Best 7-String Electric Guitar Models of All Time

[hamoftruth]

I'm just upset that you gave Erik Rutan credit for using a Universe, but not Trey, who gifted Erik the PWH Universe for his birthday.

Supermassive oversight. Trey Azagthoth is a key player in 7 string 90s death metal, maybe THE key player.

 

[odibrom]

I love my RG1527 easily as much as my 7620, but in many folks' eyes the Edge Pro is less favorable than the Lo Pro. I don't necessarily agree with that, but it seems to be the more common perception.

I have four 7 stringers and two 6 stringers with LoPros, and another 7 stringer with an EdgePro, namely an RG1527...

I can say that these trems are on pair with each other. The LoPro feels a bit better, maybe because of it's less complex build, against the Edge Pro that has too many little parts at the saddles. I also do not appreciate the saddles lever that goes to the microtuning screws, which is not as smooth as the LoPros', these have a different geometry and the LoPros' was already perfect.

... however, the EdgePro has a huge benefit against the LoPros, it can be easily modded to receive piezos, like the RG7CST or the RG2027XVV guitars... this mod is reversible to original state, so, in my opinion this is a HUGE advantage... I dare to say that this bridge was designed to receive piezos, and it has in many 6 string models, but I didn't expect that it could also be as so in the 7 string realm...

This t say that my 1527 is growing a lot on me because it delivers the tones both my 2027s deliver (I'm talking piezos here) and it's lighter, so easier on my shoulder and back. @KentBrockman I completely agree with you.

 

[Grindspine]

The only thing I'd give credit to the RGD for over the regular RG is the 26.5" scale length and the volume control placement. Otherwise, I feel like it's a lateral move at best. The pickup selector switch is in a truly awful spot, either leave it where it normally is or do the LP/JP thing and top horn mount it, but its so awkward and inconvenient to use mounted at the lower horn.

I also detest the bevels and the subsequent trend it created, one of the worst things to happen aesthetically to guitars in the last decade.

The RGD has a sharper look from the more extreme bevels. Looking at my RGDs, I see that the lower bout, where the body would be on a leg while sitting, is still flat on the edge, while the bevels around the cutaways are nice and deep for easy fret access. It really is a trimmed down version of the RG body.

The control switch placement is so much better (IMO) than the standard blade switch. It is easy to tag that pickup switch while moving the picking hand up to the neck for tapping.



I adore the RGD design. I do like the APEX and I do have an RG3727, but the RGD is what got me comfortable playing sevens.

 

[jokerpanda]

if we are going for best:

Ibanez: UV series, RGD2127z (at some point everybody had one), the old RG7620/21 the other 7s in ibanez are just variation of those 3

MM: JP models, as the most sold sig, we all agree that at some point every metalcore/djent band had a sparkle JP

Schecter: the only one that i actually see beeing here is the KM-7... the first one to stop using a baseball bat neck profile

Jackson: Misha sig

PRS: the holcomb 7 is one of the actual best option for a 7 in the 1k range

 

[sezna]

The responses here seem to mostly be centered around production guitars with the best value proposition or significance in history. From that perspective, I agree that the UV7, RGD7, etc are great calls.

But here are some answers from another perspective:

1. Aristides 070 , Abasi Larada 7, Strandberg Boden 7
Have you ever seen a new production line take the industry by storm like these? These brands saw incredible adoption. In the Aristides' case, they popularized non-wood guitars as a new category, and their production is consistent and excellent. The Larada 7 and Boden popularized a brand new body style. That barely ever happens.

2. Padalka, Dean Gordon
Highly boutique custom-only builders pushing design and quality to extreme levels.

 

[bmtf]

MIK RG7321, but with mods

 

[Asdrael]

Best 7 strings guitar of all times?

Obviously the next one I'll buy. Been telling myself that for years now.

 

[odibrom]

Best 7 strings guitar of all times?

Obviously the next one I'll buy. Been telling myself that for years now.

This is the way...

 

[Wucan]

More of a personal list for me :

I went through quite a few 7's and the JPs are such winners. They're as close to a "does everything good" guitars as it gets, they look great and they're super comfy.

Schecter KM7s (at least the MKII and MKIII) are also absolute beasts at their price point, blazing fast guitar that I think nails quite a few modern metal tones and they'll probably hold up till the heat death of the universe.

Going wrong with an RG7 is hard in general, the 1527 and 7421 deserve special mention for their respective price brackets.

An underrated one IMO is the Schecter Keith Merrow sig... I didn't stick with it because I'm a small hands dude and Keith specifically specced the neck so that there'd be wider gaps between the strings. People seem to occasionally complain about 7s feeling cramped and I feel like that was the 7 that had the most real estate to play with, without the top/bottom strings falling out of the fretboard. On top of it it's a very comfy, light guitar with great sustain. Unfortunately it seems very rare, in all these years I only ever saw three - the one KM played at NAMM, the one I bought and some weird finish variant I saw on Reverb once.

 

[Sermo Lupi]

I thought long and hard about this post, and I'm going to have to say it was the Scale the Summit Jackson customs for Chris and Travis.

That bottom one is outrageously nice. Reverse headstock looks a lot better, too, now that I've seen them side-by-side. Letchford has typically had great taste in guitars.

 

[oremus91]

That bottom one is outrageously nice. Reverse headstock looks a lot better, too, now that I've seen them side-by-side. Letchford has typically had great taste in guitars.

Bottom pic is Travis's collection just to be clear, but agreed on all accounts either way.

 

[crushingpetal]

That bottom one is outrageously nice. Reverse headstock looks a lot better, too, now that I've seen them side-by-side. Letchford has typically had great taste in guitars.

Travis' Jackson in action:

 

[tecs99]

ibanez universe- iconic af
ibanez 7620/1527 - the truest workhorse platform, will never let you down
ibanez 8527 / jcustoms- finest craftsmanship, iconic tree of life inlays

these are ones that for me, will never go through hype cycles or go out of style, they are just true and reliable.

 

[Hoss632]

I've only tried 7 strings really over the past year, so my choices are going to be very current stuff. First and foremost the Jason Richardson Sig, either EBMM or Sterling. I just got to tried the new Schecter Triad 7 string and that would actually felt quite nice as well. Have yet to get to try an Ibanez 7 which I'd really ike to do.

 

[Ross82]

Either the OG Ibanez Universe or RG7620.

 

[Krauthammer]

RG7620. It brought 7's into the mainstream with its price. I have what I thought was a 7620 back in the year 2000, used for $400. 1st 7, thanks dad!

Broke the headstock and got a replacement 7620 neck off ebay immediately to my surprise. Removed the broken neck only when I got the replacement, to find a 7420 stamped inside the neck heel, lol. It still is the only one I've seen that has this awesome blue, almost greenish, but for sure blue finish. Its chipped in a few places, and it looks like it almost has 3 layers. It looks thick to my eyes, especially next to my chipped k7, which has very thin finish.

 

[hamoftruth]

RG7620. It brought 7's into the mainstream with its price. I have what I thought was a 7620 back in the year 2000, used for $400. 1st 7, thanks dad!

Broke the headstock and got a replacement 7620 neck off ebay immediately to my surprise. Removed the broken neck only when I got the replacement, to find a 7420 stamped inside the neck heel, lol. It still is the only one I've seen that has this awesome blue, almost greenish, but for sure blue finish. Its chipped in a few places, and it looks like it almost has 3 layers. It looks thick to my eyes, especially next to my chipped k7, which has very thin finish.

The necks on the 7420 and 7620 series were identical, if I'm not mistaken. Same with the fixed bridge 7421/7621. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Most influential / iconic:
The original Ibanez Universe.

Best:
That's very subjective. For me it has to be an MIJ Ibanez 7-string of some sort, but even then there's so many great choices.
Universe, RG, RGD (the 26.5 scale length definitely has plenty of fans), RGA, S...

 

[Neon_Knight_]

The necks on the 7420 and 7620 series were identical, if I'm not mistaken. Same with the fixed bridge 7421/7621. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

Wasn't the only difference the bridge + pickups?

 

[aoresteen]

Well, it depends on what your requirements are. For me, It's an affordable guitar that I can mod the heck out of it and not worry about it. So I would say that the best 7 string guitar for modding is the 2000/2001 Squier Stagemaster 7. It came in two flavors: a hard tail and a Floyd Rose licensed locking bridge.


Floyd Rose (licensed):

Factory set up was HxH. I changed it to HSH using DiMarzio Blaze pickups, a brass trem block, & strap locks.


Hardtail:

This one is a hardtail. Factory HxH. Converted it to a HSH. Pickups are DiMarzio Illuminator 7 bridge, Blaze 7 middle, PAF 7 neck. Bone nut & Schaller strap locks. It's my go-to 7 string.