From Djent to Jazz: Five Best 7-String Guitars for Any Budget
Evil riffs and metal mania!
4,7 / 5,0 | 
Looking to broaden your horizons? Six strings are not enough for you? All the D- and C-Dropping just doesn’t cut it anymore? Then one or the best 7-string guitars might be exactly what you are looking for. We’ve got suggestions for beginners and pros alike!
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What to Consider when You’re Looking for the Best 7-String Guitars
Generally speaking, the more extreme your genre towards metal and grindcore is, the more likely you’ll be pretty much surrounded by 7-, 8- or even 9-stringers. The main reason is the ability to lower the tuning of the additional string(s) to give that much more ‘oomph’ to your riffs.
Most often, the added low string is tuned to a B when the guitar is in standard tuning. That’s a whole lot of sonic thunder and growling earthquakes, you’re beloved axe can create. You might start the occasional fight with the bass player, as you’ll likely be invading their sonic territory.
If it’s not one of the uber-distorted genres you’re after, a jazz head might be looking for the best 7-string guitars as well. And, as genres have been blurring into each other increasingly in recent years, who says (except the guitar police in the back row) that you can’t play a 7-string model in a surf rock or indie band? It might be the ingredient, you’re missing.
As usual with my listicles, this list is strictly sorted by price (ascending), not by any other metric.
Jackson JS22-7 Dinky
What, a list of guitars, and the most affordable one isn’t a Harley Benton model? While HB certainly makes extremely affordable guitars at a very high quality, I’ll give the entrance spot to Jackson. Because few other brands are as METAL as they are.
If you’re looking for the best 7-string guitars, but maybe also your first one, and it’s any extreme metal genre you’re playing, the JS22-7 Dinky might be the perfect entrance point. It looks stunningly evil, it comes with two humbucker pickups for plenty of gain, and it’s super affordable (at Thomann*).
And if your budget is a bit more flexible, Jackson’s signature models from Suicide Silence’s Mark Heylum* and Northlane’s Josh Smith* are both among the best 7-string guitars out there.
Ibanez RGA742FM
Ah, manufacturer’s and their naming schemes. Like Sony with their incomprehensibly long product names (can anyone remember the full product name of their amazing headphones), Ibanez chooses violence. How in the world can anyone remember a name like this, let alone beginners who just want to start riffing and not memorize product names with 11 characters that seem to have been randomly chosen?
Make no mistake, the RG-series, and for the best 7-string guitars, it’s the RGA742FM is so popular for a reason. It’s arguably the Japanese company’s most popular series and this model is the entry level. With its all black hardware, the Transparent Gray Flat color and the two Quantum humbuckers, this axe just oozes dark, brutal metal vibes (check it out here at Thomann*).
But if you move up the price list, you’ll notice how many different 7-string guitars Ibanez offers in this series. Whether it’s the dazzling RGD71ALMS* with its Black Aurora Burst Matte finish, the RG2027XL* with its two DiMarzio Fusion Edge 7 humbuckers or Tim Henson’s signature model TOD70* – few guitar makers are as synonymous with high-quality 7-string models as Ibanez is.
Harley Benton Amarok-7
While the Thomann-own brand offers plenty of entry-level models, both six- and seven-string models, I’ve selected the Amarok-7 as HB’s entry in this list of the best 7-string models. For Harley Benton’s prices, this model is a bit on the pricey side*. But if you dig a little deeper into the world of seven-string models, you’ll quickly realize, just how much of a bargain this model is.
Mahogany body and neck, both in a beautiful Black Natural Flame Burst Satin color, 24 Blacksmith stainless steel frets, two active EMG pickups – you often pay double or more for a guitar built like this from other manufacturers. There is also a lefty version* available, by the way!
And, of course, there are plenty of entry-level HB 7-string models, even with a multi-scale fretboard – for under 200 euros*! So, if you need it a bit proggier, you’ll find a fitting 7-string guitar for Harley Benton for sure!
Schecter Demon 7
Right after Jackson comes Schecter in the world metal axes. With a headstock more in the world of Gibson, the Demon 7 might look a little off-balance. But that is for from the truth – these models are super comfortable to play, and they can sound mean, like really mean.
Two active Schecter Diamond humbuckers, hardtail bridge, extended 26.5″ scale and that beautiful Satin (or Satan?) Black make the Demon-7 the perfect mid-level 7-string guitar (get it here at Thomann*). In addition, if you’ve got a bit more cache to spare, the Hellraiser series* includes higher quality woods and active EMG pickups.
Plus, that quilted maple top gives off such a three-dimensional vibes, I can’t stop looking at it. There are a few additional color options available as well, such as the hauntingly beautiful Black Cherry model. Make sure to check them all out!
Music Man John Petrucci Majesty 7
Any budget, you say? Well, here is one for the pros and the higher ups. Dream Theater’s axe genius John Petrucci has been working with Ernie Ball’s Music Man for ages. Given his technical expertise, his musical expressiveness and his demands to a guitar, this is about as good as it gets (and as pricey).
Just the craftsmanship alone of this guitar is a sight to behold. The mahogany neck-through-body neck construction with its flamed maple strips, the Okoumé body, the Ebony fretboard (17″ radius), the 24 stainless-steel medium jumbo frets with the Blue Ink color on top of the quilted maple top… One day, one day.
Plus, that whole Dreamcatcher and Rainmaker humbucker and piezo system from DiMarzio allow for a huge variety of sounds. Per push/pull functionality on the tone knob, you can switch between active and passive modes. And you can switch the output from mono to stereo for ultra-wide sounds. It’s available at Thomann*.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
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