# 7 string Jazz guitar 'Lenny Breau' style



## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

Hi folks

Here's a guitar that I just completed for a local musician. It's based on the guitar built by Kirk Sand for Lenny Breau.  The most unusual aspect of this guitar is the high ‘A’ string, and has a very short, 22.75 inch scale length neck, so that this string will not break. It has a very wide neck with classical string spacing at the nut, which is 2.26 inches wide, just like the Lenny Breau guitar. It is tuned from low ‘E’, to high ‘A’ using the string gauges 46, 36, 24, 19, 16, 12, 8. It has Claro walnut top and back, with a Mahogany core, and the neck is maple and walnut. The headstock veneer and backplate are Claro walnut burl. The fretboard is Pau Rosa, the knobs are African Blackwood and Pau Rosa, and pickup rings are African Blackwood. It has a Hipshot bridge and Hipshot locking tuners. The inlays in the pickup ring and top of the guitar mark out the fret positions that extend beyond the fretboard so that harp harmonics can be played at those positions. (This is also a feature of the original guitar). The body of this guitar is the same shape as a classical guitar and it is played while sitting with the guitar positioned between the legs, with the large lower horn resting on the left leg. The large cutaway on the back of the upper bout allows for excellent access to the upper fretboard. Pickups were supplied by the owner. The finish is polymerized Danish oil and the body is also waxed.


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Very cool!

That's a guitar I'd really love to try.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Such a work of art! 

Beautifully crafted with a perfect balance of form and function. 
The guitar invites you to hold it and beckons you play.

Congratulations to both the builder and the new owner.

Thanks for posting this.

Dave


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

greco said:


> Such a work of art!
> 
> Beautifully crafted with a perfect balance of form and function.
> The guitar invites you to hold it and beckons you play.
> ...


Thank you for those thoughtful words Dave! You summed it up perfectly.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

man, who wouldnt love to have a heel like that one?


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

that is gorgeous! I'd have no idea how to play it, but I can certainly appreciate the beauty of the craftsmanship.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

cheezyridr said:


> man, who wouldnt love to have a heel like that one?


Thanks! Considering how wide the neck is, it's a very easy guitar to play in the upper range.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

Thanks for the 'likes' and comments guys!


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## EchoWD40 (Mar 16, 2007)

does it djent?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm not into 7 string guitars myself (playing them, I'll listen to others play them), but I'd like to try this one.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

TDeneka said:


> does it djent?



haha - I did not try it! I'm not sure this guitar lends itself to the technique lol



"Djent is used to describe a certain kind of guitar tone characterized by medium-high gain, a quick-release noise gate to emphasize staccato playing, a cut of most bass below 200Hz for a tight low end, a slight boost around 800hz for clarity, and a noticeable boost around 1.6Khz to emphasize pick attack. When a two-octave power chord is palm-muted with this tone, a "djent" sound is created rather than the typical chunkier sound.

Djent also refers to repeated staccato playing of the lowest-pitch string on a detuned 6 string or 7 string guitar with a powerful attack such that the string goes very slightly sharp upon the pick's release from the string. Lower-gauge strings are used to facilitate this.

Djent tone is many times created using a Line 6 amp modeling product such as the Pod series or the Axe-Fx. When possible, an amp model such as the Big Bottom or Modern High Gain on these devices is used in conjunction with a modeled Tube Screamer in front. Engl and Mesa amplifiers are typically used when tube amplification is preferred.

Djent is widely acknowledged to have come first from Meshuggah, but Misha 'Bulb' Mansoor has arguably popularized the sound. Djent's typical uses give rise to a "genre" of djent that is characterized by hi-fi compressed production, polyrhythmic/staccato distorted riffs and ambient clean passages which make liberal use of 9 and other "jazzy" chords. Electronica influences such as glitchy percussion and synthesizers are also incorporated."


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

TDeneka said:


> does it djent?


There's the door, we'll play you out lol


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## The Lullaby (Dec 8, 2010)

the guitar looks like a wonderful piece of work...would luv hearing played skillfully...super cool stuff.

- - - Updated - - -

being a non-jazzer can I ask how using the high A extends chordal possibilities? Is it more for higher melody lines?


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

The Lullaby said:


> the guitar looks like a wonderful piece of work...would luv hearing played skillfully...super cool stuff.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> being a non-jazzer can I ask how using the high A extends chordal possibilities? Is it more for higher melody lines?


It's more for melody. The high 'a' extended his ability to play melodic lines over his comping . 

The following is extracted from an interview with Lenny by Martin K. Webb and published in the September 1974 issue of Guitar Player Mag

"One of the cornerstones of the Breau style was his uncanny ability to play chords with his right-hand thumb and first two fingers, while superimposing single-note lines with the third finger and pinky. Early explorations of Chet Atkins' right-hand approach led him to master the co-ordination of two distinct parts and develop the skill to emphasise a voice at will. He occasionally added a bass line to this concept, resulting in a mind-boggling three-voice tapestry that made an indelible impression on all that heard it"

Read the full article here: http://www.gould68.freeserve.co.uk/Breau/breau4.html


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

The Lullaby said:


> the guitar looks like a wonderful piece of work...would luv hearing played skillfully...super cool stuff.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> being a non-jazzer can I ask how using the high A extends chordal possibilities? Is it more for higher melody lines?


I talked with JB about this and he showed me how chords could be voiced with the high 'A' that would be pretty much impossible to play on a regular six string. So it does extend chordal possibilities as well as melody.


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