Misha Mansoor's guitar strings: the Periphery djent rig, sourced
Periphery · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Misha Mansoor plays Jackson Juggernaut HT7 signature 7-string guitars with 25.5-inch scale, typically strung with 7-string sets in the .010–.059 or .010–.062 range for Drop G# / Drop A. Periphery's current tuning is 7-string Drop G# (G#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#). Mansoor co-founded GetGood Drums with Adam 'Nolly' Getgood and runs Horizon Devices. String brand affiliations have shifted across his career, specific current brand is uncited as of this page's review.
What's on the guitar
Misha Mansoor's rig is built around his Jackson Juggernaut signature:
- Guitars: Jackson Juggernaut HT7 (primary 7-string). 25.5-inch scale, ebony fretboard, stainless-steel frets, fixed bridge.
- Strings: 7-string sets in .010–.059 or .010–.062 range. Current brand affiliation uncited as of this page's review.
- Tuning: 7-string Drop G# (G#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#) on current material.
- Pickups: Fishman Fluence Misha Mansoor signature, active humbuckers with voice switching between a vintage-PAF-inspired voice and a modern high-output voice.
- Amps: Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III.
- Signal chain: Horizon Devices Precision Drive in front of the Axe-Fx for rhythm passages.
Mansoor co-founded Periphery in 2005 and has been the band's primary songwriter and driving compositional force across the catalog. The band's self-titled debut (2010), Periphery II: This Time It's Personal (2012), Periphery III: Select Difficulty (2016), Periphery IV: Hail Stan (2019), and the Juggernaut trilogy (2015) constitute one of the defining djent catalogs.
Endorsed vs. verified use
Mansoor is a documented Jackson signature artist (Juggernaut HT7) and a documented Fishman Fluence signature artist. String brand affiliation is currently uncited on this page, his historical brand relationships have included D'Addario and Ernie Ball, but a current primary-source string-brand-and-gauge quote as of 2026-04-20 is not on file. The string discussion below is editorial analysis of what fits the rig, not an endorsement claim.
Why Drop G# at 25.5-inch scale
Periphery's choice to run Drop G# on 25.5-inch scale (rather than moving to baritone 7-strings at 26.5 or 27 inches) is a deliberate playability decision. The 25.5-inch scale keeps bend feel on the higher strings consistent with conventional 6-string setups, which matters for lead vocabulary. The heavier .062 low string compensates for the scale-length math and gives the low G# the tension it needs to articulate under picking attack.
Mark Holcomb's parallel rig (also 25.5-inch scale, .010–.062 Ernie Ball Cobalt 7-string) arrives at the same engineering solution from a different brand direction. The two Periphery guitarists' rigs constitute the reference point for modern djent rhythm tone.
Sources
- Jackson Juggernaut HT7 product specifications. https://www.jacksonguitars.com/
- Fishman Fluence Misha Mansoor signature pickup product page.
- Periphery Premier Guitar Rig Rundown coverage.
- Horizon Devices product lineup.
Re-dated on each Periphery album cycle or Jackson signature refresh.
If you want this rig
Slinky Cobalt 7-String (.010–.062)
Why this one: Matches Mark Holcomb's documented Periphery gauge and sits in the gauge range Mansoor is publicly associated with. Cobalt wrap gives the defined low-string attack modern djent rhythm needs.
Next steps
- Full Cobalt Slinky breakdown: Cobalt Slinky review.
- Adjacent Periphery rigs: Mark Holcomb (Periphery).
- 7-string lane: 7-string gauge guide, Top 10 7-string players.
- Tuning guide: Drop A.
- Producer context: Adam "Nolly" Getgood (Periphery's former bassist and co-founder of GetGood Drums with Mansoor).