# 6 strings baritone VS 7 strings guitar



## professionalism666 (Dec 17, 2019)

Hello everyone,
Im new to this forum and can really use your advice on this.

If i want to play dropped A tunning, i have 2 options, either getting a 6 strings baritone guitar with of course thicker strings OR just 7 strings and dropping the low string one step back to A.

My question: Is there really a difference in sound between a 6 strings baritone guitar and regular 7 strings? Assuming you will play in B standard or Dropped A?

Thank you


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## diagrammatiks (Dec 17, 2019)

Well there's two ways of looking at this...
although ultimately it will depend on songs you are trying to learn and what kind of material you want to write.

A traditional baritone is 28 inches or above. It's tuned BEADF#G. So the scale length is longer, allowing you to use thinner strings and all your chord shapes are standard chord shapes. If you tuned it AEADF#G you have all the standard power chord shapes plus normal interval patterns 

A seven string is tuned BEADGE. Only the six bottom streams give you regular chord shapes and interval patterns. You need to use 7 string intervals for the things starting on the B. Most Seven strings top out at like 27 inches. So the scale is shorter which makes lead and chord work easier. 

So it's not quite the same thing from a playing perspective.

But if you are comparing say a 26.5 inch six string to a 26.5 seven then really it comes down to if you need that high string or not. You can tune a 26.5 six and 26.5 seven exactly the same. The six will just be missing the highest string and you have to use seven string chord shapes and scale intervals. A lot of bands do this. 

But if you are ever going to use that high string you need the seven.


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## professionalism666 (Dec 17, 2019)

@diagrammatiks thank you for the response. i play metal and mostly chords.
So basically the idea of 7 strings to give you the capability of a playing 6 strings with addition of low B OR play dropped 6 strings with the addition of high E if we look at it the opposite way. And it purely depends on how a player wants to play guitar.


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## Sollipsist (Dec 17, 2019)

From the perspective of a somewhat sloppy player, the baritone 6 tends to give me better results with palm muting and open string riffs, because the higher strings don't seem to require quite as much attention to keep them from accidentally ringing out. I'm sure a better player wouldn't be bothered by this.


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## FILTHnFEAR (Dec 17, 2019)

I've gotten so used to playing 7's it feels alien to me playing on a 6. I don't think of it as a 6er with an extra string. Too used to having all those big chord shapes on the low strings while still having the regular chords of the higher 6.

Down tuning my 6, which I haven't even touched in a couple years, just leaves me missing the shapes and sounds I'm used to.


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## gunch (Dec 17, 2019)

Yeah that's the main thing, are the extended chord voicings available to you on a 7 worth it to you? If not just down tune a 6


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 17, 2019)

It should be the opposite really. Thicker strings on a 7-string vs thinner strings on a 6. The advantage of a baritone is the fact you can get higher tension on thinner strings, making the sounds clearer and a bit tighter. I never got the point of using a baritone just to put thicker strings on it.

Also it depends on if you want that high E or not. 

Also do you know what guitar you're even gonna get? At this rate, you can get 7-strings in a shiiit ton of different scale lengths, that you could get a baritone 7-string. it isn't 2005 anymore.


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## professionalism666 (Dec 17, 2019)

@HeHasTheJazzHands your logic is right, the longer scale should relief you from thicker strings, however, i i tried it myself, if i go less than 13-62 on 28 " scale for even Standard B, the strings become so loose, i assume because the longer scale need thicker strings to viberate correctly as the case with bass guitars? Im really not sure why.


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## diagrammatiks (Dec 18, 2019)

professionalism666 said:


> @HeHasTheJazzHands your logic is right, the longer scale should relief you from thicker strings, however, i i tried it myself, if i go less than 13-62 on 28 " scale for even Standard B, the strings become so loose, i assume because the longer scale need thicker strings to viberate correctly as the case with bass guitars? Im really not sure why.



Thicker strings require more tension at a higher gauge or at least a higher equivalent gauge to achieve the same feel as plain strings. 
And the higher the gauge the more tension is needed to maintain a similar feels. 


I run a 12-62 at b standard 28.825. So a 13 set sounds about right. Feels equivalent to 10-46. 

I have up tension matching my sevens to my baritones a long time ago.


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## GraemeH (Dec 18, 2019)

There's a difference in timbre with a longer scale, even given the same pitch and same string gauge (or same tension with adjusted gauge). Low chords on my 30" scale guitar can sound like a grand piano from hell where a standard 648mm scale guitar with upped gauges and tuned down wouldn't. But it's so subjective and every guitar differs anyway, so as always the answer is "just play everything you can in the shop and pick what you like".

Nice thing about the 7 would be you can go back and forth between playing standard 6 string music and your drop A music on it without changes. Like my 8 string is tuned half a step down so I can be all Meshuggah one second then all Guns N' Roses the next.


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## Chokey Chicken (Dec 18, 2019)

I don't like tuning low on a 6 string. Bar chords tend to sound way more mushy in b or a. I like having the familiar chord shapes as well as the lower tuning. 

I also tune to 7 string A standard, which gives you 6 string D standard plus a low A. D standard/drop C are my favorite 6 string tuning for low vs clarity sake.


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## Winspear (Dec 18, 2019)

Chokey Chicken said:


> I don't like tuning low on a 6 string. Bar chords tend to sound way more mushy in b or a. I like having the familiar chord shapes as well as the lower tuning.
> 
> I also tune to 7 string A standard, which gives you 6 string D standard plus a low A. D standard/drop C are my favorite 6 string tuning for low vs clarity sake.


You could always try BEADGB style rather than BEADF#B


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 18, 2019)

I like to record a rhythm guitar track with my FRG-7620 in my avatar & pan it one side, then grab my 28 5/8" Bari-Tele with EMG single coil tele pickups & record it panned to the other side. It provides a much wider guitar sound when chords on the 7 are largely barred & moved around, but when you play the same chords open on the Bariton + the single coils, you get a very unique combination when the two tracks are heard in mix context.


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## Mraz (Dec 18, 2019)

Just get a 7, in the long run you are going to be much happier!


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## noise in my mind (Dec 18, 2019)

In the spirit of this forum I say go 7 string. 7 strings sound larger than 6 strings tuned down.


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## Carl Kolchak (Dec 19, 2019)

You'd have more options going with a 7 string, but I've found 6 string baritones just sound better to me. Also, if you're into playing leads you're going to find it a lot easier playing them on the baritone than you are on the 7 string.

You'll also want to take the added neck girth of the 7 string into consideration as well, assuming that that might be an issue for the OP.


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 19, 2019)

I own both 27/28.6" scale 6 strings and 27"" scale 7 strings and I can get them to sound near identical. The nice thing about a 7 string is it offers alternate chord voicings you just can't really do with a 6 string. 
If you just want to chug and have tons of pickup options at your fingertips, then I say 6 string baritone.


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## MSS (Dec 19, 2019)

I avoided 7 strings for a long time and then I bought one. I was surprised at how easy the adjustment was. I rarely play my 6 strings anymore even for stuff I don’t need a 7 for.


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## duffbeer33 (Dec 19, 2019)

I do think they sound different, but perhaps just personal opinion -- to me the snarl of a baritone sounds meaner than a 7. Depends on the style you want to play. The D'Addario Light baritone gauges are 62-13, so for me, I like the sound of big chunky chords that come out of it. For faster, thrashier style riffs, I'd prefer thinner strings, so something like slinkys on a 7-string. That might somewhat contradict prior posts, but that's my experience. I strongly suggest taking a look at some used PRS Mushok baritones.


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## toner (Jan 1, 2020)

professionalism666 said:


> Hello everyone,
> Im new to this forum and can really use your advice on this.
> 
> If i want to play dropped A tunning, i have 2 options, either getting a 6 strings baritone guitar with of course thicker strings OR just 7 strings and dropping the low string one step back to A.
> ...



Many variables here.

I have a 26.5" 6-string, 25.5" seven strings and had a 27" seven string. The longer scales allow to use a lighter string gauge set which gives a somewhat clearer tone. 25.5" scale guitars tuned down require thicker strings/warmer tone.


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## chugzilla (Jun 15, 2022)

ok so i see its been over 2 years since the last reply.....i own both a schecter 2008 c-7 and a 2019 dean icon baritone....13-62 came on the baritone and the 7 string i put on 10-60 dunlop heavy core....in my opinion having both here at my house the baritone sounds way better in standard b and dropped a tuning....and i was shocked by that and on schecters site they say the c-7 should have 10-56 strings so im even heavier than they come with and the baritone sounds alot better...and for me personally getting used to the thicker neck on the 7 string is alot harder ... my left arm hurts for hours everytime im done playing it....no pain at all with the baritone...so ill be returning the 7 string to GC...hope this helps tc all n have a good day-year


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## CanserDYI (Jun 15, 2022)

chugzilla said:


> ok so i see its been over 2 years since the last reply.....i own both a schecter 2008 c-7 and a 2019 dean icon baritone....13-62 came on the baritone and the 7 string i put on 10-60 dunlop heavy core....in my opinion having both here at my house the baritone sounds way better in standard b and dropped a tuning....and i was shocked by that and on schecters site they say the c-7 should have 10-56 strings so im even heavier than they come with and the baritone sounds alot better...and for me personally getting used to the thicker neck on the 7 string is alot harder ... my left arm hurts for hours everytime im done playing it....no pain at all with the baritone...so ill be returning the 7 string to GC...hope this helps tc all n have a good day-year


I'm sorry man but you resurrected an old thread that's almost verbatim to another thread that's literally right underneath this one that's actively being conversed in. Might want to post on that one.


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## chugzilla (Jun 15, 2022)

haha thx man i just joined and found this thread by doing a google search


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