How are the SE 7 string models?

[Deleted member 5962]

I'm ready for a 7 string. I was originally just going to get a EBMM Majesty, but after thinking and the suggestion of a friend, I don't want to drop that much cash on my first 7 string. 1) it won't be a "main" guitar and 2) until I get used to it, I'm not sure I'll want that much money tied up in something I may not bond with.

So, vs. the other usual suspects, which start with "I" and "C" and are more expensive, how are the SE 7s?

 

[Ovibos]

I'm not a 7string player but another option for cheap messaround 7 would be an Agile.

 

[drdoom8793]

The SE 7 stringers are pretty nice, just as good quality that you would expect from an SE. My only complaint might be that the scale length can seem a little short. A lot of 7 strings are also slightly longer in scale so depending on how low you want to tune, the stock string guage on the SE can feel a bit flabby on its 25" scale. This really shouldn't be a problem if you are doing standard 7 string tuning (BEADGBE). Agiles are decent but their quality is very hit and miss. As always, YMMV.

 

[TroyBaer]

I've had two, a blue one that I kept in "standard" and an amethyst one that I keep in drop-A. (Eventually I sold the blue one because I was moving and I didn't really need two 7-strings.) They're very nice, especially for a first/gateway 7-string -- they play more like a 6-string than a lot of the ESP and Schecter 7s out there. The 25" length scale is a bit short if you're going to tune much lower than standard, but otherwise they're fine guitars.

If you were thinking of a Majesty, you may want to consider the Sterling JP 7-strings.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I play PRS core models every day, so the 25" scale won't bother me, and I'd never tune below standard with a 7. Low B is low enough!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I think they're great -- I have 5 with a 6th incoming eventually, depending on what is going on with World (the Axe Palace run). They're solid, and I actually like the HFS/Vintage pickup combination better in the 7 than in the equivalent 6, and I think they're the best choice for a starter 7 string. They're also a strong, predictable foundation if you want try pickup swapping. My only complaint is that I've recently discovered maple necks, and that's not how they come, but I'll be getting a PS of my own eventually, to fix that.

I definitely like them more than my I...s. If you can find a pickup combination you like, the Sch....s are pretty darn good combination, but they're a bit more expensive (new vs. new). I do like my C...s, not going to complain about that -- I have a couple DC727s, but I still find myself playing my PRSses more frequently. But the C...s are also significantly more expensive (new vs. new or used vs. used). I don't think any of the other comparably priced 7s are even close, quality wise.

I'd still like to see a core PRS seven stringer. Or at least a limited run, like the Holcomb. I'd be all over that like...like...like cat fur in a cat-owner's apartment. Okay, that doesn't sound very appealing, but I'd be all over that, that's my point.

 

[alantig]

The SE-7 is a solid instrument. Good build quality, the VB/HFS pups suit this guitar pretty well. Pretty versatile. The only thing close to a complaint I have with it is the three-way blade switch - I prefer the toggle. But it's a minor point.

I've been trying to make an effort to work w/the 7-string a bit more than I had been - it's pretty cool to swap in some different chord voicings in songs that aren't in the usual 7-string styles.

If you were a little further east, we could hook up and you could take mine for a spin.

 

[DISTORT6]

The neck makes it special to me. It's a "wider" wide-thin that fits just right.