Epiphone Matt Heafy 7 String Review (2023)

Build Quality:
Hardware:
Electronics:
Sound:
Value:
Average:

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Pros:

• Great Bass Response
• Active Pickups
• Lovely Les Paul shape

Cons:

• Plastic Nut
• On the Heavy Side

There are many 7-string guitars out there, all of them with a lot of merits to what they are. The primary merit is usually the extra string, which has become more popular over the past few years. Yet, even among 7-string guitars, you have to remember the details that make up a guitar need to be high quality, for a guitar to be high quality. So let us take a look at one of my favorite 7-string guitars out on the market right now, the Epiphone Matt Heafy Signature Les Paul Custom 7-string, and see what makes it so great.

Body Quality

The first thing you will notice about this guitar, and the thing that makes it worth considering as a purchase option, is its design of it. The Les Paul shape is very well known and it has a lot of reasons to be. Hailed as one of the more beautiful designs out there, the Les Paul looks even better on a 7-string guitar. The extra wide neck emphasizes the beautiful curve along the middle of the guitar even more, producing an effect of great elegance. The solid color of the guitar adds an extra air of class, while the binding of the guitar makes it stand out even further among its peers.

The body of the guitar is built out of mahogany. This is the usual choice among the 7-string guitars aiming to be between affordable and mid-range. Mahogany provides a slew of advantages over the cheaper hardwoods. To be more specific, the tonewood is very capable of withstanding the pressures of impact on the guitar by the extra string. Its sturdy nature also allows the guitar to not have a single issue with denting or scratching. The tonewood also has a very favorable effect on the lower tones of the guitar, allowing them to resonate better and warmer. The only drawback you might find with the hardwood is the fact that it is a little on the heavy side, but you can handle that, right?

The neck of the guitar is made of mahogany as well. This allows the instrument to be extra resistant to the pressures exerted by the strings and prevents any kind of warping caused by these pressures. It also gives the guitar a longer lifetime. The neck of the guitar is set into the body and solidly glued, allowing the guitar to have even more resistance. The fretboard of the guitar is made of ebony, a high-quality material that looks especially gorgeous on the all-black model.

Hardware

The bridge of the guitar is the Lockton Tune-o-Matic. This bridge looks exceptionally good on the Les Paul body shape. It also provides some great action through exceptional rise and great string stability. Highly appreciated among 7-string guitars.

The nut of the guitar is made of a higher quality plastic than among cheaper guitars. Despite the higher quality, the plastic still retains the property of letting a bit of string buzz through. A little irritating on a guitar this good, but thank god for humbuckers, right?

The tuning machine of the guitar is the Deluxe die-cast tuners with a 14:1 ratio. The tuning stability, as a result, is rather great. Not something you will have to worry about too much.

Electronics

The guitar comes with a set of two humbucking pickups. The EMG-707 at the neck and the EMG-81-7 at the bridge. These two active pickups are a rather great set to have on a 7-string guitar. The sound they pick up is highly nuanced and attractive, while also producing an incredible level of power. They filter out any hum or string buzz you could have ever been afraid of and are generally a good choice for the 7 string guitar.

The controls on the guitar get rather detailed, with 2 knobs for volume and 2 knobs for tone of the guitar. This allows a little more than average customization of your sound.

Epiphone 7 String Sound

The sound of the guitar is, as expected, extremely powerful, just like you’d want out of your 7 string guitar. The power is not where the marvels end though. The mahogany and the active pickups result in a deep bass response, while also allowing for a nuanced, beautiful expression in the higher tones. The sound is definitely well balanced, with high output and a lovely, powerful amplification.

Conclusion

Don’t let the weight of this guitar scare you, a little bit of workout is definitely worth the amazing sound you can get out of it. Highly recommended if you are looking for a good, Les Paul-shaped 7 stringer.

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