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DIY 7 String Guitar Kits: 3 Great Options
Interest in 7 string guitar kits has exploded in recent times. In fact, on a week to week basis I currently receive approximately twice as many inquiries regarding DIY 7 string guitar kits as I do for our 6 string and bass guitars.
It's really not all that hard to see why.
For one 7 string guitars expand your range when it comes to available chord voicings and tunings allowing you to play seriously down-tuned riffs while still maintaining the integrity of the guitars upper range for lead playing.
Secondly, the cost of most 7 string guitars (while admittedly continuing to become more affordable) can be prohibitive for some, with entry-level 7 string guitars often starting in the mid $500 range (Schecter) as opposed to entry-level 6 string guitars that can be purchased for around the $200 mark (Squier).
The fact is, purchasing a 7 string kit for less than $250.00 and then having the ability to customize the finish appeals to customers and this is reflected in sales with demand for 7 string guitars increasing over the previous 12 months despite the limited range in comparison to 6 string models.
Recommended: Everything you ever wanted to know about Guitar Strings
A Brief History of 7 String Guitars
While most guitarists are familiar with 7 string guitars and associate them more with Nu-Metal, in reality, 7 string guitars have been in existence acoustically for more than 200 years, harking back to the Renaissance period. They have been used in classical music extensively ever since.
The first electric 7 string guitar, however, wasn't conceived until the 1930s and was custom built by Epiphone for guitarist George Van Eps. Later in 1968 Gretsch released a 7 string signature model under the same name.
However, 7 string guitars really started to gain traction thanks to guitarist Steve Vai who while already well established by the 90's thanks to his exquisite guitar work with established acts such as Frank Zappa and Whitesnake really upped the ante with his 1990 release 'Passion and Warfare' featuring the Ibanez Universe 7, the first mass-produced 7 string electric guitar.
Vai first used the 7 string to extend his guitar's tonal range by adding a high A string and managed to push the envelope sonically in what most guitar critics consider a landmark recording. However, surprisingly sales of the Universe 7 never really took off.
Just four short years later, Korn revolutionized the 7 string guitar again by using the 7 string guitar (again an Ibanez) exclusively on their self-titled debut release and again as they shot to stardom with their massively successful release 'Life is Peachy' featuring the hit song 'Adidas' and more or less creating a new metal genre known as nu-metal in the process.
Guitarists Munky (James Shaffer) and Head (Brian Welch) both used their 7 strings for power riffing by extending the range of the instrument lower by incorporating a low A. Korn was very much the forefathers of Nu-Metal and the rest, as they say, is history.
Available 7 String Guitar Kits
While interest has increased the number of available 7 string guitar kits available from manufacturers hasn't increased in a significant way. As a result, we currently offer three 7 string kits, details are below.
DIY Electric Guitar Kit: 7 string Build Your Own Guitar
Pre-cut, routed and drilled Basswood body, all parts included, along with simple to follow assembly instructions. 24 Frets, 25.5" scale length bolt-on neck with a rosewood fretboard. Double locking tremolo bridge (Floyd Rose style), black hardware. HH pickup configuration.
7 String SG Guitar Kit
Pre-cut, routed, and drilled solid Mahogany SG style body, perfect for staining to highlight the grain pattern. Bolt-on neck with an adjustable truss rod. Rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays. Fixed bridge (Tune-o-Matic style). HH pickup configuration. Black hardware. All parts included for assembling a working electric guitar.
Left Handed 7 String Guitar Kit
Left hand, pre-cut, routed, and drilled solid mahogany body. Double locking, floating tremolo (Floyd Rose style). Black hardware, HH pickup configuration. All parts included for assembling a complete working electric guitar.
Summing Things Up
While options are limited somewhat with regard to available 7 string guitar kit models the three options make an excellent addition to any guitarists' collection.
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