Best 7 String Guitar to Expand Your Creative Range

Scale Length and Multiscale

Scale length is simply the distance between the bridge and the nut, and it makes a huge difference in how a guitar feels and sounds. I’ve played plenty of 7-strings where that choice alone either made the guitar inspiring to play or a fight the whole way through. A longer scale length, like 26.5″, keeps the low strings tight and punchy, which is especially useful if you’re tuning below B standard (7-string tuning). It’s the same principle you hear on baritone guitars—more tension, more clarity, less flub.

On the flip side, the standard 25.5″ scale has its own charm. The strings feel a little looser, which makes bends and solos more forgiving, but that also means the lower strings get thicker and boomier. It comes down to whether you want that snappy, taut feel under your fingers, or a looser response with a bit more growl.

Multiscale guitars give you both worlds in one instrument. The high strings stick closer to the familiar 25.5″ feel for leads, while the low strings stretch out to baritone territory for clarity and tightness. The fanned frets take some adjustment, but once you settle in, it’s hard not to appreciate how balanced the setup feels. Just keep in mind that extreme fan angles can take a little more muscle memory to get used to.

Neck: Construction, Material, Profile, Radius, and Fret Size

For me, the neck is where the guitar either clicks instantly or gets put back on the wall. The wood, the profile, the construction—it all shapes the response. Maple necks and fretboards give you that bright, snappy attack that cuts through, while mahogany feels more mellow and rounded under your fingers. Rosewood smooths out the top end with a warmer bloom, and ebony often splits the difference: articulate like maple, but with a touch of rosewood warmth.

Neck construction changes things, too. Bolt-on necks are punchy and quick, while set-necks and neck-through builds tend to be fatter and smoother in their response. Don’t let anyone tell you bolt-ons can’t sustain—they absolutely can if they’re well-built. It’s more about how each design feels to you as a player.

Profile is a personal thing. Some players thrive on thin, flat necks like John Petrucci’s signature designs, while jazz and blues players often prefer a chunkier, rounder C shape. With seven strings, you’re dealing with extra width, so even small changes in thickness or shoulder shape can make a big difference in comfort. Too thin, and your wrist might start complaining after a long session. Too thick, and it feels like wrestling a brick. Try before you buy if you can, because the neck is where comfort lives or dies.

Body Wood

Body wood is another subtle but important factor. Mahogany gives you warmth and thickness, while brighter woods like maple or ash keep the tone clear and snappy. Some of the best electric guitars of all time pair snappy ash bodies with maple fretboards for that unmistakable bite.

What I’ve found is that tonewood choices really shine when paired with the right pickups. A bright guitar with hot pickups can still sound balanced, while a darker guitar with lower-output pickups might feel too subdued. No two guitars are the same, even if the spec sheet says otherwise, so it’s worth paying attention to how the wood and electronics complement each other.

Stock Pickups

Pickups make or break the first impression of a guitar’s tone. Some brands throw in budget pickups on their 7-string models, knowing a lot of players will swap them anyway, while others carefully voice their stock pickups for the extended range. Ideally, you want something that can handle that low B without turning it into mud.

Here’s the thing though: don’t choose a guitar solely for the pickups. You can always upgrade them later, but you can’t upgrade how a neck feels in your hands or how the body resonates against you. If a guitar feels right but the pickups don’t, that’s an easy fix. If it feels wrong but sounds good, you’ll never want to pick it up.

One note of caution: if you plan on replacing active pickups with passive ones, you’ll need to swap out the electronics as well. Aftermarket active pickups usually come with the right components, so factor that into your plans if you’re a tinkerer.