McGuinn 7-String Conversion

35012 · Post by **35012** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:39 pm

Anyone ever try converting a regular six-string guitar to a McGuinn style seven string? Any hints for this kind of procedure?

janglebox · Post by **janglebox** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:34 am

Roger McGuinn and Martin Guitars are going to produce a less expensive version of his HD-7 RM. Not so much detail work and no mother of pearl, but substantially the same guitar tone-wise. It will be called the Roger McGuinn D7 and should be available shortly.

rick36 · Post by **rick36** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:59 am

There's a Luthier out here somewhere who is making an 8 string custom acoustic guitar (octaves on the D & G strings). I think that makes a lot more sense than the 7 string. Naturally more balanced in appearance and probably sound as well. I've got a photo and his info somewhere, which I'll post when I find it. It's pretty pricey though.

teb · Post by **teb** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:47 am

Just stick one of those straight-through banjo pegs right in the middle of the headstock. Then again, maybe not. One easy thing you can do if you want to mess around with that type of sound is to replace your G string with an octave G from a 12-string set. We used to occasionally do that on the rhythm guitars for recording. We learned it from some guys in Nashville who were recording a lot of country tunes and wanted a nice, light, even sound out of the Rhythm guitars. It's a pretty interesting sound that mixes in well and it only costs about fifty cents to try. Adding the high G tends to make a much greater difference in the overall sound than the loss of the regular G does.

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:12 pm

I've got a guitar strung with just the high strings of a 12 string set...Nashville Tuning, or "Angel Hair" tuning...the opening chords of the Stones "Wild Horses" are played on a guitar strung like that...Todds right, it records and mixes real well...

African guitar...the Soukous-West African stuff is played on a guitar with the D string replaced by one an octave higher..

I played one of those McGuinn 7 strings...and I didn't really get it..yeah you can do the leads up and down the G string ala TTT, and it tunes a heckofalot easier than a Ric 12 but the rest wasn't worth it...the $1500 Takumine 12 string next to it sounded better and was alot more fun to my ears..

rick36 · Post by **rick36** » Thu May 25, 2006 5:35 pm

Paul Simons' black Yamaha guitar is strung in the the Nashville "High" tuning. It's featured on most of the "Graceland" album and quite a lot on "You're The One". I'm yet to be surprised with the guitars on "Surprise"...any day now.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Fri May 26, 2006 5:58 am

So on Nashville tuning, you just use the octave strings on a 6 string? Cool.

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Sun May 28, 2006 6:41 pm

Yup..thats the easiest way to do it..using the octave strings from a 12 string set. there are two versions of Nashville tuning, one uses the regular E,B and G strings, and high tuned D A and E, the other also has a high tuned G

Adrian Legg uses Nashville tuning alot too...and if I recall he tunes his high strung guitar in DADGAD for some stuff...I btune mine in open G sometimes, you get some real interesting chord voicings with the high strings and open tuning

steambyrd · Post by **steambyrd** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:08 am

Any further word on the Martin Roger McGuinn D7 that Steve Lasko mentioned earlier in this thread?

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:12 am

Jim, Roger has some pics of him with the new version on his website. Looks like it's got a gloss top with satin finish sides and back. Dot inlays.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:17 am

The entire back, sides and top are glossed. The inlays are bold herringbone.

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:23 am

My mistake, it sure looks like the sides are satin in the pic I have. The inlays look like the type that's on his HD28V.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:36 am

You weren't totally wrong, Cole. The neck is a satin finish

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:57 am

It was all in the plan Stan. I was trying to get Roger to come here and correct me!

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:57 am

Jim,
You will see the Martin 7-string in concert. Roger plays a few songs each show with it, especially that blues thing with the riff on the G string(s).
[Gosh, my brain is a blank, I can't come up with the name of that song.]