10 Best 7 String Guitars of 2023

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by Joel Lim June 5, 2023, 5:40 pm

Do you find it challenging to attain the desired depth in your guitar sound, despite trying various techniques and effects?

Introducing the 7-string guitar, a versatile instrument that adds an extra dimension to your music, providing extended range and unique chord voicing.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll go through the top 7-string guitars on the market today. Whether you’re into jazz, rock, or metal, we’ve got you covered.

Our top pick is the PRS SE Mark Holcomb 7-string guitar. It delivers powerful tones and is highly versatile, perfect for any type of music.

We also provide a comprehensive buyer's guide that highlights the most crucial points to consider, ensuring you make an informed decision tailored to your specific needs.

Let's dig in.

Here are the best 7 string guitars that cater to various styles and budgets, along with the key factors that distinguish these unique instruments.

The PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN is the best-value 7-string guitar for modern metal, delivering powerful tones and featuring exceptional playability. It's designed to handle various genres, so it's perfect for those seeking a versatile guitar.

This signature model features a mahogany body with a solid maple top and quilted maple veneer, contributing to its full, rich tone. With its wide thin shape, the maple neck offers outstanding playability and comfort for rhythm and lead playing.

Equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups – a Scarlet Humbucker at the neck and a Scourge Humbucker at the bridge – this guitar provides an impressive tonal range, from clear cleans to aggressive distortion. The push/push coil-tap and 3-way blade pickup switch ensure a wide array of sound options.

The PRS SE Mark Holcomb 7-string guitar is more than just a signature guitar for Periphery fans; it's a high-quality instrument that caters to players across various genres.

With excellent tonewoods, powerful pickups, and top-notch quality control, this guitar is an outstanding choice for any guitarist seeking to elevate their playing experience.

The Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky is a seven-string guitar that blends sleek design, powerful performance, and affordability.

Priced at $199.99, this instrument is a perfect choice for guitarists seeking great music without compromising on quality.

The JS22-7 DKA Dinky sports a lightweight yet resonant poplar body with an arched top for a fuller tone. Its bolt-on maple neck, reinforced with graphite and featuring a scarf joint, guarantees stability and durability.

The playing surface is a compound radius amaranth fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets and piranha tooth inlays. It is designed for easy chording near the black plastic nut and gradually flattens towards the upper registers for swift solos and wide bends without the fear of fretting out.

The JS22-7 DKA Dinky is powered by dual Jackson high-output humbucking pickups directly mounted to the body for maximum resonance. It features a three-way blade switch and single volume and tone controls, providing a wide range of tonal options.

The Ibanez Gio GRG7221M is an ideal new guitar for those just starting with a multiscale guitar that keeps quality high without breaking the bank.

It showcases Ibanez's knack for crafting affordable electric guitars without sacrificing key features, making it one of the best metal guitars available in its price range.

The body of this signature model guitar is made from poplar, a tonewood known for its balanced sound profile.

This is complemented by a maple top neck with a GRG shape, delivering a smooth and comfortable playing experience that caters to various guitar players and styles, whether you’re playing cords or executing complex solos.

Equipped with Infinity R Humbuckers at the neck and bridge, the GRG7221M can generate an extensive range of tones suitable for everything from djent to classic rock. These high-output pickups provide the punch and clarity you need for any genre.

The fixed bridge ensures stable tuning, while the 5-way blade pickup switch and master volume and tone controls allow for further sound customization.

The Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty 7, priced at $4,099.00, is an embodiment of the fruitful collaboration between Ernie Ball and John Petrucci from Dream Theater.

As an extended-range guitar, this seven-string guitar surpasses the limitations of a traditional six-string guitar, making it an ideal choice for those craving a broader tonal palette.

This guitar takes a leap forward in the evolution of high-performance metal guitars, designed for playing cords and riffing with ease.

The Majesty features a neck-through design crafted from Honduran Mahogany, which enhances sustain and tonal clarity. The body shape combines mahogany and Okoume wings, topped with a quilted maple top, adding to the guitar's striking looks and tonal richness.

The seven strings of this premium guitar host two passive pickups, DiMarzio humbuckers: a Dreamcatcher at the bridge and a Rainmaker at the neck.

These pickups are hand-picked to deliver everything from crystal-clear clean tones to aggressive high-gain sounds, making this guitar suitable for a wide array of musical styles.

The Majesty has a super thin/flat neck profile, a 17″ radius ebony fingerboard with Atlante Majesty Shields inlay, and 24 medium jumbo stainless steel frets, making it an enjoyable guitar to play.

With the fanned frets and a flamed maple top neck, the guitar's high gloss polyester finish, Sanguine Red color, and uniquely shaped body contribute to its stunning appearance.

The Schecter Demon-7, priced at $599.99, is a guitar that's built and ready for your most aggressive riffs and heavy down-tuned rhythms.

Schecter guitars come equipped with Schecter's Diamond Active pickups, which are perfect for metal guitarists.

The guitar features a solid basswood body with a satin finish, giving it a sleek and stylish look. The maple neck with a smooth wenge fingerboard, adorned with gothic cross inlays, offers smooth playability and fast action.

The Demon-7 is loaded with Schecter Diamond Active HB-1055 humbuckers and a 3-way pickup selector, providing a wide range of tones that cater to various music styles, including metal players.

The custom hardtail bridge with thru-body stringing and Schecter tuners ensure stable tuning and enhances sustain.

The Schecter C-7 FR S Apocalypse is a top-tier instrument in the realm of 7 string guitars and extended-range guitars.

With a price tag of $1499.99, this electric guitar offers a plethora of features that justify its cost and make it an ideal choice for enthusiasts of metal music.

Constructed with a swamp ash body, this string guitar delivers a balanced tonal blend of brightness, warmth, and midrange pop. The 5-piece maple/bubinga neck ensures long-term reliability and fast action due to its slim profile.

The Sustainiac neck pickup is a standout feature, offering limitless sustain and a formidable lead tone. Combined with the Floyd Rose 1500 Series tune o matic bridge, this allows for expressive playability with precise tuning stability.

Priced at $449.99, the Ibanez RG7421 7-String Electric Guitar is an affordable choice in rock music due to the effortless playability of Ibanez's Wizard neck profile.

This impressive guitar stands out among other extended-range guitars due to its seven strings and the addition of a low B string, common in multi-scale guitars.

The Wizard II-7 is slim, super comfortable, and allows for quick runs and arpeggios while also being substantial enough for playing chords. Its ergonomic design ensures strain-free performance, even for long hours, making it one of the go-to string guitars for many musicians.

The guitar features a meranti body and a 3-piece maple neck, resulting in a balanced and resonant tone.

It comes equipped with Quantum 7 active pickups—Ceramic Humbuckers at both the neck and bridge positions—offering a versatile range of tones that can handle any style of metal and even deliver clear and sparkly clean tones.

Priced at $599.99, the ESP LTD EC-257 7-String Guitar offers a standard djent machine with a classic Les Paul shape, ideal for those seeking seven-string guitars. Its satin finish and matte look are visually appealing and blend well with the flag inlays.

The guitar features a mahogany body and neck, contributing to a rich, warm tone. The neck has a Thin U shape, providing comfort and playability, with a scale length that enhances clarity, especially in metal tones.

The guitar is equipped with ESP LH-150N (neck) and ESP LH-150B (bridge) humbuckers or magnetic pickups, offering a decent range of tones. The control layout includes volume and tone knobs for each pickup, providing flexibility and precision in tone shaping.

However, the pickups may not impress those seeking a more nuanced sound. The coil-splitting feature adds versatility to the guitar's tonal options.

With its set neck design, the EC-257 delivers excellent sustain. Though this seven-string guitar performs satisfactorily as is, players looking for a more serious tone might consider upgrading the pickups.

Priced at $1,499.99, the Ibanez Premium Steve Vai Universe UV70P is a solid-body electric guitar with unique 7-string playability and tone. It's a signature model built to the highest standards, reflecting Steve Vai's iconic style and performance.

The guitar has a lightweight American Basswood body that allows unrestricted access to the upper frets.

The 5-piece maple/walnut neck in a super-fast Wizard profile ensures exceptional stability and fast playability. The sleek Panga Panga fingerboard with a 15.75-inch radius is ideal for shredders of all styles.

The UV70P has two DiMarzio Blaze Humbuckers and one DiMarzio Blaze Single-coil, providing a wide sonic spectrum suitable for fiery 7-string tones.

The Edge Zero II-7 Locking Tremolo bridge and locking nut ensure rock-solid tuning stability, allowing for flawless dive-bombing techniques.

Priced at $649.99, the Cort KX507MS is a revamped and upgraded version of the renowned Cort KX500MS, a multi-scale guitar that garnered praise from hardcore fans and extreme guitarists across the globe.

This seven-string monster has modern updates and enhancements that make it a formidable instrument for any guitarist.

The KX507MS boasts a solid Mahogany body paired with an aesthetically pleasing Poplar Burl top, producing a robust tonal output.

The 5-piece Maple and Purple Heart neck and a Macassar Ebony fretboard ensure a smooth and comfortable playing experience.

The guitar is fitted with a Fishman® Fluence Modern Humbucker Set, known for its multi-voiced capabilities, allowing the KX507MS to explore a limitless range of tonal possibilities.

The 25.5″ – 27″ multi-scale frets, with the neutral fret now placed at the 8th position, enhance playability.

Choosing the right 7 string guitar can be daunting, with many factors to consider. Here are some things to look for in a 7 string guitar.

A guitar's playability is crucial for your comfort and performance. Ensure that the action is set correctly, allowing for smooth play without unnecessary strain on your hands.

Additionally, consider the fret size and string spacing, as these factors can greatly affect the ease with which you play.

Take the time to test out different guitars and find one that suits your playing style and feels comfortable in your hands.

The neck feel of a 7-string guitar is particularly important due to its wider design compared to a standard 6-string.

Examine the neck profile and width at the nut to find a guitar that fits your hand size and playing preferences.

A comfortable neck will allow for better control and dexterity when playing, ultimately leading to a more enjoyable playing experience.

The materials used in constructing a guitar's body and neck can significantly impact its tone and overall sound.

Common body woods like mahogany, alder, or basswood, and neck woods like maple or mahogany contribute unique tonal characteristics.

Consider the desired sound you want to achieve when selecting a guitar based on its construction materials.

While the sound and playability of a guitar are of the utmost importance, its visual appeal should not be ignored. Your guitar's finish, color, and design should reflect your personal style and complement your stage presence.

It's really important to consider your budget when shopping for a 7-string guitar. These instruments are available in a wide price range, from budget-friendly options available for everyone to high-end models costing thousands of dollars.

Set a budget upfront and look for a guitar that offers the best value in terms of playability, sound, and build quality within your price range.

It's worth noting that investing in a quality guitar that meets your needs will lead to a more enjoyable playing experience and help you grow as a musician.

Yes, it's fine, though it might have a slightly steeper learning curve.

Korn's guitarists use Ibanez 7-string guitars, including the APEX200 and K7 models.

The Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky is one of the most affordable 7-string guitars on the market.

When shopping for the best seven-string guitars, remember to consider factors like the neck profile, pickups, and overall build quality.

Among all the guitars we’ve discussed, the PRS SE Mark Holcomb 7-string guitar is our top recommendation for its impressive playability and versatile sound. It is perfect for any genre, especially for those looking for the best 7-string guitar suitable for modern metal guitar tones.

The extra string provides a broader tonal range, giving creative freedom to the guitar players. For those seeking a more premium option, the signature model Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty stands out with its superb tonewood composition and DiMarzio pickups.

It's an excellent example of the craftsmanship you can expect from top guitar makers. Always align your choice with your musical needs and budget.

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