List of extended-range guitar players

A sevenstring Ibanez K7 guitar.

While the six strings have been standard practice since the 19th century, guitars featuring seven, eight, nine, ten or even more strings have been used by guitarists that wants to increase the range of pitch available from the guitar. Some types of these guitars can be specific for different cultures such as Russian and Brazilian guitars. During the 90's the seven string guitar became popular among metal bands such who used the additional string for extra low end.

This is a list of guitarists who have made notable usage of extended range guitars or have played a specifically notable instrument.

A - Z

Jazz guitarist Howard Alden.

Charlie Hunter in 2007.

James "Munky" Shaffer.

• Tosin Abasi (born 1983) is a virtuoso guitarist formerly of Reflux, who has since started his own solo project known as Animals as Leaders. He started playing extended range instruments when a friend recommended an Ibanez seven string guitar to him. He has used extended range instruments almost exclusively since. He is noted for often incorporating elements of metal and shred while also having clean passages in his songs, making much use of his 8-string guitar's range to cover both the bass and guitar tracks for his compositions simultaneously on one guitar. He attended the Atlanta Institute of Music.
• Howard Alden (born 1958) is an American jazz guitarist who plays a seven string guitar and has been described as the most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists.
• Matt Bellamy (born 1978) is the lead vocalist and guitarist of English rock band Muse uses a custom built seven string guitar tuned to AADDGBE for the song "Citizen Erased".
• Wes Borland (born 1975) is the guitarist of Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns. Borland used seven-string Ibanez guitars during his early days with Limp Bizkit. Borland now uses his six string signature Yamaha model almost exclusively.
• Lenny Breau (1941–1984) was a Canadian jazz guitarist known for his fingerstyle technique. Late in his career played a custom seven-string guitar which used an additional .008 gauge high A string rather than the usual low bass string.
• Chris Broderick (Born 1970) is the current lead guitarist for the band Megadeth. Previously he was in Jag Panzer and toured with Nevermore to have dueling solos with Jeff Loomis.
• Stephen Carpenter (born 1970) is the guitarist for the metalband Deftones and plays both seven and eight stringed guitars from his endorser ESP.
• Laura-Mary Carter is the guitarist of Blood Red Shoes and plays a custom made three way output 7-string electric guitar built by Yuri Landman
• Dino Cazares (born 1966) is the Guitarist for Fear Factory and the guitarist for Divine Heresy and Asesino. Cazares mainly uses custom Ibanez seven string guitars with Fear Factory and custom eight string guitars with Fear Factory, Asesino and Divine Heresy,.
• Rusty Cooley is a virtuoso guitarist, formerly of the defunct band Outworld. He has also performed session work for Austrian Death Machine. He uses 7 and 8 string signature models made by Dean guitars. He owned an 8 string guitar made by Conklin guitars before he received his Dean 8 string. His 8 string models feature fanned frets because he swaps the low F# string for a high A string.
• Dino 7 Cordas (1918–2007) was a Brazilian guitar player renowned as the greatest influence in seven-string guitar.
• George Van Eps (1913 to 1998) was an American swing and jazz guitarist played and sevenstring Epiphone from the late 1930s.
• Paul Galbraith (born 1964) is a Scottish classical guitarist plays an eight-string guitar with an additional high and low string in a cello like maner.
• Shane Gibson is currently the lead guitarist for stOrk as well as in Jonathan Davis and the SFA and plays various seven-string models from Carvin and Nil Guitars.
• Mårten Hagström is most known for his use of seven and eight stringed guitars to create his complex rhythm guitar playing with the Swedish metal band Meshuggah.
• Matthew Heafy shares roles as lead guitarist and vocals of metal band Trivium. Heafy used various seven stringed guitars for Trivium's fourth album entitled Shogun. He originally used a custom made Dean 7 string for live performances, but now plays a Gibson Custom Shop 7 string Explorer as his endorsement with Dean expired.
• Charlie Hunter (born 1967) is a jazz guitarist and composer. Hunter's instrument of choice is a custom built eight stringed built by luthier Ralph Novak., his instruments wide range allows him to play both lead and bass guitar simultaneously.
• Ihsahn (born Vegard Sverre Tveitan 1975) is the guitarist and vocalist of the black metal band Emperor and uses both seven and eight stringed Ibanez guitars.
• Kerry King (born 1964) used a seven string BC Rich during the recording of the album God Hates Us All.
• Jonas Kjellgren of Scar Symmetry uses 7 and 8 string guitars.
• Jeff Loomis (born 1971) was the lead guitarist for progressive metal band Nevermore. He currently plays various Schecter guitars, including his own C7 FR signature model.
• Misha "Bulb" Mansoor is the lead guitarist for Progressive metalcore band Periphery, who has gained notoriety on the internet as a songwriter, guitarist and producer. Over the course of his career he has played Ibanez, Music Man, Carvin and Bernie Rico Jr. 7-string guitars. He is well recognized for his very rhythm based riffs and leads in his musical compositions. His 7 string guitars are usually tuned down in Drop Ab.
• John Mayer (born 1977) is an American musician. He generally plays Fender Stratocasters but has recently been sighted with an eight string guitar.
• Per Nilsson of Swedish Melodic Death Metal band Scar Symmetry uses 7 and 8 string Ibanez guitars.
• Buzz McGrath uses 7 string Ibanez guitars exclusively in the band Unearth. He has also been seen with an 8 string Ibanez.
• Christian Olde Wolbers (born 1973) is the former Fear Factory and current Arkaea guitarist. He uses seven stringed Jackson guitars and has his own signature model.
• Jake Bowen of Periphery owns a custom made Ibanez 7 string called the JB-1, which was made for him by Ibanez's LA custom shop.
• John Petrucci (born 1967) is best known for his work as lead guitarist of the Progressive Metal band Dream Theater. He has used a seven stringed guitar in standard tuning for at least one song per album since 1994's Awake. Currently, he exclusively uses his signature series Ernie Ball Music Man guitars with DiMarzio humbuckers. In the past he endorsed Ibanez guitars.
• Bucky Pizzarelli (born 1926) is an American jazz guitarist most known for his work with John Pizzarelli who plays a seven stringed archtop guitar.
• James Shaffer (aka Munky born 1970) is the guitarist for nu-metal band KoRn as well as for his side project Fear and the Nervous System. Shaffer was one of the pioneers in using extended range guitars in metal and currently has his own signature model: the Ibanez Apex.
• Ken Susi of Unearth uses Ibanez 7 string guitars exclusively.
• Ed Sloan (born 1973) is the guitarist of Crossfade. He uses a Schecter C-7 Blackjack seven stringed guitar.
• Fredrik Thordendal (born 1970) is the lead guitarist and founding member of the Swedish technical metal band Meshuggah. He used various seven string Ibanez and Nevborn models up until the recording of the album Nothing, where he started using 8 string Nevborn guitars. The album was eventually recorded on 7 string guitars because the Nevborn 8 strings suffered from intonation problems, causing them to gradually detune over time. He later switched to using Ibanez 8 string guitars and has been using them ever since.
• Devin Townsend is a Canadian progressive rock and metal artist. He's used 7 string guitars for several years, including in Strapping Young Lad. He now uses a custom 7 string made by Peavey, which he has recently been using to make his latest album Deconstruction.
• Steve Vai (born 1960) is a virtuoso guitarist who has worked with artist such as Frank Zappa, and co-designed the seven stringed Universe electric guitar with Ibanez.
• Brian Welch (born 1970) is the former guitarist for KoRn, with Korn Welch played various Ibanez seven-string guitar including his and Munky's signature model the K7. After leaving Korn Welch switched to playing custom built 6 string baritone guitars.

See also

• Seven-string guitar
• Harp guitar
• Eight-string guitar
• Nine-string guitar
• Brazilian guitars
• Ten-string guitar
• Russian guitar

External links

• Sevenstring.org
• Online chord generator specifically for seven-string guitars.