There are many people out there who want to buy a guitar but they don’t know which one is the best. It can be difficult to find the right guitar for you, especially if you have never played before.
This article will list 7 of the top guitars under $1,000 in 2021 and provide their pros and cons so that it’s easier for you to decide what is best for your needs.
Recently, electric guitars with seven strings are booming in popularity due to the introduction of heavy music.
The popularity of these bands and the use of 7-string guitars has created a need for instruments with this capability.
It seems like a difficult task to choose the best 7-string electric guitar under $1,000. If you’re looking for something in particular but aren’t finding it or if you’re working on a tight budget, then I have made your search easy.
I will share six recommendations before you make your decision about which one to buy.
These guitars are great, and they’ll be a major asset for anyone looking for an affordable choice.
Over the past few years, there has been a rise in musicians who use 7-string electric guitars. Although they are typically more expensive than their 6-string counterparts, it is important to keep your budget on track by purchasing one of these amazing instruments
The TOP 6 Best 7-String Electric Guitars Under $1,000 2021:
1. Schecter Hellraiser C-7 7-String Electric Guitar
Spotting a rosewood fretboard and a mahogany body, this guitar is among the best choices for beginners. At a welcoming price, you get versatility from this instrument dues to its great EMG 707 Active pickups.
When played properly, the C-7 produces impressive and comforting notes. It is also uniquely decorated and designed, producing an attractive look, which is enhanced by appealing colors and biddings.
Other notable features include a thin neck, Black TUSQ XL nuts, and a great bridge.
Unfortunately, its solid construction and weight can make it cumbersome for someone looking for a very lightweight guitar.
Specifications
- Mahogany body
- 3-piece with rosewood fingerboard on its neck
- Tune-o-Matic permanent bridge
- EMG 81-7/85-7
Pros
- Professional quality
- Infinite sustain pickup
- Excellent tuning stability with Floyd Rose
- Excellent fit and finish
- Solid tone
Cons
- Heavy
2. ESP LTD EC-407 7-String Electric Guitar
ESP is famous for producing well-renowned metal guitars. And its ESP LTD EC-407 electric guitar is an embodiment of all the unique qualities you would want in a 7-string guitar. Its body is sleek and is made of mahogany material with a high-quality cap.
Additionally, it has a permanent bridge and its thin neck comes with a three-piece maple. Also included is a very comfortable and good-quality fingerboard. Its pickups are famous for producing metal tones you will definitely fall in love with.
The EC-407 is famous for offering impressive tones, which will definitely make your time worthwhile. And its tuners will make you stay in tune as you enjoy playing this instrument.
This guitar is befitting if you desire a solid performance as it comes with a simple yet intricate design. Essentially, this ESP guitar will definitely stun you.
Specifications
- Mahogany with high-quality cap body
- Three-piece maple
- Comfortable fingerboard
- Fixed bridge
- Active pickups
Pros
- Provides stable tuning
- Active pickups
- Clean sound
Cons
- No tremolo for players that would need one
3. PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN – Satin Walnut
PRS is known for manufacturing among experienced guitar-makers around. The company’s guitars are favorites among metal fans. This SE SVN 7-string model is yet another gem in their treasure chest.
Just like most guitars, this electric guitar is made of mahogany, with an appealing beveled top. Furthermore, the neck is thick, which is a common PRS guitars feature. It also includes a string-through plate style, making it stand out among a sea of guitars.
In essence, this instrument combines playability with versatility, making it a preference for most guitarists.
Specifications
- Quality veneer top
- Maple with rosewood fretboard on neck
- String-through plate style
- Pickups: 85/15 “S” 7-String
Pros
- Versatile tone
- Fast and smooth fretboard
- Fits in with any kind of music
Cons
- Very flashy fretboard; some players do not prefer this
4. PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN – Satin Walnut
PRS is known for manufacturing among experienced guitar-makers around. The company’s guitars are favorites among metal fans. This SE SVN 7-string model is yet another gem in their treasure chest.
Just like most guitars, this electric guitar is made of mahogany, with an appealing beveled top. Furthermore, the neck is thick, which is a common PRS guitars feature. It also includes a string-through plate style, making it stand out among a sea of guitars.
In essence, this instrument combines playability with versatility, making it a preference for most guitarists.
Specifications
- Quality veneer top
- Maple with rosewood fretboard on neck
- String-through plate style
- Pickups: 85/15 “S” 7-String
Pros
- Versatile tone
- Fast and smooth fretboard
- Fits in with any kind of music
Cons
- Very flashy fretboard; some players do not prefer this
5. Ibanez GRG7221QA Gio G 7-String Electric Guitar
Considered as one of the most affordable today, this Ibanez guitar is your sole option if you’re on a strict budget.
The Ibanez GRG7221QA is uniquely designed with quality veneer, giving you value for your cash.
Its hard-tail is a remarkable piece of engineering and is one among few recommended guitars for beginners.
Amazingly, Ibanez GRG7221QA comes with different controls, including master tone, master volume, and a 5-way blade pickup selector.
Specifications
- Poplar structure with quilted quality veneer
- Very good quality pickups
- A variety of controls
Pros
- Thin, fast neck
- Light body
- Versatile tone
- Great locking tuners
Cons
- Too flashy for certain styles of music
6. Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT
This guitar sports a venerable design and is a great entry-level 7-string guitar, making it a suitable choice for a beginner. It has a unique finish, which is really good. Also, its neck is very classy. It’s also an incredibly light 7-string guitar.
You will notice that its neck is thicker than similarly priced Ibanez, which I have also reviewed in this article.
This guitar is the epitome of a budget gear that works really well. Perfect pickups are actually great for you. You should try this guitar out next time you go to guitar stores.
However, for a cheap price, it cannot be all perfect as it comes with some drawbacks. Distance between its frets is a bit of a stretch for some, so you might not be accurate, especially for a beginner, and you’re playing higher frets.
Specifications
- Poplar body
- Amaranth fingerboard
- 24 frets
- Pickups: Jackson High-Output 7-string humbucker (neck and bridge)
- Controls: Volume, tone, three-way pickup selector
Pros
- Sound is just mean
- No threading out
- No matter how many scratches you make, you can buff them out
Cons
- Humbuckers make noise
7. Ibanez GRG7221WH 7-String Electric Guitar
Very few guitar makers are experienced in creating metal monsters like Ibanez. And Ibanez GRG7221WH brings together years of high-end expertise and produces a solid, reliable shredder that can make your time memorable
To spice it up, this electric guitar has an appealing finish, which is complemented by a treated New Zealand pine fretboard. It also includes string-bending-friendly jumbo frets, making your playing better.
Specifications
- Poplar body
- Maple neck
- High-output Infinity R pickups
Pros
- Great value; excellent for novice
- Comfortable neck
- High-output pickups
Cons
- May be too basic for pro-level players
FAQs:
What is the best 7 string electric guitar?
The 7 best 7-string guitars to buy now are:
PRS SE Mark Holcomb 7–string guitar. …
Ibanez Premium Steve Vai Universe UV70P. …
Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash HT7. …
Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty. …
Schecter C-7 FR S 7–string guitar. …
ESP E-II M-II 7 NT 7–string guitar. …
Ibanez Gio GRG7221QA 7–string guitar.
What 7 strings guitar should I get?
Do you want to rock the house with a guitar solo?
There are many choices for guitars out there, but I recommend going with one of Schecter’s Hellraiser series.
The Hellraiser C-7 model in particular is an electric 7 string that comes equipped with EMG pickups and Seymour Duncan JB bridge pickup – perfect for creating some awesome sounds!
Are 7 string guitars worth it?
If you want a new instrument with more range, then the 7 string guitar is worth it.
A 7-string guitar can be tuned and played like a conventional 6-string but has an additional low B String (which usually isn’t found on most guitars).
The point of this extra set of strings is to extend your playing options without changing tunings or chords for one player – so if you have standard tuning, any chord shapes will work – just not as many notes.
One obvious use would be heavier styles that typically need those lower pitches for sound production quality; however, there are other uses such as extended rhythm tracks in rock music because they provide rich harmonic content when strummed at their natural open positions which upends typical “guiart” lead and rhythm roles.
Who plays a 7 string guitar?
Howard Alden is a creative member of the jazz guitarists of his generation.
He played seven-string guitars and has been praised by critics as being one of the most innovative players around today because he never sticks to just playing chords, but constantly adds new sounds that are not typical for standard chord progressions.
What is the advantage of a 7 string guitar?
The Advantages of 7-String Guitars are that the 7-string guitar is a modernized version of the 6-string, giving you more range without taking any away from your sweet lead notes.
It sounds like it’s going to be harder to handle because we know that there are two additional low strings; however, this allows for greater sonic possibilities by adding in an extra high string on top as well.
By being able to alter tuning and get new tones while still retaining all those harmonic overtones which give us our distinctive sound makes these guitars great options not only for professional musicians but also amateur ones who just want their music heard with no limitations!
Should I get a 7 or 8 string guitar?
If you are an experienced guitar player looking for a challenge or wanting to experiment, then an 8 string is your best bet.
For those that want something with more range and playability than their current 6-string without losing much in terms of effort but adding some complexity, 7 strings are great too!
How does one tune a 7 string to drop B? Well, the first thing you would do is find out what tuning your guitar was in before.
A standard tuning for instance (B-E-A-D-G#/Ab – E). You then need to lower all of the strings except from G and D by half steps… so that each note on those two strings are now an octave apart rather than just being adjacent notes like they were originally.
For example: The Low Eb String will be tuned down three whole step instead of only one which it used to have if we had been using Standard Tuning! After this has been done, you can finally start playing with some different chords such as C7 or Fmaj11.
Can you tune a 7 string to drop B?
Yes, you can tune a 7 string to drop B. It’s a 7-string guitar with the same tuning as E7, but tuned lower. The low string is B instead of an A# or an A like on other guitars.
Can you play drop C on a 7 string guitar?
Can you play a drop C chord on a 7 string guitar? Yes. It’s possible, but not without some knowledge of music theory and how to use the instrument properly.
Drop C is a very low tuning.
The strings on the guitar are tightened to make them thicker so they can be tuned lower than normal guitars, but it’s not an easy task for your fingers or hands and requires some practice before you start playing with this tunings as well as strong fingernails.
Yes, I know how hard drop C is to play because of those thick chords that require lots of pressure from our fingertips just like when we’re using difficult fingerpicking techniques in other keys which makes these chord shapes more challenging at first glance due to their thickness however if done correctly you’ll find yourself going through less effort while strumming only two sets of three string each instead four common six-string patterns with five notes per set.
Do you need a 7-string for metal?
No, you don’t need a 7-string guitar for metal.
Traditional rock and blues players have never needed more than six strings, but if you’re convinced that your music deserves to be heard by the masses of 6 stringers out there then go ahead!
A lot of people are deciding not to buy an expensive electric or acoustic guitar because they think it’s too much money when their goal is simply creative expression at home or in small groups with friends.
But what if you want to get serious about playing? What do those guitars cost now days anyway? It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking steel strung classicals or nylon ones, one thing remains true: They all start around $200-$400 dollars new (for most popular brands).
And for those of you who are more on the intermediate level, $800-$1000 is a good price range for acoustic guitars. These prices will vary depending on what type of guitar and materials it’s made from but that gives you a rough estimate to start with.
Did Steve Vai invent 7 strings?
Yes, Steve Vai played and invented 7 string.
In the early 1990s, Steve Vai began to explore a new instrument with an extended range.
He teamed up with Ibanez and became their signature artist on this project in 1992 when he was first introduced as one of the pioneers for seven-string guitars.
Other notable artists that joined him shortly after were John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Reb Beach (Winger) Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer among many others who also jumped aboard this trend which has been prevalent since then.
How do you drop a 7 string tuning?
Dropping the 7th string in a guitar can cause some serious neck problems, but it’s not all bad.
When tuned down to A1-E2-A2-D3-G3 -B4-, an acoustic player will be able to play tunes that are normally played on mandolin or banjo with ease. Tune your open strings as follows: EADGBE (standard tuning) then DFAACE
How do you drop a 7 string tuning? Dropped A tuning is an alternate way of playing for those who enjoy music with heavy bass lines and/or dirty harmonics like Slipknot and Meshuggah fans alike.
To tune into this type of sound, simply start by lowering the 6th string one step, usually down to A (A-D-G), then you’ll want to tune the next string’s pitch an octave below that.
To make it easier for those who are not used to using standard tuning on a guitar, we’ve created this helpful chart:
EADGBE (standard) – DFAACE (dropped A)
Tuning String Number Abbreviated Frets
E A D G B E
*Note: In dropped tunings like dropped C or drop F where there is no longer any need for fretting notes with your fingers, replace these strings with open strings and use only one finger per fret.
This will result in a very sloppy sound, but it’s a fun way to try out new sounds with your guitar. or set neck varieties; these different styles each cater to specific playing techniques and comfort levels (which I won’t go into detail about in this post).
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a novice or a professional player, hopefully, you found something on this guide that meets your needs. Good luck in finding a guitar! For more detailed and exciting reviews, browse through our website.
