“Universal 7 Deluxe” Guitar Review

  Ever since I heard my teacher, Howard Morgen, play his 7 string through his stereo setup, I have been fascinated by the concept of bass strings coming out of one speaker and the guitar out of another.  The “Universal 7 Deluxe” takes this one step further by having 3 actual bass strings and 4 guitar strings output to separate amplifiers.

   This is a review of my recent acquisition… a Hybrid Guitars Co. “Universal 7 Deluxe”.  Hybrid Guitars consists of luthiers Wes Lambe and Clay Connor, along with input by contrapuntal virtuoso, Charlie Hunter.  They specialize in 6,7 and 8 string Hybrid guitars with dual outputs. 

https://hybrid-guitars.com

  The Universal 7 is offered in two models – one pickup or two pickups (Deluxe).  Since these are custom made instruments, there is a wide range of options available, including different woods, finishes and hardware, as well as solid and hollow body models – including a gorgeous carved top version.

Body

  I recommend to students that they buy guitars with a finish that allows them to see the wood, as painted bodies often use wood that may have some “defects”.  So, naturally I would chose a Swamp Ash body with a natural satin finish.  While the wood grain isn’t as sexy as flamed maple, it does have a “rustic” charm to it.  The body seems to have been made with a CNC machine, as the tolerances and contours are crisp and clean – in particular, the neck pocket.  The only downside is that the body is somewhat heavy (8 lbs 9 oz), and if you have back issues (like me), this is something to be aware of.

Neck

  And while the body is quite nice, the real “star” is the neck.  The maple neck is reinforced with carbon and features a two way adjustable truss rod that is accessible from the bottom of the fingerboard.  The fingerboard is made of Ebony.

  This is one of the best necks that I have ever played.  It is extremely comfortable, especially when considering its width, and the satin finish allows you to smoothly play along the neck without “sticking”.  I live on a small island and in the summer it can get quite humid and I had no issues with my thumb sticking to the neck.  

  The intonation is accurate all the way up the neck, and there are no “dead/wolf” notes.  It is a joy to play high chord voicings, as they ring out clearly and in tune.  You do have to develop a bit of a “touch” for the low “E” string, as you can put it slightly out of tune if you don’t fret it cleanly.  I have the guitar tuned to: EADdgbe.  I play with a light touch, and I was surprised at just how easy the bass strings were to play, due to both the action and the string tension.

Fanned Frets

  The first question everyone asks me relates to the Fanned Frets.  For those unfamiliar with the concept, this system was devised by Ralph Novax on his line of guitars and is licensed to Hybrid Guitars Co.  The fanning of the frets allow for different scale lengths of the strings, thus allowing both actual, short scale, bass strings and regular guitar strings to exist on one neck, without having the bass strings being “flabby” and hard to intonate.

  And not surprisingly, the second question that I get is… “Is it hard to play with the Fanned Frets?”.  It is easier to play than you would think.  I was surprised how quickly I was able to adapt to the concept.   However, there is one thing to be aware of.  As you climb the neck, especially above the 12th fret or so, it becomes tougher to play certain chord voicings due to your hand being angled “back”.  It is much easier to play with the fanned frets at the top of the neck, than it is towards the bottom, due to the angle of your hand.

Headstock

   The headstock features an Ebony overlay, which adds to the elegance of the instrument. However, for some strange reason, they don’t put their name or logo on the overlay, instead, it is stamped on the back of the headstock.  The Ebony overlay screams for an inlaid name/logo.

Hardware

  The black hardware nicely compliments the lighter aesthetics of the Swamp Ash.  All of the hardware is of excellent quality and enhances the overall value of the instrument.  There are two sets of knobs (volume and tone) and a pickup selector for each of the guitar and bass sections, as well as a toggle switch for separate bass and guitar outputs or mono.   The tone controls allow for some nice roll off of the “highs” for both the guitar and bass outputs.  I find myself using the volume knobs far more on this guitar than others, as it is necessary in order to balance each output.

Pickups

  The guitar is equipped with custom Kent Armstrong pickups which are switchable between mono and stereo outputs.  Not surprisingly there is a little bleed between the pickups around the fourth string, but it is low enough not to be a major factor.  Otherwise, the separation between the bass and guitar is outstanding.  Another nice feature is that the pickups are set “low” on the body, thus increasing the sustain and tone of the instrument, by moving the magnetic field further away from the strings.  Their output is both clear and defined.

Case

  The guitar ships with a custom case which adds to the overall value of the purchase.  The interior is plush and holds the guitar securely and it features a very large storage compartment suitable for cords, strings etc.  

My Summary of the Universal 7 Deluxe guitar by Hybrid Guitars Co.

  This is the best guitar that I’ve played in my 44 years of playing – it’s literally a dream come true.  At times I have actually gotten a little teary eyed while playing it, as I’m FINALLY able to hear chords voiced the way I was hearing them in my head, with a real bass note “in the bass”.  The ease of play and feel of the instrument is outstanding.  While I’m a fan of the warmth of Mahogany bodied guitars, I’m loving the sustain and clarity that the Swamp Ash provides.  And the sustain on this instrument rivals that of my Les Paul.  Chords just sound magical with the guitar amp and bass amp set for individual tones.  

  It took me quite some time to decide on the 7 string instead of the “Big 6” 6 string model.  The determining factor was that I would have 3 bass strings and 4 guitar strings, which allows me to be able to play three note voicings on two separate sets of strings (1,2 and 3, and 2,3 and 4), or four note voicings on the guitar strings, as well as the dual “D” strings which allow for some interesting octave ideas.  

  Downsides?  The weight.  Although I no longer practice 12-16 hours a day, as I did when I was younger, I still get in 4+ hours a day and I have to split that time between this instrument and my Ramirez nylon string guitar, due to the strain on my back.  Though a 1/2 hour to 1 hour is somewhat okay, it’s the longer practice sessions where it becomes burdensome.  I’m working on increasing the time spent on the Hybrid, hoping my back will eventually grow more accustomed to its weight, as I find it very hard to put down – it’s an absolute joy to play — and I want to make it my main instrument.

  Another “downside” is, as an improviser, I’ve grown accustomed to knowing instinctively where all of the notes are on the instrument.  However, with the different scale length, my fingers can find themselves “off” at times from where they normally would be.  Though I expect that this will further diminish as more time is spent playing it, but it is something to be aware of.

  I can’t overstate how wonderful the neck plays and feels.  I can play with a light touch (fingerstyle) and the guitar responds wonderfully – and with great clarity and sustain.  This is very important, as my approach is more pianistic than the prevalent funk/groove playing that is often associated with the instrument.

  Wes Lambe and Clay Conner should be commended for providing such a high quality instrument at a very reasonable price.  These were previously selling for c.$2,700 (a STEAL!), however, at this time I’d have to believe that with shortages, inflation, etc. that they might be a bit more than that now.  You can contact them at their website for the latest prices.  Regardless, this is a very high quality instrument that yields astonishing sounds and is well worth the money.

  Of course a special mention and thanks needs to be made to Charlie Hunter.  For it was his persistence and vision that allowed for an instrument such as this to be actually made .  Thank you, Charlie!

https://hybrid-guitars.com/universal-7

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Demonstration

  I’ve recorded a short 4 minute video that shows me improvising five short solo guitar pieces.   I tend to only play on the front pickup, so there’s no examples that feature the back pickup.  The amplifiers used were a Pearce G1 guitar amp and a Fender Rumble 40 bass amp.  The effect that I used was an Allan Holdsworth multi-tap (8 taps of different delay settings) Chorus using a Yamaha Magicstomp.  

Final Words

  I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who has purchased my book!  I appreciate your interest and support and I look forward to see what each of you do with the material!  If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask! 

I’ve recently been busy on some other projects and let the blog posts slide a bit…. I am going to try and correct that, and post more often.  I’ve enclosed a recent master study drawing that I did of Frank Frazetta’s “Silver Warrior” painting – one of the aforementioned projects.