Are you looking to upgrade your style of playing from a 6 string to a 7 string? Today we will review the best 7 string guitars available.

IN THIS REVIEW
The Best 7 String Guitars
Our Favorite 7 String Guitars
Our Top 8 Picks
Best 7 String Guitars Review
Budget 7 String Guitars
1. Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT
2. ESP LTD M-17 Black 7 String Guitar
Mid-Range 7 String Guitars
3. Ibanez GRG7221QA GRG Series
4. Ibanez RG Series RG7421
Premium 7 String Guitars
5. PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN
6. Schecter Hellraiser C-7
7. Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash HT7
To Pick A 7 String Guitar?
Why Do I Need A 7 String?
What Is The Difference Between a 6 String and 7 String Guitar?
What To Look For
Should I Buy New Or Used?
Common Questions
Is A 7 String Guitar Harder To Play?
Is A 7 String Guitar Worth It?
What Bands Use A 7 String?
Overall Top Choice
Conclusion
The Best 7 String Guitars
The 7 string guitar has become almost synonymous with heavy music. The amount of depth, sustain, and resonance just isn't available with a standard 6 string guitar.
But, since the early 2000s, the 7 string has become more and more popular which has resulted in more and more models becoming available. So, how do you figure out which is the best 7 string guitar for you?
Keep reading and find out our top 7 picks covering any budget!
Our Favorite 7 String Guitars
Overall Best 7 String Guitar
Our top pick from this list is the PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN. From the custom pickups, the gorgeous finish, with the classic PRS headstock and inlays, this guitar is a beautiful work of art. Any musician would be proud to have this in their collection.
Best Budget Guitar
The Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT is the best budget 7-String on this list. For under $200 you can dive into the 7-string world with a Jackson quality instrument.
Our Top Seven 7 Strings
Budget 7 String Guitars
1. Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT
2. ESP LTD M-17 Black 7 String Guitar
Mid-Range 7 String Guitars
3. Ibanez GRG7221QA GRG Series
Premium 7 String Guitars
7. Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash HT7
Best 7 String Guitars Review
As you can see, we have broken this list down into three categories; best budget, best mid-range, and best premium 7 String Guitars.
Budget 7 String Guitars
1. Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT
24 Jumbo Frets
In addition to a 7th string, this guitar also has 24 jumbo frets to fuel your sonic assault. The full scale length of this guitar is 26.5". The extra length and extra frets will allow you so much more room to explore new and interesting sounds.
Piranha Tooth Inlays
The piranha tooth inlays on the Jackson Dinky JS22-7 are quite eye catching. Somehow the smaller version of the classic shark fin inlay seems even more aggressive.
Satin Finish
Everything about this guitar screams metal. The black satin finish is gorgeous and you will swear it's fees like looking into a black hole.
Pros
- beautiful satin finish
- 3+4 tuners are convenient when restringing
- fantastic entry level 7 string
Cons
- frets may be sharp and need to be filed
2. ESP LTD M-17 Black 7 String Guitar
ESP Designed Pickups
The pickups on the ESP LTD MH-17 7-String were specifically designed by ESP. This guitar comes with a pair of humbuckers that can be controlled with a 3-way switch. The neck pickup is a LH-100N and the bridge pickup is an LH-100B.
U-Shaped Neck
The U-shaped neck makes navigating the naturally wider 7-string neck much easier. With a scale length of 25.5", a nut width of 1.89", and a radius of 13", this guitar is surprisingly easy to play.
Fun To Play
This guitar is a fantastic way to get into the world of 7-strings without breaking the bank to do so. It's a load of fun to play and can really give you an idea of if you want to continue with this or other, more expensive, 7-strings down the line.
Pros
- lightweight
- U-neck is easy to play
- ESP designed pickups
Cons
- some reports of a loose input jack
Mid-Range 7 String Guitars
3. Ibanez GRG7221QA GRG Series
Double Cutaway Body
The body of the Ibanez GRG7221 7-String boasts a sleek double cutaway. You have full access to all 24 Jumbo sized frets on this 25.5" scale length neck.
Solid Poplar
Sometimes poplar gets a bad rep as a tonewood. But there have been plenty of well respected vintage guitars also made from poplar. It is a lightweight, soft wood that has a similar tonal quality to ash or alder. Expect to get some full bodied tones with decent mids and fantastic lows (which is exactly what you want in a 7 string).
Dual Infinity R Pickups
Both the neck and bridge humbucker pickups have their own unique voicings that you can use individually or together via the 3-way control switch. The bridge pickup is focused more towards lead guitar licks while the neck humbucker is designed for a bigger, warmer tone.
Pros
- built-in electronics
- killer sound for the price
- high quality craftsmanship
Cons
- fret buzz prior to setup
- frets may need to be filed
4. Ibanez RG Series RG7421
Fixed Bridge 7
The fixed bridge 7 on the Ibanez RG7421PB is a tuning dream. Once you tune, you stay in tune. The fixed bridge keeps your string tension feeling looser and much easier to play.
Quantum Ceramic Pickups
The dual humbuckers paired with the 5-way switch gives this instrument such a huge dynamic range. This instrument is great for heavier styles of metal but you can also dive into some other styles like jazz.
Wizard II-7 Neck
Ibanez has cornered the market on fast necks. This time around they have added a 3-piece maple Wizard II-7 neck. The thin and lightweight profile of this neck makes fast playing a breeze.
Pros
- Wizard II-7 neck is lightweight and easy to play
- wide dynamic range of pickups
- gorgeous finish
Cons
Premium 7 String Guitars
5. PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN
Alpha & Omega Humbuckers
These high output humbucker pickups were specifically designed by Mark Holcomb of Periphery to complement his heavier style of playing. The bridge, or Omega, pickup is focused on the mids and lows to give your a "destructive percussion and growl".
The neck, or Alpha, pickup is manufactured to emphasize the tone of the neck and the bridge pickup. You can expect to get some "fat glossy sound" while also enhancing your picking and phrasing.
Fixed Bridge
The proprietary PRS fixed bridge system keeps your guitar's tuning locked solidly in place. This is especially important when digging in to some heavy riffs.
Ebony Fingerboard
The ebony fingerboard gives you the bright, snappy tones you need with your pick attack. Your fingers are going to be able to glide over the incredibly smooth fretboard. The thin maple neck combined with the ebony fingerboard make playing fast really easy.
Pros
- Alpha & Omega pickups
- beautiful finish
- PRS quality
Cons
- nut may need some repair
6. Schecter Hellraiser C-7
3 Piece Neck
The Schecter Hellraiser C-7 gets a ton of it's great tone from it's 3-piece Mahogany neck. The Mahogany is complimented by a rosewood fingerboard perfected with Abalone Gothic Cross inlays.
The 26.5" scale length neck spans over 24 jumbo frets. Each fret is easily reachable due to the Ultra Access Cutaway that dips all the way down to the 22nd fret.
EMG 707TW Humbuckers
This guitar comes equipped with a pair of EMG 707TW Humbuckers. These active pickups were specifically designed for the fat, deep sounds you need with an extra low B string.
TonePros Tune-O-Matic Bridge
The Thru-body design of this Tune-O-Matic bridge will perform extra duty to keep you locked into tune no matter how heavy handed your playing. Combined with the Schecter Locking Tuners and you can expect long playing sessions in perfect tuning.
Pros
- pickups give a punchy mid range
- has a good and crunchy clean tone
- string thru-body design
Cons
- tunings lower than Drop A can get muddy
7. Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash HT7
Fishman Fluence Open Core Humbuckers
The pair of Fishman Fluence Open Core Humbuckers are active pickups that are extremely versatile. Not only will it catch every mid and low in heavier styles but they can also catch some of the crunch and spring you want with other styles like jazz or blues.
Sandblasted Ash Body
The solid Ash body of the Dinky HT7 has a bright and distinct tone. You can expect to get prolonged sustain while playing. Additionally, the open grain texture with the Baked Blue finish is absolutely gorgeous!
How To Pick A 7 String Guitar?
Fortunately, pretty much every 7 string out looks pretty badass. So you don't have to worry about the coolness factor.
Seriously though, here are a couple of things to consider that may help you figure out which of these 7 strings is the right one for you.
Why Do I Need A 7 String?
First of all, do you actually need a 7 string? They are great instruments that open up some brand new sounds unavailable on a 6 string, don't get me wrong.
But, are you at a skill level to take advantage of those sounds? Do you play a style that lends itself to a 7 string guitar? Are you an experimental player that likes challenges and wants to mold an instrument into an unorthodox style?
Figure out why you want a 7 string and go from there.
What Is The Difference Between a 6 String and 7 String Guitar?
Obviously, the difference is the number of strings on each instrument. There are some other differences too like neck/nut width, types of common pickups, common string gauges.
But, for the most part, they are very similar. In fact, a 7 string, at least for most modern music, is tuned the same as a standard tuned 6 string with an additional low B string.
Should I Buy A 6 String Or 7 String Guitar?
If you are just starting out, we would recommend getting a 6 string. But if you've been playing for a while and want something different, or if you play a particularly heavy or complicated style of music, go for a 7 string.
What To Look For
For the most part, you are going to look for the same things in a 7 string as you would in any other guitar. However, the things that we would look at specifically would be tonewood, pickups, and your own personal budget.
Tonewood
Tonewood is the term used to describe the wood with which your instrument has been made. Because different types of wood all have varying levels of density, weight, etc, they each have their own unique way of resonating sound.
GuitarPlayer.com has a pretty in depth look at how each type of tonewood impacts the sound of a guitar.
Pickups
Now, this is one of those things that if you find the right guitar and it doesn't have the right pickups, you can always change them out. But, it's also much more convenient to get everything right the first time.
But, generally speaking, if you are playing a heavier style of music, you will probably want to find a guitar with a set of active humbucker pickups. These will give you the fullest sound once you kick in some heavy distortion.
Passive pickups just don't usually have the power behind them to give you that edge you need for metal.
Budget
Finally, we have to look at our budget. We made sure to review guitars that cover a wide range of budgets for this list. But you want to make sure you are looking at guitars that are within your budget.
No point in buying a sweet guitar if you have to work so much overtime to afford it you never get to play.
Should I Buy New Or Used?
We always recommend that you set out to buy new. The reasons being you know:
- you're the first/only owner
- how the instrument has been cared for
- if there have been any drops, spills, or other damage
- you have a manufacturer's warranty
That is not to say that buying used is bad. In fact, you can find some pretty stellar deals on used guitars. You just need to weigh out the pros and cons with your budget and pick from there.
Common Questions
Throwing in an extra string sure does bring up a lot of questions. Here are some of the most common ones we came across through our research.
Is A 7 String Guitar Harder To Play?
Not exactly. It is no more physically difficult to play than a 6 string other than the neck is generally a little wider.
However, if you are a beginner or not familiar with how scales and guitar scale theory works, it may be difficult to fully utilize the extra string.
Is A 7 String Guitar Worth It?
Absolutely! If you are playing in any kind of metal or heavy music, that extra bass string adds a ton of depth.
They're also a whole lot of fun if you feel like your playing is getting a little stale. A new string opens up more scales, chord shapes, riff opportunities.
How Do You Tune A 7 String Guitar?
The earliest known 7 string guitar was in Russia in 1798. That tuning was D2-G2-B2-D3-G3-B3-D4 with a classical variation of C2 instead of the low D2.
However, a more modern tuning is used to incorporate a low B with the normal standard tuning. So you would tune to B1-E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4. There are also some metal and jazz artists that like to use a low A1 instead of B1; or dropped A tuning.
What Bands Use A 7 String?
There are a ton of musicians out there that use a 7 string guitar; not just metal guitarists.
- Howard Allen (Jazz)
- Andrei Krylov (Classical)
- Adam Rafferty (Classical/Beatbox)
- John Petrucci of Dream Theater (Progressive Rock/Metal)
- Matt Bellamy of Muse (Rock)
- Amalgarhythm (Rock)
- Steve Vai (Rock)
- Korn (Nu Metal)
- Sevendust (Nu Metal)
- Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit (Nu Metal)
- Mushroomhead (Industrial)
- Seth of Behemoth (Blackened Death Metal)
- Justin Longshore of Through The Eyes Of The Dead (Metalcore/Deathcore)
- Dragon Force (Power Metal)
- Kerry King of Slayer (Thrash Metal)
Can You Djent?
Yes. Yes, you can djent.
Our Favorite 7 String Guitars
Overall Best 7 String Guitar
Once again, our top pick is the PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN. This instrument is sure to be a classic and one of your most prized possessions. You will be amazed at the depth that this guitar can go.
Best Budget Guitar
You can't beat the bargain basement price of the Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT. There is not another 7-string that can beat this one in price and quality.
Conclusion
Which of these great guitars did you pick? None of them are bad choices and should fit your needs. Let us know in the comment section below.
Until then, have fun playing!
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