There are certain things that we just take for granted.
The sky is blue, water is wet, and guitar pickups have as many poles as strings there are in the instrument.
But what would actually happen if you were to put a 6-string pickup on a 7-string guitar?
Putting a 6-string pickup on a 7-string guitar will work to an extent. First of all, you would need to supplement the sides of the routing to be able to anchor it properly. Second, and most importantly, the pickup will not align properly with the strings and will provide uneven signal levels.
Perhaps you have just taken out a pickup that you love from one of your 6-strings and you are wondering if it could be used to breathe new life into your dull 7-string.
Wonder no more, I’ve got you covered.
In this article, I will go in-depth about everything you need to know about mixing and matching 6-string pickups with 7-string guitars, what will work and what will not.
After leaving this page you will have a clear idea about what your options are and if taking on this mod is a good idea.
Are you ready to get started?
Let’s go!
Would a 6-string pickup fit on a 7-string routing?
First of all, getting a 6-string pickup to fit in the cavity intended for a 7-string might require some extra work, but nothing too daunting.
Perhaps you will need to glue some extra bits of wood to make for a secure anchor.
At this point, let’s face it, this will hardly be a clean job, and the results will most likely look ugly.
But if you are alright with it, give it a go and be creative.
The thing you will have to decide at this point is where would you place the smaller pickup along the big routing.
I think the most effective thing to do would be to make it match the 6 lower strings of the guitar, however, you will probably lose the sound out of the first string by doing so. More on this later.
Another thing you should consider when doing this is angling the 6-string pickup in a way that it better matches the spacing between the strings since it will likely not line up if put perfectly straight.
Would a 6-string pickup on a 7-string make sound at all?
Pickups are pickups no matter how many strings they were designed for.
The thing is, depending on where you place the smaller 6-string pickup, you might leave out of its magnetic field some of your strings.
If you put it below the six lowest strings of your guitar, the signal it would pick up from the first string will be fairly weak.
The same thing would happen if you put it dead center, then the 2 furthermost strings will sound anemic.
How would a 6-string pickup sound on a 7-string guitar?
The most common result that players who have tried putting a 6-string pickup on a 7-string guitar report is that the resulting signal levels from the different strings are not consistent at all.
And this is expectable since the string spacing for which the 6-string pickup was designed will likely not line up at all with the one from a 7-string guitar. Apart from probably leaving a string out of its range.
A workaround to fixing this issue is installing the pickup in a slanted fashion, so you could try to position the poles more effectively under each string.
Is the wiring for a 6-string pickup the same as a 7-string?
Yes, the wiring from most pickups is the same, no matter the number of strings they are intended for.
You will have no issues with the routing for the electronics, and the ones on your 7-string guitar will work just fine.
Is putting a 6-string pickup on a 7-string guitar reasonable?
I don’t think that putting a 6-string pickup on an extended-range guitar is a great idea.
First of all, and perhaps not important for most of you thinking about this mod, but this won’t ever look alright no matter how good of a job you do.
So, if the looks of your guitar matter to you, this might not work out.
Secondly, there are no assurances that the end result of this mod will provide you with a usable sound at all.
Having a noticeable disparity between the signal strength of your strings can be unbearable for most players.
However, if you want to take on this idea just for fun, and as an experiment, by all means, go ahead, but please share your results with our community!
Hello there, my name is Ramiro and I’ve been playing guitar for almost 20 years. I’m obsessed with everything gear-related and I thought it might be worth sharing it. From guitars, pedals, amps, and synths to studio gear and production tips, I hope you find what I post here useful, and I’ll try my best to keep it entertaining also.