# Jazz 7 string



## Mattmc74 (Aug 9, 2009)

I really love the look and the sound of this guitar. Has anyone had any play time on one? And if so what did you think of it. I have been looking in to getting an arch top 7 for sometime now and I could use some advice on a good one to get.


----------



## phaeded0ut (Aug 10, 2009)

I've got one of his "Fusion 7's" that I really enjoy, but it took a few mods to make me really happy with it. The pickups HAD to go with the greatest of quickness, he was using some Chinese things that would only play distorted and to say that they were hot, was an understatement! The fretboard was extremely dry and needed quite a bit of TLC when the guitar came my way, fretwork could have been better (nickel-steel medium jumbo frets). Machine heads were also Chinese and weren't the greatest, but they served their job until I replaced them with some much better Grovers. Oh, changed out the strap buttons for Dunlop Strap locks, too. Great case, and super-fast shipping (this was an ebay purchase). Shame he doesn't offer these in translucent blue anymore/currently, they really are pretty that way. 

Switched out the pickups for Seymour Duncan SH-2 neck and JB-4 bridge (7-string versions) and was infinitely happier. The other major change to this guitar came from a complete re-fret with Stainless Steel frets and plek job. 

He's gotten a bit more pricey, but with a little more work these guitars can certainly be a bit more, "you."

The neck is slightly thinner (fingerboard to the back of the neck) than an Epiphone 7-string, and the body is only slightly larger than said Epiphone 7-string Les Paul. Rather enjoy this guitar for the fairly hefty range of usable tones to it (after it was modified). This guitar now sounds a bit more like a combination of a Les Paul and a 335, though without quite the bass register as said 335 (this is a combination of the stainless steel frets, stainless steel strings, and pickups). 

Getting to your origional question concerning buying archtop guitars, it looks like this is one of his "Traditional 7's" with a slightly different headstock. Are you going to use round wounds, tape rounds, flat wounds or something in-between on it? What type of music are you looking to play on this instrument? Is there something equivalent 6-string guitar that you have currently and you're looking to get into a 7-string version of it, now or is this something completely new to you? 

You'll also want to suss out if you want a guitar with floating pickups, or one where the pickups are surface mounted (there's a bit of a difference on both of these) and also whether or not you want your archtop to be a hollowbody (like an acoustic guitar) or to have a block running through the middle of the instrument (like an ES-137 or Fusion 7, or ES-335 or his 335 or Modern instruments). 

7-string arch top hollow bodies are a bit easier to find, but the price tag can be fairly hefty, too. 

If this is a new-to-you thing, I'd recommend trying to talk to Kurt of Rondo Music (Agile Guitars) and see if he couldn't whip up a 7-string version of his ES-335 clone. 

Hope this helps out.


----------



## Mattmc74 (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks man it did!


----------



## Mattmc74 (Aug 12, 2009)

Benedetto is still going to be my first choice. Just wondering about these because they are cheaper in price.


----------



## Scali (Aug 12, 2009)

I've seen a 7-string Ibanez archtop, not sure if it was a production model, or if so, if it still is in production now.
As far as 6-string archtops go, I've always liked Ibanez.


----------



## JakeRI (Aug 12, 2009)

blue monk haha

500 for the traditional! i want it!


----------



## Mattmc74 (Aug 12, 2009)

Scali said:


> I've seen a 7-string Ibanez archtop, not sure if it was a production model, or if so, if it still is in production now.
> As far as 6-string archtops go, I've always liked Ibanez.



I have never seen a Ibanez arch top 7 before. I'm going to do a little looking around for one. Thanks for the info.


----------



## hufschmid (Aug 12, 2009)

gosh do I love 7 string jazz players 

check Jimmy Foster


----------



## Scali (Aug 12, 2009)

Mattmc74 said:


> I have never seen a Ibanez arch top 7 before. I'm going to do a little looking around for one. Thanks for the info.


 
Here it is:


Apparently it's an Ibanez AF207.


----------



## phaeded0ut (Aug 12, 2009)

Matt,

Here are a few more that may or may not be of interest:

American Archtop Guitars - Handcrafted by Dale Unger

Foster Jazz Guitars & Archtop Guitars : Custom Built 6- & 7-String Guitars (New Orleans)

Eastman - Handcrafted Guitars and Mandolins Look at the ER7 and AR810 models (not sure if they make other models as 7-string versions or not).

Buscarino Guitars Master Luthier or Archtop Jazz Guitars

Michael A Lewis - Guitars & Mandolins - Custom Made | 7 String Custom Archtop

Koll Guitar Company

Hope that these give you a few more choices.


----------



## Mattmc74 (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks for all the links man!


----------



## phaeded0ut (Aug 13, 2009)

No worries, there were two links that I really wanted to post for you, one was for Tim Tone Guitars (he's gone back to teaching carpentry) and another one is for a trio of luthiers down in North Carolina, who only build archtops (former Gibson employees) and all of their models can be expanded to 7 string versions and they weren't overly terrible in prices (about $6000.00 to $9000.00 USA). The one striking thing with this last group was that they made their own pickup covers for their 7-string pickups (floating and in-body). Anywho, good luck on getting one of these instruments! 
I always wanted a 7-string and 14-string verison of an ES-175D (sharp cutaway), too, but have to say the addition of the low F# has opened up quite a few more ideas for me, so I might have to try for an 8-string and 16-string version of the aforementioned ES-175D.


----------



## Mattmc74 (Aug 13, 2009)

phaeded0ut said:


> No worries, there were two links that I really wanted to post for you, one was for Tim Tone Guitars (he's gone back to teaching carpentry) and another one is for a trio of luthiers down in North Carolina, who only build archtops (former Gibson employees) and all of their models can be expanded to 7 string versions and they weren't overly terrible in prices (about $6000.00 to $9000.00 USA). The one striking thing with this last group was that they made their own pickup covers for their 7-string pickups (floating and in-body). Anywho, good luck on getting one of these instruments!
> I always wanted a 7-string and 14-string verison of an ES-175D (sharp cutaway), too, but have to say the addition of the low F# has opened up quite a few more ideas for me, so I might have to try for an 8-string and 16-string version of the aforementioned ES-175D.


----------



## White Cluster (Aug 14, 2009)

Jimmy Bruno playing a true Benedetto 7


----------



## Trespass (Aug 15, 2009)

I do have to plug this thread: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ja...ingerstyle/47342-7-erg-chord-melody-jazz.html


----------



## Scali (Aug 17, 2009)

Not sure if you've seen it yet, but Dave Weiner is selling his Ibanez AF207:
Dave Weiner Garage Sale

It isn't cheap though


----------



## bloodline (Aug 26, 2009)

White Cluster said:


> Jimmy Bruno playing a true Benedetto 7


----------



## ilyti (Oct 6, 2009)

phaeded0ut said:


> I've got one of his "Fusion 7's" that I really enjoy, but it took a few mods to make me really happy with it. The pickups HAD to go with the greatest of quickness, he was using some Chinese things that would only play distorted and to say that they were hot, was an understatement! The fretboard was extremely dry and needed quite a bit of TLC when the guitar came my way, fretwork could have been better (nickel-steel medium jumbo frets). Machine heads were also Chinese and weren't the greatest, but they served their job until I replaced them with some much better Grovers. Oh, changed out the strap buttons for Dunlop Strap locks, too. Great case, and super-fast shipping (this was an ebay purchase). Shame he doesn't offer these in translucent blue anymore/currently, they really are pretty that way.


 
I picked mine up used, but it really didn't have a scratch. Came with an awful pickguard though. All maple, rosewood board. I'm pretty sure the pickups were only medium output and they actually had usable clean tones. I ended up changing them because it really was screaming for some PAFs. I've been happy enough with the hardware/tuners and the frets are really nice too. I was told that mine was one of the prototypes, maybe that accounts for the variations. My only problem with it now is the high fret access, but I guess that's inherent for single cut guitars.


----------



## Mattmc74 (Oct 6, 2009)

ilyti said:


> I picked mine up used, but it really didn't have a scratch. Came with an awful pickguard though. All maple, rosewood board. I'm pretty sure the pickups were only medium output and they actually had usable clean tones. I ended up changing them because it really was screaming for some PAFs. I've been happy enough with the hardware/tuners and the frets are really nice too. I was told that mine was one of the prototypes, maybe that accounts for the variations. My only problem with it now is the high fret access, but I guess that's inherent for single cut guitars.



Have any pics of it? I would love to see it.


----------



## ilyti (Oct 7, 2009)

I don't. 

When I got the guitar, I took some pics with my sister's camera to post on another forum, but those pics are gone now. I'll see if I can borrow my gf's camera and get some new ones. Stay tuned!

Tiny pic, but it looks exactly like this one:


----------



## shadowlife (Oct 7, 2009)

hufschmid said:


> gosh do I love 7 string jazz players
> 
> check Jimmy Foster




I was just watching some of his clips recently- fantastic player, and he builds his own guitars!


----------



## phaeded0ut (Oct 8, 2009)

I knew I wasn't going senile and that I'd posted a link in this thread (bottom of the first page) to his website/store. 

Very tasty stuff!


----------



## ilyti (Oct 28, 2009)

Alright, I got pics.


----------



## Apophis (Oct 28, 2009)

^^ really nice looking guitar, no doubts


----------



## Mattmc74 (Oct 28, 2009)

Very cool indeed!


----------



## synrgy (Oct 28, 2009)

I just snagged a semi-hollow les paul by Matt Raines. So far, so good! 

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/se...d-7-string-semi-hollow-single-cut-action.html


----------



## phaeded0ut (Oct 28, 2009)

Congrats, Carl! I enjoy the heck out of mine.


----------



## Mattmc74 (Oct 31, 2009)

synrgy said:


> I just snagged a semi-hollow les paul by Matt Raines. So far, so good!
> 
> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/se...d-7-string-semi-hollow-single-cut-action.html




 Awesome man!


----------



## phaeded0ut (Nov 3, 2009)

By the by, Carl!, I got the work done on my Raines at Crossroads Guitar Shop: Crossroads Guitar Shop,Fine Guitars,Amps,Guitar Setups and repairs, PLEK Pro, guitars New, Used and Trade If you were looking to do something similiar, they should be able to help you out.


----------



## synrgy (Nov 3, 2009)

Rad. I'm not allowed to give you any more positive rep until I 'spread it around' more, but I would if I could.


----------



## phaeded0ut (Nov 3, 2009)

Thanks, man! Pretty sure that I gave you the laundry list of everything that was done to my blue beastie.


----------



## Mattmc74 (Nov 14, 2009)

phaeded0ut said:


> By the by, Carl!, I got the work done on my Raines at Crossroads Guitar Shop: Crossroads Guitar Shop,Fine Guitars,Amps,Guitar Setups and repairs, PLEK Pro, guitars New, Used and Trade If you were looking to do something similiar, they should be able to help you out.


----------



## TMM (Nov 14, 2009)

My vote would be for a Veillette Jazz Archtop Semi-Hollow, extremely nice guitars. They're a little pricey, but no more so than a Benedetto.






Veillette Guitars

They even do 8-string nylons:


----------



## Mattmc74 (Nov 27, 2009)

^ Very awesome looking guitars indeed!


----------

