NGD (First Seven String) and questions...

[Mister Shreddingaton]

Hi!

I've received my first seven string guitar and I have some minor questions, so why not to ask where the best knowledge of extended range guitars is?

The guitar is a Jackson JS22-7 in Trans Black Burst. I really like it and it is flawless for what I can see. It was at a really good price and I was thinking about swimming in the pond of seven string guitars for a while, so...

The questions that I have are:

- There is a gap below the fretboard on the 24th fret and I don't know if it is normal. What do you think?

- The fretboard is made of amaranth and it seems that it is a little dry. How can I treat it? With lemon oil like a rosewood neck?

- The factory string action ranges from 2,5 milimeters (high E) to 3 milimeters (low B). What is a common low string action for a seven string? If I can lower them to around 2 milimeters, I will be happy.

- The guitar comes from factory with a 0.09-0.54 string set. I feel it nice, but is it a too light gauge?

- I want to buy a guitar bag, but I can't find measures to buy online (I don't have any shops around). Do you know any cheap or medium quality gig bag that I can order online that will fit the guitar?

Thanks!

 

[tedtan]

- There is a gap below the fretboard on the 24th fret and I don't know if it is normal. What do you think? That’s normal.

- The fretboard is made of amaranth and it seems that it is a little dry. How can I treat it? With lemon oil like a rosewood neck? Yes, though I prefer strait mineral oil to avoid the fake lemon smell.

- The factory string action ranges from 2,5 milimeters (high E) to 3 milimeters (low B). What is a common low string action for a seven string? If I can lower them to around 2 milimeters, I will be happy. You can probably lower the strings 0.5 to 1 millimeter, but this depends on how straight the neck is and how level the frets are on that particular guitar.

- The guitar comes from factory with a 0.09-0.54 string set. I feel it nice, but is it a too light gauge? This is personal preference, but I would go with 9-46 on the top six strings with a .064 for the low B.

- I want to buy a guitar bag, but I can't find measures to buy online (I don't have any shops around). Do you know any cheap or medium quality gig bag that I can order online that will fit the guitar? Sorry, I can’t help with this one.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

- The guitar comes from factory with a 0.09-0.54 string set. I feel it nice, but is it a too light gauge?
Multiple manufacturers use 9-54 gauge strings as stock on 7-strings, so I certainly wouldn't say that's too light for the guitar. However, it may be too light for your preference. The feel should be very similar to a comparable 6-string guitar with 9-42 gauge strings. If you're used to 9 gauge strings, I'd say stick with the fresh new strings and see if they feel ok, then consider trying a slightly heavier gauge when you next re-string, to see which you prefer (if you switch straight to heavier strings, you will only know whether or not the new strings feel satisfactory - not whether they are better/worse than the existing strings). If you prefer 10-46 strings on a 6-string then you will almost certainly prefer 10-56 to 9-54 on a 7-string. @tedtan 's suggested string gauge would be somewhere between the two (light top / heavy bottom), but with an extra heavy low B string.

- I want to buy a guitar bag, but I can't find measures to buy online (I don't have any shops around). Do you know any cheap or medium quality gig bag that I can order online that will fit the guitar
Do you definitely want a bag not a case? Something like this or this would do the job.

 

[IwantTacos]

Where are you measuring your action? If it’s the 12th then it’s super high. You should be able to around 1-1mm

 

[bostjan]

Happy NGD!

I think these other posters have you covered.

I agree that 3 mm action sounds high. You can lower it at the saddles with a wrench until you start finding intolerable buzz or if things start fretting out. You might want to check the neck relief first and make sure that's not the issue, though. If you need to adjust the truss rod, it's super easy to do if you have a wrench (sometimes the guitar comes with the right one). Just make sure to only make small adjustments. A quarter turn can be a lot, and it will take probably a couple or a few hours to settle into place. If you adjust it too far, you can readjust the other direction, but it's best to keep adjustments to a minimum.

The strings that come from the factory on most seven string guitars are probably a poor reflection of what most players are actually using. A .054" might be perfect for you, but I'd recommend trying something heavier, like a .060", just to see if you like it better. The thinner the string, generally, the brighter the tone, but if the strings get too slack, you have to be careful with your picking and even your fretting to maintain good intonation. It's all about balancing the tone you want with the functionality you want, though, so there's no universal answer.

Last thing is about oiling the fretboard. I do it regularly on my guitars. It seems to keep the fretboards healthy. Lemon oil is just white mineral oil (like you get from the drug store) with lemon scent added. Baby oil is the same thing with a different fragrance. I know it's disappointing that it doesn't come from real babies (only joking). Mineral oil has a mild smell that some people don't like, which is why lemon oil is a thing. But some people like the lemon scent and some people don't and even some people like the lemon scent on its own but not when combined with other scents. I used to use double-boiled linseed oil, because that's what all of the old guys used, but I think that it's mildly toxic and higher in water content than mineral oil, so I don't use it anymore.

Best of luck!

 

[michael_bolton]

alright alright, happy NGD.

fretboard oil - colortone fretboard oil is my go-to for rosewood

gig bag - these are pretty standard, just look up jackson gig bag on the interwebs

 

[Mister Shreddingaton]

Thanks a lot for the replies and good wishes!


I think I will go with this Gator case (I can't find the one that Neon_Knight_ recommended):

Gator GC-ELEC-XL Guitar ABS Case

Where are you measuring your action? If it’s the 12th then it’s super high. You should be able to around 1-1mm

Yes, at the 12th fret. I plan to lower it to 1,5 or 2 milimeters and then adjust.


Now the seventh string is tuned to B. I don't know if I want to tune to A or keep it that way. Which tuning is more common?

 

[Mister Shreddingaton]

I've cleaned and moisturized the fretboard. It was really dry (as can be seen in the pictures).

I've changed the strings and lowered the action too. The strings are not my favorite brand because I could not find them in the 0.09-0.54 set, but I wanted badly to clean the guitar a bit and check some things so I needed new strings...
Right now it has a 0.09-0.52 set and the string action is 2 milimeters or lower. I've lowered more than that to check how close could I go and some strings were at like 1 milimeters with no problems. But for the time being, as I didn't have much time to set it up and want the guitar to settle a bit, I'll keep it that way.

For now, I'm pretty happy with the purchase. It is my first seven string and I didn't try any before. My main fear was how the neck and the longer scale would feel because I don't have big hands and I'm not tall. But it feels surprisingly small and comfy.

Everything seems flawless and the first setup was easy and smooth.

Thanks!

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Thanks a lot for the replies and good wishes!


I think I will go with this Gator case (I can't find the one that Neon_Knight_ recommended):

Gator GC-ELEC-XL Guitar ABS Case



Yes, at the 12th fret. I plan to lower it to 1,5 or 2 milimeters and then adjust.


Now the seventh string is tuned to B. I don't know if I want to tune to A or keep it that way. Which tuning is more common?

B-E-A-D-G-B-E is "standard" tuning, like E standard is for a 6-string. A-E-A-D-G-B-E is also used quite commonly, just like drop-D is fairly common for 6-strings....or are you considering A-D-G-C-F-A-D?

 

[Mister Shreddingaton]

B-E-A-D-G-B-E is "standard" tuning, like E standard is for a 6-string. A-E-A-D-G-B-E is also used quite commonly, just like drop-D is fairly common for 6-strings....or are you considering A-D-G-C-F-A-D?

No, I'm only asking for the lowest string. I think I will tune it in B as it is commonly used...

 

[Mister Shreddingaton]

Hello again!

I feel really dumb now.
I've been measuring the string action wrong!
I was thinking that one line was a milimeter and it is 0.5 milimeters!
So the guitar came with really good action overall.

Now I have 1.50 milimeters at the 12th fret with no buzzes and the guitar is playing fantastic!

I think I can lower it, but it is right just now, no buzzes with my touch and the playing feel is superb.

I'm amazed how good this guitar is. I don't know if it is a 'good example' of this model and I've had good luck or it is an 'average example', but the playability is astonishing for this price.

Thanks for your input and help!

 

[Adieu]

That's not a gap, that's an overhang (if I'm seeing it right on my small phone screen)

Hanging fretboards are typical for 24 fret guitars based on prior 21/22 fret designs due to neck pocket placement

 

[Mister Shreddingaton]

I just wanted to update this thread.

As I was satisfied with my purchase, as the days gone by, I've found a lot of scratches and signs of use on the guitar. Specially on the top and sides. I've come to the conclusion that it was a B-stock item that it was sent to me as a new item (paid accordingly as a new item), so in the last days of the return period, I returned it (and the XL hard case too, as I don't have any other guitar to use it with). No problems on the return, but it left a sour taste in my mouth.

I did not regret the buy as I've learned a lot:
- That I like seven string guitars.
- To set up a seven string hardtail bridge, conditioning the fretboard...
- That the longer scale was not a problem for my small hands.

All in all, I want to give a seven string another shot and maybe I will buy the same model again, but as I prefer maple or rosewood over amaranth fretboards, I' looking for other options.

Thanks for all your support and opinions. I really appreciate them.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I just wanted to update this thread.

As I was satisfied with my purchase, as the days gone by, I've found a lot of scratches and signs of use on the guitar. Specially on the top and sides. I've come to the conclusion that it was a B-stock item that it was sent to me as a new item (paid accordingly as a new item), so in the last days of the return period, I returned it (and the XL hard case too, as I don't have any other guitar to use it with). No problems on the return, but it left a sour taste in my mouth.

I did not regret the buy as I've learned a lot:
- That I like seven string guitars.
- To set up a seven string hardtail bridge, conditioning the fretboard...
- That the longer scale was not a problem for my small hands.

All in all, I want to give a seven string another shot and maybe I will buy the same model again, but as I prefer maple or rosewood over amaranth fretboards, I' looking for other options.

Thanks for all your support and opinions. I really appreciate them.

If you like 26.5" scale 7-strings, an Ibanez RGD could be a good option.

 

[Mister Shreddingaton]

Thanks for the suggestion.

Right now, I'm waiting for the 2023 models of Jackson, Ibanez, Schecter...

And thinking that if I liked the 26.5" scale, maybe I could try a 25.5" seven string, but I'm not set on it yet...