# 7 String classical guitars



## Zoltta

I know there was a huge thread on this with a list of them but i cant seem to find it under the search so ill try here. Im looking for the best value 7 string classical, not acoustic. But a list of acoustics would be good too incase i dont find what im looking for. I know alot of people talk about the Giannini 7 acoustic electric classical seen here:

Giannini GWNFLE 7 - 7 String Acoustic Electric Classical w/Softcase

Would this be the best bang for my buck? I dont want to spend a fortune but i want something of decent value. Im also looking for Nylon strings which this has so it seems perfect. Anyone own one of these?


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## bulletbass man

Eh that's probably the best deal you can get. A high end classical is going to be in the 2 grand range for a 7 (if not a bit more). So for a decent classical thats a pretty good price. Decent specs (Pau ferraro and marado aint the best but they're decent).

Don't know about craftsmanship but they seem pretty well recommended around here.

A 7 string classical is going to have decent resell value anyways due to it's rarity.


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## technomancer

As Tom said it's really the ONLY game in town unless you want to spend a couple of grand. I like mine (I have that exact model) though I honestly don't find myself playing it much. There was also a rumor going around that they had stopped making those.


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## Kotex

I can take that off your hands if you don't want it?


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## zak

Hi guys, I'm just wondering what kind of repertoire is out there for a 7 string classical? I know its a traditional russian instrument, but have people actually done arrangements for it and such? I know a guy in the CGQ and LAGQ both have one, but in terms of solo material, much or any?


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## bulletbass man

There isn't too much. Most of the guys who use them just make arrangements to fit the 7 or write thier own materials. 

Most the extended range classical instruments aren't tuned like a modern 7.


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## Dyingsea

Some baroque music commands a lower note bass note or two. I'd hardly buy a seven string classical just because it's a seven string and you play one as an electric. You'll spend 99.9&#37; of your time on the standard six learning classical guitar.


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## SirDJE3

I've the pleasure of this same model. And at a little over 380 (give or take a 20 spot), you beat the $507 I paid for mine. It feels worth much more to me when I play it. My other 3 guitars and my mandolin all hang on the wall and collect dust. Psst. Hey buddy! Wanna buy a guitar? Seriously, get the fuckin guitar. It isn't an impulse by if you've been mulling it over for 4 months. Happy Playing


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## ghoti

I've got the classical model (no cutaway), for which I paid just a little less than this model. Interesting that on this website it is advertised for more, though the retail it's marked down from is lower.

Aside from an issue with the equalizer/battery box (broken) and a couple dings it had, it is really a nice guitar. Makes me wish I'd waited until this became available.


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## ronjazz

I grabbed the electrified model for about $325; immediately replaced the piezo with a K & K transducer system. It works, although it's not a "fine" instrument; I'm thinking of upgrading to the thin-body cutaway model and customizing the electronics with K & K or B-Band, or even RMC, which I have in two 6-strings and really is great, but pricey. The 7-string approach I use is mostly low A for jazz, bossas, sambas, etc., with the low B available for Brazilian-style stuff, and whatever tuning is needed for classical pieces. If you haven't already, check out Paul Galbraith: 8-string classical with high A and low B, really excellent playing and sound.


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## AliceAxe

Most of the classical nylon 7 strings that I've seen are Russian, and would like one of them, but after some research, I've read some dubious things about Russian made guitars.

could anyone share their opinion of Russian made guitars? Are their good ones? and what kind of price ranges are there?


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## Konfyouzd

Raines makes a few... I want one, badly... There's one on the bay now for like $850


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## Maestro

I have the Giannini GWNC1/7 which is a classical guitar. I really wanted it to be a good guitar since I'm from Brazil, but while it's not the worst guitar I've played, it leaves a bit to be desired. The frets and the finish are lacking. The headstock cracked, then cracked again right next to it after I fixed the initial crack.

There isn't a lot of repertoire for seven string classical. When playing Villa-Lobos stuff, you might come across a couple of spots where it might make sense to use the low B. But I doubt there is much out there.

My understanding on russian seven string guitars is that they are tuned differently. So I don't know how good they would be for what you want to do with them. 

I use my low B mostly when I play jazz on my Giannini. I use it to alternate bass lines when playing chords.


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## Dyingsea

Maestro said:


> There isn't a lot of repertoire for seven string classical.



Baroque music is full of low notes. People have just transcribed to standard 6 string for years. An extended range classical would actually get you closer to what the original composer was going for in terms of sound especially in Bach and Weiss pieces. If you're waiting for someone to tell you where to put your fingers on a 7 or 8 string classical, it's not going to happen. You determine how you want to interpret the music. I've played an 8 string classical for a year now after switching from a 6 string and find no lack of opportunity to use the low notes.


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## Maestro

Dyingsea said:


> Baroque music is full of low notes. People have just transcribed to standard 6 string for years. An extended range classical would actually get you closer to what the original composer was going for in terms of sound especially in Bach and Weiss pieces. If you're waiting for someone to tell you where to put your fingers on a 7 or 8 string classical, it's not going to happen. You determine how you want to interpret the music. I've played an 8 string classical for a year now after switching from a 6 string and find no lack of opportunity to use the low notes.



Just to clarify: are you talking about music originally written for the guitar or music transcribed for the guitar? I was referring to the latter. Then again, you can play some guitar music written in drop D on a seven string using standard tuning. However, depending on the music you might lose some sustain.


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## Konfyouzd

I hope nobody minds the necrobump... I just bought one of the classical guitars in the OP. I was wondering if there's a way to convert that XLR output to MIDI? I have been looking all over on the Google machine and it's proved worthless.

And by convert the XLR output to MIDI I mean I want that actual jack on the guitar to be a MIDI output, I don't intend to take an analog signal and make it MIDI. I've done at least that much research.


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## yingmin

Konfyouzd said:


> I hope nobody minds the necrobump... I just bought one of the classical guitars in the OP. I was wondering if there's a way to convert that XLR output to MIDI? I have been looking all over on the Google machine and it's proved worthless.
> 
> And by convert the XLR output to MIDI I mean I want that actual jack on the guitar to be a MIDI output, I don't intend to take an analog signal and make it MIDI. I've done at least that much research.


If you mean that you want the guitar to output MIDI notes, you'd have to install something inside the guitar that can convert the audio to MIDI, and I think there's absolutely nothing on the market that's set up to do that with more than six strings. If somebody figured out a way to make a modular guitar synth system whereby guitars could output straight MIDI with as many strings as you wanted (although, realistically, probably no more than 16), they might bust the whole guitar synth scene wide open.


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## Explorer

I believe that the Ghost MIDI system allows adding pickup elements in groups of six. However...

There is no current 7-element pickup transducer for classical guitar.

There are no dedicated guitar synths (Roland, for example) which have 7 channels, one each for every string.

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Just as an observation... you might have gotten some more responses by making this a fresh post in the pickup section, instead of necrobumping a related thread which isn't really centered on your interests. You were worried about the necrobump, but an original post titled something like "Available 7-string MIDI pickup/conversion help for nylon string?" would have let people know what you were looking for more than the current title, "7 String classical guitars." 

Anyway, now that I've mentioned the Ghost system, you should do some reading on it, on available piezo pickups for 7-string classical guitar, and then figure out if it seems likely to work. Thinking it through with that information will enable you to ask narrower questions, will demonstrate to others that you're invested in your question, and will get more enthusiastic responses.

Good luck!


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## troyguitar

Konfyouzd said:


> I want that actual jack on the guitar to be a MIDI output



This currently doesn't even exist for 6-strings. For a short while there was a company with a system called MidiAxe that did exactly that, it came stock on the Parker MidiFly and was an option on some Brian Moore models. It never caught on despite all accounts saying it was better than Roland's 13-pin shit and the company went out of business quickly. You might be able to find one of the old MidiFly or Brian Moore's with the system and yank it out for use in your 7 - I have no idea what modifications would be necessary as there is little info on the MidiAxe system available today. You might even need to run Windows 98 to get the utilities to work, if you can find them 

It would probably be easier and cheaper to hire an electrical engineer to create a new system. Hell, if I had time I'd probably have done it myself already


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