Magnificent Seven: The 10 Greatest Seven-String Guitar Songs of All Time
We count down the best tracks from those who took guitar one string further.
Why ain’t six strings enough? This was the question we posed to one of guitar's all-time greats in a recent Guitar World cover story.
Steve Vai, in his infinite, sage-like wisdom, responded, "Six is enough, and eight is enough too. Whatever you want. Four can be enough. One can be enough, if you’ve got the imagination for it."
And that's really what it came down to when whittling down our list of the 10 greatest seven-string guitar songs of all time. Who had the imagination to take that extra string and do something with it that couldn't be replicated simply by down-tuning or pitch-shifting?
It would have been very easy for the seven-string guitar to now be sitting in a museum somewhere as a one-off novelty item, a Spinal Tap-ish relic of someone who wanted a guitar that went "one lower." But these 10 songs are a testament to the myriad ways in which the seven-string guitar has evolved over the years, in ways that even its modern progenitor couldn't have foreseen.
"When I was [playing seven-strings], I had a feeling there was going to be a group of kids who were really gonna take that low string and do something with it that I wasn’t doing," Vai said in that same interview. "And I also felt that maybe some jazz and classical players would take it up. I had no idea that they were going to do what they did."
10. Deftones — "Hexagram" (Deftones, 2003)
Whether utilizing seven strings or eight, Deftones have packed some serious subsonics into their music over the years. "Hexagram" off the band's 2003 self-titled effort is the epitome of their haunting take on alternative metal, with Chino Moreno screaming maniacally over Stephen Carpenter's off-kilter seven-string riffing.
09. Morbid Angel — "God of Emptiness" (Covenant, 1993)
Trey Azagthoth can be credited as the man who took the seven-string to the world of extreme metal, bringing in some added low-end heft for Morbid Angel's landmark 1993 album, Covenant. The result? One of the best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.
08. Animals as Leaders — "CAFO" (Animals as Leaders, 2009)
When Tosin Abasi recorded what was essentially a solo album under the name Animals as Leaders, his goal was to expand the pallet of heavy, progressive music into something that was more compositionally challenging for him and more accessible to linsteners. “I wanted to make music that was more universal,” he told Guitar World in 2009. Tosin may be better known for rocking the eight-string these days, but "CAFO" from Animals as Leaders' eponymous debut is as fine an example of seven-string mastery as you'll come across in the modern metal-scape.
07. Nevermore — "Born" (The Godless Endeavor, 2005)
Few guitarists have developed such an integral bond with the seven-string guitar like former Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis. On the opening track from 2005's The Godless Endeavor, Loomis and fellow guitarist Steve Smyth put on a seven-string show that kicks off with a blast-beat-backed rhythmic flurry and doesn't let up for five solid minutes.
06. Emperor — "The Prophet" (Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, 2001)
For Emperor's final album, 2001's Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, guitarist Ihsahn began toying with the sonic and compositional possibilities of the seven-string guitar. While Ihsahn would continue down this path in his solo career (eventually deciding seven wasn't enough and opting for an eight-string guitar), Prometheus may still be his crowning achievement, representing a high-water mark for technical prowess in the black metal genre that few have approached since.
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PamelaMcLaughlin03
May 19, 2013 at 7:25am
Kaitlyn. I agree that Jane`s bl0g is astonishing, last friday I got a gorgeous Lotus Esprit sincee geting a check for $6656 recently and-over, ten thousand last-month. it's by-far the best work Ive ever done. I started this three months/ago and straight away was bringing home minimum $78, p/h. I follow this website, Bow6.com
nikoString
May 15, 2013 at 7:12am
simplemente el momento perfecto para una cancion, korn rompio con una estructura en los 90, despues de nirvana, korn rompio un esquema en cuanto a sonido, composicion, ritmica, melodias (peuqeñas, pero melodias al fin). Cuando salio " blind" todos se preguntaban como hacian para sonar de esa manera, como lo lograban? es por todo esto que cre que esta bien posicionado el Nº1... Y para el que decia que no tenian idea de las guitarras de 7 cuerdas, diseñaron una de las guitarras de 7 cuerdas mas versatiles... (si lo dice Steve Vai)
Feral Feline
May 14, 2013 at 6:00am
What the fudgsicle?
NO SONGS FROM GEORGE VAN EPS, BUCKY PIZZARELLI, JOHN PIZZARELLI... ?
Oh, sorry, I didn't see the "ROCK" in front of "Guitar World" and had thought it was a magazine for ALL guitarists and not just rockers & metalheads (no disrespect to either).
Seriously, the name of the magazine should be changed.
sinishad
May 13, 2013 at 10:42pm
Trivium seriously does not get enough credit for Shogun. Even they don't give themselves enough credit for that album. They made it and didn't even make a big deal about how they totally mastered the 7 string and used it in the late 2000's neo-thrash/metalcore scene. IMO they, and everyone else, should give them credit for how different(and difficult to play as a band) that album was
maximushyrule
May 13, 2013 at 4:46pm
where's Unearth? Zombie Autopilot, Lie to Purify, The March, The Charm? there all classics!!!
usual7
January 05, 2013 at 2:18pm
Once again, a "top 10" liat gone horribly wrong! No "Edgecrusher" or "Linchpin" by Fear Factory? How about "Down from the Sky" or "Throes of Perdition" by Trivium? Perhaps "Headstrong" by Trapt? Damnit! This wasn't a bad list, but it could have been better (in my humble opinion).
jeffreycollins
December 03, 2012 at 7:13pm
I find it funny that there is a quote of Vai talking about Jazz guitarists using 7 string guitars. When George Van Eps was using them probably around the time Vai was born.
I agree that BLIND is one killer 7 string song. Probably still my favorite song from them. I still remember the first time I heard that low end chunk come through my tv speakers on Headbangers Ball. Oh that was an ear opener.
Morbid Angel 'God of Emptiness' is and will always be my favorite song from them. Trey just makes that guitar sound so damn heavy. Not even Meshuggah can match up to that song.
pearlj10
December 03, 2012 at 4:06pm
Danny H-- true a cheese string would be useless. Hilarious visual. To me the seventh string would be a dangerous string and I would have to mute it a lot on most songs. Great players like Broderick for Megadeth can handle 7 strings. Most of us normal people would look foolish.
Guitar Slinger- lame reply
Sorry to be the hater here, but none of these songs would make the top 250 of any rock/metal lists. Look at the ads to the side. This an article just written to sell 7 string guitars. None of these song would make the top 250 of any rock/metal lists. I will give my approval to the players --Korn, Petrucci, Vai, Satriani but not the guitar or any of these songs.
Damage Inc.
December 03, 2012 at 2:27pm
I disagree with this list; Too little KoRn, "AAS", oh and TriViuM as well. :P
Let the hate commence, but I know I'm right. ;)
edenwaith
November 30, 2012 at 7:00pm
I'm surprised that there was no mention of Uli Jon Roth and his 7-string Sky Guitar which was designed in the mid-80s and has been used on all of his albums since 1984's Beyond The Astral Skies.
iron_maiden
November 30, 2012 at 6:27pm
I never really thought much of 7 strings until I heard Nevermore. I still wasn't really into them though... Until I've heard Tyr for the first time! I've never heard anything so cool! Now I'm totally thinking about buying one...
shadow1029
November 30, 2012 at 4:07pm
Love 7 strings now. Not crazy about the typical vocal styles that go with them, but other wise awesome
Tarkess
November 30, 2012 at 5:35pm
I recommend you check out Scale the Summit, they play 7-string instrumentals much akin to some of the music on the list.
panterrasports
November 30, 2012 at 3:30pm
What is the bridge in the picture? Never seen one like that.
GuitarSlinger101
November 30, 2012 at 3:22pm
pearlj10's comment is further proof of how useless the natural selection is.
pearlj10
November 30, 2012 at 2:51pm
This list is further proof of how useless a seven string guitar is. Thanks for the update.
DannyH
November 30, 2012 at 5:05pm
In what way are 7-strings useless? You can get lower notes with a 7th string, and that is not useless...if the string were made of cheese....that would be useless.
Btw Guitar World...Shogun (Trivium) definitely needs to be on this list cause even if you're not a fan of the growly vocal bits, the rest of the song is just amazing :P
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