Jeff Loomis guitar strings: the ex-Arch Enemy and reformed-Nevermore 7-string rig, sourced

Jeff Loomis is one of the most technically accomplished lead guitarists in post-2000s metal. His current rig is documented, so this page cites it rather than guessing.

• Strings: Ernie Ball. Reported current set is .009 to .046 with a .062 low string, tuned to B flat.
• Guitars: Schecter Jeff Loomis signature 7-string (2007 to 2018), then Jackson as an endorsed artist from December 2018.
• Tuning: 7-string B flat (current), with B standard across the classic Nevermore catalog and Drop A on some material.
• Pickups: EMG actives on the early signature (EMG 707, then EMG 57-7H and 66-7H), switching to his signature Seymour Duncan actives from 2016.
• Amps: Line 6 Helix rack into a Seymour Duncan PowerStage 700.
• Picks: Dunlop Tortex 1.5 mm Sharp.

His Nevermore catalog documents the neoclassical-meets-death-metal vocabulary that defined his playing. His Arch Enemy work from 2014 to 2023 extended that vocabulary into the melodic-death-metal mainstream. His solo albums Zero Order Phase and Plains of Oblivion are instrumental showcases of his lead technique.

The earlier version of this page left Loomis's string brand "uncited." It is no longer. His documented rig lists Ernie Ball, with a reported current gauge of .009 to .046 plus a .062 low string for B flat, a half step under B standard. He previously ran a heavier .010 to .052 set with a .070 low string. He also has signature 7-string sets through Von Frankenstein Monster Gear, including the Seven Strings of God set (.009 to .062).

That .062 low string is the load-bearing part of the set. On a 7-string in B flat, the lowest string has to hold pitch and stay articulate under fast legato. Too light and it flaps under the attack; the gauge floor is what keeps his fast low-string runs clean.

Ernie Ball

Slinky Cobalt 7-String (.010–.062)

Price tier: $$

Why this one: An editorial pick that fits the Loomis gauge profile for B standard and B flat 7-string. His own reported set is an Ernie Ball .009 to .046 with a .062 low string; this heavier .010 to .062 Cobalt set lands in the same lane with a firmer low string and the defined attack the Cobalt wrap is known for.

View on Amazon

If you want the closest buyable match to his documented setup, an Ernie Ball 7-string in the .010 to .062 range is the lane. Buy the Ernie Ball 7-string set on Amazon.

For most of his signature era, Loomis played the Schecter Jeff Loomis 7-string. Schecter introduced it in 2007 based on the C-7 Hellraiser, with EMG 707 active pickups, and redesigned the line in January 2014 with EMG 57-7H and 66-7H active-housed pickups, all-black hardware, a thinner body with a deeper archtop, and a choice of Hipshot hardtail (JL-7) or Floyd Rose (JL-7FR) bridges. From 2016 the guitars shipped with his signature Seymour Duncan active pickups.

In March 2018 Loomis left Schecter, saying he wanted more freedom to play other guitars in his collection, and in December 2018 he became a Jackson endorsed artist, with a signature model announced as in development. The takeaway for this page: the "current Schecter signature artist" framing is out of date. The Schecter line is a 2007 to 2018 legacy, and Jackson is his guitar affiliation today.

Loomis has moved to a rack-based setup. His documented amplification is a Line 6 Helix rack into a Seymour Duncan PowerStage 700 power amp. His effects have included a Maxon 808, MXR Stereo Chorus, Way Huge Green Rhino Mk II, Morley Dragon Wah, and a Horizon Devices Precision Drive. Picks are Dunlop Tortex 1.5 mm Sharp.

None of this changes the string story, but it explains the tone: a tight, modern, high-gain voice that rewards fresh strings with defined attack. A rack rig with a clean gate is unforgiving of dead strings, the smeared transient shows up immediately.

Loomis joined Arch Enemy in November 2014, replacing Nick Cordle, and recorded War Eternal (2014), Will to Power (2017), and Deceivers (2022) with them. On December 30, 2023, Arch Enemy announced they had amicably parted ways with him; Joey Concepcion took the lead-guitar role.

In early 2026 Loomis reformed Nevermore with original drummer Van Williams, joined by vocalist Berzan Onen, guitarist Jack Cattoi, and bassist Semir Ozerkan. The lineup signed to Reigning Phoenix Music, played its first show on April 1, 2026 in Istanbul, and booked 2026 festival dates including Wacken Open Air and ProgPower USA, with a new album targeted for 2027. His string and tuning choices carry straight over: heavy 7-string sets in B flat and B standard for the Nevermore material.

The low string on a 7-string is the most context-sensitive part of the instrument. For rhythm players the decision is between firm articulation (firmer gauge) and palm-mute punch (moderate gauge). For lead players like Loomis the firm articulation wins: fast legato sequences and sweep-picked arpeggios on the low strings need the string to respond cleanly to hammer-ons and pull-offs without flapping under the attack.

Loomis's gauges are a lead-player's preference, adjacent to but distinct from the djent-lane rhythm-player gauges that cluster around .010 to .062. Where Mark Holcomb-style rhythm players chase low-string articulation for chugging, Loomis's sets support the neoclassical-shred vocabulary that defines his lead playing.

Every claim on this page traces to a working primary or reference source.

• Career, gear, strings, pickups, amps: Jeff Loomis, Wikipedia (Ernie Ball 9-46+62 in B flat; Schecter signature 2007 to 2018; left Schecter March 2018; Jackson endorsed December 2018; Line 6 Helix and PowerStage 700).
• Arch Enemy departure: Arch Enemy Splits With Jeff Loomis, Metal Injection (Dec 30, 2023).
• Nevermore 2026 reunion lineup and label: Nevermore Reveal Full 2026 Reunion Lineup, Loudwire.
• Reunion members and first show: Nevermore's Jeff Loomis on the new members, MetalSucks.
• Signature string sets: Jeff Loomis Seven Strings of God signature set, Von Frankenstein Monster Gear.
• Rig overview: Jeff Loomis, Equipboard.