Back to navigation


A Top-of-the-line, Japanese-built 7-string





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





Part of ESP's Original Series, the Snapper-7 is a traditional-style solidbody electric guitar handbuilt by the company's master luthiers at their Custom Shop in Japan. This hot-rodded extended-range instrument boasts a contoured body crafted from solid alder, which exhibits a balanced-sounding acoustic tone that pairs perfectly with its Seymour Duncan pickups. Speaking of which, the Snapper-7 sports a versatile HSS pickup configuration, with a push-pull tone knob and mini-toggle switch for added sonic flexibility. You'll love the comfortable playability of this guitar's bolt-on Thin "U"-shaped neck, which is capped by a lightning-fast 12-inch-radius Honduras rosewood fingerboard. A responsive ESP Flicker-III tremolo and rock-solid Gotoh locking tuners are also on tap. This 7-string electric guitar also includes a bone nut, a head-turning finish, and gleaming chrome hardware. Adventurous guitarists searching for a classic S-shaped axe for extended-range playing will appreciate the styling, tone, and playability of the ESP Snapper-7.





Optimized for playability





The Snapper-7 is a completely optimized version of what Sweetwater customers expect from ESP: effortless playability that streamlines and even enhances the relationship between you and your guitar. A 1-piece bolt-on maple neck and Honduras rosewood fingerboard offers glassy smooth fretting made easier by ESP's "Thin U" profile for a speed neck that retains some rounded fullness in the overall feel. For enhanced fretwork, this neck also features a 12-inch radius and 22 medium-jumbo frets.





Hot Seymour Duncan pickups





A fine guitar is nothing without fine pickups, and the ESP Original Series Snapper-7 offers nothing but the best. This guitar boasts three premium Seymour Duncan passive pickups in an HSS-style configuration. The bridge, a Custom 5 humbucker, is a red-hot, Alnico V version of Duncan's acclaimed Custom Custom humbucker ? perfect for bombastic soaring solos and nuanced fretwork. In the middle and neck positions you'll find powerful Custom Staggered Strat single-coil pickups. These Alnico V pups, which were developed for legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, deliver a pumped-up single-coil sound with glassy highs, bell-like mids, and round low end with extra harmonic richness at every turn. The Snapper-7 features classic 5-way pickup switching, but with the additional pickup mix toggle and capacitance switching options, the available tones onboard are practically double.





Brought to you by the ESP Custom Shop





Since the mid-'80s, ESP has been making custom guitars for some of the biggest names in the industry, including George Lynch and Kirk Hammett. An exacting eye toward playability and craftsmanship has made ESP Guitars one of the most visible and prevalent guitar brands in rock and metal. The Snapper-7 belongs to the ESP Original Series, which means each guitar is handcrafted one at a time by ESP's Custom Shop luthiers in Japan. Serious players who are looking for a truly one-of-its-kind instrument at off-the-shelf prices will find what they're searching for in the Snapper-7.





ESP Original Series Snapper-7 Electric Guitar Features:


Traditional-style 7-string electric guitar handcrafted by Japanese luthiers at ESP's Custom Shop


Contoured alder body exhibits a balanced acoustic tone


1-piece bolt-on maple neck with a comfortable Thin "U" profile


Lightning-fast 12-inch-radius Honduras rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets


Red-hot Seymour Duncan pickups in a versatile HSS configuration


5-way pickup selector plus push-pull capacitance selection and a mini-toggle for alternate pickup mix variations


Unbleached bone nut delivers consistent string feel with enhanced resonance and sustain


Responsive ESP Flicker-III tremolo and rock-solid Gotoh locking tuners


Head-turning finish and gleaming chrome hardware