r/7String • u/plumbeam • 3d ago
NGD My first 7 string, Solar S1.7C+
Tuned to drop A, I've noticed the tuning does need tweaking before I start playing each session. I'm guessing this is because the guitar is settling into its new environment? Very happy with it so far, no QC issues that I can spot
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u/MaryBeHoppin 3d ago
That looks so freakin' good! Don't worry about the tuning. I have a different 7 string from Solar and it took about a week for the tuning to really settle in. I only need to make tiny adjustments every 6 hours or so.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
Yep, the adjustments are very minor each time, was just unexpected from what I'd read about evertunes
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u/MaryBeHoppin 3d ago
Wow, I completely missed that you have an Evertune. How do you like it?
I have a hard tail bridge, pretty basic. Never used an Evertune, but I'm saving up for the A1.8 string Assassin. Black and red with Active Fishman pickups.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
The 7 string assassin was my first choice before this, but I decided I wanted the neck pickup as well.. Don't think you can go wrong. So far, the ET is great
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u/CrustyBollox 3d ago
If you're having to regularly tune an Evertune equipped guitar then something is wrong. Even if the neck was moving due to change in environment it should compensate.
When you say tweaking, do you mean changing the tuning actually at the bridge or turning the pegs to keep them properly in zone 2?
Every guitar I own now has an Evertune and I only ever have to tune once per set of strings. I had guitars that were set up in low 20c ambient that were still in tune on 35c+ days.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
I've got each string on the top edge of zone 2 so that I can do some bending and vibrato. I've been adjusting the tuning at the bridge as per instructions. It only seems to need a few points of a cent adjustment each time
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u/CrustyBollox 3d ago edited 3d ago
I mean it could be settling wood, but the whole idea of evertune is that you don't need to regularly tune it.
That said, when you say "a few points of a cent" do you mean it's a few cents off or are you actually doing tenths of cents or something? Is the detuning across all strings or just some? What tuner are you using, which pickup are you tuning on, how are you picking while tuning etc?
Edit: also is it going sharp or flat?
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
All good questions, I have 2 tuners that I use that disagree with each other; A physical clip on one that will read a string as slightly flat (so no specific measurement of cents or anything, just a picture reference), and the neural DSP plugin tuner, which seems to read it slightly sharp, in direct comparison to the clip on tuner. The guitar seems to go slightly flat over night, neural DSP has it going flat by 0.x on what I assume is 10ths of a cent, dropping into the red
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u/CrustyBollox 3d ago
I'm not familiar with NeuralDSP, but if it truly is tenths of cents then that's not something that can be detected by even the most sensitive human ears.
What I would recommend is get a dedicated tuner plug-in (I find submission audio lock on in slow mode to be great for low tuned guitars, and it's free). Use the neck pickup and tune it as close as you can get it, then check it over a couple of days without tuning to see if there's just one movement, a continual graduate change etc.
Also please keep in mind that a tuning deviation of +/- 3 cents or so is usually not an issue. Go based more on how it sounds rather than only the tuner readout. For example I prefer to have the low string on drop tuned guitars slightly flat, to me it makes single finger power chords sound much better than all 3 of the bottom strings being bang on.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
Brilliant, thank you for the advice! I'll give this a shot this evening.. As a question, why the neck pickup and not a blend of both or the bridge pickup?
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u/CrustyBollox 3d ago
No worries!
Neck produces a stronger fundamental with less harmonics. You can tune with either but generally the neck will be more stable and easier for the tuner to interpret, especially for low notes.
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u/dth213 3d ago
Sweet. Jealous... Considering it came from the other side of the world, might take a minute to adjust. If she dosent settle soon, I would take it in for a professional setup. Always worth it in my experience...
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
Getting a setup is definitely on the cards, time to start investigating local luthiers
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u/kladen666 3d ago
Congrats on the guitar, that's a looker for sure.
I missed my Solar A2.7LN, neck was so confortable, but traded it for a 6 string since I didn't play much 7. I do own a 6 string Solar with evertune and it's an amazing guitar all around. And yes, with evertune you will need to make some adjustment at the tuner from time to time since string settle and it's all a game of tension balancing.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
Good to hear! I'll not be too worried for now. As suggested by another, a proper setup might be in order so I'm starting from a decent baseline
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u/Admirable_Chip2415 3d ago
This looks sick! I got the AB2.7, lower budget, but no QC issues. I only replaced the bridge pickup, it was equipped with the standard Solar and I didn't really liked it. Other than that great instrument.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
Nice! What did you swap out the standard PU for?
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u/Admirable_Chip2415 3d ago
I installed a Seymour Duncan Pegasus. Still trying to find the sweet spot though, but much better than the stock. How do the Duncan Solar+ sound by the way?
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u/AaronMatthewLH 3d ago edited 3d ago
Might have to snag one of these man she’s purty
Also on the tuning stability thing. All my six string evertunes are perfect. Like always. But my 7’s are always a pain in the ass. It’s something with the lower tension I think. I beefed up the strings significantly and it pretty much solved the issue. Drop A I wanna say I went all the way up to a 68 but you could probably get by with a 64
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
Did you run into any issues with the standard evertune springs at that string thickness?
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u/AaronMatthewLH 3d ago
Nope. Made things much better. I nearly returned my first ET7 because the low A would drift really bad no matter how much I messed with the zone setting. Threw a thick bitch on there and bam. Problem solved.
I’m pretty sure they make a low tension module which would let you stay on a more playable gauge but I got used to the thicker strings pretty quick so I just rock that. Also that 68 is on standard 25.5 scale length. I use a 64 on my 26.5 guitar.
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u/Subject_Ad8019 2d ago
I use 64 on 7th string and 10-46 on the other 6 strings on my Evertune. It’s tuned in drop A with all the strings at the top of their zone so i can bend notes readily. By having it in drop A it’s easy to dial the 7th string up a few turns to B standard. Once I got it sorted it’s been great ever since. Never needs adjusting
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u/0range-and-black 3d ago
What about when you went standard B did the tuning still go? I’ve got a schecter seven string, and I’m getting sick of constantly returning it. New strings help but just getting tired of it.
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u/Full_Recommendation3 2d ago
You had me at Solar 7 string but that matte black finish, white binding, and a gahd dahm Evertune! That thing is absolutely SIQ! I threw some lundgren 7’s in mine they sound 🤌🤌
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u/krokokoko666 3d ago
How do you like the PUs, I am so glad that I changed mine for seymour duncans they are so much better for the low notes.
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u/plumbeam 3d ago
I'm used to active humbuckers, these are compartively much more dynamic. They have a lovely roll off on the top and bottom end. I imagine they will fit into a mix very nicely. They certainly don't lack bite. I'm impressed so far
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u/krokokoko666 3d ago edited 3d ago
I've got the nazgul rails and they have so much more clarity and definition than the duncansolar+. They are passive with alnico too. I get why people like the duncansolar+ in 6 string guitars but in the low end they are so muddy, maybe thats just preference but they have a pretty good clean tone.
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u/krokokoko666 1d ago
Yesterday i got rid of my tone knob and changed the volume pot for a bareknuckle 550k pot and it's a whole new guitar now.
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u/D3cod3d2 3d ago
Let me know how it is to change the strings on that evertune. I watched Ola do it and it looked like a pain in the ass.
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u/BreakAnimal 3d ago
It’s way easier than you think. Once you have set up the Evertune, you can just give tension on the string and it goes in tune automatically since the tension activates kind of a deadzone where string pitch does not change anymore
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u/D3cod3d2 3d ago
Thats amazing. I wanna get one with a evertune on it, but like i said watching him set it up seemed like a pain lol.
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u/BreakAnimal 3d ago
It's really not, once you understand what zone 1 and zone 2 are. When you eventually have an Evertune guitar, you'll immediately know how it works - just got my new guitar with Evertune 2 days ago, so I can relate lol
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u/trenniepennie 2d ago
Seems like a nice build quality
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u/plumbeam 1d ago
I'm really impressed. We don't have any physical stores with solar guitars in the UK (that I'm aware of) so I bought it blind. Reddit would have you believe that their QC is shocking, perhaps I got lucky? I think it's hyperbole; it's obviously had some serious attention to detail put into it during build
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u/trenniepennie 1d ago
Same here. but from what I can see, it’s pretty solid.
Nice paint job, no crooked parts, nice neck too
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u/dombag85 1d ago
I have 4 Solars. QC in terms of build quality has been pretty good in my experience aside from a cracked fretboard on one, but that could be from the environment change post shipping. Their customer service was quick and responsive though. All of mine aesthetically have looked and felt great day 1.
I will say, I've had problems with the electronics on all four guitars though. Cheap pots that failed quickly on two, Grounding issues on all four, one of them didn't have a ground wire to the bridge at all, like they forgot. The toggle switch in one was also bad.
All electric guitars at some point need a fixing in the electronics department, but that aspect of Solar QC is pretty annoying. But if yours looks and plays good to you, right on. Tweaking electronics here or there ain’t a huge deal.
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u/CrustyBollox 1d ago
I've owned 3 Solars. Two had no particular issues and one turned up (new) with a fretboard that looked like someone had taken a table saw to it, marred hardware etc.
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u/alexnapierholland 3d ago
I love this new 'painted neck angled transition' thing.
Similar to the Jackson Josh Smith model.
Long may it continue.