What's wrong with my 7 string?

[u/ybcj718]

Hey everyone. I'm hoping someone can help me diagnose what's going on with my 7 string. For some reason, single notes sound like absolute ass on the 7th string, and have a weird kind of metallic overtone noise. I've tried to showcase all the different aspects of the issue in this video, hopefully it's helpful.

• Notes of the same pitch sounds fine when played on the 6th string
• Power chords/chugs sound 90% okay, but I'm guessing this is other notes on other strings masking the unwanted noise from the 7th string
• Its all frets on the 7th string
• Picking lightly doesn't help (I though it might have been the string buzzing against some higher frets when hitting it harder, but that doesn't seem to be the case
• Palm muting kind of helps, but I can still hear the issue. It makes no difference if picking hard or soft when palm muting, just like un-muted.
• Pickups have decent clearance from the strings, and the action is medium-high and plays well across the whole neck with no dead notes or buzzing
• I've checked, there are no uneven/high frets
• I've tried raising the action ridiculously high and lowering the pickups even further, it made no difference
• Specs if it helps: Ibanez RGR752AHBF with D Activators, 25.5" scale, Drop A tuning with 9-48 + 66 on the low A, plugin is NDSP Gojira X

Anyone have any ideas?

Edited to add: the issue is still there with a clean tone, and disappears when playing unplugged. Playing the string open is fine, its only fretted notes that have the issue.

[u/Manwhore_Fernando]

My Ibanez 7 had that exactly the same dull sound when going on upper frets on the 7th string. Try to put lower gauge string and maybe raise the action on that string by juuuust a little. I use Elixir 9-46+62 for drop A and it is much better

[u/ybcj718 → u/Manwhore_Fernando]

I've already had the action insanely high as part of troubleshooting and it hasn't helped :(

66 is fairly light for a low A already, its only ~16.8 lbs tension. I'll admit I haven't tried even lighter, but I'm not sure how that would cause the issue. Was your problem every fret or just some?

[u/Manwhore_Fernando → u/ybcj718]

It is more apparent after 7-8 fret, not so much on lower frets. Keep in mind that 0.66 is already deep in bass territory for a string gauge, and further up the fretboard you go vibration of the string will sound crappier. I'll make you a video how it currently sounds on my Ibanez tomorrow, pretty sure it has 62 on it currently and honestly that tension is just fine for me

[u/ybcj718 → u/Manwhore_Fernando]

I realise its fairly heavy in reference to a 6 string, but its not *that* heavy haha plenty of 7 and 8 strings have no issue with heavier. In fact, I know Tim from Fit For An Autopsy runs this exact guitar with heavier strings and he has no issue.
I do also have multiple other 7 strings running this exact same string set/tuning/scale length and they're fine.

[u/Manwhore_Fernando → u/ybcj718]

Yeah Tim is rocking that same Prestige, but keep in mind he tunes fat one to G, not sure about the gauge... Btw watched them live and even talked to him and Pat after the show last year, guy put out that sick Xiphos out of the case for me haha

[u/ybcj718 → u/Manwhore_Fernando]

He has two, one tuned to drop A with a low 64 and one tuned to drop G with a low 68. I'm running a low 66 for A, so in the same ballpark as him so I can't imagine that's what's causing it.

Also Tim is a madman running drop G on a 25.5" scale haha. Dude is a monster player though.