Customer Kudos

"zZounds has super fast delivery, and makes buying super easy with their flexible monthly payment plans. This is especially helpful in this terrible economy. zZounds puts instruments in reach for many people who would otherwise have to spend a year or two saving up for a guitar. Many are grateful for this business model because they can be learning and playing while they're paying."
March 5, 2024
7-string guitars. 8-string guitars.

Extended-Range Guitars

Popular among musicians of the heavier persuasion, extended-range guitars offer extra reach into bass guitar territory, providing the punishing low end needed for modern metal. The realm of 7-string and 8-string guitars can be strange terrain for players used to the standard 6-string, so we put together a helpful buying guide, and ran a few of our favorites through the gauntlet in this exclusive demo video.
Extended-Range Guitars: zZounds Exclusive Demo
7-String Guitars
Traditionally used by jazz guitarists, 7-string guitars were originally made with an extra high A string for an extended upper register. In the early '90s, when solidbody production models by Ibanez hit the market, it eventually became apparent that on a 25.5" scale guitar, an extra high A string was very prone to breaking. Instead, adding a low B string extended the lower register, allowing for detuned riffing while still keeping a full standard range for intricate soloing.
Shop all 7-string guitars »
ONLY 3 LEFT

ESP LTD SCT-607B Stephen Carpenter Baritone Electric Guitar, 7-String (with Case)

$1,499.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $124.92
  • 8 x  
    $187.38
BACK IN STOCK

Jackson X Dinky DKAF7MS Multi-Scale Electric Guitar, 7-String

$699.99
  • 12 x  
    $58.33
  • 8 x  
    $87.50
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $116.66
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $175.00

Schecter Reaper 7MS Electric Guitar, 7-String

$1,049.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $87.42
  • 8 x  
    $131.13
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $174.83
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $262.25
ONLY 3 LEFT

PRS Paul Reed Smith SE Mark Holcomb SVN Electric Guitar, 7-String (with Gig Bag)

$1,249.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $104.08
  • 8 x  
    $156.13
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $208.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $312.25
LAST ONE

Sterling John Petrucci JP157D SM Electric Guitar

$1,399.99
  • 12 x  
    $116.67
  • 8 x  
    $175.00

ESP LTD EC-407 Electric Guitar, 7-string

$1,099.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $91.58
  • 8 x  
    $137.38
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $183.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $274.75

Ibanez JBM27 Jake Bowen Electric Guitar, 7-String

$1,399.99
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $116.67
  • 8 x  
    $175.00

ESP LTD MH-1007 Evertune Electric Guitar, 7-String

$1,399.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $116.58
  • 8 x  
    $174.88

Schecter Demon 7 Electric Guitar, 7-String

$549.00
  • 8 x  
    $68.63
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $91.50
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $137.25
Used $466.95
8-String Guitars
If seven strings just doesn't cut it, maybe an 8-string guitar is more your speed. The 8-string setup has been a standard configuration for lap and pedal steel guitars for decades, with open tunings based around the E9 and C6 chords for country and jazz. The wider range allows for an extended low end, and can even open the door for more out-of-the-box tunings utilizing major thirds. Pick up an 8-string guitar of your own to follow in the footsteps of progressive metal masters like Animals as Leaders' Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes, or Meshuggah's Marten Hagstrom and Fredrik Thordendal.
Shop all 8-string guitars »
ONLY 2 LEFT

Jackson X Series Dinky DKAF8 MS Electric Guitar, 8-String

$699.99
  • 12 x  
    $58.33
  • 8 x  
    $87.50
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $116.66
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $175.00

Ibanez RGMS8 Multi-Scale Electric Guitar, 8-String

$699.99
  • 12 x  
    $58.33
  • 8 x  
    $87.50
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $116.66
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $175.00
ONLY 2 LEFT

Strandberg Boden Original NX 8 Electric Guitar (with Gig Bag)

$2,495.00
  • 12 x  
    $207.92
  • 8 x  
    $311.88
BACK IN STOCK

Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid C-8 Electric Guitar, 8-String

$1,199.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $99.92
  • 8 x  
    $149.88
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $199.83
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $299.75

Schecter Omen Elite-8 Multiscale Electric Guitar, 8-String

$799.00
  • 12 x  
    $66.58
  • 8 x  
    $99.88
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $133.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $199.75

ESP LTD Javier Reyes JR208 Electric Guitar, 8-String

$699.00
  • 12 x  
    $58.25
  • 8 x  
    $87.38
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $116.50
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $174.75
BACK IN STOCK

ESP LTD Stephen Carpenter SC-608B Baritone Electric Guitar, 8-String (with Case)

$1,699.00
  • 18 x  
  • 12 x  
    $141.58
  • 8 x  
    $212.38
Extended-Range Guitar Strings
More strings = more strings to replace, and a wider range of gauges to consider. Be ready with a selection of string sets with specifically selected gauges for extended-range guitars. Most sets of 7-string, 8-string and 9-string guitar strings are designed with heavy, wound bottom strings to prevent floppiness in the lower register while playing chugging, rhythmic patterns. In turn, the plain strings in the higher register are much lighter gauge for dramatic bending and lightning-fast soloing.
Shop all extended-range guitar strings »