Rise Of The 7-String!

I was looking at some of the new guitars on Guitar Center's website and I noticed, more than ever, that seven string guitars becoming a mainstay in the guitar community. I saw entry-level seven string guitars for under $200 and thought to myself "wow, can you imagine starting at seven strings?" Furthermore, can you imagine finding a teacher who'd be familiar enough with 7-string guitars to teach a student from the ground-up on one? I thought long and hard about it, and yes. Yes I can see that happening in the near future.

So why? 7-string guitars have been around since 1990, when Ibanez made the first mass-run model for Steve Vai. They didn't catch on at first, but Jazz players had started picking them up initially. Then Korn made them a popular Metal axe beginning in 1994, and a few other famous bands used them in the Nu Metal years. Other than that, they never really caught on on a massive level. So why are they so big now? Maybe due in part to the major-brand introduction of the 8-string guitar, with models coming from the likes of Ibanez, ESP, Dean and many others, along with up-and-coming 8-string guitar heroes like Tosin Abasi [pictured above], Andy James and Rusty Cooley. With that much guitar, 7 strings might not sound like a lot anymore.

Also, 7-strings have become almost a staple in the metal community, with popular bands such as Whitechapel and Suicide Silence all sporting down-tuned 7-string guitars. The demand is higher for companies to produce these models to compete. We've started seeing, although very slowly, 7-string models from the likes of Gibson and PRS, even! They must be getting big for Gibson to come out of they're Les Paul-saturated comfort zone, so don't be surprised to see more and more young guitar heroes sporting extended-ranged guitars in the years to come!

What are your thoughts on extended-ranged guitars? Is there such a thing as too much, or do you like the idea of the range they provide? Do you own one maybe? As always, I encourage comments and opinion-sharing!