Top 10 Best Guitar Brands for Heavy Metal
You know what separates a killer metal tone from a forgettable mess? The right guitar. Not just any six-string will survive the gauntlet of punishing riffs, divebombs, and down-tuned madness that define heavy metal. You need gear that doesn't flinch when you chug through a wall of distortion or rip through a solo like your fingers are possessed.
This list is all about finding the guitars that thrive in that environment. Brands that don't just handle metal but live for it. The ones favored by shredders, screamers, and riff-lords alike. Some have necks faster than your drummer's blast beats. Others come loaded with pickups that sound like they were forged in the underworld. Each one brings its own flavor of sonic destruction.
Scroll through, think about what you've played or wish you could play, and vote for the brands that deliver the goods.
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ESP
I play a lot of mid-range and high-end guitars. I have a few ESP models, a few LTDs, and also some mid-range and high-end Jackson and B.C. Rich guitars. I used to play Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, etc.
Gibson and Fender are just expensive but NOT worth the cost! For example, I had a Fender that looked like it cost 7,000 euros! Crazy. That's the price for two REALLY GREAT ESP Custom Shop models, and I'd still have cash left over for a good bass! Fender is just a name - nothing more. ESP is the best guitar builder in the world!
The best instrument I've ever touched (I own one piece of this treasure) is the ESP Jeff Hanneman UC model from 2006. It's the finest guitar I've ever seen!
ESP rocks!
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Jackson
Quite honestly, I own dozens of guitars that I have collected over my 50 years. I have played in many bands and own a sound and light business as well. I must start by saying I hate Fender products!
That being said, Ibanez guitars are stiff, and their necks can be sharp, even cutting your fingers if you move too fast. They have a very technical sound and are brash. Gibson has a great warm sound, but they are heavy as hell with thick necks.
I love Jackson. They are smooth to play with nice metal pickups, and they feel good to hold. The playability is great. PRS feels like a dream in every way and plays like butter, but they still have thicker necks than I prefer. I am currently seeking a new ESP, so I don't have an opinion on them yet.
Washburn has some great-feeling guitars, but their pickups aren't very bright sounding - kind of muffled. B.C. Rich has an awkward feel but a heavy sound. Kramer always struck me as a cheap brand. Some people prefer really cheap, old-brand guitars, but those are people who play punk or not metal of any kind, in my opinion.
I'm really looking forward to playing an ESP, but remember this: you usually get what you pay for! Lots of people claim that you shouldn't have to pay more than a grand for a great guitar, but in my experience, if you want a dreamy, hardcore guitar that feels like home, save up and pay $2,500 to $5,000 to buy your dream guitar! Until then, work with what you've got. It'll pay off when you finally save up for that precious gem!
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Schecter
I've played Dean, Jackson, Ibanez, Gibson, Fender, ESP, PRS, and Schecter guitars for most of my work. Out of all of those, I'd pick a Schecter any day. Doesn't matter what genre I'm playing, I will always pick a Schecter.
Most people don't realize that they have a hidden ability to split the double-coil pickups into single coils, so they say that Schecter is a metal guitar. In reality, though, you can play almost anything with a Schecter.
Also, the company takes very good care of their customers. I broke one of their necks without a warranty, and they let me ship it back for about twenty bucks, and it came back as good as new. All in all, a Schecter is the best guitar company for almost anyone.
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Ibanez
The Ibanez guitar company focuses primarily on metal music, and they have the perfect designs for the metal genre, like the RG 7 strings. Ibanez guitars have amazing playability and great sound, and in my opinion, Ibanez sounds the best.
ESP guitars have great playability, but I prefer the sound of Ibanez because they balance the high and low pitch perfectly. I think Jacksons sound terrible, but they do have great playability. Schecter can suck it because they wish they could make good 7 strings like Ibanez does.
My top 10 is:
1. Ibanez
2. PRS
3. ESP
4. Jackson (sadly)
5. Schecter (sadly)
6. Kramer
7. Dean
8. Washburn
9. B.C. Rich
10. DBZ
If you don't vote for Ibanez, you're not a true metalhead. Enough said.
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B.C. Rich
A B.C. Rich Warlock will crush the tone of a Les Paul on stage any day. Fat warm tone, clean as hell on lead too. B.C. Rich is the best metal guitar available, and the price is killer. $500 will smoke a $1,000 and up Gibson any day. Just for starters, just saying though.
I own a B.C. Rich KKV. I love it. I also own a Jackson RR5 I thought I would love, but I was wrong. Having to cut the ball off every string is a pain, and it always needs to be retuned every time I play it. My B.C. Rich is always in tune. I sleep with mine. I've yet to be disappointed. Sure, it was made in Korea and not the USA, but I bought it secondhand, so I got what I got. My Jackson probably isn't made in the USA either.
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Dean
They are my go-to guitars. I have had many and never had a problem with them. They sound beefy compared to many ESP and other metal guitars I have played.
I really like to play the Dean guitar. The strings, shape, and sound are good for playing heavy metal.
My Dean guitar lets me do so much and then some. Great for not only metal, but also hard rock. RIP Dime.
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Gibson
Got an SG-400 myself. It has a fast neck and consistent action. It handles clean and high, sustained and dramatic, and low down and dirty. Mine is built like a tank and is hard to knock out of tune. Other than that, Gibson has an entire battalion of artists in their stable who have inspired a lot of guitarists to pick one up in the first place.
I'm in a metal band, and I use a Gibson Les Paul and a Vox amplification. There is a certain range that I can get with my LP and Vox that rules all. My second choice is Jackson. Jacksons are really good guitars, but I prefer my Gibsons and Fenders.
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Kramer
My first real guitar was a Kramer Pacer. Like a bonehead, I sold it. Wish I still had it. I've had about everything since then, but Kramer gets my vote.
I agree, ESP should be first, but my Kramer is really heavy! They should at least be in the top 10.
The old American-made customs have absolutely no comparison.
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Fender
I have a Fender Strat with a humbucker at the bridge, and it works out pretty nicely. It has a good feel for fast, technical stuff, and a nice sound. Maybe not for the more modern, extreme end of metal, but it worked fine for classic metal guitarists like Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow), Uli Roth and Matthias Jabs (Scorpions), Dave Murray and Janick Gers (Iron Maiden), and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Other bands like Saxon, Helloween, and Gamma Ray - I've seen pictures of them playing either Strats or copies with a Strat shape.
I see it this way: if you switch out the pickups to humbuckers, maybe get a Floyd Rose installed, and even change the neck (like a Schecter, Ibanez, or other necks), then you can have one of the greatest metal guitars around.
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Epiphone
Epiphones are great guitars. They are versatile and can play any style. They have Gibson pickups, and when you set it to rhythm, it can really thud or scream.
Screaming pickups. Although I like my JEM more as an all-around guitar.
They're great. Just avoid the lower-end Les Paul models like the Special II and Express.
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Chapman
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Vigier
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Ernie Ball Music Man
My Music Man screams and is really easy to play. #13
Fret accessibility and tone are amazing!
Music Man guitars can do anything!
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Charvel
I have a Charvel Model 6 from around '89, and it smokes everything I have ever played. Craftsmanship and sound are up there.
Charvel is right up there. The recent San Dimas and SoCal models are incredibly versatile.
Everybody in metal played Charvels in the '80s. The Schaller Floyd Roses are excellent, and the JC-90 pickup is the best metal pickup ever.
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Carvin
Carvin guitars are perfect, super affordable, and since you choose the specs, they're truly yours. Next best thing to building your own.
I have a CT4T with a C22J in the neck position and an M22SD in the bridge. While I spec'd it to be versatile (I also play jazz, funk, and prog), there's no better instrument for metal.
Hands down, Carvin is number one. If you won't take my word for it, just ask Jason Becker or Lee McKinney.
I have had a DC-127 since 1996 with the tremolo option, black chrome, etc. It is hands down a fantastic guitar. Everybody that has played it has always stated that it is a really nice playing guitar with a smooth neck and quality sound. I would buy another Carvin in a heartbeat. It also has good resale value.
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Mayones
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DBZ
Best guitar with the best features. No crappy licensed parts, only original Floyd Rose tremolos, active pickups, and the best wood possible for sound and effortless playing!
DBZ is the father of metal guitars! Vote for metal!
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Agile
Very nice specs for the price. You can get an Agile Sector Pro for $500 and get the specs that are on a $1,000+ guitar. It has a 5-piece neck-through, ebony fretboard, baritone scale, name-brand pickups, and most have Hipshot bridges and Grover tuners.
These guitars are great for the money, and the quality is what you would find on a Hellraiser or LTD MH-1000. No locking tuners kind of sucks, but it's an easy fix.
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Legator
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Solar
Monster that made it! Dimebag would be proud! What more can you say that's metal?
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Eko
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Hamer
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Vox
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Moser
For me, the guitars made by Neal Moser will always be the best guitars in the world.
My maple-bodied Arachnid fitted with BKP Warpig ceramics just screams metal.
Neal Moser made the best guitar I'd ever had - until I traded it...
For me, the guitars made by Neal Moser will always remain the best.
My maple-bodied Arachnid guitar with BKP Warpig ceramics, an EMG Afterburner preamp, and a Sustainiac humbucker at the neck just screams metal.
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Cort
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Caparison
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Gretsch