What are the options for a high quality versatile first 7 string (comparable to PRS, Suhr, etc)

[Wiltonauer]

Fixed bridge, thin neck, 26.5" scale... how about a Schecter Keith Merrow?

I played one of his sevens a while back and thought it was great. I just got a Hellraiser C-7 FR-S, and in some ways it’s one of the best guitars I’ve ever owned. Schecter is a pretty solid choice these days, and there is a decent chance of scoring a nice used one with low miles these days.

 

[thorgan]

JP15-7 will give you the piezo and split of the majesty but with the plain maple neck and slightly more traditional shape, maybe worth considering, pretty readily available used

The Ibanez MM7 or AZ24047 also look interesting

 

[Jinn]

Hi all, I've been playing 6 strings for 23 years and have been thinking about buying a 7 for about 15 of those years and just never got around to it. Like many of you I've been through the GAS cycles in the past and bought and sold a lot of guitars but at this point I've really cut down my guitar collection and I'm down to two daily drivers - a 2007 PRS CU24 (in drop C) and a 2010 Suhr Custom Tele (in standard) that I picked up used about half price, 6 months after someone had it built.

I'm looking for a 7 that can inspire me as much as these two guitars, and need some advice on what to look at.

Some factors:
- I no longer live in a big city where I can try a lot of unusual (or even standard guitar center type stock) guitars, so I'm going to need to buy something without trying or even seeing
- I want to at least give myself a chance of having an instrument like these two that I'm going to want to keep for the long haul
- I play a lot of metal, but tend to less modern tones - metal wise range from 00s prog (opeth, DT), to post (pelican, cult of luna, nero di marte) to black metal, or dissonant DM (ulcerate, gorguts)
- I also play a lot of post rock, indie, 90s rock
- I'm mainly looking for a 7 as a format to open up new inspiration in playing and writing, as opposed to a purely metal driver. I'm still looking for versatility. Will likely be a tuned half step down and alternate between standard and dropped configuration
- not looking for fanned frets
- looking for something that will hold value; since I'm going to be making a guess on an instrument here without trying I need to be able to resell it if I don't end up bonding with it
- open to 25.5 or 26.5 scale length but not longer
- prefer thin, fast, non-painted necks

Budget wise, I don't want to overspend if typical production models have improved to the point where one doesn't need to get something fancy. The guitars I have now seem to sell in the 4k+ USD range now but when I bought them the PRS was about $2k new and the Suhr was about $2k mint used, so when I see the current eye popping prices it feels a little crazy. I'm willing to look at any price range up to 4k-ish for a forever type of instrument, but I prefer to stay <$2500; but if you guys tell me that $1k LTDs or similar are the way to go now because the quality has improved and the QC is solid then I'm totally open to suggestions.

My initial thought was to look for a Suhr Modern 7 but it looks like those were discontinued a while back and there isn't a lot of used inventory to choose from, and what's there is priced like some boutique new guitars.

I've heard of Mayones and have read mostly good and some bad things but it sounds like perhaps the US dealer pricing doesn't make sense.

I really like the thoughtful design of the EBMM majesty 7 but am somewhat worried about the electronics being a failure point over time if I want to hold on to the guitar for 17+ years like my PRS.

What else should I be looking at? Thanks in advance for any suggestions or guidance

I would say jackson soloist sl7 josh smith signature! Insane package with 27 inch scale, bareknuckle pickups and evertune. maple neckthru/alder construction

 

[spudmunkey]

Give Kiesel a look. You can custom order a 7 string to your taste for 2500 or less pretty easily. Most of their models are available in a 7 string and fixed bridge. Scale length's are 25.5 standard, but you can call in and order 27 inch scale if you prefer longer. Calling in is more recommended anyways as not all the options are available through the online builder. Decent in house pick ups save for maybe the lithiums which are eh, but some models can be ordered with Fishman Moderns as well if you prefer a pick up you are more familiar with.

Also, aside from new, used Carvins/Kiesels (same company) can often be found for good prices, and are really good value. Since every build is a custom-ordered config, resale takes a hit, but if you buy used, you benefit. All (except for one signature model) guitars after 2018 will have stainless frets, and even most before that because they were such a popular option.

If you can stand pink, this is a neck-through guitar for $1,300 and it would cost $2129 + S&H new

2018 Kiesel DC700H 7 String Pink | Reverb

2018 Kiesel DC700H. Made in the USA. Very cool Pink matte finish on double-cut Alder body. 27" scale Maple neck-thru construction and 24-fret board with black block inlays, and capped off with a matching color headstock. Tone supplied by a pair of humbuckers with volume, tone, and 5-way switch. B...

reverb.com

Here's a multiscale 7 (25.5" on the high E, 27" for the low B), with a walnut and purpleheart neck,, swamp ash body, and luminlay inlays for $1,400, which after shipping is almost $1,000 off the new price

Kiesel Vanquish 7 string 2018 Raw tone purple | Reverb

2018 Kiesel Vanquish 7 string multi scale. This guitar was built by Kiesel as an example run guitar from the Vanquish run back in 2018 that I purchased from their in stock section. This was an example of a “stage 2” build. I’m moving out of state and am looking to sell another portion of my colle...

reverb.com

 

[Isaiah04]

I'd say a used Ibanez Prestige or ESP guitars, can't go wrong with either of those

 

[dspellman]

Those have all been fine traditional recommendations.
I have a 7-string 27" scale that's seriously heavy. Ack.

So I'm looking at an eight string at this point that will be lighter. Best choices for ME so far have been headless and have been multi-scale. I'm leaning toward something from Strandberg. You should be able to find guitars in the 6-7 lb range, and since they're much shorter overall, there's a benefit for your left arm as well. And you're not going to stab a bass player (or the drummer's cymbals) on stage or random furniture in your bedroom.

But my firm suggestion would be that you wander over to Rondo Music (dot com) and see what they have in headless multi-scale 7's with the Agile brand on the...no, wait, not the headstock... The Agiles I have are great quality for the price. Better yet, Kurt has had a great return policy (if you're in an area where you don't get to try things out, this can be key). Even better, the prices are low enough that you can probably pass the guitar on, once you've decided that you want something else, for pretty much what you've paid for it.

Agile has been one of the pioneers in the extended range space, and they've leapt in long before the bigger brands decided there was enough money in a genre to ease their butts in. Fact is, most of the bigger brands owe Rondo Music for finding potential customers for them and showing that certain types of guitars were actually feasible and salable. Again, their quality is surprising.