FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK

And now, everything a guitarist needs TO HEADBANG ON A BUDGET, including five metal-friendly axes for under $500

- AMIT SHARMA

IF THERE’S ANYTHING metal guitarists tend to look for in their equipment, it’s most surely power. While there will always be those who choose to rely more on the actual riffs for heaviness, it’d be fair to say a mega majority of metal players are generally in pursuit of tonal extremes — whether through a guitar with extra-hot pickups, a pedal wired to cataclysmic weight or, indeed, the sonic brutality procured by their amp of choice. As Yngwie Malmsteen, a man who embodies heavy metal to its unrelenting core, once famously said, “More is more.” The good news is that tones heavy enough to knock the earth off its axis have never been more attainable and affordable, as demonstrated by this roundup of ear-bleeding metal machinery. Enjoy!

JACKSON

X SERIES DINKY DK3XR HSS

$499, jacksonguitars.com

There’s no shortage of metal-friendly appointments on this new for-2021 X Series Dinky — from loud color schemes, a reverse headstock, inverted pearloid sharkfin inlays, a Floyd Rose-licensed bridge and a high-output bridge humbucker. Simply put, it’s the kind of instrument that will make your presence known in just about every way. It also plays like a dream, with a sculpted shredder’s cut heel for easy access to the upper frets and a 12- to 16-inch compound radius laurel fingerboard for an effortlessly smooth performance.

IBANEZ

RG SERIES RG7421PB 7-STRING

$499, ibanez.com