7-String Les Paul? Yes

[Muadzin]

Now if only Fender could be arsed to release a seven string Tele. Here's to hoping they will.

[madbean]

Now if only Fender could be arsed to release a seven string Tele. Here's to hoping they will.

Hell yeah.

[lincolnic]

I saw this article earlier today: http://geargods.net/news/the-new-gibson-les-paul-7-string-and-why-it-will-fail-and-why-thats-good-for-gibson/

I think I agree with them - a short-scale 7-string? That sounds like trouble.

[Muadzin]

I saw this article earlier today: http://geargods.net/news/the-new-gibson-les-paul-7-string-and-why-it-will-fail-and-why-thats-good-for-gibson/

I think I agree with them - a short-scale 7-string? That sounds like trouble.

Of course that article assumes that if it fails they will learn from their mistakes. Unfortunately Gibson seems to be run by executives these days and they're like politicians. Just as politicians will never EVER admit that they were wrong, executives will never see their own mistakes, blame some underling and lay off some workers to appease stockholders. And cheerfully make new mistakes. Methinks the only thing that will save Gibson are a new set of executives, and if we're very, very, very lucky they will try to distance themselves from the previous crop by coming up with a back to basics strategy that actually goes back to basics. But for now Gibson has become Dilbert's company. With pointy haired bosses and conehead CEO's.

And I still hope that Fender will do a 7 string Tele regardless. I want a 7 string that looks like one of my favorite guitars dammit, not one of those accursed shred abominations. I may end up using it for chugga chugga, doesn't mean I want a chugga chugga guitar.

[RobA]

There's no problem with running a 24.75" scale that low. I used a fifths based tuning starting at C on a Les Paul for years. You just need to put the right gauge strings on it.

There are plenty of people that could use a decent 7-string for things other than metal and this guitar could be perfect for them. Jazz, classical, and Brazilian guitarists used 7-strings for decades before they were used in metal. Personally, I've wanted a non-shred, non-chug, cheap-but-decent 7-string to experiment with thirds based tunings for awhile now. Unfortunately, this one's outside the price range I've got for experimenting, but I hope it succeeds so maybe other companies will look at making more normal 7-strings.

[pickdropper]

I thought the Traditionals were fully solid, but I was incorrect; they simply revert back to the old Standard formula with Swiss Cheese holes.

After a bit of reading, it seems that the Traditionals used swiss cheese holes were there until about 2013 and then Gibson switched over to no weight relief on that model.

[alanp]

There's no problem with running a 24.75" scale that low. I used a fifths based tuning starting at C on a Les Paul for years. You just need to put the right gauge strings on it.

Doesn't Iommi run 8's with drop tuning on a SG, LP scale length? (That is, not 13s or something.)

[RobA]

There's no problem with running a 24.75" scale that low. I used a fifths based tuning starting at C on a Les Paul for years. You just need to put the right gauge strings on it.

Doesn't Iommi run 8's with drop tuning on a SG, LP scale length? (That is, not 13s or something.)

According to his site, yes. http://www.iommi.com/equipment/la-bella-guitar-bass-strings/
I've got to admit that I think that's nuts. I can barely play with heavy bottom 9's on a normal tuning. I did play with 8's in the 70's when that was all the rage, but the gauge slowly crept up until a few years ago when I was using 15 flat wound strings. I've forced that back down to 12's for my main guitar. Then when I got the SG, I figured I'd try to let it keep the low string height it had so I started with 9's on it. I couldn't do it. That guitar is now at 10's LT-HB. I can live with that. I now have an active PU guitar that I'm keeping at LT-HB 9's for testing purposes and I have to think about how I play that guitar, especially on the lower frets. It's so freaking wobbly. I can't imagine using 8's in a drop tuning or 7's like Gibbons does. It would give you the ability to do vibrato and bends telepathically though.

[jkokura]

Funny thing about 7 strings is that the earliest versions were hollow bodies made by Gibson and similar builders for Jazz Cats. No joke, Gibson was doing them in their classic era, long before Ibanez and such.

Jacob

[kothoma]

Funny thing about 7 strings is that the earliest versions were hollow bodies made by Gibson and similar builders for Jazz Cats. No joke, Gibson was doing them in their classic era, long before Ibanez and such.

I think the first one was by Epiphone in the 1930s for George van Eps tuned AEADGBE.

[pickdropper]

I saw this article earlier today: http://geargods.net/news/the-new-gibson-les-paul-7-string-and-why-it-will-fail-and-why-thats-good-for-gibson/

I think I agree with them - a short-scale 7-string? That sounds like trouble.

Of course that article assumes that if it fails they will learn from their mistakes. Unfortunately Gibson seems to be run by executives these days and they're like politicians. Just as politicians will never EVER admit that they were wrong, executives will never see their own mistakes, blame some underling and lay off some workers to appease stockholders. And cheerfully make new mistakes. Methinks the only thing that will save Gibson are a new set of executives, and if we're very, very, very lucky they will try to distance themselves from the previous crop by coming up with a back to basics strategy that actually goes back to basics. But for now Gibson has become Dilbert's company. With pointy haired bosses and conehead CEO's.

And I still hope that Fender will do a 7 string Tele regardless. I want a 7 string that looks like one of my favorite guitars dammit, not one of those accursed shred abominations. I may end up using it for chugga chugga, doesn't mean I want a chugga chugga guitar.

I think most people that follow Gibson have a love/hate relationship with Henry.  Gibson was in bad shape when he took over and he did get rid of the generally reviled Norlins construction techniques, but he does an awful lot of things that people hate.

I don't know where people keep coming up with the idea that he is going to get voted out.  He is co-owner of the company.  I doubt he is going to be easily rooted out.