Chinese 7 String Guitars

Chinese 7-String Guitars

Explore Chinese 7-string guitars designed for players who want extended range, lower tunings and modern specifications without necessarily moving into premium-brand price ranges.

Chinese guitar manufacturers produce an increasingly varied selection of 7-string electric guitars, including modern superstrats, metal guitars, extended-scale instruments and custom builds. Specifications can include high-output humbuckers, locking tremolos, fixed bridges, 24 frets and performance-focused neck profiles.

At Chinese-Guitars.com, we've spent years researching Chinese manufacturers and suppliers and gaining first-hand experience with the guitars they produce. We focus on instruments that combine construction, playability, specifications, appearance and value for money, with guitars checked before shipping.

Browse our available Chinese 7-string guitars, or contact us if you're looking for a particular model or custom specification.

Why Choose a 7-String Guitar?

A 7-string guitar adds an additional string to the conventional six-string format, extending the instrument's range without requiring the player to give up the familiar upper six strings.

In standard 7-string tuning, the additional string is typically a low B, giving players access to lower notes while retaining familiar six-string chord shapes, scales and lead-playing positions.

This makes 7-string guitars particularly popular for metal and progressive music, although the additional range can be useful in many different styles.

Players can use the lower string for heavier riffs and extended chord voicings while continuing to use the higher six strings much like a conventional guitar.

Why Buy a Chinese 7-String Guitar?

Chinese guitar manufacturing can be particularly interesting for players looking for extended-range instruments.

Specifications commonly associated with modern 7-string guitars can make instruments expensive, particularly when they include features such as longer scale lengths, 24 frets, specialised pickups, locking hardware or more complex construction.

Chinese manufacturers are capable of producing guitars with many of these features across a broad range of price points.

That doesn't mean every inexpensive Chinese 7-string will be equally good. Construction, fretwork, hardware, electronics and quality control can vary significantly between manufacturers.

We therefore recommend judging each instrument on its actual construction and specifications rather than choosing solely on price.

Chinese 7-String Guitars for Metal

The 7-string guitar has become particularly closely associated with heavier styles of music.

The additional low string allows players to create lower riffs without necessarily sacrificing the standard range of a conventional guitar. Alternative and drop tunings can extend that range further.

For modern metal players, useful specifications can include high-output pickups, longer scale lengths, stable bridges, comfortable upper-fret access and 24 frets.

However, there isn't one perfect metal specification.

Some players prefer a straightforward fixed-bridge 7-string for tuning stability, while others want a tremolo system. Pickup output, neck profile and scale length are similarly matters of playing style and personal preference.

If metal is your main focus, you can also explore our wider range of Chinese metal guitars.

Scale Length on a 7-String Guitar

Scale length is one of the most important specifications to consider when choosing a 7-string guitar.

The additional low string benefits from sufficient tension, particularly when using lower tunings.

Longer scale lengths can help maintain tension and definition on the lower strings, while shorter or more conventional scale lengths can feel more familiar to guitarists moving from a six-string instrument.

Neither approach is automatically better.

A player using particularly low tunings may prefer a longer scale, while someone wanting a familiar feel with the additional range of a seventh string may favour something closer to a conventional guitar.

String gauge also affects tension, so scale length should be considered alongside your preferred tuning and strings.

Fixed Bridge vs Tremolo 7-String Guitars

Chinese 7-string guitars are available with several different bridge designs.

Fixed Bridge

A fixed bridge is a straightforward option for players who prioritise tuning stability, easy string changes and alternative tunings.

This can be particularly useful for rhythm-focused metal players or anyone who regularly changes tuning.

Tremolo

A tremolo-equipped 7-string gives players access to vibrato and more extreme pitch effects.

Locking systems can provide good tuning stability when correctly set up, although they're more complicated to restring and adjust than a fixed bridge.

The right choice depends entirely on how you intend to use the guitar.

Pickups for 7-String Guitars

Pickups play an important role in any electric guitar, but the extended low end of a 7-string can make clarity particularly important.

Many 7-string guitars use humbuckers designed to accommodate the wider string spacing and extended frequency range.

High-output pickups are common on metal-focused models, while other players may prefer more moderate output for greater versatility.

Both passive and active pickup systems can work well.

We wouldn't choose a poorly constructed guitar purely because it comes with desirable pickups. Electronics can usually be changed later, whereas problems with the neck, fretwork or fundamental construction can be considerably harder to correct.

Neck Width and Playability

Moving from six to seven strings inevitably means adapting to a wider neck.

How noticeable that feels depends on the neck profile, nut width, string spacing and overall design of the instrument.

Players with smaller hands shouldn't necessarily assume that a 7-string will be uncomfortable. A well-designed neck can still feel relatively slim and manageable despite its additional width.

If you're buying online, checking the neck specifications can be particularly useful if you already know what dimensions you prefer.

7-String vs 6-String Guitar

The main advantage of a 7-string is additional range.

A six-string guitar remains perfectly suitable for most styles of music and can be simpler to play, restring and maintain.

A 7-string makes more sense when you'll actually use the additional range.

For players interested in lower riffs, extended chords, progressive music or modern metal, the seventh string can considerably expand what's available without requiring a completely different approach to the guitar.

There's an adjustment period, particularly when muting strings and navigating the wider neck, but familiar six-string shapes remain available across the upper six strings.

Are Chinese 7-String Guitars Good?

Chinese 7-string guitars can offer very good value, but quality varies considerably between manufacturers and price points.

The fact that a guitar was made in China doesn't tell you whether it's well constructed.

We'd look at the same fundamentals we consider when evaluating other Chinese-made guitars:

Fretwork
Neck alignment
Construction
Bridge installation
Tuning stability
Pickups and electronics
Finish quality
Overall quality control

With extended-range guitars, we'd additionally pay close attention to scale length, neck dimensions and how well the lowest string responds.

A long list of specifications is useful only when the basic instrument has been built properly.

Chinese 7-String Guitars for Beginners

There's no reason a beginner can't start on a 7-string guitar if extended-range music is what they genuinely want to play.

In fact, someone primarily interested in modern metal may be happier learning on an instrument suited to that music rather than buying a conventional six-string only to replace it shortly afterwards.

However, the additional string and wider neck introduce a little more complexity.

For a first 7-string, we'd prioritise comfortable playability, stable tuning and relatively straightforward specifications. A fixed bridge, for example, can make maintenance easier while you're learning.

Custom Chinese 7-String Guitars

One advantage of working with Chinese guitar manufacturers is the possibility of creating a custom 7-string guitar when standard production models don't offer the specifications you want.

Depending on the build, options can include:

Body design and finish
Scale length
Neck construction and profile
Fingerboard material
Frets and inlays
Pickup configuration
Fixed bridge or tremolo
Hardware
Other cosmetic and performance specifications

This can be particularly useful with 7-string guitars because extended-range players often have very specific preferences regarding scale length, tuning, pickups and neck feel.

At Chinese-Guitars.com, we offer custom guitar builds for players looking for specifications or designs that aren't readily available in our existing range.

Buy Chinese 7-String Guitars Online

Our range of Chinese 7-string guitars is aimed at players looking for extended range, modern specifications and good value without limiting themselves to the conventional six-string format.

Whether you're looking for a metal-focused 7-string, a modern superstrat or something more unusual, we'll continue adding extended-range instruments as suitable models become available.

Browse our available guitars, or contact us if you're looking for a particular 7-string model, finish or specification.

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