS said:


> This was actually my first 7.



The Japanese AX7521? How was it? or did you have the Korean AX7221? I can see why those could be confused.

I plan to pick it up early this week most likely


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Mar 19, 2018)

I had the korean 7221. Honestly it was alright. Made a few upgrades and it played pretty good. Still pales in comparison to a Prestige. But easily worth $100. Just make sure to make a few upgrades. I’ll recommend some:
Pickups (obviously)
Locking Tuners
Nut
Electronics
Bridge. I just put Hipshot saddles on the stock baseplate. You can order them from Hipshot directly


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## bostjan (Mar 19, 2018)

It all depends on your expectations, really.

A longer scale length will sound brighter and clearer, all else being equal, but sometimes mass produced guitars sound muddy because of the electronics, or have that sort of boxy, mid-focused tone that is actually kind of pleasant to the ears, but masks muddiness really well.

The other side of this is that 25.5" is really not that much more than 24.75" when you think about it. People who tune down to G, F#, F or E might be able to pull it off on a 24.75" scale, but really, if they could do so on a 25.5" scale, they could most likely do it on a 24.75" scale, all else being equal.

Any model Ibanez has made is respectable. The AX series isn't the most sought-after, and there are some reasons for that, but with the right upgrades, these can make great workhorse guitars.

If you're tuning it with a low B, don't worry about it; low B isn't that low, really. If you are going to tune it to drop F or something, then I would recommend something a little more suited for that, if you have the money.


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## goobaba (Mar 19, 2018)

Scale length is way more of a feel thing than a sound thing. Of course lots of people (especially on this site) would argue otherwise so put your hands on it and decide for yourself.

For $100 just do it haha


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## elkoki (Mar 19, 2018)

HUGH JAYNUS said:


> I had the korean 7221. Honestly it was alright. Made a few upgrades and it played pretty good. Still pales in comparison to a Prestige. But easily worth $100. Just make sure to make a few upgrades. I’ll recommend some:
> Pickups (obviously)
> Locking Tuners
> Nut
> ...



I will likely swap the pickups out, the tuners are the stock Gotoh ones, they're likely good enough. The nut possibly will be replaced. it'll just be a guitar to mess around with, I don't need it to be perfect. Besides you haven't even played the guitar bro! How do you know it needs all those upgrades lol. I already got a good quality 7 string Schecter. This will be a nice addition, or if I don't like it i'll just sell it.


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## QuantumCybin (Mar 19, 2018)

I have a PRS SE 7 in drop Ab, 25 inch scale but I put a 68 on the low B string to compensate; works comfortably for me!


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## Vyn (Mar 19, 2018)

A band I completely forgot to mention that makes use of 24.75 is Nile. Yes they mainly use 6's but they are in Drop A on Dean ML's with 24.75" scale (they do have a few different scale length guitars, the 27inch KxK's and the like) but live and most of the time in the studio they use the 24.75" guitars.


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## Andromalia (Mar 20, 2018)

100$ ? Buy one for me then


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## Winspear (Mar 20, 2018)

bostjan said:


> The other side of this is that 25.5" is really not that much more than 24.75" when you think about it. People who tune down to G, F#, F or E might be able to pull it off on a 24.75" scale, but really, if they could do so on a 25.5" scale, they could most likely do it on a 24.75" scale, all else being equal.



This! Both are perfectly adequate for 7 string standard tuning with regular tension, as gauges around 60 still sound ok. Get much above 65 and the tone starts to struggle. This is true for both 25.5 and 24.75, and with very little difference, all else equal. 25.5 allows you to use half a gauge thinner set than 24.75, no huge change. I wouldn't want to tune much below B at all on a 24.75, but I would not consider 25.5 much of an improvement at all and nobody bats an eyelid at that scale length. I definitely prefer around 27 for tunings from G to A though.


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## elkoki (Mar 20, 2018)

Just picked it up today. It actually plays very nicely and sounds great. The B isn't as floppy as I imagined. I think it has a 58 and it's not too bad. I got a spare .62 around here that might add a little more tension. I think it can do drop A with no issues at all. The quality on this Japanese guitar is great. The frets are nice and there's very little buzz if any. This is a 1999 Fujigen model. It's in great condition for the age. The tuners are Gotoh and keep in tune very well. The only thing I would love to swap out are the pickups, these are pretty warm sounding with not a lot of aggression. Pretty standard Ibanez pickups, kinda weak, a bit muddy. I imagine with some nice pickups this guitar will sound great. Completely worth the $100


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## jwade (Mar 20, 2018)

I friggin love tuning to dropped A on my SG, so much so that I built myself a 7 string version. My preference is 64-70 for the low A (usually a 68), and then a normal 48-whatever set.


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## odibrom (Mar 20, 2018)

Shorter scale lengths allow for... tuning up! Instead of a low B, go for a high A... or not...

... and a HNGD! now you owe us some pics.


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## Power2theMetal (Mar 21, 2018)

I loathe that body style, but I'd pick it up just for the flip. People are always looking for a MIJ Ibby, and you'll be good to go. Best of luck!


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