who's on 8?


polansky
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polansky
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07/19/2006 1:14 am
I personally love using my 7 string guitar, low tunning it's my thing and of course the ultimate low tone available right now is 8 string guitars.

Anybody have seen one? or even better played one?, does anyone knows how much does it coast? who makes them?

Newborn guitars (meshuggah supplier) does, and I've seen some Ibanez too (for Dino Cazarez ex-fear factory now Asesino) but not sure if they are on the street right now.

Some input bout this questions and bout how you feel bout the 8 string monster are totally wellcomed.
Power corrupts. Absolute power is kinda neat.
# 1
magicninja
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07/19/2006 1:43 am
8 strings is going overboard. just build a 6 string guitar that can handle really thick strings.
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# 2
Superhuman
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Superhuman
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07/19/2006 3:03 pm
If you want to hear one being used for insanely fast playing check out Rusty Cooley, forget the name of the track...maybe 'The Butcher'. It was a real surprise when he started working his way down from E to actually go lower than B, sounds great if used sparingly. Personally, I wouldn't bother unless you looked at the custom Ibanez models, you can get them with either two lower strings or one higher and one lower. The higher string is supposed to break very easily (although - you need a very heavy guage anyway) but I would I love to try that setup. I have an EBMM Petrucci 7 string, the sound is great but to be honest, I think it is better as a rhythm guitar than one for playing lead... i can imagine 8 strings would be pretty difficult to play.
# 3
HDJ
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07/19/2006 3:25 pm
Originally Posted by: magicninja8 strings is going overboard. just build a 6 string guitar that can handle really thick strings.


The Gibson Zakk Wylde has 2 truss rods to support the extra heavy strings that Zakk plays.
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ren
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ren
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07/19/2006 3:34 pm
A friend of mine has an 8 string built custom for him by a local luthier - it's a copy of the meshuggah ibanez, so basically an RG with a 30" scale length ( :eek: ) and the strings are so close together you almost have to play the damn thing like a twelve string...

He tunes it F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, eb as I believe meshuggah do - from experience, I'd say 7 is the usable limit. If you wanna go lower, play bass.

IMO it isn't the low tone that makes a heavy sound, it's just a cheap way to fake it.... It would be borderline impossible to play many chords, and for lead it's limited as well, so I don't see an advantage...

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# 5
aschleman
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07/19/2006 4:00 pm
One of the more amazing things I've ever seen no guitar is when Rusty Cooley starts doing his 8 string sweeps on his 8 string... just insane...

I play GHS ZW's on all my guitars... I play both sets too... On my standard tuned strat I have the lighter ones... and I have the heavier ones on my other strat that is always tuned to drop D or lower... They get awesome tone.

I don't understand why you'd want 8 strings though... Just seems like a novelty more than a functional piece of equipment. But then again... I don't play any music that would require me to play any lower than drop D. or drop D half step down...
# 6
suicidalmoose
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suicidalmoose
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07/19/2006 4:08 pm
would rather not have an extra string to worry about but i understand the appeal of havin that extra string, but often the number of strings or the number of frets aren't the thing limiting you, it's your playing.
# 7
alucard0941
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07/19/2006 4:48 pm
Check out Conklin guitars



http://www.conklinguitars.com/index.html
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# 8
HDJ
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07/19/2006 4:59 pm
I bought a 7 string Ibanez at one time, kept it for about a year. After playing 6 strings for about 15 years, I could never get used to that extra string, kept screwing with me. So I traded it for an Ibanez RG570.
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# 9
polansky
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polansky
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07/20/2006 2:10 am
Originally Posted by: alucard0941Check out Conklin guitars



http://www.conklinguitars.com/index.html



What's wrong with these people?, 8 string seems to me like enought extravaganza in a guitar but those, geee, they look like, like... damn, I don't even know what do they look like.

strange stuff.
Power corrupts. Absolute power is kinda neat.
# 10
polansky
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polansky
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07/20/2006 2:19 am
Originally Posted by: suicidalmoosewould rather not have an extra string to worry about but i understand the appeal of havin that extra string, but often the number of strings or the number of frets aren't the thing limiting you, it's your playing.


Dude I gotta say I agree, a good friend of mine had the perfect explanation bout this, and was that all the great music that we have (like real legacy) was made on a six string guitar.

Although, for example, Dave Weiner uses 7 strings cause he does extended scales stuff with it (wich it's a cool way to figure out a "so called need" of more strings).

Eventually people wanting more strings should move to a Champmans Stick ,12 string from guitar to bass, get the flock out of here (the sheppard said).

Like the idea of a crunchy 8 string I can not lie, but I agree that is not like the ultimate piece of gear.
Power corrupts. Absolute power is kinda neat.
# 11
6strngs_2hmbkrs
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07/20/2006 5:16 am
seriously, just get a baritone. heh heh
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# 12
Superhuman
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07/20/2006 11:19 am
Originally Posted by: polanskyWhat's wrong with these people?, 8 string seems to me like enought extravaganza in a guitar but those, geee, they look like, like... damn, I don't even know what do they look like.

strange stuff.



Actually I think they look pretty cool:-) The biggest problem would be trying to get a decent tone out of the low string... it would be so bassy that when you add distortion that a lot of notes would get lost in mush. Rusty Cooley can pull it off but then again... he is Rusty Cooley!
# 13
suicidalmoose
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suicidalmoose
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07/20/2006 11:41 am
wuoldn it be easier to like have 10 strings, 6 of them using a guitar pickup and four using a bass pickup, and then rout them to seperate amps and play both bass and guitar?
# 14
alucard0941
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07/20/2006 2:57 pm



:eek: :eek:
5-Strings are gonna rule the world!!!!!!
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# 15
alucard0941
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alucard0941
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07/20/2006 2:59 pm
Originally Posted by: suicidalmoosewuoldn it be easier to like have 10 strings, 6 of them using a guitar pickup and four using a bass pickup, and then rout them to seperate amps and play both bass and guitar?

that would be awesome
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# 16
polansky
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polansky
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07/20/2006 3:21 pm
Originally Posted by: alucard0941


:eek: :eek:
5-Strings are gonna rule the world!!!!!!


dude, we are talking more strings... no less... five, five it's more odd than a greek music sheet, that'a weird how do you tune that stuff?.

I've read that scot ian has a couple of 4 string guitars (I mean it's that a power cord guitar or what?)
Power corrupts. Absolute power is kinda neat.
# 17
polansky
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polansky
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07/20/2006 3:22 pm
Originally Posted by: 6strngs_2hmbkrsseriously, just get a baritone. heh heh


Baritones are weird, a friend of mine has a jackson dinky style baritone, pretty nice sounding guitar but the feeling in your picking hand...gee it's so weird the bounce of the strings feels so diffrent, it's like when you drive a car that's not yours and you are not used to the brake pedal distance, you just feel like you forgot how to drive.
Power corrupts. Absolute power is kinda neat.
# 18
polansky
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07/20/2006 3:33 pm
Ok no 8 string guitar seems to satisfy must of you guys, so I have a bit more tech question, low tunning over floyd rose tremolos.

Fot instance, my Dean 6 string it's always tuned in E standar tunning with .9 gauge strings (d'adarios mostly), the thing is, I would love tunning it in drop D for example.

What's the way to do that cause i live under this horror tale that says that if I change strings (let's say 10 or 11 gauge) you will lost the guitar entonation or worst you'll have your tremolo like he is happy to see you (pretty vertical let's say).

Does the low tunning does the trick? less tension requiered to get to the right tone
Do I have to take it to a tech guy to set it up to do it? (my tremolo only has 2 tension springs maybe it would need 3?)

Cause tunning low with 9 gauge strings it's like having your guitar "al dente", spaghetti string instantly, I hate that.

I just love Dimebag tone on damageplan album, and he's way low on tunning.

So please, anyone out there with more knowlege than me, give me a freaking hand.
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# 19
6strngs_2hmbkrs
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07/20/2006 8:42 pm
Originally Posted by: polanskyWhat's the way to do that cause i live under this horror tale that says that if I change strings (let's say 10 or 11 gauge) you will lost the guitar entonation or worst you'll have your tremolo like he is happy to see you (pretty vertical let's say).

Does the low tunning does the trick? less tension requiered to get to the right tone
Do I have to take it to a tech guy to set it up to do it? (my tremolo only has 2 tension springs maybe it would need 3?)

if you want to move up in gauge, you'll have to tighten your tension springs, or add a another one or two. if you are detuned you may not need to adjust the tension springs. basically, you just want to keep the tension of the strings the exact same as the tension of the springs. so if you move up in gauge, you add tension from the strings, so you either need to lessen that tension (detuning) or raise the spring tension until they are even so the trem will "float"
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# 20

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