best 7 string guitar

THESE 10 Best 7 String Guitars Are Monster Guitars!

Updated on April 1, 2022 by Dan Harper

Looking for the best 7 string guitar? Maybe you want to be the next metal guitar shredder and never stop practicing, or maybe you just like being able to play in more keys. Either way, there are some really cool best seven string guitars out there that offer a seventh string for those of us who want it.

Quick Links To Our 7 String Guitar List

Our 7 String Electric Guitar Reviews & Buying Guide

PRS Guitars 7 String SE Mark Holcomb SVN Natural Satin

The PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN of Periphery is the ideal 7 string guitar for those wishing to explore the realm of contemporary tones and low tunings.

With its 26.5-inch scale and Mark’s distinctive Alpha/Omega pickups, this instrument can easily handle lower tunings.  This 7-string also has a push/pull coil split, allowing you to separate the humbuckers into single coils, which is ideal for twangy Fender-like tones and extreme clarity, which is useful for more intricate playing styles.

The PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN is no exception to PRS’s reputation for quality craftsmanship in all of their models, regardless of price.  The quilted maple veneer, ebony fretboard, and hallmark PRS bird inlays add a touch of sophistication to this metal or djent machine.

While the PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN’s mid-range pricing may be a little out of reach for those looking for the cheapest option, it offers outstanding value for money, with features and looks that are worth twice its price, making it one of the top seven string on this list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3kk9gRd7fA

Check The Latest Price On The PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN

For Lead Guitarists – Ibanez RGD71ALMS Axion Label

The way your guitar feels in your hands is what makes it so appealing; the RGD71ALMS Axion Label 7-String Electric Guitar feels like an extension of yourself. The beautiful metallic colors of this electric guitar rock on any stage, and the seven string is a great addition to your arsenal.

The guitar is made from maple, with a maple neck and fretboard. It has two Dual Fishman Fluence Modern humbucker pickups. In addition to being an awesome seven string guitar, it’s incredibly versatile. It includes a coil splitter, giving you a lot of options for different tones in any song.

The Gotoh Locking Tuners and Mono-Rail Bridge make tuning and tuning stability a breeze. The neck design is smooth, allowing for solid playing with a lot of action and no fret buzz.

The finish on this guitar is smooth and glossy, and it looks like you picked it up off the store shelf without a second thought. It’s amazing how something this cool can be so inexpensive!

This instrument is designed for the modern guitarist who want to take their playing further than ever before.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBMAwHzT8Ak

Check The Latest Price On The Ibanez RGD71ALMS Axion Label

For Metal – Schecter Damien Platinum 7

The Damien Platinum 7 is built for the metal musicians who want to have a guitar with all of the necessities. With its seven strings, you’ll be able to play in more keys, which is perfect for those of us who love playing music. As an added benefit, you’ll also be able to really dig into those low strings.

Since there’s so much you can do with this guitar, you’ll love the Damien Platinum 7. It has a four-way blade pickup selector switch, mahogany body and rosewood fretboard with 22 frets, EMG 81-7/85-7 Pickups, and a three piece bolt-on maple neck. The list of great things about this guitar just goes on and on!

The Grover Tuners and Tune-O-Matic bridge hold the instrument together perfectly. This means that you’ll be able to hear every note as it comes out of the speakers and turn it into music that you can play and enjoy. One of the best things about this guitar is that it’s a drop-dead gorgeous seven-string instrument!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za56g6rtp08

Check The Latest Price On The Schecter Damien Platinum 7

Under $500 – Schecter Omen Extreme-7

The Omen Extreme-7 is an extraordinarily beautiful guitar, as is clear from the start.  It appears to be far more expensive than it should be.  The carved, quilted maple top plays a big role in this. This is mounted on a mahogany body, which, while expensive, is quite nice.

The guitar’s build quality is excellent for the price range.  It doesn’t feel like it’ll break apart, which is a testament to Schecter’s quality control.  The different pieces of black chrome hardware are well-secured, and the neck joint is spotless.  It would be a shame if a guitar with such a beautiful appearance was put together shoddily.

The fingerboard inlays are fairly complex for a cheap metal guitar.  It’s also equipped with Schecter coil-tapped pickups.  It’s believed that this would provide players with a diverse palette of tones to work with, allowing them to break free from the metal shadow.

It’s a great guitar to play, and if you’re on a budget and want to look good on stage, it’s definitely worth considering.  It would be a great instrument for prog rock performers on a budget, given the possible range of tone available by coil tapping.

Schecter has established itself as a metaller’s brand, and most metaller’s brands include a number of seven-string in their lineup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leIAtW_hj0g

Check The Latest Price On The Schecter Omen Extreme-7

Mid Price – ESP LTD EC-407

The ESP LTD EC-407 is an extremely versatile guitar that provides an excellent instrument for the aspiring musician or professional. It can be used to experiment with sound and versatility while still maintaining a solid feel and a smooth playing experience.

Eminently skilled guitarists are using ESP LTD EC-407 guitars in top rock, metal, and country bands. Even though the guitars might be affordable for some players who want it for their own use, there are a few other notable features that make this instrument worth considering if you’re looking for one.

The mahogany body produces a dark and punchy tone, which is well rounded.  The set-in 24 fret maple neck with rosewood fretboard is extremely smooth to play and adds to the guitar’s comfort.

This guitar also comes with active EMG 81-7/707 pickups combo that has a brilliant tone that’s ideal for rock, metal, and country music as well. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-UiqbXgP0Q

Check The Latest Price On The ESP LTD EC-407

For Entry Level Beginners – Ibanez GRG 7 String

I went with another Ibanez guitar for the beginner’s choice.  This guitar is part of the GRG series, which is a less expensive variant of the RG series that strives to maintain playability and tone.  With a scale length of 25.5”, this instrument is slightly shorter than the top pick.

This makes the transition from 6 to 7 strings more smoother, which is ideal for newcomers to the extended range.  Despite its shorter length, it should be able to handle normal B and a few close tunings with reasonable tension.

When employing distortion, the humbucker pickups will be able to give a considerable amount of saturation, which is ideal for rhythm playing.

This guitar is a wonderful choice for a newbie to the extended range world. Half the price of a budget item, but not half the quality!  Steve Vai plays Ibanez and so can you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY36_VtwOcM

Check The Latest Price On The Ibanez GRG 7 String

With Tremolo – Sterling by Music Man 7 String

This is the lone signature model guitar on the list, thus it’s arguably the best signature seven-string out there.  Dream Theatre’s main guitarist, John Petrucci, is most renowned for some highly technically complicated works full of great speed, careful control of metric changes, and some crushingly powerful periods that are countered by melodic choruses and genre-hopping motions.

It would be an understatement to say that individuals who play this will be able to create a tone that suits just about anything they choose to play.

Surprisingly, this guitar has transcended its relationship with John Petrucci signature model and has become a popular seventh string instrument in its own right.

The basswood body is somewhat heavy, but this is a small price to pay for the amazing thickness and resonance of its tone, whether played acoustically or plugged in.  The locking tuning system ensures that you access to stay in tune even while ripping through a twenty-minute progressive rock epic, and the thin, flat neck allows you to establish a highly comfortable hand posture for zooming over lead lines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKO1GhiqTvw

Check The Latest Price On The Sterling by Music Man 7 String

Best Ibanez – Ibanez RGD Standard RGD7521PB Seven String

The Ibanez RGD Standard RGD7521PB electric guitar is for players looking to move on from a starter guitar. As the name suggests, it has a bolt-on neck construction and has all the necessary tools for players who want to play in different keys. It has a poplar body and an Ibanez wizard signature neck. Its 24 frets make it easy to master even the hardest riffs and complex chord changes.

The burl top looks amazing and it also has a coil tap switch that allows users to change from humbucking to single coil pickups. The PAF7 pickups also sound amazing and can make any style of music sound great. The fixed bridge allows players to stay in tune at all times.

This guitar is perfect for fast playing and shredding, but still comfortable for a beginner who is just starting out with this style of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpy1aPcUlMs

Check The Latest Price On The Ibanez RGD Standard RGD7521PB

Best Schecter – Schecter Reaper-7 Multiscale Guitar

The Schecter Reaper-7 Multiscale is next on our list.  Multiscale guitars may be unfamiliar to some of you reading this review, but I can attest to their benefit in maintaining tension at low tunings without sacrificing bending ability on higher strings.

The Schecter Reaper-7 Multi scale guitar also has a compact and elegant body profile that makes it exceptionally comfortable to play, as well as a neck-carve that makes reaching the top frets a breeze.

The Diamond Decimator pickups on this 7-string provide plenty of volume for metal, but also enough clarity for complicated chord voicings to sound both clear and rich.  Not only that, but the push/pull coil split on this guitar is a lovely addition, and chugging on the bass strings in this mode was a lot of fun.

While the multiscale may intimidate some players, this best 7 string is the perfect option for those looking for a mid-range musical instrument with plenty of versatility and playability.  I would highly recommend this guitar if you have some extra cash but don’t want to break the bank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg1M50dG3zQ

Check The Latest Price On The Schecter Reaper-7 Multiscale

Best ESP – ESP LBUZ7QMSTBLK 7 String

The ESP LBUZ7QMSTBLK is a full-sized, light weight, solid body electric guitar that feels great and has amazing tone. With Fishman Fluence FRC Signature pickups and a Floyd Rose Bridge , the LBUZ7QMSTBLK is a perfect guitar to get you playing rock and roll in no time!

It features a maple neck with 24 jumbo frets, alder body, maple top and back, the ESP LBUZ7QMSTBLK is a great addition for any guitarist looking for that extra punch. The ebony fingerboard is sleek, fast and comfortable. The maple neck with maple top lends a nice warm tone to the low end, and is bright enough to give you good mid range.

The Floyd Rose bridge has an amazing feel and brings out your best tone – especially for metal players. The Fishman Fluence FRC Signature pickups give you amazing tone at an affordable price. Say goodbye to noisy, complicated and expensive setups for great sound. The Fishman Fluence FRC Signature pickups are super simple and natural sounding for that incredible clean sound, the perfect addition to any guitar.

The LBUZ7QMSTBLK is a great electric guitar that is made to rock! It delivers amazing tone and keeps up with your playing style perfectly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkzisk6cTXU

Check The Latest Price On The ESP LBUZ7QMSTBLK

Choosing A Seven-String Guitar

What 7 String Guitar Should I Get?

7-string guitars aren’t all that different from other options; you simply have to be a little more cautious.  7-strings, like acoustic 12-strings, are subjected to higher stress than their six-string counterparts.  As a result, you must ensure that you will find something that will last and help you play guitar songs.

Best Scale Length For 7 String

The majority of the best 7 string electric have a scale length of 24.5 to 25.5 inches, but if you want to tune your 7 string guitar down drastically, you may need to look for one with a longer scale length.

If you want a 7 string version in standard E with a drop B or A, the “normal” range of roughly 25 inches will suffice, but if you want to stretch to standard D with an A or G, or even lower to a tune like low E on the 7th string, you’ll need to check into an extended range 7 string.

On a 24.5 or 25.5 scale 7 string, tuning super low will cause the lowest electric guitar strings to loose tension and get sharp when struck (which bands such as Fit For An Autopsy have sometimes used as a feature).  You can get around this by using a bigger gauge string, but most people will want to strike a good balance between the two to facilitate quick playing at lower tunings.

That extra string can work wonders on your playing ideas!

Best Neck Profile

The thing to keep an eye out for here, especially on budget seven-string version, is a wider neck that is too thin to stay in tune.

Cheaper instruments may employ poorer materials and procedures to achieve a flat, thin neck profile, which may not offer the neck support required for reliable tuning stability.
When you play hard, your neck bends readily, and your tuning stability is variable and unpredictable.  When you move up to cheaper guitars with greater scale lengths, this becomes more apparent.

Strumming the open strings and softly pressing on the back of the headstock is the easiest technique to check for this. Any guitar will detune with a tiny amount of pressure, but seek for guitars that detune quickly with only a modest amount of pressure. The best seven-string guitars will stay in tune until you put a lot of strain on them.

Width of Nut

This is something that 7-string players with larger fingers and hands should be aware of.

Fanned Fret or Multi Scale

The nut, bridge, frets, and sometimes pickups are all installed at varied angles instead of being perpendicular to the strings all the way down on multi-scale guitars, often known as fanned fret guitars due to the look of the frets.

This has the advantage of allowing you to have a shorter scale length on the upper strings and a longer scale length on the bass strings. This means you can have a slinky feel where you need to solo and a tight feel where you need to chug, with the extra benefit of consistent low-string intonation, which is typically a problem with cheaper 7-string electric guitars with a guitar case on the market today.

Of course, fan frets vary a lot from model to model, but you can expect a 25.5-inch treble side and 27-inch bass side, with some eight strings stretching up to 28 inches on the bass side, however this makes it much more difficult to play evenly than other extended range guitars.

Brands & Companies

There are many different ones but here are some of the most popular:

  • ESP
  • Jackson Pro Series Dinky (like Jackson JS227 or the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch)
  • Ibanez
  • Ernie Ball
  • Schecter(like the Schecter Hellraiser)
  • PRS

Our Other Resources

Conclusion

Any of these best 7 string electric guitars should be a great choice for you whichever one you decide to buy,  Rock on!

Brands & Companies

There are many different ones but here are some of the most popular:

  • ESP
  • Jackson Pro Series Dinky (like Jacksons JS227 or the JS Series Dinky Arch)
  • Ibanez
  • Ernie Ball
  • Schecter Guitars (like the Schecter Hellraiser)
  • PRS

Our Other Resources

Conclusion

Any of these best 7 strings guitars should be a great choice for you whichever one you decide to buy,  Rock on!