Epiphone Matt Heafy 7 String Les Paul

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:56 pm

I don't know who Matt Heafy is nor have I heard of his band, but this looks pretty good.

I don't like it as it is, and I've always thought it a bit silly to buy a new guitar and immediately mod it, but I've long wanted a tasteful seven string and I think I can see a nice guitar in there somewhere.

New hardware and new pickups and you're in business, no?

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:09 am

Aye, get some 7k ohm PAFs and dip all that hardware in battery acid for a bit. I doubt that jazz-oriented players would be dissatisfied with the results at that price.

My c.1999 Epiphone LP 7 String is at the folks' place in SoCal right now awaiting the slow, arduous sale a la Los Angeles Craigslist (I'm giving it 3 years), being almost what I'd like from a 7-string but not quite. Of course the stock overwound pickups are icky sounding be it clean or dirty, but the bigger issue is how the 24.75" scale length + the low B in any girth seem to be a not so optimum combination.

I've tried multiple gauges and it's been nothing Flabsville Deluxe with what I'd normally associate with comfortable downstroking, and am guessing if I were an avid shredder with a more dextrous left hand I'd be alright, but alas I've needed it for nothing more than caveman powerchords to fatten up a mix.

Not sure if I ever posted this one...

It's a rather self-incriminating clip here when I was on tour in 2011 with 이승환, having the time of my life. At 82kg and knees giving me a hard time, I nonetheless seemed to do my regular stage goofy gestures and Nancy Wilson kicking antics just the same at this small theater gig. Base distortion tone was probably a few stacked OD pedals into a Twin Reverb, Yamaha SG1000 was out of tune, and you can hear the aforementioned chordal flab (going sharp) on the Epi-7 when I got all excited up front at about 4:40 on. Had done so much better on a Jerry Jones baritone when I was with the same band in 2005 - 2006.

[youtube][/youtube]

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:03 pm

To be honest, I've always wanted one of the Epiphone Ultratwin Signature Model 7-string Les Paul but understood them to be like gold dust, hence my excitement at finding something close and in production.

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:47 pm

Gold hardware and paf's would make a vast improvement, I thought it was a cool option to have out there though

Post by **Doog** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:15 pm

WPBRON

(Would Play Buckethead Riffs On It)

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:21 pm

Has a killswitchtonepotbutton too.

Post by **Doog** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:26 pm

SHHHHHHHHHIIIIEEEEET

Post by **Doog** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:27 pm

PS: it's the dude from Trivium's. I may have only heard of these guys because I taught a 14 year guitar for a few months.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 8:27 pm

ultratwin wrote:Aye, get some 7k ohm PAFs and dip all that hardware in battery acid for a bit. I doubt that jazz-oriented players would be dissatisfied with the results at that price.

My c.1999 Epiphone LP 7 String is at the folks' place in SoCal right now awaiting the slow, arduous sale a la Los Angeles Craigslist (I'm giving it 3 years), being almost what I'd like from a 7-string but not quite. Of course the stock overwound pickups are icky sounding be it clean or dirty, but the bigger issue is how the 24.75" scale length + the low B in any girth seem to be a not so optimum combination.

I've tried multiple gauges and it's been nothing Flabsville Deluxe with what I'd normally associate with comfortable downstroking, and am guessing if I were an avid shredder with a more dextrous left hand I'd be alright, but alas I've needed it for nothing more than caveman powerchords to fatten up a mix.

Not sure if I ever posted this one...

It's a rather self-incriminating clip here when I was on tour in 2011 with 이승환, having the time of my life. At 82kg and knees giving me a hard time, I nonetheless seemed to do my regular stage goofy gestures and Nancy Wilson kicking antics just the same at this small theater gig. Base distortion tone was probably a few stacked OD pedals into a Twin Reverb, Yamaha SG1000 was out of tune, and you can hear the aforementioned chordal flab (going sharp) on the Epi-7 when I got all excited up front at about 4:40 on. Had done so much better on a Jerry Jones baritone when I was with the same band in 2005 - 2006.

Reading back through this post, is the issue one of intonation being more or less impossible at that pitch on that scale?

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:51 am

Bacchus wrote: Reading back through this post, is the issue one of intonation being more or less impossible at that pitch on that scale?

Actually, intonation has always been just fine, whatever the gauge. But having it still feel/sound flabby even with an Ernie Ball Baritone Set's .72 chubby on the low end means that I have to play fairly light to keep the B string from vibrating sharp. What's worse is that I was more useful in 이승환's band when tuned down to AEADGBE, since so many songs were in E and the A chords as the IVth in the scale made a lot of sense.

Here's another clip from around then with some lighter touch.

[youtube][/youtube]

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 8:36 pm

I see what you're saying now. The only seven I've played was an Ibanez RG. It didn't have that problem but it was full scale and looked dreadful.

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:13 am

Bacchus wrote:... but it was full scale and looked dreadful.

Ain't that the worst?

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 4:45 pm

i like les pauls, but i feel that a 7 string at that scale would bother the shit out of me.

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:40 am

Was at Guitar Center Pasadena to get some strings: D'addario nickel wounds are $7.99/3 pack, limit 3. Got three, cashier aloof.

The 2015 Gibsons are weird. Neck feels weird and wide, brass nut/zero fret sounds "different", crayon scribbled Les Paulloooo is infinitely worse than that "...couch inlay with the words 'happy anniversary Maureen and Gary' on it" (thanks for the brilliant quote, brainfur!)

And back to 7-stringers: The Schecter SGR C-7 was there and is on sale until next week at just $149. You know what it looks like, and having a go at it I didn't feel all that bad about the build; neck profile wasn't too thin, and the 'asswood body didn't bother me much either. No doubt, the 26.5" scale is the best part about it, and is everything I've missed in the Epi-7.

But I'm still not too hot about it, for somewhat obvious reasons.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 10:15 am

See this is the problem. The Ibanez one I had played brilliantly and sounded great, but there's not a chance I'd be seen with it.

Janine · Post by **Janine** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 3:18 am

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri ... tring.aspx

Hmm

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 2:16 am

Nothing says Classic like an extra string, n'est pas?

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 7:42 am

ultratwin wrote:Nothing says Classic like an extra string, n'est pas?

hahahaha
To bring a couple threads together,
Skylark guitars (UK) as plugged by dezb1 sell a cheap 7-string LP copy but only in green, apparently, Â£199

ultratwin · Post by **ultratwin** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:04 am

Interesting, I totally missed that thread.

This random google search clip sondz really gud, this dude is getting a proper woody jazz + flatwound tone doing whatever he be doing in this clip, though I'm guessing it's not the same model. Not sure if green either, though PAULBACCHUSPAUL peeps from the land o' leprechauns wouldn't protest even if it were, methinks.

[youtube][/youtube]

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:07 am

I think "Skylark" is the Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer standard in this case, but nice.