6 Popular Extended Range Guitars, Reviewed
Are you looking for an extended range guitar?
Maybe you want a 7 string so you can go lower without changing tunings, or maybe you just want a 6 string guitar factory setup for super low tunings?
Let’s face it – some guitars just aren’t built for low tunings.
So, today, we’re looking at guitars purpose built for going low. You’ll find some 6 string guitars setup for lower tunings right out of the factory (and with the scale length or increased string gauge to match), and some 7 string guitars.
All of these guitars have fixed bridges so drop tuning can be done without any hassle.
Most of these guitars will excel at modern metal, but they can do a lot more. And one P90 loaded semi-hollow baritone that’s capable of some interesting flavours.
And while I haven’t included 8 strings on this list, there are 8 string versions of the Schecter and Ibanez 7 string guitars.
Let’s get started:
1. Schecter Hellraiser C-7
Schecter is a brand that is synonymous with metal. And they’ve embraced extended range guitars in a big way. Particularly when it comes to 7 and 8 strings.
What I love most is the variations they have within each range. And where most brands neglect lefties. Schecter haven’t.
My review of the “Schecter Hellraiser C-7 7 String” (pictured above):
When I first got this guitar, the setup out of the box was great. Whether that’s an indicator of Schecter or that’s down to the retailer is difficult to say.
Either way, the important stuff such as the fret work etc was great. And I expected it to be because this model was made in same factory as PRS SE, and a bunch of others.
What stood out to me immediately was how resonant this guitar is. That’s likely a combination of the set-neck, and the TonePro’s bridge.
Schecter consider the neck of this guitar to be a thin ‘c’ neck. Thicker than some other 7 string necks I’ve played, but still quite comfortable.
In terms of features, we’ve locking tuners, a Graph Tech nut, and a set of EMG 707TW pickups.
There’s no killswitch unfortunately, but the battery for the pickups does unclip fairly easily which is already good.
Personally, I do prefer passive pickups, but this is a nice set of EMG’s. One of the nicer sets I’ve played. They’ve offer plenty of gain and do a great job at avoiding unwanted noise when you do crank the gain.
Overall, this is a well built guitar that looks great – especially with the abalone shell inlays, and binding.
Number of strings: 7
Factory tuning: E Standard, with a B on the 7th string.
Alternatives in this range:
Like I alluded to earlier, Schecter go big on variations in most of their ranges and don’t neglect lefties like most brands. You can even get a leftie 9 string.
The C-7 comes in several colours. Other than the black cherry pictured, you can find it in white and black.
If we step back and look at the Hellraiser series as a whole, the variations available are crazy.
You’ve got 6, 7, 8, and 9 string variations. There’s singlecut versions, different bridge configurations (including Floyd Rose). And even the option of Sustainiac pickups. And there’s usually a left-handed version of each configuration. Nice!
2. PRS SE Mark Holcomb Signature
The South Korean made PRS SE line offer a great balance of quality and price.
While most of the range isn’t geared towards metal, or downtuned guitars, the Mark Holcomb signature is perfect for that (and more).
My review of the “PRS SE Mark Holcomb Ltd Edition” (pictured above):
Out of the box, the setup on this guitar was great. From what I can tell, PRS will usually set these up in the UK before sending them out to retailers.
The neck is thicker than I’m used to, but everything else on this guitar was spot on.
As one of the three guitarists in Periphery, Mark is known for brutal high gain tones. And this guitar comes fully loaded with his Alpha & Omega, signature set of Seymour Duncans.
These are some of the best high gain pickups I’ve tried (although that’s subjective). And they’re capable of some really nice cleans too.
This particular guitar is one of the limited editions from 2018 and as such the entire finish was satin. In the regular version, there’s a slightly different finish in gloss, but the neck (according to the PRS website), is satin – I dig that finish for playability.
It would have been great to have locking tuners on this, but considering it came loaded with a $249 set of pickups, and a gig bag, that’s pretty damn good.
Number of strings: 6
Factory tuning: D standard
Alternatives in this range:
Since this is a signature model, you likely won’t find much in the way of alternatives, aside from limited runs with slightly different finishes.
3. Ibanez RG Premium 7 String
Ibanez are best known for their RG series of guitars. Introduced in 1987, this guitar took inspiration from Steve Vai’s signature JEM series.
And since this range of guitars is so popular, it has more configurations than any other guitar they produce.
While my first serious Ibanez was an SA series, the RG has since become one of favourites from their line up.
My review of the “Ibanez RG1027PBF-CBB 7 String” (pictured above):
When I first got this guitar, there were a few issues. The setup was poor and there was a washer around one of the tuners that wouldn’t tighten – it just rattled. And there was a green tinge to the fretboard wood.
The setup issue was fixable but the issue with the green tinge on the fretboard, and rattle were a deal breaker so I got the guitar exchanged to save any messing around.
I wouldn’t judge this guitar too harshly based on the setup issue though. The guitar was made in Indonesia and it’s highly likely there was some neck movement on it’s way into the UK – it’s a significant climate difference.
This is why I wish more retailers would QC guitars and do setups before dispatch. But, the reality is that most don’t, and they just offer to setup guitars if anyone has an issue.
So, what about the replacement? That was great. The setup and fretwork was on point.
It’s worth noting that due to the natural “burl” of the wood, the top of each of these guitars will look drastically different. That was clear when comparing the two versions of the same guitar.
The neck on this guitar is seriously cool. It’s an 11 piece neck which includes Panga Panga Maple, Walnut and Purpleheart. And it’s got a nice feel to it.
The body is basswood so it’s pretty light. Like the FR series I reviewed above, this RG has some nice features too. Including a Tight-End bridge, stainless steel frets and Gotoh locking tuners. This seems to be common with mid to hear range RG’s.
There’s also luminescent side-dots so you’ll be able to tell where you are on the fretboard even if you’re playing on a stage with no lighting.
What about pickups? This RG comes with DiMarzio PAF 7’s. They’re not super high output like the ones you’ll find in the Schecter and Ltd, but they’re extremely flexible.
And since there’s a 5 way selector switch, you get a lot of potential tones. 2nd position offers a coil split, and position 4 is the neck pickup connected in parallel.
So, overall, despite the issues with the first guitar, the replacement guitar was great. Although, I’ll probably