"I Made A Mistake"| An 8 String Guitar Story
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- Chapters
00:00 Start
00:10 Lets Help You, Not Make The Same Mistake
01:04 My History With 6 Strings
01:47 Why I Bought A Seven String
03:04 Why I Thought I Should Buy A 8 String
05:32 Drop Tuning Issue
06:29 Lower Notes Are Lost or Flubbed
07:36 Drop Tuning With 6 & 7 String Guitars Compared To 8 String Guitars
08:14 Take My Opinion With A Grain Of Salt
08:51 What It's Good For
09:15 What Is Bad
09:51 Final Thoughts
Try an 8 string with a 28" scale length. 27 doesn't seem to be enough.
From the research I've been doing, it sounds like it's probably a good idea to get a multiscale if you still want to use the high strings too. It keeps the tension more comfortable across the entire fretboard, rather than favoring the high or low strings. I don't own one, so I'm just going from the info I've been finding.
Honestly, having having had 8 strings in my rack for a decade, I'd give the opposite advice. By the time you're at 27" +, the higher strings lose sustain and become shrill. Every single standard scale 8 string I've played has suffered this. In my experience, multuscale fixes this almost entirely, and keeps the tension at a level that is comfortable across the entire fretboard. The second option is a slightly shorter scale and just beefing up the bottom string gauge to compensate. That way, you're not compromising 7 strings for the sake of 1.
I have 28.8 and its so hard to play the damn thing lol
I had a cheap 8 string that was a 26.4"? I believe? Sold it and bought one with a very close to 30", it was a night and day difference! I was able to tune slightly lower, didnt need stupidly thick strings either. String tension was spot on! Before you take the plunge and buy something off the internet, go to a guitar shop and just try a few out, ask questions if your not sure where to start. On a side note, if the 8 string you buy doesnt come with a case, make sure the store has a case that it will fit into.
having a 28", i'm considering a 30"
I think this is the common issue I see when people are stepping up to an 8 or 7. They view it as a 6 with extra strings and this is WRONG. They are new instruments in themselves. This is something I try to really stress to my friends as an extended range player. Granted it WONT be for everyone. You are right when down tuning you DO need to compensate by either multiscale or thicker strings. I was the guy using 7 string sets on a 6 to downtune so for me when I use an 80 or up to 90 on my 8 its not a big deal. Plus I play bass so its not an awkward feeling. Its definitely different, but if approached as a new instrument in general it becomes easier to work with quicker. Great video though and I genuinely think this will help a LOT of people thinking about trying out extended range instruments!
thanks
I'm with you here, as a 5 string bassist and 7 string guitarist I do feel the 8 is more like bass but not that great for the stuff I play on a 7 but it's worth having for meshuggah alone lol
I picked up my 7 back in 2010, and it felt like an easy transition from a 6. And it was, I was at home and didn’t need a “getting used to it” period. Then I got my first 8 in Jan of last year thinking it would be the same thing lol boy was I wrong. I had to take my time and gave it a week to get used to. I feel like going from 7 to 8 was a way bigger difference than going to 7 from a 6.
From the ones I've played kicking a good overdrive on and using a different combination of string guages gave me a great feeling and it didn't flub out at all in the mix. Just my 2 cents
Maybe you need focus more on the scale lenght, schecter makes 28" 8 string guitars and 27" on 7 string guitars. Or maybe you should chech out a 6 string baritone guitar.
An 8 string does feel a bit more like a bass, which isn't as big of an issue for me, I guess, because I started out as a bass player in high school and then switched to guitar a few years after that. I mainly play 6 string guitars, but in May bought an 8 string Harley Benton fanned fret. It needed some work and I had to put EMG 909's in, due to the pickup route being too big for 808's, but after all that, that guitar slays! And the 909's do make it so the lower notes cut through and don't get lost. Is it my favorite guitar to play? No. But do I write some things on it I'd never think to write on my 6 or 7 string guitars? Absolutely! At any rate, great video and great words of caution to anyone thinking of buying an 8 string. It will definitely feel a bit more like a bass.
I'm glad that I'm not the only one this exact thing happened to
Just spent 3k on a custom 8 but I had your concerns. So I went with a 28" length and an evertune. I would kill for the day when evertune has a multi scale style bridge
I’ve had my Ibanez rg2228 for 11 years now and have been lusting for a Mayones Regus for a few years now. I love 8s and can’t imagine not having one at this point. Once you get over the 8 string chugging honeymoon it’s an incredibly versatile and playable instrument. I also have monster sized hands so af far as neck size goes that is a non issue for me. To each their own. Even though it has a built in 7 string I approach a 7 string completely differently. My only advice is minimum 27” scale and get a quality one with a good playable neck and good fret dressing that can intimate well and play buttery.
Can’t thank you enough for making this video
Thanks for making this video. Im in this position as we speak. Clarified a lot of things for me! That was more or less my biggest concern, the low string was so low it sort of ruined the guitar and caused more problems. I'll probably stick with a 27" 7-string.
If I helped you in the SLIGHTEST... that makes me happy! Cheers -Ryan
I've been heading down that path myself wanting to pick up an 8 string sometime but worried it'll sit for the most part. I have barely touched my 7 string since I got it so I kinda already know where that would wind up. Thanks for sharing.
And no I'm not at all distracted by that VHT Pittbull Ultra-Lead there that I'm looking forward to hearing about...
Yeah it’s one of those things... you have that feeling of “I need to have it for the options... but might not use it”. And hell yeah! The Pittbull is AWESOME!!! Cheers -Ryan
I bought one last week. It kicks ass!
Very good info. My guitar playing days are over but when I went from 6 to 7 it was a big deal. When I saw the 8 strings come out, I thought about how I'm going to play the guitar and I just didn't see a purpose for it.
I purchased an agile 8 string and never got along with it so I traded it for a LTD ec1000 deluxe. I still have said guitar. However last year there was a gent selling an RG8 online with fishman fluence (classic) pickups in it for $120. I got there and he dropped it to $80 because he said "it doesn't totally work."
The wiring was a mess so there was that, but once I redid all of the wiring, routed a battery box and replaced the pots the guitar plays great. Somehow I'm actually really comfortable playing it. The Fluence pickups are also a must in these types of guitars IMO because it gets rid of what you describe sound wise (the shitty undefined flub in the low strings). The agile I had sounded atrocious with it's stock pickups.
I sold my 8 string months ago, I just felt like it didn't work well with the way I play and write, plus, I'd prefer tuning a 7 string down anyways and honestly, I'm not really into Djent stuff anymore but I don't know, maybe someday I'll get one again.
8 string is a different beast for sure, if you play metal you absolutely need a OD pedal paired with high gain amp to tighten up low end, or its gonna be way to muddy, on a 6 or 7 you can tweak the eq without a OD pedal and get decent tone, but 8 definitely requires a different amp set up, also i noticed its a slower play style you can chug fast on 6 and 7 but 8 will require a mid/fast tempo, but if you get your string and amp combo set up for a 8 they can be a beast.
Absolutely agreed! I found that Tube Screamers wouldn’t cut as well as Boss Super Overdirves for 8 string. Cheers - Ryan
@@Crypticmaskguitar i use a maxon OD ill have to try a boss out. Thanks bro
I think that it might actually work for me bc I'm torn between wanting a baritone guitar with a nice long scale length, and wanting a cool bass.
You should buy ESP E-II HFR 8 string!
Players who are left Ibanez:
Dino Cazares, Herman Li, John Petrucci, Brian Head, etc...
Of course also I left Ibanez as well!
dino cazares is on ormsby...and john petrucci is on music man
i thought the same thing picking up an 8 string, but my hands are too small to mute all the strings so it sounds like a sloppy mess with all the overtones ringing out
I bought an 8 string before having even tried a 7. I still love it to this day but I wish I had a 7 string instead because I kinda don't care about the 8th string. Also, I feel like I'm somewhat limited as far as rythm playing goes when I go back to 6 so yeah, my next instrument is definitely going to be a 7.
went from an Ibanez 7 to an ESP SC 808 don't play metal so instead I put a 7 on the first and tuned it to high A then the normal E B G D then the A E and B all get tuned up an octave of course much thinner strings are used I believe its called Nashville tuning this turns the eight string beast into a very different animal works for me I play finger style love the sound
Agreed. In fact I recently had the same epiphany about my 7 string. So bang, I sold it and replaced it with another nice 6 string. I figure that If I want a lowish tuning, I can just drop one of the 6ers.
If you're not using it and not going to use it and have a work around... why not! I still have 8 7 strings, though... haha Cheers -Ryan
You need 30 or so scale in order for the low F# or E to feel AWESOME.
i have LTD SC-608baritone 27 scale and i have a 80 gauge 8 string in F and i might get it to 82 or more ahaha
.010-.090 works great on 26.5
Totally agree brother my Jackson soloist multiscale 8 with EMG 909s stays in tune but just the F# ruins the harmony of the other 7 strings, I purchased Fenrir, Libra, nux mg30 everything still sounds shitty unless I go clean w/ rev. & play along with blues backing tracks in F# or B
I had an rg80e, sold it and got a multiscale 8 and its such an improvement. 9-80 for drop E on 26"-27.5" scale is so good
Ive also heard the normal EMG 808 just suck for clarity
Man I would love an 8 string
I started learning with a 7 string, obviously before I’ve touched 6 strings and even tried picking up a 6th string when I was like 12 but didn’t really learn till my 7 and my 7 string is amazing. When I bought an 8 string, oh boy. I listen to death metal and to me it’s just perfect, I’ll always use 7/8 but NEVER go to 9 I feel that’s way too much
I mean, Periphery recorded song in D1(double drop D, if I'm not mistaken?) on a 7 string in 2015, and there are plenty of 6 string baritones nowadays, reaching that low. Modern 8 string should be enough for any low tuning, that is audible for humans
Yeah I too made a mistake buying a 8 string with no multi scale. Looking for another 8 string multi scale
I surprised myself the way I nearly instantly lost interest in the Ibanez 7-string I bought after GASing for one so hard.
I dont gave an 8 string, but I would assume eight strings are supposed to be played like a bass on the bottom strings, and then more like a lead guitar on the higher strings. Trying to play it like you’re strumming on a 6 string sounds painful. I play bass and guitar, and recently started learning Meshuggah guitar parts on my bass, which I think will help me well once I get an 8 string. If it sounds flubby and out of tune then maybe get an 8 string with locking tuners and get a boost pedal?
Locking tuners don’t increase tension, though. Boosting can even out muddy/flubby bass from an amp… but can’t resolve the feel of a guitar. Multi scale certainly seems to be the way to go. Cheers -Ryan
5:01 Is Sarah Longfield who you're thinking of?
That sucks that you had that experience, dude. I bought my 8 a few months ago and instantly fell in love with it, so, my biased mind is screaming that it might be the guitar itself that you're having issues with?
Anyway, great video!
Thanks more than likely was the guitar. But my mindset is probably different for the 8 string itself. But I won’t know until I end up buying another 8 string down the road... it is inevitable haha Cheers -Ryan
@@Crypticmaskguitar I would recommend just trying out a couple different guitars from friends or at guitar center or something. I won't buy a guitar I haven't played (any more). The potential for an instrument to throw a player off because the feel might be wrong is usually what I see in guitar players that outright hate a particular style of guitar. Like, I love 7 string, I hate my 7 string for many reasons. If I ever get another 7 it'll be closer to what I like in my 6's rather than just any old guitar, you know?
I like mine but i always played 7 strings. It's like on a bass low power chords or chords just don't work all that great because of physics (and what our ears perceive).. So yeah its just 5-7 extra "single" notes (which are all ready taken care of by a bass player). For clean tapping it makes a lot of sense. And there is a lot of extra muting to be done. It's not for everyone i guess "the one thing is not better than the other" a six string has more options for (more comfortable) chords, strumming and muting I feel. It takes me different places and i like it.
Anything new takes getting used to. It’s all a matter of personal perspective. I bought one a few months and I love it to death. I actually forgot I own a 7 string.
Best, i think, for single notes and bass fills.
Add a high string and play as a 7 with an extra high lead string. It’s fun :)
I agree, an 8 string guitar is not the right instrument for blues/rock/hard rock players. To me it makes more sense for jazz/fusion and classical music.
I'm with to u with you man. I bought mine whilst listening polyphia whilst pissed. Nuff said. Now just waiting to get back to a shop to get a .007 To go B to A rather than go F#, or whatever note guirists generally dont understand to E. Lol.
I'm going BEADGBEA.
Keep it, use it , don't try to play what the guitar asks. Ask what you want from, and what you can make from rhe guitar.
smart guy
Do you think that I could get a good drop e tuning from a 7 strings 25.5 inches guitar ?
Try bigger strings on 7th and 8th string
Not a small 25.5 scale on a 8string? Probably want more like a 28 or so.
Made the same mistake lol and it's a Schecter C8 multi scale with passives (black and white one, looks like a contemporary art design, thin, monochrome, splashy white on black finish... cum? Jackson Pollock?)...
so mostly different reasons I guess? it's just too uncomfortable and not that great to me but I'm tired as fuck writing and have to take a while before drawing any conclusion... I received my 8 barely 5 days ago hahaha
I'm not interested in pure djent, just good old traditional extreme metal and traditional heavy metal, thought I'd buy it as my rhythm guitar for my music project, while my 7 string FR with actives would rather be for lead and solos...
but I also didn't feel the magic of when I switched to 7 strings, the transition is a LOT more painful and frankly I'm just... heh, not convinced that this 8th string will be my new baby.
maybe I just expected too much, maybe I'm grumpy, I don't know. 5 days... I won't send it back anyway, maybe resell it to a djentleman.
Hey you know what maybe I'll do an update to this comment in a few weeks or so saying how I feel about it with a bit more experience with it.
I was so sad when I wrote this lol. So yeah I just think 8 string is mostly for a very specific usage of guitar and specific guitar playing (djent/thall stuff or super good solo artists or whatever)
I know even some black metal guitarists use 8 string but they use the 8th marginally, I don't know why they made that choice but maybe I will understand.
Maybe I'm still transitioning and discovering and still need a lot more time it but it is clear: when I transitioned from 6 to 7 strings it was magical, had played for several years and it felt like discovering an improvement of the instrument I loved so much. The transition wasn't immediate but it wasn't super hard either. Just great. The 8 is very disappointing for me in that regard. If you don't have particular projects that would require an 8th, not worth it imho. Worth trying though? Yeah absolutely.
Da boom na da noom
hahaha so funny but very interesting. 8 strings look cool as fuck but im just starting with 6 strings. it's already hard, i can't even imagine how hard a 8 string would feel to me. But you said it feels like a bass. I liked that part.
Meshuggah!
Before buying a fanned fret, 27 scale 8 string. I owned a six string acoustic guitar, six string electric, seven string guitar, and an 8 string without extended scale(lowest string defintley had clarity issues). I played all my guitars for years without any issues. Soon as I started playing the bigger scale 8 string w/ fanned frets I started having wrist issues. I can play all my other guitars without issues. My point is, some might not be physically made for 8 string. Idk
That pitbull tho....... I waited impatiently to hear that thing lol
It will be featured prominently on the channel, I promise! On a side note the Pittbull told me that it is lonely... so I’m hoping to add an ENGL Powerball II and a Rivera Knucklehead Tre next year! Cheers -Ryan
@@Crypticmaskguitar can’t wait! A powerball would be amazing also! Cheers!
You should try 7 string guitar and then try 8 string because played 7 string for 4 years and more people right music now 7 string ❤
I thought that I said in the video that I started with 7 before I went to 8… maybe not? Cheers /Ryan
Same for me i prefer 7
So you actually regret ever trying and buying the 8 string guitar?
Not necessarily. I'm glad I tried it... but came to realize that I'm not an "8 String Player". I barely play any of my 7 strings anymore. Wasn't necessarily my genre, I guess. Cheers -Ryan
@@Crypticmaskguitar Well then it wasn't a mistake. Trying new stuff and then not liking it isn't a mistake, it's just life. It was actually the opposite of a mistake, you learned you didn't like it but you gave it a shot. Mistake would be something you wish you had avoided. I had the same thing with a vintage spec Telecaster, thought it was my thing, but realized I like more modern things so ended up buying the Strandberg Sälen, which is super awesome T-style guitar.
Hanging on to the guitar for so long was the Mistake, really. Trying to force myself into something I didn’t really want to do… I guess. But of course it’s all a learning experience. Cheers -Ryan
His situation and playing style is totaly difrent from anyone of us so the result might vary.Try 8 strings if you want and see it for yourself.You'll never know it.
29/30" scale length is the only way for dropping an 8 string
i have a 28" banshee that i keep in C# after the burial brown note tuning, tension is fucking SPOT ON at that scale with the hipshot bridge, some other bridges you might need another inch even though. is there a noticable difference on a 30 inch in terms of feel and playing? just out of personal curiousity
So your saying you’d like to sell me that Ibanez then? 😏 🙏 💯 🤘 💀 🔥
As long as you are picking it up, sure. I won't ship the guitar anywhere... just like I said in the video. Cheers -Ryan
@@Crypticmaskguitar where are you located?? 🤔
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada... You're move hahahaha Cheers -Ryan
Sarah Longfield :)
I bought my 8string because I didn't have one....no regrets.
That ibanez is gorgeous if you had an evertune installed you would be good.