# Are you perfectly happy with your 7 String?



## AMOS (Jan 26, 2022)

How many of you 7 stringers never went beyond that? And have you been tempted to go up to 8? I've been eying a Kiesel Zeus 8 but I want to try different tunings on the 7 before I pull the trigger, starting with Drop A. I've always been a standard Low B player and always in 440, but recently I've gotten into more chunkier playing and a much heavier brand of metal than I'm used to. Has anyone tried 432 or lower tuning while still going a full step lower with the B string?


----------



## jaxadam (Jan 26, 2022)

7 is almost a little too much for me. I tried an 8 and couldn't do it.


----------



## AMOS (Jan 26, 2022)

jaxadam said:


> 7 is almost a little too much for me. I tried an 8 and couldn't do it.


I don't really want the neck width that comes with an 8, but I want to get as low as possible with the 7. I'm putting on Duncan Heavy Core 10-60 strings as opposed to the 9-54 that I usually use, then go from there.


----------



## Nag (Jan 26, 2022)

I'm good with 7. I'm good with 6, really, but 7 is fun for some things. 8 strings... meh. I considered it very briefly when they were getting popular but it would have been "mostly for the lulz", honestly.

I barely listen to any 7-string stuff... most of it is like, prog, djent, -core, tech death, and I don't like any of those genres. Very few bands I care about have made 7-string music I actually like, but I did practice those few riffs when I first got my 7 though, just to have something to help me get used to the instrument. Now I could just write my own music for a 7-string guitar, and I have written a few things, but the vast majority of the time, I just prefer a 6-string. The "logistics" of how my brain approaches a 6 vs a 7 are just different, and I'm way more at home on a 6, even after owning and using a 7 for 10 years. Recently, I've noticed that I _really_ struggle writing music with the 7 in a dropped tuning, I don't know why. 

As for an 8, there's like, one song I like written for 8 strings (Demiurge, by Meshuggah, if anyone wonders). So even just for playing covers, an 8-string wouldn't really be worth it for me. And then... if the scale length is too short, the low strings sound ass, and if the scale length is too long, the high strings get into snappy tension territory, so I'd want to go fanned fret, but there aren't many quality fanned fret 8's around, and if I'd want to swap pickups or something, there isn't that much choice IMO. Another thing for me is, the chords... with the kind of guitar tone people use on an 8 to make it sound tight and all, guitar chords sound kinda just bad to me, I don't like that. I'd rather tune a little less low, and at that point, a 7 is good enough. I don't venture below B very often, I'll do Bb and maybe A but that's pretty much it. Don't care for F#, Meshuggah F, drop E or whatever. 

So, yeah, I'm good with 7 strings maximum.


----------



## Nag (Jan 26, 2022)

As for the 432hz thing... forget about it, it barely matters.


----------



## CanserDYI (Jan 26, 2022)

I'm genuinely upset my most recent Kiesel I didn't go for 8 strings. I just got into them and Jesus Christ I don't think I'll ever go back.


----------



## makecamera (Jan 26, 2022)

For me, the 7 and 8 are completely different things. Both are Vaders. The 8 is straight scale and the 7 is multiscale. I like playing the 8 more. There's something special about it. I would not be happy with just a 7.


----------



## Dayn (Jan 26, 2022)

I went to an 8-string straight from a 6-string, and it took me a decade of exclusively using 8-strings to even get a 7-string. I have a couple of other 8-strings and I'll be getting a 10-string soon. In short, I love my 7-string for what it does that my other guitars can't. Likewise, it can't do what my other guitars do.

If you just want to tune down and you don't care about retaining the top end of notes, then just keep experimenting with what you have. You don't need more strings to tune low unless you want to keep the high notes.

And don't bother using 432hz as a reference pitch unless you have a reason to, or you'll just be out of tune with everything.


----------



## Konfyouzd (Jan 26, 2022)

Went up to 8.

Liked it--didn't love it.

Back at 7s and the occasional drop tuned 6. 

Turns out I don't need much more range than that.


----------



## odibrom (Jan 27, 2022)

I've an 8 stringer I don't play for more than a year already, it helps it needs an electronic rewiring...

I started with 7s in early 2000s, and it was a breeze coming from 6s. The 8 stringer felt difficult to play in the beginning (bad setup, longer scale length), so I was fighting it. Then PSIORB came along and I wasn't really sure how we'd develop as a band, so I stayed in the 7s realm. I'm not into having to load a truck with guitars just for rehearsals, so 7s have been since then.

I'm also not a tall guy and my hands are average to small sized, so that contributes as well for the feel. I'm sure that if there is will, one goes around the Sun for it, but for the moment I am very satisfied with my 7s.

One ting I noticed was that longer scale lengths affect the things one does a lot. Stuff that gets cramped in 25.5" scale lengths may be fairly easy to play in 27" ones, as stuff with over stretched chords in 25.5" may feel smoother than in 27", which can become really hard to play clearly.

I'm mostly a standard tuning user, from B2 to E4, but the 8 stringers opened the door for experimentation. The few tunes I've came up with all have different tunings, one drops the low F# to E, other sharpens the high B to C and the high E to F, so to have full perfect 4ths. It was weird that it was the 8 stringer that "asked" for these tuning, outside of the standard box I'm in.

So, for the moment, and for the PSIORB stuff, 7s is the way. We're still yet to experiment into the fretless realm, I'm waiting for the bass player to have his fretless operational and also am to redo my fretless wiring... so... lots of things to experiment with, so little time... choices...


----------



## Winspear (Jan 27, 2022)

Used to play a 7 AEADGBE style. Was looking at an 8 string for EAEADGBE but tried EADGBEA on the 7 first. Fell in love with having a high A, ended up ordering a 9 string for EAEADGBEA and playing that almost exclusively, long term.
Loved it, but in the end, my tastes shifted enough that not only was I happy to drop the high A, but I didn't need a high E either. Playing 28"+ 7 string F standard range these days and a high ~B is plenty for me. I enjoyed especially the high A for extending chords and playing things lower down the fretboard, moreso than actually extending the range of the guitar. I find myself having to use the upper frets more now of course, but the range is enough and I'm enjoying not having to reach over trebles for riffing which I spend most of my time doing. I'm also very onboard with the occasional pitch shifter effect for higher licks if needed, though I sold my whammy for now.


----------



## sleewell (Jan 27, 2022)

I love my 7s. I think about maybe getting something with a longer neck for lower tunings but I'm not sure I'd jive with an 8. 

I love that you can still strum 7s and the neck doesn't feel super wide.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper (Jan 27, 2022)

I don't listen to much 8 string stuff and I like using my 7 like a 6 too so I just bought a longer scale 7 and told them to set it up for drop f# if I ever wanna play 8 string riffs


----------



## thebeesknees22 (Jan 27, 2022)

I've only tried an 8 string once and it was before I moved to 7's. It felt like playing a 2x4 so ...it didn't feel good lol. It may be different if I were to try one now, but I don't really need an 8 for what I play. I do listen to a fair amount of 8 string stuff though.


----------



## Tom odd 7 (Jan 27, 2022)

Yeah, 7 !!!
Pretty happy with , in B, down to F and everything in between. Especially for band/practice/improvisation
6 and 8 string as well with different scale, mainly for solo/experimentation
Tuning down, up in 430/450 Hz.
The 7 works best for me for live, recording, writing, rehearsal applications, but I basically enjoy using any other type of guitar.


----------



## bostjan (Jan 27, 2022)

My primary guitars:

Eight string 24-26" tuned standard +low B + high A, i.e. B'EAdgbe'a'
Seven string 26-28" tuned A standard, a whole step down, i.e. A'DGCfad'
Seven string 27" tuned 19-EDO +low A, A=440 Hz
Six string 25.5" tuned 14-EDO drop D, A=440 Hz
I've done drop G and even drop F on my sevens, but I think I'm done experimenting in the downward direction and onto experimenting with in-betweens. The high A is super handy for me. I don't use it all of the time, but I use it enough that it hurts me when it's not there. I wouldn't want to go any higher unless someone comes up with some sort of magical string that could handle it. I guess three octaves down from there and I'm thinking you can get some really nifty sounds, but anything lower than G is an all new set of pains to deal with. I've played around with 27" factory 8 strings in factory tuning with a low F# and wasn't impressed. The strings that ship on them are like mom's spaghetti, and, if you thicken them up, it seems like they get sloppy muddy sounding from being too thick before they develop enough tension to be playable. I'd not be surprised, but I think I play with a very light picking hand, so it seems weird to me that the trend took off. Again, though, if someone developed some magical string with high density windings and not a crazy high elasticity, I'd change my tune.

All that said, I still love experimenting. I'd love to play around with a 9 string. Although I have some ergonomic concerns.

And I'll reiterate what a bunch of people are already saying, 432 Hz is going to get you some dirty looks. Even if you know that it's not some sort of magical cosmic password tuning, mentioning it associates you with people who believe that it is a magical cosmic password tuning.


----------



## Crungy (Jan 27, 2022)

I'm relatively happy with the ones I have, not perfection but close enough for me. I'm up to four sevens now, two floating trems in drop A and two hardtails in drop G.

All are 25.5" Ibanez RG's, and I like how the drop G guitars play and sound. Especially with EB Cobalts, I'm hooked on those. I don't think I'll go any lower on the 7's as I don't like or want to use heavy strings. I've considered grabbing an 8 string, but I feel drop G is low enough for me. For now haha

It's likely I'll buy more 7's or at least tinker with electronics and finishes. Maybe an 8 if it's a deal I can't refuse.


----------



## AMOS (Jan 27, 2022)

Crungy said:


> I'm relatively happy with the ones I have, not perfection but close enough for me. I'm up to four sevens now, two floating trems in drop A and two hardtails in drop G.
> 
> All are 25.5" Ibanez RG's, and I like how the drop G guitars play and sound. Especially with EB Cobalts, I'm hooked on those. I don't think I'll go any lower on the 7's as I don't like or want to use heavy strings. I've considered grabbing an 8 string, but I feel drop G is low enough for me. For now haha
> 
> It's likely I'll buy more 7's or at least tinker with electronics and finishes. Maybe an 8 if it's a deal I can't refuse.


I would imagine that low tension in drop G requires a truss rod adjustment, so I guess you plan on staying there for a while on That guitar.


----------



## Crungy (Jan 27, 2022)

I haven't yet on the RG7321: the low G string buzzes very little unless I'm strumming/picking too hard. The other guitar (GIO/GRG Frankenstein) buzzes even less but has slightly higher action. That one is intended to be more of a riffing guitar since a single humbucker setup.


----------



## c7spheres (Jan 27, 2022)

- I've considered 8 before after I checked out an Aristides 080s because it was so much easier to play than something like an Ibby Rg 8 string, but 7 is enough for now.

- Anything below a drop G on a 25.5 and it becomes a problem, ime. I've tried that with as low as a 0.74 on the low string. I'm currently at Bb standard 432hz usig 0.70 on the low.
- I tune to 432 and like it a lot. It feels better, imo, but it will get you eye rolling etc. - People that have tried it for any extended period also seem to like it. The main disadvantage is playing with anyone else that doesn't tune to it. - They don't know. After you play with it for a year you start having visions and supernatural things happen to you. jk. - The problem is few really want to give it a chance and the standard 440 is in place. - If you're playing a lot of covers or with others a lot and your guitar doesn't retune fast then maybe it's more pain than it's worth. - If you give it a chance, then once you go back to 440 it sounds nasal and annoying, like when you first try 432 it sounds a little flat and dull or soft. It's all in our heads, but I do know if you play at loud levels a lot it's noticably better over time. Less harsh on ears and somehow 'correct' sounding and feeling. At this point I think in studies all they've found is that it decreases blood pressure a small amount.


----------



## Nag (Jan 27, 2022)

After thinking about it some more, maybe an 8-string guitar could be fun for experimenting with actually _reduced_ range. Tuning in thirds for example... maybe the chord voicings made possible with that would be enough of a departure from "normal" guitar playing to be inspiring. 

Usually, on guitar, we don't play 6 chords very often because most voicings are awful to play on guitar, and we omit a bunch of notes from extended chords as well simply because we can't play them, either because we don't have enough strings, or because the close-by frets don't have the right notes. I'd have to look into it in further detail, but it might be a thing.


----------



## Kyle Jordan (Jan 28, 2022)

I purchased an Ibanez UV777BK in 2003 and owned it for about four years. Loved it, but quickly realized I preferred Soloists overall. The UV is my brother’s guitar now, so I still have easy access to it and that kept me always kind of missing it. 

I originally planned on getting multiple Soloists and having them tuned from E Standard down to A. After getting a second Soloist, I started seeing 8 string in 2008 and liked the idea, but didn’t see a real need or use. Eventually though, it just made more sense to me to get another 7 string or two to cover the other tunings down to A. Then, I thought, “Why not just get one 8 string, and have access down to F# or E?” So that’s what I did in 2013. 

My Ibanez S8 was never intended to be my primary instrument. More than just niche, but I had a fairly defined idea going in. 

By 2014, the S8 surpassed both of my Soloists and became my main guitar. 

I loved the UV, but I took almost immediately to the 8 string. Visualization on the fretboard was much easier to me and I fell head over heels in love with the neck. The S8 neck is the best feeling guitar neck I have played and my favorite. I feel limited somewhat on 6 strings now. Not quite as much on 7 strings, but still slightly. 

I have an Aristides 080 that should be in my hands relatively soon. Going to the 8 string was, to use a badly abused and douche-y cliche, a paradigm shift. It’s not without pitfalls, IE: it wasn’t until I got my Axe FX that I was able to find tones that I am truly happy with for notes below A. And pickup selection for 8 strings is abysmal IMO. That said though, I just do not see myself going back from an 8 string. Then again, I never saw myself going TO one either, and that changed drastically. 

All I can really say though is give it a shot. I’m very glad I did.


----------



## odibrom (Jan 28, 2022)

Nag said:


> After thinking about it some more, maybe an 8-string guitar could be fun for experimenting with actually _reduced_ range. Tuning in thirds for example... maybe the chord voicings made possible with that would be enough of a departure from "normal" guitar playing to be inspiring.
> 
> Usually, on guitar, we don't play 6 chords very often because most voicings are awful to play on guitar, and we omit a bunch of notes from extended chords as well simply because we can't play them, either because we don't have enough strings, or because the close-by frets don't have the right notes. I'd have to look into it in further detail, but it might be a thing.


Please report back the experience with videos or sound samples...


----------



## Avedas (Jan 28, 2022)

I really like my 7 but I already barely ride the low end on it. I mostly play 6. Couldn't imagine having an 8 or more.


----------



## Nag (Jan 28, 2022)

Don't get your hopes up too high, I don't have plans of doing it anytime soon. But I might, some day. I don't have much disposable income these days.


----------



## aesthyrian (Jan 28, 2022)

Yep. I find myself playing more 6 string these days too for whatever reason though. But I also never had any interest in tuning super low.


----------



## odibrom (Jan 28, 2022)

Nag said:


> Don't get your hopes up too high, I don't have plans of doing it anytime soon. But I might, some day. I don't have much disposable income these days.



All cool bro. That was only a suggestion...


----------



## Vegetta (Jan 28, 2022)

Since i picked up a baritone 6 i kind of prefer that. Plus i like the 27" scale a bit better than 26.5"
THat being said I love my KM7 mkiii. I have an RG1527 that doesn't really get played.

I would try an 8 string but I have a hard enough keeping the flubb out of a 7


----------



## Konfyouzd (Jan 28, 2022)

Winspear said:


> Used to play a 7 AEADGBE style. Was looking at an 8 string for EAEADGBE but tried EADGBEA on the 7 first. Fell in love with having a high A, ended up ordering a 9 string for EAEADGBEA and playing that almost exclusively, long term.
> Loved it, but in the end, my tastes shifted enough that not only was I happy to drop the high A, but I didn't need a high E either. Playing 28"+ 7 string F standard range these days and a high ~B is plenty for me. I enjoyed especially the high A for extending chords and playing things lower down the fretboard, moreso than actually extending the range of the guitar. I find myself having to use the upper frets more now of course, but the range is enough and I'm enjoying not having to reach over trebles for riffing which I spend most of my time doing. I'm also very onboard with the occasional pitch shifter effect for higher licks if needed, though I sold my whammy for now.


Your 9 string is badass. Do you still play the Vik?


----------



## Stiman (Jan 28, 2022)

Kyle Jordan said:


> I purchased an Ibanez UV777BK in 2003 and owned it for about four years. Loved it, but quickly realized I preferred Soloists overall. The UV is my brother’s guitar now, so I still have easy access to it and that kept me always kind of missing it.
> 
> I originally planned on getting multiple Soloists and having them tuned from E Standard down to A. After getting a second Soloist, I started seeing 8 string in 2008 and liked the idea, but didn’t see a real need or use. Eventually though, it just made more sense to me to get another 7 string or two to cover the other tunings down to A. Then, I thought, “Why not just get one 8 string, and have access down to F# or E?” So that’s what I did in 2013.
> 
> ...



I really enjoyed reading this, thank you for posting it.

I sometimes day dream that, maybe if I just tried an 8 string, I would have this paradigm shift. I don't doubt that you did, but I doubt that I would haha.

Curious what tuning you use on the 8?


----------



## Kyle Jordan (Jan 28, 2022)

^F#

I had set up the guitar in Drop E for a while early on, but just didn't click with the tuning.


----------



## Winspear (Jan 29, 2022)

Konfyouzd said:


> Your 9 string is badass. Do you still play the Vik?


I actually sold it, in the end  Went back and forth on it for a couple of years as I grew apart from it and finally saw it off a year ago. Had an awesome 8 years with it, but I haven't missed it


----------



## CanserDYI (Jan 29, 2022)

Avedas said:


> I really like my 7 but I already barely ride the low end on it. I mostly play 6. Couldn't imagine having an 8 or more.


I was like you for years, then for some reason recently I said fuck it, let's try it. I absolutely adore 8 strings and just adore the amount of flexibility they had on it. I was able to play like 4 different bands songs in a row without even tuning up or down, just transposed to a different part of the neck. Its also fun to tune to E and loop a bass part in some loops, it's just so fun.


----------



## Thrawnsonic (Jan 31, 2022)

c7spheres said:


> - I've considered 8 before after I checked out an Aristides 080s because it was so much easier to play than something like an Ibby Rg 8 string, but 7 is enough for now.
> 
> - Anything below a drop G on a 25.5 and it becomes a problem, ime. I've tried that with as low as a 0.74 on the low string. I'm currently at Bb standard 432hz usig 0.70 on the low.
> - I tune to 432 and like it a lot. It feels better, imo, but it will get you eye rolling etc. - People that have tried it for any extended period also seem to like it. The main disadvantage is playing with anyone else that doesn't tune to it. - They don't know. After you play with it for a year you start having visions and supernatural things happen to you. jk. - The problem is few really want to give it a chance and the standard 440 is in place. - If you're playing a lot of covers or with others a lot and your guitar doesn't retune fast then maybe it's more pain than it's worth. - If you give it a chance, then once you go back to 440 it sounds nasal and annoying, like when you first try 432 it sounds a little flat and dull or soft. It's all in our heads, but I do know if you play at loud levels a lot it's noticably better over time. Less harsh on ears and somehow 'correct' sounding and feeling. At this point I think in studies all they've found is that it decreases blood pressure a small amount.


As for the whole 432 vs 440 Hz tuning thing.... I think it's down to habit. I forced a band I was playing in to tune to 432Hz for one album. Loved it. However, my old band had already released albums in standard tuning, and we had one in the works where the guitars were already recorded like that also. So I went back to 440 for the sake of convenience. Still, for a new album I might go back to 432 again. Making it very frustrating to play my own backlog haha


----------



## c7spheres (Jan 31, 2022)

Thrawnsonic said:


> As for the whole 432 vs 440 Hz tuning thing.... I think it's down to habit. I forced a band I was playing in to tune to 432Hz for one album. Loved it. However, my old band had already released albums in standard tuning, and we had one in the works where the guitars were already recorded like that also. So I went back to 440 for the sake of convenience. Still, for a new album I might go back to 432 again. Making it very frustrating to play my own backlog haha


 This is where the capo in AxeFxIII would work great. I don't have one but it looks like a nice feature. With one button push you could go back and forth probably. Seemed to work well from what I remember seeing in an Ola video once.


----------



## Wc707 (Jan 31, 2022)

I have 2 sixes [1 fixed, 1 floating] and 1 seven [fixed] and aside from learning Meshuggah, some Animals As Leaders, and a couple Periphery songs [specifically 22 Faces, my favorite] I feel pretty set. 
I want to get an 8 string and experiment, but that would require convincing my wife I need another guitar haha. 
I think they'd be a great songwriting tool.


----------



## High Plains Drifter (Jan 31, 2022)

Out of my fifteen electrics I only have two 7's atm. At one time I had maybe five but I'm cool with having only two these days. I've always considered getting an 8-string but never actively searched for one. Sadly, I'm also in the "Hey lemme just go and convince my wife real quick that we need another guitar in this house" category so I don't see it happening although I do think it would be fun to try... just can't justify getting one without knowing that I'd dig it long term.


----------



## Stiman (Jan 31, 2022)

Wc707 said:


> I have 2 sixes [1 fixed, 1 floating] and 1 seven [fixed] and aside from learning Meshuggah, some Animals As Leaders, and a couple Periphery songs [specifically 22 Faces, my favorite] I feel pretty set.
> I want to get an 8 string and experiment, but that would require convincing my wife I need another guitar haha.
> I think they'd be a great songwriting tool.



"Honey, I can't play these songs because I need a guitar with an extra string on it"
Easy sell.


----------



## Alberto7 (Feb 1, 2022)

I have a Carvin DC727 I ordered in 2010. Love the guitar, but something about the 7 string leaves me wanting more low range.

Fast forward 11 years and I finally got an 8 string. I do mindlessly riff some stupid low notes every now and again, just for teh lulz and because it's satisfying. But I really end up using the lowest string as an open string to fill space while playing chords or more ambient stuff. And to play Meshuggah. Meshuggah is always good to play. Currently I have it tuned half a step lower than standard and sometimes I'll drop the low F to a low Eb. On occasion I might also drop the low Bb to a low Ab, so I can match two low octaves.

By now, my Carvin, as much as I love it, doesn't really get played very often at all, unfortunately. Getting my 8 string almost made me feel like I don't need a 7 string anymore.

Turns out I'm a 6 string guy. I just play the extra range as a complement to my playing every now and again, so a 7 string almost feels incomplete to me now. Most of my playing really just happens on the upper 6 strings.


----------



## Daevasmodeus (Feb 1, 2022)

I just sold my last 7 String out of 4 that I owned and only have 6's and 8's now. I typically found myself playing my 7's like a 6 with an extra string that I didn't use very much. Whereas I'm way more inclined to play the lower strings on the 8s because they are 27"+ scale and the tone is significantly better. There's something more comfortable about the symmetry of an even number of strings. I also like thicker necks and surprisingly 7's seem to be the hardest of the 3 types to find thick necks.


----------



## Anquished (Feb 1, 2022)

Leaviathan said:


> How many of you 7 stringers never went beyond that? And have you been tempted to go up to 8? I've been eying a Kiesel Zeus 8 but I want to try different tunings on the 7 before I pull the trigger, starting with Drop A. I've always been a standard Low B player and always in 440, but recently I've gotten into more chunkier playing and a much heavier brand of metal than I'm used to. Has anyone tried 432 or lower tuning while still going a full step lower with the B string?



So I think of my 8 as two uses in one.

My main project is 7 string A standard, but I wanted to try some stuff back up in B AND also lower than A. 

So I bought an 8. Gives me the best of both worlds, I can play it as if it's a standard 7 string guitar and then mix in some low F# dirt if I fancy it. 

There's a lot of factors IMO which will make or break whether you get on with an 8 or not. Are you a rhythm focused player? Do you jump around the fretboard alot? Play many leads/solos? Etc. I found Schecter 8's very difficult to play with their 28" scales and neck shape, some chords down low were just super uncomfortable, whereas its just within reach on my 27" Ibanez.

I'm assuming the Zeus is a multiscale?


----------



## Anquished (Feb 1, 2022)

Whoops, double post.


----------



## Stiman (Feb 1, 2022)

This turned out to be a really cool thread. I love reading all the different responses. It's making me think about getting an 8 string.


----------



## Wc707 (Feb 1, 2022)

Stiman said:


> "Honey, I can't play these songs because I need a guitar with an extra string on it"
> Easy sell.


"Can't you just imagine the string is there?"


----------



## ixlramp (Feb 1, 2022)

Leaviathan said:


> Has anyone tried 432 or lower tuning while still going a full step lower with the B string?


A4 440Hz -> 432Hz is only a drop of 32 cents, does not even round up to a semitone, so a fairly insignificant drop in pitch.
I support using different fine shifts of 12TET though, an easy way to make music as a whole use all frequencies instead of only the usual 12.


----------



## AMOS (Feb 1, 2022)

Stiman said:


> This turned out to be a really cool thread. I love reading all the different responses. It's making me think about getting an 8 string.


I want one, but I'm not sure what. Probably a Schecter until I can afford the Kiesel I want.


----------



## tedtan (Feb 1, 2022)

All sixes and sevens here. If I need to go below drop A or A standard on a seven, I grab a bass.


----------



## CanserDYI (Feb 1, 2022)

tedtan said:


> All sixes and sevens here. If I need to go below drop A or A standard on a seven, I grab a bass.


But a bass doesnt sound like an 8 string guitar. At all.


----------



## tedtan (Feb 1, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> But a bass doesnt sound like an 8 string guitar. At all.



That’s the point.


----------



## WiseSplinter (Feb 2, 2022)

Took me a while to get into 8 strings. I think when I started using double drop tuning was when it clicked finally (EAEADGbe)
Now I'm very comfortable with it.


----------



## ZeroS1gnol (Feb 2, 2022)

I've been playing 7's for about 21 years and can tell you it's just the default guitar for me. A 6er is just a 7 string with a string missing, ha! I got myself an 8 string last year and I love it, but I find it to be tremendously impractical when it comes to writing with a bass guitar in mind. I have my 8 tuned to standard tuning, dropping the bass an octave down to F#0 just doesn't work IMO. So that leaves unison playing, perhaps tuning the bass to drop B. Again, very impractical, because that would in many cases also need the bass to transpose finger positioning in case you actually do want to double a riff an octave down. See what I mean? For this reason I try to keep my writing mostly on my 7.


----------



## AMOS (Feb 2, 2022)

I play bass and guitar and will probably just use a 4 string bass in songs that have 8 string in it.


----------



## lurè (Feb 2, 2022)

I like both my 7 and 8 and even more the fact that I tend to play slightly different things on both; it keeps the playing fresh and with a sense of purpose.

My only issue is that I want a 6 string.


----------



## Rei (Feb 11, 2022)

I love my 7's(I have four), and bought an 8 a few months ago and its pretty cool. I'm still navigating beyond drop E on it tho.


----------



## CanserDYI (Feb 11, 2022)

lurè said:


> I like both my 7 and 8 and even more the fact that I tend to play slightly different things on both; it keeps the playing fresh and with a sense of purpose.
> 
> My only issue is that I want a 6 string.


6 strings feel like toys to me now, they're so tiny!


----------



## noise in my mind (Feb 11, 2022)

I have an 8 Fanned Fret 27.5"-26" and three Baritone 27" 7 strings. I have had many 25.5" 7's but just couldn't get along with them.


----------



## NoodleFace (Feb 12, 2022)

I've toyed with the idea of an 8 string for the extra range but really unsure on it. I got into 7 strings maybe 20 years ago and never looked back, and maybe 8 strings would do that too. For me though,.I don't listen to any music on 8 strings (outside of archspire), so it's tough to justify.


----------



## trickae (Mar 30, 2022)

I never thought twice about it. To me, it's just another guitar.

Not all 7 strings gelled with me but most did.

I really enjoyed playing the Ibanez Universe (2000 model), Ibanez S7420 (my workhorse for years), Solar E1.7 and Solar E2.7. 

However, I played an Ibanez Jcustom 8527z which was by far the worst playing guitar I ever had, I couldn't vibe with it, neck felt like a bedpost, the mahagony body would put my leg to sleep. I hated playing it so I sold it. 

I tried a Mayones Duvell Qatsi 7 deluge, 25.5" scale neck, played a lot like an ibanez. Loved the wenge neck and thin body but I just couldn't enjoy playing it, nor did it inspire me to pick it up or write. 

I moved onto 8 strings recently and love playing them. I have a kiesel VM8 and a boden 8 and they both play incredibly well. My writing and playing style are very different on the 8 and I play it quite a lot. 

Looking back, I really enjoyed playing 7 and 8 strings and have no regrets. I recommend biting the bullet and giving them a try. if it's not for you, you can always sell or trade it.


----------



## technomancer (Mar 30, 2022)

I went from 6s to 7s then played 8s for a bit to try them out. Not my thing and never really got a tone I was satisfied with on an 8. At this point I am back to mainly six strings but still occasionally play 7s.


----------



## SCJR (Mar 30, 2022)

If I had a set of meat hooks for hands I'd probably have owned an 8 string by now. But my hands are on the smaller/average side and a 7 is as far as I'll go. 

That being said I don't think I'm missing anything by not using an 8 string as there is nothing musically that I could think of that I would like to accomplish with one. I've learned a couple of Animals as Leaders songs where I just transposed a bit and made it work on the 7.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 30, 2022)

I don't own a 7. I have a 6 and an 8. At this point, my 8 feels more like home, but I use the 6 more often because it fits in my band better. At home, I'm playing 8 string.


----------



## jco5055 (Mar 30, 2022)

For me, since 2010 (when I was 19 and got my first 7) I've been a 7 string player for at least 90+% of the time. I've since had patches of going back to 6 strings, once being for a month or so in the summer of 2020 and now since around October or so til now. Even recently I've been debating going back to 7s mainly...I think I may personally just look at the songs I've written and pick out what's imo the 5 best or so and see if they used the 7 cleverly or not.

I mainly went back to 6s because 1) as I get lessons consistently, my teachers have all been 6 string players so the 7 string gets ignored, and with learning theory/scales/chords etc I have enough on my plate learning it all for 6 strings and 2)I've tried from a songwriting standpoint to be more unique by not being able to rely on the 7th string to get heavy, and instead sometimes playing riffs in higher registers than most would expect. Not to mention I feel sometimes with 7s I play stuff that a bassist could handle, but since I'm writing alone I inherently try to do everything.

However, I also like the idea of 7s in terms of like when a lot of non-extended range players will be like "I've never heard 7 strings used uniquely/for more than chugging" and I have even written pop songs with my 7, so I kinda like that being my unique identity also, like my quasi dream would be to be the impetus for 7s being known for more than just metal or jazz haha.

8s are just too much for me, it's way too much in terms of width and stuff where playing 6 string guitar stuff seems much more uncomfortable, as well as tons of 8 string players don't have bassists but I like bassists.


----------



## jco5055 (Mar 30, 2022)

Thaeon said:


> I don't own a 7. I have a 6 and an 8. At this point, my 8 feels more like home, but I use the 6 more often because it fits in my band better. At home, I'm playing 8 string.


I don't think you are doing it (though please correct me if I'm wrong) but I find it interesting that a lot of traditional 6 string players, especially Jazz/Fusion guys like Guthrie, Holdsworth, Mattias ia Eklundh who are very theory reliant instead of just being like "this riff with 7 strings sounds heavy and cool", seem to jump straight to 8 strings and don't like 7s at all for whatever reason.


----------



## kmanick (Mar 30, 2022)

Nope 7 is plenty low for me. I love playing my 7's but I don't really get to use them with my band, to me at this stage of my life they are just fun "toys" that i noodle on at home.
No need for a 7 string in a classic rock "dad band" which is what I'm currently in............................. sadly LOL!


----------



## Koldunya (Mar 30, 2022)

I am very happy with my SC-607. I love the lavender purple color, it feels great in my hand (I'm wearing the satin on the back of the neck to a gloss lol), and the 27" scale length really seems to work for it. I see people on YouTube with 7-strings that look really "fat/wide" on the neck and for whatever reason, this just looks like a normal guitar almost. Maybe that inch and a half stretch is the difference and makes the taper to the nut less severe. I dunno.

I have an 8-string that while I don't plant to get rid of it, I don't see myself buying another 8. I do see myself buying another SC-607. I would put the white Abasi set in it, and switch out the knobs, switch cap, and tuner buttons to white, too.

I have it tuned to baritone standard with an extra upper string vs the usual E standard with a lower string. Then I drop it to A with a .064 string and it just feels/plays perfect to me. It's a standard 10s-46 EB set on there atm with the .064 I had. When those wear out I have a custom/tweaked Stringjoy set on there to account for the differing tensions, which will be .010 .0135 .018 .026 .036 .048 .064


----------



## sleep51 (Mar 30, 2022)

I owned several Ibanez 8s( 2228, RGA8 and an RG8) and they never clicked at all so I resigned myself to playing my downtuned JP6, CU24 and fenders, accepting I wasn’t an ERG guy. I got my Larada 8 in January and I haven’t touched any of my other guitars since. The larada design trumps any other extended range instrument to me in terms of playability, and after a month or so of adjustment I find it easier to play 6 string stuff on it now than it is on a 6 which is kinda funny. Sometimes you just need to find the one that feels right in your hands.


----------



## Werecow (Mar 30, 2022)

AMOS said:


> How many of you 7 stringers never went beyond that? And have you been tempted to go up to 8? I've been eying a Kiesel Zeus 8 but I want to try different tunings on the 7 before I pull the trigger, starting with Drop A. I've always been a standard Low B player and always in 440, but recently I've gotten into more chunkier playing and a much heavier brand of metal than I'm used to. Has anyone tried 432 or lower tuning while still going a full step lower with the B string?


I've never liked a single song i've heard played on an 8. I hate the buzzy sound that comes from that overly bright (Fortin 33 type) tone needed to make it work, and making that tone even worse is that a lot of the music is played on single strings for i guess the same reason. So i've had zero temptation.


----------



## dspellman (Mar 30, 2022)

AMOS said:


> How many of you 7 stringers never went beyond that? And have you been tempted to go up to 8? I've been eying a Kiesel Zeus 8 but I want to try different tunings on the 7 before I pull the trigger, starting with Drop A. I've always been a standard Low B player and always in 440, but recently I've gotten into more chunkier playing and a much heavier brand of metal than I'm used to. Has anyone tried 432 or lower tuning while still going a full step lower with the B string?


I don't like my 7-string, but mostly because it's heavy and clunky. I *will* go to eight strings (just because), but it'll be a headless, which means that it will be a LOT lighter and a lot shorter than my current 7. I'm never going to screw with 432. 

I have a pair of Line 6 Variax JTV-89Fs, and the built in firmware will allow me to select tunings down to an octave below standard, while never changing the actual string tension. What comes out of the amp is downtuned, but not the actual guitar. I decided long ago that it was nonsense to have a rack of guitars for each tuning. I'll leave that to the Goo Goo Dolls.


----------



## Giest (Mar 30, 2022)

This is going to sound super opinionated and I don't mean to come off that way, but here it is. All of the 8 strings I have played, which is about six, sounded like doo doo to me. That 8th string just doesn't have the bite and clarity I want, it's 100% a tonal thing for me. Without some good production work or a specialized rig I just can't jive with it.

I don't feel like I'm missing much creatively sticking to seven strings, I mean it's basically like adding four extra letters to the alphabet for a writer. Would it be nice if it worked for me? Sure. Sadly as I stated to my ears it just sounds like a persistent typo more often than not. I like a lot of eight string music, but it's not worth the squeeze for me personally.

As far as six strings they're basically a waste of wood in my eyes, haven't owned one in maybe 10 years at this point.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 30, 2022)

jco5055 said:


> I don't think you are doing it (though please correct me if I'm wrong) but I find it interesting that a lot of traditional 6 string players, especially Jazz/Fusion guys like Guthrie, Holdsworth, Mattias ia Eklundh who are very theory reliant instead of just being like "this riff with 7 strings sounds heavy and cool", seem to jump straight to 8 strings and don't like 7s at all for whatever reason.



I don't think I understand your meaning. Doing what? If you mean my band, I compose plenty with my 8. Almost always actually, and then have to transpose to 6 because I'm the only person with that range, and the other players don't know theory or how to play based on key, etc. So, my 6 gets all the on stage and band practice use. But almost never at home.

I've owned a 7. It was okay. But I prefer a 6 or 8.


----------



## jco5055 (Mar 30, 2022)

Thaeon said:


> I don't think I understand your meaning. Doing what? If you mean my band, I compose plenty with my 8. Almost always actually, and then have to transpose to 6 because I'm the only person with that range, and the other players don't know theory or how to play based on key, etc. So, my 6 gets all the on stage and band practice use. But almost never at home.
> 
> I've owned a 7. It was okay. But I prefer a 6 or 8.


Sorry for not clarifying, but I meant that the fact you are a 6 and 8 (not 7) player, I assumed your reason for not playing 7s were the same as the guys I mention, where it seems for a lot of theory-minded guys they can't understand why one would go with 7 strings, but for some reason 8 strings makes sense. I assumed for you it was more just a "when I want more than 6 strings 7 doesn't go low enough" kinda thing.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 30, 2022)

Is it just me or is drop A "not low enough" for you guys? Like in my ear I have become so accustomed to downtuned music that a drop A power chord on my 7 sound like E standard did 10 years ago, and E standard sounds like alvin and the chipmunks?


----------



## bostjan (Mar 30, 2022)

Why would the default progression be 6 - 7 - 8?

We don't start students out on 1 string guitars, do we?

I started playing in bands with other neighbourhood kids back when there was only one well-known guitarist associated with seven strings. I knew very little about Steve Vai back then, but I still wanted a seven string, because it was one more than a six string, and I loved the heaviness I heard from chords with inverted bass structure (for example: C/G, A/E, D/F#, etc.) and thought that bigger chords with even lower inverted bass notes would sound better. Honestly, I was wrong about that, since anything below D starts to get muddy and the inverted notes cause more noticeable beats, which is distracting. But, once I actually had a seven string, I just loved the certain things I could do, like:
1. Chug
2. Extend scales lower without awkward fingering
3. Extend scales higher without having to shift fingering mid-scale
4. Play bigger arpeggios
5. Play a huge D major chord
6. (most important of all) Pinch harmonics on that big fat string sounded so juicy.

Before I even had a seven string, I had rationalized that my hand (which is not big by any measure) should be able to handle 8 strings comfortably and without much alteration of technique. Once I had a seven string, I was even more convinced of that. At that time, I was not aware of any single-course eight string in existence. I figured that, since the seven string went lower, an eight string would probably go higher, so I grabbed an extra seven string guitar and tuned it up. Eventually, I got my Oni 8 string, and acclimated to the high A. Now I rely on it at times and feel lost without it. Only a couple of other guitarists bothered with the high A. There are even tons of threads here debating whether or not it's possible to even tune that high with a standard scale guitar (I'd argue that it is, but it might not be practical for most players). But whatever, you can tune down to D standard and a high G is no problem. But, since I went an oddball direction, I'm a bit stuck if I want a cheap backup guitar, since there are virtually no 8 strings with 25.5" scale for setting up to tune A1 to G4.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 30, 2022)

jco5055 said:


> Sorry for not clarifying, but I meant that the fact you are a 6 and 8 (not 7) player, I assumed your reason for not playing 7s were the same as the guys I mention, where it seems for a lot of theory-minded guys they can't understand why one would go with 7 strings, but for some reason 8 strings makes sense. I assumed for you it was more just a "when I want more than 6 strings 7 doesn't go low enough" kinda thing.


Nah, I have a degree in contemporary guitar performance. Its not a not low enough thing. Chord shapes on a 7 are a little more awkward than on an 8. I drop tune the F# to E and leave the rest alone. It gives me a lot of space to stretch voicings out or do really wide intervals. Something about the 7 felt awkward. 8 feels more natural to play to me for some reason.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 30, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Why would the default progression be 6 - 7 - 8?
> 
> We don't start students out on 1 string guitars, do we?
> 
> ...




I invert the chords sometimes with a three or a six in the bass on my Oni. Its ugly, but I like it that way. I'm not always trying to make it pretty or sit well.


----------



## bostjan (Mar 30, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Is it just me or is drop A "not low enough" for you guys? Like in my ear I have become so accustomed to downtuned music that a drop A power chord on my 7 sound like E standard did 10 years ago, and E standard sounds like alvin and the chipmunks?


I mean, you could get a bass VI and tune it as low or even lower than an 8 string, so IDK if that is really an eight string thing.

But I know what you're saying. I'm desensitized as well. There are, however, plenty of bands/guitarists tuning to E standard or drop D that sound really heavy. For example, Dillinger Escape Plan always sounded heavy as hell to me, and I don't believe they ever tuned lower than that. I've seen a few local bands that tune drop C and actually don't sound any heavier than classic Metallica. It all depends on what you are playing in that tuning, what kind of tone you are going for, and, maybe most of all, what your drummer is doing.

My guitar collection is kind of all over the place with tunings at the moment. I have a 6 string I keep tuned *up* to G standard (G2CFBbDG4) which I really love. It's like a guitar with a capo on the third fret, but the extra tension makes it sound nice and shimmery.


----------



## AMOS (Mar 30, 2022)

I might go from a 7 to a 9, I play bass too so it wouldn't be that new to me


----------



## Voodoo Marshall (Mar 30, 2022)

8s I've played just felt really awkward, neck width, gauges, nope, did not care for it. I might consider a 7 with a 27" scale to drop really low but right now 26.5" scale is fine for what I'm doing with lowest being drop A flat (for when playing with 6-string parts tuned to E flat). Also, magic of the studio...I took a standard B tuning riff and dropped whole tuning to really low E. Didn't sound completely natural but actually was kind of cool. A Meshuggah low.


----------



## Alberto7 (Mar 30, 2022)

I have a 7, a few 6s, and one 8. I find myself never reaching for my 7 just because I can play anything I play on a 7 on an 8 string all the same. However, playing 6 string music on an 8 turns a bit awkward for me. I have a lot more strings to worry about, even though 2 of them never get played.

My main issue with an 8 is that I still haven't really found a distorted tone I truly like on both the low and the high strings. It's just so difficult to dial in an 8 string properly. However, dialing a nice clean tone isn't bad at all, and I do play clean quite a bit, so end up reaching for my 8 a lot.

I'm thinking if I had a slightly longer scale (29 or 30") I could get away with using a thinner gauge for the 8th string that could sound ever so slightly more "guitar like". Until then, I'll be trying to figure out how to get a better tone with the tools I've got.


----------



## odibrom (Mar 30, 2022)

Alberto7 said:


> I have a 7, a few 6s, and one 8. I find myself never reaching for my 7 just because I can play anything I play on a 7 on an 8 string all the same. However, playing 6 string music on an 8 turns a bit awkward for me. I have a lot more strings to worry about, even though 2 of them never get played.
> 
> My main issue with an 8 is that I still haven't really found a distorted tone I truly like on both the low and the high strings. It's just so difficult to dial in an 8 string properly. However, dialing a nice clean tone isn't bad at all, and I do play clean quite a bit, so end up reaching for my 8 a lot.
> 
> I'm thinking if I had a slightly longer scale (29 or 30") I could get away with using a thinner gauge for the 8th string that could sound ever so slightly more "guitar like". Until then, I'll be trying to figure out how to get a better tone with the tools I've got.


One has to dial down the Gain / Drive (distortion) and Bass levels when using ERGs. And keep in mind that when going for really dirt tones, avoid power chord (or any chord actually) chugging, it will sound super muddy and undefined, even with the bass EQ cut down to almost nothing. Single string chugging is where it's at. Another possibility is to use digital tools to change EQ settings according to note range. I've used this pitch detection tool in my G-Force to manage FXs parameters... It's interesting because the FX sound changes as you progress in the guitar range...


----------



## Asphalt driver (Mar 30, 2022)

Nag said:


> I'm good with 7. I'm good with 6, really, but 7 is fun for some things. 8 strings... meh. I considered it very briefly when they were getting popular but it would have been "mostly for the lulz", honestly.
> 
> I barely listen to any 7-string stuff... most of it is like, prog, djent, -core, tech death, and I don't like any of those genres. Very few bands I care about have made 7-string music I actually like, but I did practice those few riffs when I first got my 7 though, just to have something to help me get used to the instrument. Now I could just write my own music for a 7-string guitar, and I have written a few things, but the vast majority of the time, I just prefer a 6-string. The "logistics" of how my brain approaches a 6 vs a 7 are just different, and I'm way more at home on a 6, even after owning and using a 7 for 10 years. Recently, I've noticed that I _really_ struggle writing music with the 7 in a dropped tuning, I don't know why.
> 
> ...


I‘m a djent guy, so I like some eight string tunings, but I usually find plenty of creativity within seven and sometimes six strings


----------



## SCJR (Mar 31, 2022)

Just woke up from a dream that I tried someone's 8 string a loved it lol. 

Maybe I'd take the leap but I'm not really interested in anything past the 26.25" on the low side of what I'm playing now. That's actually the biggest dealbreaker. I never was much interested in going past 25.5" in the first place.


----------



## CanserDYI (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> I mean, you could get a bass VI and tune it as low or even lower than an 8 string, so IDK if that is really an eight string thing.
> 
> But I know what you're saying. I'm desensitized as well. There are, however, plenty of bands/guitarists tuning to E standard or drop D that sound really heavy. For example, Dillinger Escape Plan always sounded heavy as hell to me, and I don't believe they ever tuned lower than that. I've seen a few local bands that tune drop C and actually don't sound any heavier than classic Metallica. It all depends on what you are playing in that tuning, what kind of tone you are going for, and, maybe most of all, what your drummer is doing.
> 
> My guitar collection is kind of all over the place with tunings at the moment. I have a 6 string I keep tuned *up* to G standard (G2CFBbDG4) which I really love. It's like a guitar with a capo on the third fret, but the extra tension makes it sound nice and shimmery.


Oh I meant I feel this after switching to baritones/8 strings with drop E, A1 just sounds like it needs to go lower lol


----------



## Alberto7 (Mar 31, 2022)

odibrom said:


> One has to dial down the Gain / Drive (distortion) and Bass levels when using ERGs. And keep in mind that when going for really dirt tones, avoid power chord (or any chord actually) chugging, it will sound super muddy and undefined, even with the bass EQ cut down to almost nothing. Single string chugging is where it's at. Another possibility is to use digital tools to change EQ settings according to note range. I've used this pitch detection tool in my G-Force to manage FXs parameters... It's interesting because the FX sound changes as you progress in the guitar range...


Yeah, those are exactly the things that bring out clarity. Problem is, I'm kinda sick of hearing that tone everywhere all the time  that may bring out clarity in the low notes, but it makes the top register sound brittle as hell. And it isn't like I chug the 8th string all the time either, so these days I've been experimenting a bit with sacrificing some clarity on lower notes for the sake of a sweeter tone. Also playing with individual frequencies that may accentuate the fundamentals of the lower strings while keeping things warm all across the board.

Now that pitch detection tool you mention sounds interesting! It never occurred to me that that was a thing, but it makes sense. I can't imagine it working super well or very fluidly, but I'll investigate and give it a shot. Thanks for the tip!


----------



## bostjan (Mar 31, 2022)

SCJR said:


> Maybe I'd take the leap but I'm not really interested in anything past the 26.25" on the low side of what I'm playing now. That's actually the biggest dealbreaker. I never was much interested in going past 25.5" in the first place.


Why not? You got a problem with bass guitars, bro? 

In all seriousness, though, I adamantly think that a good portion of people who are against extended scale probably formulated that opinion after playing poorly designed instruments. It's really, honestly, not at all uncomfortable to play an extended scale instrument that is properly balanced and takes ergonomics into account. But a lot of long scale guitar manufacturers just slap a longer neck onto the same body that worked at 25.5" and call it a job well done.

OTOH, if you try a decent baritone guitar out and don't think it adds anything to your experience, then stick with what works for you.


----------



## Thaeon (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Why not? You got a problem with bass guitars, bro?
> 
> In all seriousness, though, I adamantly think that a good portion of people who are against extended scale probably formulated that opinion after playing poorly designed instruments. It's really, honestly, not at all uncomfortable to play an extended scale instrument that is properly balanced and takes ergonomics into account. But a lot of long scale guitar manufacturers just slap a longer neck onto the same body that worked at 25.5" and call it a job well done.
> 
> OTOH, if you try a decent baritone guitar out and don't think it adds anything to your experience, then stick with what works for you.




This. My Oni is actually easier to play than my 25.5" scale 6 string Suhr. It's all about the design and how the human relationship to the instrument is factored in.


----------



## Kyle Jordan (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Why not? You got a problem with bass guitars, bro?
> 
> In all seriousness, though, I adamantly think that a good portion of people who are against extended scale probably formulated that opinion after playing poorly designed instruments. It's really, honestly, not at all uncomfortable to play an extended scale instrument that is properly balanced and takes ergonomics into account. But a lot of long scale guitar manufacturers just slap a longer neck onto the same body that worked at 25.5" and call it a job well done.
> 
> OTOH, if you try a decent baritone guitar out and don't think it adds anything to your experience, then stick with what works for you.



Very much this. And I just discovered how true this can be recently. 

I love my Ibanez S8 and it had the best neck I had played for a long while and still has one of the best necks in my book. But as stated above, Ibanez just slapped a larger neck and a longer scale on the S body and called it done, which lead to my major complaint with the guitar and it's terrible upper fret access. I still loved the way the body felt and sat on me, but that was a problem. 

Getting my Aristides just showed how poor that choice was on Ibanez's part. The 080 isn't an ergonomic design, but it's a much better thought out design and it really shows that. The damn guitar plays better and easier than my 6 string USA Soloists. My only real, yet minor complaint is the weight. And even with that, it's only about .75 pounds heavier than my black Soloist. 

I think it was Rob Scallon that talked about 8 string being not too old and makers still figuring things out. I think that over the years, I've changed the way I think of the guitar as well. I think of and approach an 8 string as a slightly different instrument because I feel there are enough changes that warrant a slightly different treatment. 

Not really sure how this could be addressed to make the better options available to be tried by players sadly.


----------



## Drew (Mar 31, 2022)

So, I play my 6s more than my 7s these days, so maybe I'm not the best example. 

But, from a pure "does it work musically" standpoint, 8s are tough. You CAN get some cool sounds out of a guitar tuned that low, but to make it work clarity and impact really become the priorities, which means you're probably giving up something even for rhythm playing up a string or two, much less the treble strings. It's just really tough to balance the requirements for getting a usable tone out of a low F# or E, and the upper registers of the guitar. At that point, for distorted playing, I kinda feel like you're better off more often than not just tuning down, unless you're able to switch patches from a low-B and F# riffing tone that will sound thin everywhere else, and then a moree midrangey, more saturated tone for lead playing elsewhere on the neck, and just accept the fact that your lowest notes are going to be flubby and undefined. 

Clean? Different story. If I had any aptitude for touchstyle playing or Charlie Hunter style "juggling multiple parts fingerstyle," I'd probably own one.


----------



## SCJR (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Why not? You got a problem with bass guitars, bro?
> 
> In all seriousness, though, I adamantly think that a good portion of people who are against extended scale probably formulated that opinion after playing poorly designed instruments. It's really, honestly, not at all uncomfortable to play an extended scale instrument that is properly balanced and takes ergonomics into account. But a lot of long scale guitar manufacturers just slap a longer neck onto the same body that worked at 25.5" and call it a job well done.
> 
> OTOH, if you try a decent baritone guitar out and don't think it adds anything to your experience, then stick with what works for you.



Definitely agree that the first 8 strings I ever picked up were the low end Jackson/Ibanez offerings you would find at most GC's and the like and they did absolutely nothing to sell me on them. Very fair point.

I don't own a bass currently, had but sold a Dan Briggs sig that I sometimes still wish I had around. I think the reason I was never bothered by the bass scale was that I never played anything beyond dyad shapes if I was ever playing more than single notes. Getting around on that scale length for that purpose, speed and technique-wise, was never an issue. These days I just get by with GroveBass.

For me the increased scale length becomes a problem when I'm stretching to play certain shapes and extensions. Especially when in the lower registers. Few years back I broke my left hand in three places and a tendon healed hyperextended over the bone from my thumb into my inner palm. That paired with the repetitive stress of my day job has made me pretty careful about those things and I forced my technique into the classical position. It's forced me to be super picky about neck shapes as well, especially regarding the shoulders. 

The only way to know would be to try a well-designed ERG in that range over a decent sample size of time. That paired with not having anything musically driving me to the extra range tends to kill the situation before it even starts. Though I once said that about 7's so I know anything is still possible.


----------



## bostjan (Mar 31, 2022)

Drew said:


> So, I play my 6s more than my 7s these days, so maybe I'm not the best example.
> 
> But, from a pure "does it work musically" standpoint, 8s are tough. You CAN get some cool sounds out of a guitar tuned that low, but to make it work clarity and impact really become the priorities, which means you're probably giving up something even for rhythm playing up a string or two, much less the treble strings. It's just really tough to balance the requirements for getting a usable tone out of a low F# or E, and the upper registers of the guitar. At that point, for distorted playing, I kinda feel like you're better off more often than not just tuning down, unless you're able to switch patches from a low-B and F# riffing tone that will sound thin everywhere else, and then a moree midrangey, more saturated tone for lead playing elsewhere on the neck, and just accept the fact that your lowest notes are going to be flubby and undefined.
> 
> Clean? Different story. If I had any aptitude for touchstyle playing or Charlie Hunter style "juggling multiple parts fingerstyle," I'd probably own one.


I hardly play my 6's, but otherwise, I feel exactly the same way. I've never earnestly tried to get a decent distorted tone on a low F# for more than a few minutes, but it seemed hopeless to me. Stock strings on those are really noodley and even cutting the lows until there was nothing left sounded muddy to me. I've done low F at 29.75", but never with a ton of gain and not going for a metal tone per se. But I think that there are tons of really nice musical applications outside of those tones, and obviously there are a lot of guitarists in professional bands tuning super low on fairly short scale instruments and people love it.



SCJR said:


> Definitely agree that the first 8 strings I ever picked up were the low end Jackson/Ibanez offerings you would find at most GC's and the like and they did absolutely nothing to sell me on them. Very fair point.
> 
> I don't own a bass currently, had but sold a Dan Briggs sig that I sometimes still wish I had around. I think the reason I was never bothered by the bass scale was that I never played anything beyond dyad shapes if I was ever playing more than single notes. Getting around on that scale length for that purpose, speed and technique-wise, was never an issue. These days I just get by with GroveBass.
> 
> ...


Haha I was just kidding with you. But I think the cheap Ibanez and Jackson guitars are just starting to get a handle on this. It might be exciting to see where we are at in 5 years, if the supply chain doesn't totally crumble apart before that. I'd love to see more thought put into this for bass as well, but that's much more of an uphill battle.


----------



## Drew (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> I hardly play my 6's, but otherwise, I feel exactly the same way. I've never earnestly tried to get a decent distorted tone on a low F# for more than a few minutes, but it seemed hopeless to me. Stock strings on those are really noodley and even cutting the lows until there was nothing left sounded muddy to me. I've done low F at 29.75", but never with a ton of gain and not going for a metal tone per se. But I think that there are tons of really nice musical applications outside of those tones, and obviously there are a lot of guitarists in professional bands tuning super low on fairly short scale instruments and people love it.


Yeah, I mean it absolutely can be done, but the things you have to do to make notes that low sound articulate are going to involve some HUGE compromises for much of the rest of the typical guitar register. At that point, unless you're juggling very distinct parts within the same song and going back and forth from parts with a very "normal guitar" sound and parts with a very "low tuned guitar" sound - say, a super low tuned riff/chorus, and then a normal solo section entirely within the normal guitar range, and you can use two different patches or channels to make it work - I think you're better off just detuning a six or a seven because it's awfully hard to keep the upper registers sounding good while the lower registers aren't mush. 

If I had a couple years of free time and nothing else to do, I'd buy an 8 and work on clean-toned touchstyle or fingerstyle stuff, because I think it has a lot of potential for that kind of stuff. but the sheer range of an 8 poses some huge amplification challenges.


----------



## bostjan (Mar 31, 2022)

Drew said:


> Yeah, I mean it absolutely can be done, but the things you have to do to make notes that low sound articulate are going to involve some HUGE compromises for much of the rest of the typical guitar register. At that point, unless you're juggling very distinct parts within the same song and going back and forth from parts with a very "normal guitar" sound and parts with a very "low tuned guitar" sound - say, a super low tuned riff/chorus, and then a normal solo section entirely within the normal guitar range, and you can use two different patches or channels to make it work - I think you're better off just detuning a six or a seven because it's awfully hard to keep the upper registers sounding good while the lower registers aren't mush.
> 
> If I had a couple years of free time and nothing else to do, I'd buy an 8 and work on clean-toned touchstyle or fingerstyle stuff, because I think it has a lot of potential for that kind of stuff. but the sheer range of an 8 poses some huge amplification challenges.


Get an eight and tune it up a minor third! ADGCFBbDG or drop the third string and make like a lute/guitar hybrid: ADGCFADG. 0.007s. (0.008s if you like more tension). The tuning works great for classical, rock, metal, whatever. The low A is pretty chunky but not flub city and the high G gets you some nice chord shapes and allows you to economize left hand position motion for leads. If that's too boring, drop the high G to F and you get some cool piano-like voicings in bar chords. Tons of range. With the new mass-produced multiscale 8's (Jackson, Ibanez, etc.), this is even more doable than ever before.


----------



## Drew (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Get an eight and tune it up a minor third! ADGCFBbDG or drop the third string and make like a lute/guitar hybrid: ADGCFADG. 0.007s. (0.008s if you like more tension). The tuning works great for classical, rock, metal, whatever. The low A is pretty chunky but not flub city and the high G gets you some nice chord shapes and allows you to economize left hand position motion for leads. If that's too boring, drop the high G to F and you get some cool piano-like voicings in bar chords. Tons of range. With the new mass-produced multiscale 8's (Jackson, Ibanez, etc.), this is even more doable than ever before.


Eh I have too many guitars as it is.  That does make more sense to me and would seem to minimize some of the sacrifices though.


----------



## bostjan (Mar 31, 2022)

Drew said:


> Eh I have too many guitars as it is.  That does make more sense to me and would seem to minimize some of the sacrifices though.


"Too many guitars?!"


----------



## AMOS (Mar 31, 2022)

SCJR said:


> Just woke up from a dream that I tried someone's 8 string a loved it lol.
> 
> Maybe I'd take the leap but I'm not really interested in anything past the 26.25" on the low side of what I'm playing now. That's actually the biggest dealbreaker. I never was much interested in going past 25.5" in the first place.


My Schecter 7 string feels pretty comfy to me, which is a 26.5" even when going from my Schecter 6 string. They're both Damien's with original Floyd Rose.


----------



## SCJR (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Haha I was just kidding with you. But I think the cheap Ibanez and Jackson guitars are just starting to get a handle on this. It might be exciting to see where we are at in 5 years, if the supply chain doesn't totally crumble apart before that. I'd love to see more thought put into this for bass as well, but that's much more of an uphill battle.



Yeah and I'm going back to about 2012/13 being the first time I picked one up in a store. My instinct would be something like a Boden 8 as a workaround but I've heard people say Strandberg 8's are basically an uncomfortable 2x4 of a neck but I've never seen one in person.

Too bad the Abasi guitars are in the state they're in. The neck pattern could be a big step in the right direction if it's as comfortable as others have said.

This dude's hands are hardly frying pans and he gets around on 8/9's pretty fucking good lol so I guess when there's a will there's a way.



Edit: Aristides might have to be my next 6 string.


----------



## Emperoff (Mar 31, 2022)

bostjan said:


> "Too many guitars?!"



Never heard about it. Is it some sort of an acquired syndrome?


----------



## teamSKDM (Mar 31, 2022)

I used to be a part of the never ending cycle of trading 6 for 7 for 8 and back and forth, until i realized i just need to own all of them to stop the habit I was stuck in. now i cant imagine not having a 6 a 7 or an 8 . I need all 3 now , not just one. that being said my current 7 of choice is my 97 rg7620


----------



## MetalheadMC (Apr 1, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Is it just me or is drop A "not low enough" for you guys? Like in my ear I have become so accustomed to downtuned music that a drop A power chord on my 7 sound like E standard did 10 years ago, and E standard sounds like alvin and the chipmunks?


Definitely doesn't sound low enough after having my Schecter 7 in drop E for some time now. Tuning up to drop A doesn't have a good sound or feel really. However, I'm willing to bet in my case it's due to the thicker strings I have on there to make the lower tuning work.

Same happened on my 8 once I installed the Lundgrens. Having it in standard was not fun due to the excess tension, Dropping it half a step made a massive difference.


----------



## CanserDYI (Apr 1, 2022)

MetalheadMC said:


> Definitely doesn't sound low enough after having my Schecter 7 in drop E for some time now. Tuning up to drop A doesn't have a good sound or feel really. However, I'm willing to bet in my case it's due to the thicker strings I have on there to make the lower tuning work.
> 
> Same happened on my 8 once I installed the Lundgrens. Having it in standard was not fun due to the excess tension, Dropping it half a step made a massive difference.


Jesus what strings do you have on there ?? I can't think of any guage I'd feel comfortable with tuning to both of those notes lol I use an .085 for my E1 on my 8 string, and a .068 for A1 on my 7, an .085 tuned to A1 would be like 30 pounds of tension lol


----------



## MetalheadMC (Apr 1, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Jesus what strings do you have on there ?? I can't think of any guage I'd feel comfortable with tuning to both of those notes lol I use an .085 for my E1 on my 8 string, and a .068 for A1 on my 7, an .085 tuned to A1 would be like 30 pounds of tension lol


My 8 is the same as yours with the .085. My 7 has a 74 tuned down to E1. That's the one I tried tuning up to A. It worked, but I was waiting for something to snap.


----------



## Eyelessfiend (Apr 1, 2022)

In terms of 7s I have four of them and love them. They were my main guitars for everything. But these days I find a 6 string baritone is more what I prefer. Especially live. My 6s aren't as heavy and are a bit easier to get strings for. I write more on my 7s when I'm practicing but I have a 8. The 8 is fun and I mainly have it to play Josh Travis stuff but not much else yet. I just view all of em as different instruments for different uses.


----------



## Drew (Apr 1, 2022)

bostjan said:


> "Too many guitars?!"


I've run out of wall space.


----------



## Giest (Apr 1, 2022)

Interesting discussions on baritones here. I never had a baritone but I've had a 25-27" multiscale I played for a few years then eventually put it down in favor of standard 25.5" and under. There were a few riffs that gave me hell on the low B at 27", but on a 25.5" they are much less fatiguing to me. It's not a huge difference, but I definitely don't miss the longer scale physically. Personally I also struggle to justify the tone of a longer scale when I don't go below drop A on the low B. For me the juice isn't worth the squeeze, granted it's really only one personal point of insight on the matter.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Apr 1, 2022)

I have my 7 in my avatar and my baritone tele.
They both suit me just fine. I will often offset guitar 1 on the left with rhythm track for guitar 2 on the right by making guitar 2 the baritone. Something about the longer scale and the single coil EMG’s that make it stand out nicely from the 7.. When using my 6-er, it’s my TFS6 for guitar 1 on the left as it is my primary guitar in 24.75” scale,and the Ibby becomes guitar 2 as it is a 25.5” scale. I prefer each rhythm guitar to be a different scale length from one another.


----------



## MrWulf (Apr 2, 2022)

Yes, because to me downtuning below A is just excessive. Nevermind all the C-1 people who somehow think thats "heavy"


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Apr 2, 2022)

I tried my Bari-Tele in drop A once, even with the single coil, it lacked clarity and felt like there is really no room for a bass player once you’re that low, and I have a very good bass player that I want to hear.


----------



## Taylord (Apr 3, 2022)

If you want to record with an 8, then you've gotta sort out getting the bass to go that low. I'm sure it becomes more challenging to mix as well but just seems like a lot of work to get it going.


----------



## MetalheadMC (Apr 3, 2022)

Taylord said:


> If you want to record with an 8, then you've gotta sort out getting the bass to go that low. I'm sure it becomes more challenging to mix as well but just seems like a lot of work to get it going.


Hasn't been that bad ime. Having my 8 tuned to drop E, and my 4 string bass in standard, I put a pitch shift on the bass track, and lowered it an octave.

I do the same to match my bass with my 7 string, but it's only dropped a few semitones in that case.


----------



## Go To Bed Jessica (Apr 4, 2022)

I went right from playing 6 strings to 8 strings. Bit of an adjustment period, but not too bad. I can happily play either and switch between them with mnimal drama.

So I thought I should buy a 7 to bridge the gap, or... something.

I ended up buying an Ormbsy HypeGTR. Lovely instrument. I loved the neck, liked the multiscale, didn't mind (although didn't love) the pickups. Could. Not. Get to grips with playing 7 strings. My brain can handle 4, 6 or 8 strings with no real drama - but it just can't deal with 7 strings. 

I persisted for about a year before I gave up and sold it. No regrets.


----------



## Thaeon (Apr 4, 2022)

Go To Bed Jessica said:


> I went right from playing 6 strings to 8 strings. Bit of an adjustment period, but not too bad. I can happily play either and switch between them with mnimal drama.
> 
> So I thought I should buy a 7 to bridge the gap, or... something.
> 
> ...




I had a Japanese made Ibanez Universe. I loved it. Was a great guitar. But after I got the 8 string it just felt weird. I know that may be a bit bizarre, but I sold it. I miss the guitar, but that's really just because I really liked its aesthetic and it sounded absolutely amazing. Now that I have an Oni, that's really all I want to play anymore. Often, I want to sell my Suhr to get an Essi 6. That would be ideal. But I can't go without a 6 for the interim, since basically all of my band's songs are played on 6 string.


----------



## CanserDYI (Apr 4, 2022)

There is still a major amount of low end in a bass's E1, it'll still provide enough difference between the guitars tone and how it's EQd to have them sit in the same mix without fighting in my experience. And honestly, E0 won't be providing much but issues in a mix. 8 string guitars aren't a bass players enemy. Ive actually run into less problems playing an 8 string in E with a bass in standard E versus drop A on my 7 string and A0 on a 5 string, THATS hard in my opinion to get them to sit well.


----------



## Thaeon (Apr 4, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> There is still a major amount of low end in a bass's E1, it'll still provide enough difference between the guitars tone and how it's EQd to have them sit in the same mix without fighting in my experience. And honestly, E0 won't be providing much but issues in a mix. 8 string guitars aren't a bass players enemy. Ive actually run into less problems playing an 8 string in E with a bass in standard E versus drop A on my 7 string and A0 on a 5 string, THATS hard in my opinion to get them to sit well.




Yeah for some reason the unison sounds clearer than the octaves apart thing. If you have everything EQ'd correctly that is. If not correct, it can be a mess.


----------

