Is Gibson about to start making seven-strings and baritones? A NAMM tease all but confirms it

Gibson has seemingly confirmed that it’s returning to the low-tuned worlds of seven-string and baritone guitars, with its Superstrat-esque Victory model set for a makeover.

Extended-range guitars are more popular than ever, with many budget offerings broadening the market and also making it more competitive. Heck, even Ed Sheeran launched a baritone with PRS at NAMM, so their current popularity is inarguable.

But as far Gibson is concerned, it’s not a market that it has properly entered in quite some time.

For Fender, the first-ever seven-string Strat did rear its extra-long headstock in late 2024 as a Custom Shop model for Chris Garza of Suicide Silence. As for Gibson, there have been occasional, limited-edition seven-string runs over the years – including the DSX7 Explorer, of which only 200 were made. Sadly, they never really took off.

That makes the revelation, which comes from Gibson’s Dinesh Lekhraj, all the more interesting and enticing. Speaking to Premier Guitar at NAMM 2026 with a sunburst, Floyd Rose-equipped Gibson Victory in his hands, he says, “What’s really cool about these guitars is, we’re doing baritones as well as seven-strings.”

Unfortunately, there’s not much more info to go off at this point. Indeed, Gibson was in a teasing mood at NAMM – it gave Guitar World the rundown of its plans for 2026, with signature guitars for Gary Clark Jr., Lzzy Hale, and Alex Lifeson all showcased at the event.

For now, patience is a virtue. But the move, even if the runs turn out to be super limited, shows that Gibson is recognizing contemporary gear trends and is making sure it has a horse in the race.

A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He’s also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.