The Best Guitar Gear for Metal: Complete Guide

No matter what bands we’re into, whether we’re fans of old school heavy metal, eighties thrash, noughties nu metal, sludgy doom, melodic post hardcore or the latest djent-inspired metalcore, us metalheads love an overdriven guitar amp tone. This is the foundation to pretty much every metal song. There are all sorts of flavours of gain, from vintage Plexi crunch to thick Mesa Boogie American low-end, the tight attack of an EVH 5150 to a saturated Orange Rockerverb. That’s without even considering guitar pickups and effects to spice up your sound and make it unique. There’s so much variation in tonal flavour we can get from just these three parts of a signal chain, which will be the main focus of our deep dive into the best metal gear.

So, how do we get our ideal high-gain drive? Let’s explore the brands that bring the noise.

Here are the key components you’ll want for a killer metal setup:

Perhaps the first choice for any metal musician is your guitar, which should match your vibes and cater to your playing style and sound. The following brands are renowned for their modern, heavy music-focused instruments, taking conventional shapes or unique original designs and outfitting them with hot pickups (covering both passive and active designs), slim necks, and precision-focused hardware appointments.

From legendary metal powerhouses to modern prog innovators, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to guitars that thrive in the world of breakdowns, chugs and serious shredding.

Jackon remain synonymous with thrash and extreme metal, offering iconic shapes like the Randy Rhoads V, King V, and Warrior that have defined metal's historic edgy aesthetic. Their Pro Series models feature compound radius fretboards and rock-solid Floyd Rose systems. Nowadays, they've got huge players on their books like Sleep Token's IV, Bring Me The Horizon's Lee Malia, Periphery's Misha Mansoor and Marty Friedman. If you're into sharp S-style guitars they've got you covered too with the Dinky, Juggernaut and Soloist.

Ibanez Guitars are another legendary metal name that maintain a forward-thinking approach with Japanese-designed instruments that have been pushing boundaries for decades. With sharp modern looks, fast-playing necks and high-output humbuckers, there’s a reason Ibanez have been a top choice since the seventies. The RG and S series remain staples and their extended range guitars are some of the best options out there (we’ll take a closer look at 7, 8 and 9 string guitars later in this list). Names on the books include legendary shredders Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai, Kiko Loureiro, Lari Basilio and Tim Henson.

ESP Guitars boast some of the most popular models used by gamechanging metal guitarists worldwide like James Hetfield, Steph Carpenter, Bill Kelliher, Joe Duplantier and Mick Thompson. From the Eclipse to the Horizon, their production line LTD range offers professional features at accessible price points, covering every corner of the metal spectrum with extended range and insane shapes. E-II are their Japanese-made range kitted out with unbelievable specs. The USA series brings the very best of their custom shop skills.

Schecter specialises in hot-rodded metal machines loaded with high-output pickups and aggressive aesthetics. The Hellraiser series with EMG actives perfectly embodies their metal-focused philosophy, while their Omen series offers excellent entry-level options. The Demon is a real metalcore cult classic evolving out of the 2000s, while the Reaper is a more modern iteration of the fiery S-style. Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold is the face of Schecter signature guitars, and Intervals' Aaron Marshall and Monument's riffer John Browne are also propping up Schecter's offerings.

Strandberg is a hot name in the modern metal landscape, boldly focusing on highly performance-focused headless instruments. The innovative Swedish manufacturer has revolutionised the world of metal guitars, foregoing classic designs in favour of futuristic, ergonomically optimised premium instruments with unique looks and metal-ready features like extended ranges and multi-scale necks.

They’ve become known as a favourite for virtuosic players across a diverse range of styles, reinforced by their collaborations with artists like Plini and Jacob Collier. Their Boden Metal series offers all the best Strandberg technology but focused on heavy music, featuring "unparalleled playability with a fuller, more robust metal tone". If you’re after something outside of the norm and value lightweight modern engineering in your guitar, Strandberg should be at the top of your list.

PRS has increasingly made its mark in metal with instruments combining boutique craftsmanship and serious heavy capability. The SE Mark Holcomb SVN delivers everything from precision djent tones to warm cleans as heard from Periphery, and their Mark Tremonti signatures are dream instruments featuring seriously hot high-gain pickups and stunning style. Although not initially geared towards metal, PRS first picked up traction in metal circles in the late nineties and these gorgeous instruments have since continued to be incredibly versatile and played by numerous legends over the last couple of decades. The Custom 24 absolutely deserves a place on this list for its powerful but nuanced humbucker voicing, incredibly smooth feel and extra couple frets.

Making sure you have the right guitar pickups is a critical part of metal tone. You’ll want medium output pickups at a minimum, which will get you a harsh crunch that cross over into hard rock territory. High-output pickups are necessary if you’re going for a thicker tone. Classically, humbuckers have been the go-to for metal players for five decades because they sound bulky, punchy and handle higher gain thanks to their hum cancelling qualities. However, some players have looked towards single-coil pickups when going for a rawer sound, and some who tune extremely low because they retain clarity in lower registers.

You also have another big choice to make: active or passive pickups. Active pickups feature an inbuilt pre-amp and generally offer higher output with better clarity and decreased noise, perfect for high-gain applications, whereas traditional passive pickups create a magnetic field without the need for an internal battery.

Many of the best metal guitar brands we mentioned earlier already come fitted with metal-ready pickups, but if you’re looking to upgrade your current guitar or want to know the best options on the market, these are your top picks.

EMG innovated active pickups in the '80s and remains the biggest manufacturer today. Their pickup designs use fewer coils than traditional pickups, compensated by battery-powered preamps that boost signal to normal levels. EMG's most renowned models include the 81, 85, and 60 humbuckers, used by everyone from Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett to Slipknot's Jim Root and countless other metal legends.

Fishman are a more recent addition to the active landscape and their premium Fluence pickups have gained significant traction. Acclaimed for their clarity, quietness, and multi-voice functions, Fishman Fluence pickups use completely different engineering than traditional pickups. Rather than wire-wrapped magnets, Fluence pickups use modern circuit board manufacturing with layered pickup cores and multiple coils. This results in more consistency and less interference - essential for distorted tones.

High-profile users include Devin Townsend, Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders), and Stephen Carpenter (Deftones).

There is an incredible range of high-output passive pickups to choose from too. With the power of most modern high-gain amplifiers, they can generally produce just as strong a tone as their active counterparts. Top options include models from Seymour Duncan (JB, Distortion, Black Winter), DiMarzio (Evolution, D Activator), and Bare Knuckle Pickups (Aftermath, Painkiller), each providing top-tier metal tones.

An old school amp head and cab or combo amp is the heart and soul of your tone. Although certain guitars and pickups have a distinctive sound, it is ultimately an amp that contributes the most in creating your fundamental tone. Finding a guitar amplifier that is appropriate for your favourite style is therefore essential, and if you’re into metal, a high-gain amp is an absolute must.

Today, you’ll struggle to find a guitar amp that can’t deliver a high-gain sound. Whether you go down the affordable solid-state route or prefer the spellbinding sounds of traditional valve amplifiers and convincing  modellers - you’re practically spoilt for choice. Top amps include:

Marshall – Slayer, Iron Maiden, Bring Me The Horizon. Classic British high-gain power, the JVM and JCM800 are top pro picks.

EVH – Gojira, Parkway Drive, Van Halen. You can’t go wrong with a 5150.

Orange – Slipknot, Sepultura, Knocked Loose. Rockerverb and Terror are popular choices.

Mesa Boogie – Metallica, Korn, Rammstein, Lamb of God. The Mark V has brilliant EQ potential.

If you go down the modelling route, pedals probably won’t be your concern, but for those who prefer a traditional stack or combo, there are only one or two key pedals you need on your pedalboard to deliver real metal tone.

The overdrive pedal market might be oversaturated, but there's one type that remains synonymous with metal guitarists: the Ibanez Tube Screamer and the many other stompboxes it has inspired.

Introduced in the late '70s, this classic circuit is beloved for its ability to push amplifiers into saturation while providing unique EQ characteristics. A Tube Screamer typically cuts the rounded low-end and boosts mid-range frequencies for extra clarity and focus, perfect for "tightening" high-gain amp sounds.

While Ibanez offers an entire Tube Screamer lineup, dozens of companies now produce cloned and modified versions. Horizon Devices' Precision Drive (created by Periphery's Misha Mansoor) is designed specifically for modern high-gain applications.

With great distortion comes great noise responsibility. A quality noise gate is crucial for professional metal tones, cutting unwanted hum and buzz between playing passages. This is massively important if you’re keen on playing staccato riffs and extremely precise chops. Popular choices include the Boss NS-2, ISP Decimator, and TC Electronic Sentry.

Your choice of guitar pick dramatically affects tone, feel, and technique. For playing metal, precision and control are paramount.

Dunlop Jazz III picks remain the metal standard despite their deceiving name. Their small size and ergonomic contours allow ultimate playing precision, making them favourites among shredders worldwide.

Dunlop Flow picks offer a more conventional size with incredibly smooth, friction-free feel. Their uniform bevel, sharp tip, and low-profile grip enable faster, more accurate playing. Fundamentally, plectrum choice is a very subjective decision. However, factors like a sharp tip and added grip generally support metal styles the most.

Metal playing demands thick, stable strings that can handle aggressive picking, extended techniques, and low tunings. Popular metal string gauges range from .010-.052 for standard tuning up to .012-.068 or heavier for extreme down-tuning. For metal, you’re most likely wanting to go low and enter serious drop tuned territory. If so, heavy gauge strings are an absolute must for tuning stability, playability, tone and comfort. D'Addario, Ernie Ball, Elixir, and Dunlop all offer excellent heavy-gauge sets designed specifically for metal applications.