Finding a great guitar pickup for your 7-string can be more cumbersome than it seems, especially that this instrument is designed for low tunings.
This means that your pickup needs to complement the tightness and responsiveness of the guitar.
Here is everything you need to know about 7-string guitar pickups!
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for 7 String Guitar Pickups
- OUR TOP PICK: Seymour Duncan Pegasus
- RUNNER-UP: EMG 707TW
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: DIMarzio DP705BK
- Seymour Duncan Nazgul
- EMG-81-7 7-String Guitar Active Pickup
Comparison of the Best 7 String Guitar Pickups
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Our Top Pick  |
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Best Budget Option  |
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What is a Guitar Pickup?
A guitar pickup is also known as a transducer. This electrical device feels the guitar’s vibrations and turns them into electrical current. It can be compared with a microphone, but for an electric guitar. A guitar pickup is created with a coil of insulated copper wire and one or more magnets.
These components form a magnetic field around the guitar strings, which changes when you hit the strings. The signal created is then sent to the amp, which results in the guitar’s tone. They have different designs, and the most common types include humbuckers, single-coils, and P90s.
How Does a Guitar Pickup Work?
The guitar pickup is made with a coil of insulated copper wire and a magnet – some types have more magnets, too. These two elements form a magnetic field around the guitar’s strings. When you hit a string, the magnetic field changes, the moment in which the coil of wire picks up induced current and voltage that are turned into a signal. This signal is transmitted to your amp, resulting in the guitar’s tone that you can hear.
How to Choose a 7 String Guitar Pickup
Can’t tell the difference between a humbucker and a single-coil? There is no need to worry as we have you covered. Here is what you should know in order to choose the best guitar pickup for your needs:
Humbuckers vs. Single-Coil
These are the main types of pickups. The single-coils are made from insulated wire that is wrapped around six individual magnets. They are detailed, clear, twangy, and bell-like. The humbuckers, on the other hand, contain two coils with their magnets going in different directions.
The humbucker cancels the typical hum of the single-coil, and it has full, thick, and loud sounds that are hotter and more aggressive.
Active or Passive
Active pickups are powered by a battery and are used to enhance the sound before it leaves the instrument. The noises are low, with full and crisp tones. This type is suitable if you play in an environment that has lots of interference and noise. They are great for very distorted or very clean sounds.
The passive pickup does not require a battery and has a vintage sound, with natural smoothness. This is for you if you want an organic, natural sound, as it comes with plenty of dynamics and response.
Alnico V For 7-String Guitar
These instruments are ideal for genres such as metal and rock, so you should look for an Alnico V pickup. This type is hotter and edgier than previous versions. It is also a bit warm in the mid-range.
Quick Take:
Top 3 Picks
Here are the best 7 string guitar pickups:
Review of the Best 7 String Guitar Pickups
Now that we have covered how to choose the pickups that you want, let’s take a look at some of the top options on the market.
Best Overall:
Seymour Duncan Pegasus
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The sustainment of this set of humbuckers is just perfect. With a crunchy sound on the neck pickup and smooth body pickup sound, it is impossible not to recommend this set to any 7-string guitar player. They definitely exceed expectations and make your guitar shine on the stage or when recording.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Seymour Duncan Pegasus is the ideal pickup for the modern player. It delivers the perfect combination of responsive, balanced, warm, and lush tones that awes with its harmonics. The mid-range is prominent, while the low-ends are beautifully focused. What is more, the sparkly top end and the features of these pickups are perfect for cutting through any mix.
Who Will Use This Most
This set of humbuckers is the best asset a metal guitarist can ever have. However, due to its versatility, it is impossible not to love this moderate output pickup, whether you want crystal clear, clean tones or distorted ones. It is the ideal compromise between the ’59 model and a Jazz neck pickup.
Bottom Line
On the whole, whether you look for pristine cleans or aggression, you cannot go wrong with this set. The wide harmonic range and the dynamic response will complement any performance, and it is suitable for any low tunings. Seymour Duncan Pegasus is clearly the best set of pickups you could have.
Runner-up:
EMG 707TW
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This pickup has smooth performance, just as expected. What is truly great about it is the non-soldering connection that makes it so easy to install them. Your 7-string comes to life with the biggest tones you can expect from such an instrument.
Why it Stands Out to Us
EMG 707TW is an active guitar pickup creates by combining the dual-coil sound with a single-coil that can be accessed through a push and pull knob. This offers access to both sounds in the highest quality, featuring the lowest level of noise in your performance.
Who Will Use This Most
If you are unsure if you want a single-coil or dual-coil sound, there is no reason to compromise. This humbucker offers the combined advantages of both sounds with the operation of a single knob. It provides the highest level of versatility, suitable for any genre and playstyle.
Bottom Line
Overall, the EMG is the perfect pickup if you wish to have a natural-sounding low-frequency response, with full sounds, but not muddy. Whether you choose the single-coil or dual-coil, this pickup can be perfect in both ways with the highest accuracy and the lowest level of noise.
Best for the Money:
DiMarzio DP705BK
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This pickup is great for creating a tight bass response with beefy mid-range. The high-ends are crystal clear, and it is extremely versatile. It can bring sounds from the deepest pits of hell to the peak of mountains in heaven. The power and sustain complement the beautiful, clear sounds.
Why it Stands Out to Us
DiMarzio DP705BK is a versatile passive pickup for 7-string guitars that contains four conductors, a ceramic magnet, and a power of 510 MV. It is easy to use, and it is ideal for the bridge position on solid-body guitars. Sounds are warm and clear for both low and high notes.
Who Will Use This Most
This pickup is ideal for metal guitarists, but its versatility recommends it for other music genres as well. It is powerful, even destructive, with full sounds and harmonic tones. It is a passive pickup with very clean sounds, and it also does not require batteries.
Bottom Line
The DiMarzio DP705BK is the best recommendation for passive pickups for 7-string guitars. The tight bass response complements the crystal high-end to perfection. At the same time, the powerful full sounds will impress even the pickiest audience. This creates such beautiful harmonics that this pickup should go straight to your shortlist.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Once you install this humbucker, your guitar will come to life in a moment. It is versatile and suitable for each setting, with crisp and clear tones. The only drawback is that, for some guitar models, you might have to sand down the inside to fit the pickup, and you should also get a custom ring.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Seymour Duncan Nazgul is a high-quality pickup for a 7-string guitar that will breathe life into your instrument and provide the cleanest and clearest tones. It also comes at an affordable price range, which further adds to its advantages. If you need a versatile pickup, this one is the best choice.
Who Will Use This Most
The versatility of this pickup is incredible. If you change the style of music quite often, from metal and old jazz to soft rock, punk, hard rock, die prog, and even country, this pickup offers you the clearest, most beautiful tones with the right amount of crunch and bite. It comes with articulate, flexible sensitivity.
Bottom Line
All in all, Seymour Duncan Nazgul is ideal for a wide range of music genres, and its ceramic magnet is incredibly high, with a screaming attack. If you are looking for flawless tones for soloing, you need to check out this product as soon as possible – you will be impressed!
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
These are some of the best pickups for 7-string guitars with very high output, ideal for soloing. However, the installation is cumbersome: the pickup does not fit, so you need to use the sander and router. If you do not have a template for it, it will not look aesthetically pleasing and, lastly, there is no faceplate to hide the hole.
Why it Stands Out to Us
EMG-81-7 7-String Guitar Active Pickup is a great-quality 7-string pickup that is bright and tight, with more pop and snap compared to other models. It simply brings out a solid-state quality, and it works best with high-volume overdrive and amps that have a master volume.
Who Will Use This Most
This EMG pickup is ideal for anyone who needs a razor-sharp attack with incredible sustain. Furthermore, whether you play power rock and roll or you overdrive your amp, this pickup can become your new best companion when performing. It has exceptional qualities for rock.
Bottom Line
The EMG 81-7 is a tremendous 7-string guitar pick of this year, with definite qualities that stand out for rock and brilliant soloing. It is important to use it with high-volume overdrive and amps that have master volume in order to reap all of its benefits. Are you looking for a 7-string pickup? This is it.
Advantages of Investing in a Quality 7 String Guitar Pickup
Here are some of the main benefits of purchasing a quality 7-string guitar pickup:
Improving the Performance
First of all, if you have a lower-budget instrument, you will not be surprised to find out that a new high-quality pickup will significantly enhance the quality of your performance. This is because most stock pickups are not so great – which is the manufacturer’s way of cutting down costs on budget instruments.
Thus, stock pickups are not so impressive. Most people prefer to update this component in order to improve the quality of their performance and make the budget guitar gig-worthy.
Metal Tones
If you have a 7-string guitar, you are most likely a metal player or a similar genre. The 7-string guitar is made for low tunings, so a quality guitar pickup can get you the aggression and heat you need in order to set the stage on fire. Humbuckers also have a high output, which means that you will get everything you wish for from a quality 7-string guitar pickup.
Amplifying the Guitar
Some guitars also choose a guitar pickup if they have an acoustic guitar. This is because a pickup can amplify your guitar, making it suitable for live performances or recordings. Other guitarists prefer to buy a guitar without a pickup, so they can choose the one that suits them best.
Conclusion
All in all, we introduced to you the best 7-string guitar pickups of this year. We also provided more information on how to make the best choice for you. Our models are specially chosen to suit your instrument, so make sure you give them careful consideration before purchasing a model!
