The Best 7 String Guitars (Reviews and Buying Guide)

Wanna cut to the chase? I went searching for the best 7 string guitar, and my top pick was the JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 HT AH Satin Black. 

You know, when I’m with friends and I whip out my 7 string guitar, they ask me: What is the point of a 7 string guitar? And then I show them!

But here’s an even better 7 string guitar demo, one of the best I’ve come across.

But, since I’m writing a blog post about the best 7 string guitars just now, rather than doing a video for Youtube, I guess I’ll try to explain it to you with words too.

Much like a 5 string bass guitar, the 7 string guitar is designed to give an additional low register tonal range. It’s fantastic for heavy rock and metal.  

With a 7 string guitar, you can cover some bass range all without having to have a bass guitar lying around.

Remember Korn? They helped bring the seven-string back from the brink of extinction with “Blind” back in 1994, and that’s what gave rise to the nu metal movement.  

You should totally check out Deftones too – the guitarist uses 7, 8, and 9 string guitars.

And Muse – they had some great hits using 7 strings.

But, yeah, sure 7 string guitars are trickier to play than your regular 6 string variety. But if you’re up for the challenge, I say go for it!

Did you know 7 strings are also known to be used in classical and jazz music too? Unreal! You can catch a whole list of notable 7 string guitar performers on this link.

Anyways, I’ve been looking at what 7 string guitars are out there these days, and I’m psyched to show you my 5 most favorite ones.

Also, if you’re buying your first one, you may not be 100% sure on what to look out for in your brand new 7 string guitar, so I threw together a buying guide for you, which is kinda like a cheat sheet. That’s coming up later.

Plus I added a section where I tackle some of your most frequently asked questions.

You can get both acoustic and electric 7 string guitars, but my buying guide is going to concentrate on electric ones. 

Also, since I suspect most of you are right handed, we’re going to concentrate on right handed guitars (but not totally exclude left-handers).

Top Pick: JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 HT AH Satin Black

I just love the sleek black gloss look of this 7 string.  Even the hardstock is all black so it really looks the part.

It’s super affordable too – a crazy price if you ask me.

It comes from great brand Jackson, and there’s a lot to love about it. It has a nice thin neck, which Jackson is known for, so it’s really easy to play.

This is their entry level 7 string, but its sound is just as wicked as anything you’ve seen on stage. It has a 26.5” scale length, an inch longer than is normal, so you get better low-end sound. And the cutaways allow for awesome high fret access!

The compound radius fingerboard is perfect for when you’re playing fat riffs.

The body is made of poplar, which is nicely resonant with a meaty tone. Then it has a rosewood fretboard, which helps give a warmer, softer sound.

The fixed bridge design isn’t a problem, it stays out of the way when you’re playing.

Although it looks quite a beast, it’s actually quite lightweight, which is great because it means you can concentrate on your playing. And that together with the thin neck means it’s super comfortable to play.

I also love the three-way blade switch, single volume and tone controls.

Best Budget Option: Ibanez GRG 7 String Solid-Body Electric Guitar

This baby comes from the famed Ibanez brand – but this version is actually affordable.  

And better yet, if you buy through Amazon, you can sometimes get a really good deal. (If you’re keen, check out the link.)

The Ibanez GRG has a solid body, (made of poplar) and this means rather than having a normal sound box, it relies on an electromagnetic pickup system to detect the vibrations of the strings.

Solid body guitars offer a slightly longer sustain than hollow body counterparts, and they can be amplified a lot louder without running into feedback issues. They’re also more responsive to effects.

Of course what I really love about this 7 string is that the Proprietary Infinity R7 humbucking pickups deliver that all important fat, distorted tone. Just what you’re looking for in a 7 string.

And there’s also those string-bending-friendly jumbo frets!

It has a nice thin neck, which helps make it easier to play.

I also like that it’s in white, it’s quite kitsch.  

Editor’s Pick: Schecter Omen Extreme-7 Electric Guitar (Black Cherry)

OMG – I absolutely love the look of this guitar! Stunning.

And it sounds as good as it looks too.

It comes from the well-known Schecter brand. Schecter has a decent reputation for making somewhat affordable Ibanez-like guitars.

There are 24 extra jumbo frets, and they’re standard frets rather than fanned, (I explain the difference in my buying guide later).

What I love about jumbo frets is that it’s easier to bend the note by pushing the string towards the edge of the neck while fretting. Great for playing lead guitar runs, riffs and licks and solos.

The mahogany wood back goes really well with the black cherry front. And the maple neck and rosewood fingerboard give excellent playability. The cutaways allow for awesome high fret access.

I also like how you can tweak the volume and tone control with the 3 way toggle switch.

If you’re a bit uneasy about spending this much money on a guitar (it’s more expensive than some of the other ones we’ve shown you), it might put you at ease to know that it comes complete with a lifetime guarantee.

They also have a version for left-handers.

Runner Up: Schecter 437 C-7 Deluxe Seven-String Electric Guitar, Satin Black

Here’s another great guitar from great brand Schecter.

To look at, it’s very similar to the JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 we showed you earlier.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as affordable as the JS22-7, but once I describe it to you, you may decide it’s worth the money.

It’s basically built for metal and hard rock. It has a long, 26.5” scale, an inch longer than is normal, so you get much better low-end sound. Plus at the same time, the cutaways allow for amazing high fret access. Great contrast.

It has a thin neck profile and extra jumbo frets which make it really easy to get your fingers where you want them.

Rather than a poplar wood body, this baby has basswood instead. This is good because it tends to dampen sharp highs and soften them too.  

Plus being basswood it’s quite lightweight. Basswood is usually associated with mid priced guitars like this but is sometimes used for more high end guitars too.

Best for Left-Handers: Schecter Hellraiser C-7 FR 7-String Electric Guitar (Black Cherry, Left Handed)

If you can’t tell already, I’m kinda a fan for the Schecter brand when it comes to 7 string electric guitars.

The Hellraiser C-7 is an amazing guitar. Unfortunately though, it does cost a pretty penny. In fact, if my math is right, it’s about 5 times the price of my number 1 pick, the JS Series Dinky Arch Top.

If you’re dubious about spending so much money though, take a look at the customer reviews – players just love it.

To look at it, it’s very similar to the Schecter Omen Extreme-7, with it’s black cherry solid body, and same neck profile. But there are some notable differences and that includes the wood (mahogany not basswood), and the gothic cross inlay on the fretboard.  

Plus the C-7 has bigger frets. And it has a long 26.5 inch scale, which as I said earlier, is good for getting better low-end sound.

Overall I suppose the Hellraiser C-7 is the easier of the two to play, and it’s a better showpiece.

It’s available in both right and left-handed versions, though the left-handed one may be easier to get hold of.

7 String Guitar Buying Guide

First, here’s a nice video I found that covers the 7-string basics:

Now I’ll go over some other key points and common questions about 7-string guitars.

All about 7 string guitars

The standard tuning for 7 string guitars is: B E A D G B E. The high six strings are exactly the same as a regular 6 string guitar.

If you ignore the low string, it’s just like a regular six string guitar – just with a wider fretboard.

Why does that matter?

It means learning to play it is relatively easy, and anything you’ve learned to play on a six string, you can now play on a 7 string.

The big difference is of course the low B string (which makes it easy to play normal power chords across the bottom two strings).  You’ll soon get the hang of it.

Also 7 string guitars usually have fanned frets, where the frets are placed at an angle to give each string a different scale length. What fanned frets do is give guitars a longer scale length on the lower strings and a shorter scale length on the higher strings.  

Having fanned frets on a 7 string means you can get nice tight tension in the lower strings, and at the same time have lower tension in the higher strings.

What to look for in a 7 string guitar

One of the main things to think about when buying a 7 string is the shape of the neck.

Obviously a 7 string is going to have a thicker neck than a 6 string. 7 strings with thinner necks are usually a little more comfortable to play.  

But if you are on the taller side, you may have bigger hands, so the size of the neck shouldn’t make a difference.

My best advice is to think about what type of neck you like on a guitar and try to get something similar for your 7 string. If you like the idea of a thin neck, you might want to check out my number 2 pick, the Ibanez.  

But if you think you can handle one with a thicker neck, you should check out one of the Schecter ones I showed you. Or for something in between, how about the Jackson?

What to look for in an electric guitar generally

If you’re anything like me, you might be tempted to go out and just get the exact same guitar as your favorite artist. (Or something similar.) And there’s nothing wrong with doing that if you’re confident enough that you can handle the guitar.

Since this blog post is specifically about 7 string electric guitars, I’m not going to talk too much about electric guitars generally. But what I will say is that the main 3 things to think about are the price, the look and the sound.

In terms of price, I personally think you shouldn’t get a guitar for less than $100. A guitar like that you know is going to be no good. As for your price ceiling, that’s down to you and your budget.

It’s also worth saying, factors that affect the guitar’s look also affect its sound. Like the body style and the wood.

When I’m buying a new guitar, I always like to read product and customer reviews, and get a feel for what people are saying and what they think about it.

When you’re checking out customer reviews I would try to avoid looking at the ones on manufacturer’s websites, ‘cause they usually only post the positive reviews. Instead, you should try sites like Amazon, where the reviews are more balanced

How to make your 7 string guitar sound awesome

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of playing a 7 string guitar. You don’t need to relearn guitar all over again, it’s just a simple change – the addition of the low B string.

But what makes a 7 string sound great is not so much how much you had to pay for it but, maybe moreso how you tune it.

You can have some real fun experimenting with the tuning on your 7 string. For example if you want a dropped tuning similar to what you get with Drop D on a six string guitar, you can drop the low B string to an A.

Here’s a cool video with a great example on how to tune a 7 string electric guitar:

FAQs

Final thoughts

We hope you’ve enjoyed our reviews and buying guide on the best 7 string guitars! If you have any other thoughts or feedback, feel free to contact us. 🙂