With two strings more than a usual 6-string guitar, this guitar is less common than the 6-string guitar. However, this type of guitar has found its use in some of the most skilful genres, such as classical, jazz and metal.
8-String guitar obtains with 2 more strings, hence, it has a quite wider range and a tuning that is not standard (for example, major-thirds tuning).
What is the Best 8-string Guitar to Buy?
2) Ibanez RG Series RG8 – Black
- Affordable
- Popular Choice
- Easy to play
- Slim Neck
- Rosewood Fretboard
1) Schecter 1925 Hellraiser Hybrid C-8 TBB Electric Guitars
- Professional
- High Quality
- Ebony Fiberboard
- Great Performance
- Carbon Fiber Binding
3) Schecter OMEN-8 8-String Electric Guitar
- Beautiful Design
- Reputable
- Custom Hardtail
- Good Value for the Money
History of 8-string guitars
The history of 8-string guitars starts somewhere around 1940 in America. Firstly, tuning was mostly based on a C9 chord for “Nashville” style or C6 chord for some jazz configurations. Now, 8-string guitars are quite popular in the heavy metal genre and its subgenres.
In this review, we will be talking about all the characteristics that should matter when deciding to buy one 8-string guitar. Therefore, we hope that this text will come to use while deciding about what guitar you should buy.
10 Best 8-string Guitar Reviews and the Best 8-string Guitar Brands
1) Schecter 1925 Hellraiser Hybrid C-8 TBB Electric Guitars
Now, what we have here is a combination of Hellraiser and SLS guitars. We may conclude that this combination has done right. The result is a high-quality guitar with quilted maple sculptured arc top. When speaking about fingerboard, it’s made from one of the most common (and top quality as well) materials-ebony.
What is interesting about this guitar are dot inlays that glow in the dark. You will never again miss a fret in the dark with these ones.
Furthermore, a guitar has EMG’s 57/66 active humbuckers. Double cutaway and great dark grey appearance are something that you won’t forget.
Pros and highlights:
- Dot inlays- Not only that they are here to remind and help you orientate, but also glow in the dark as a visual effect.
- Performance- It’s true that you need to invest a bit more for this guitar, but what you get is high-value guitar, with outstanding performance.
- Playability- Thin neck, top class fingerboard, and double cutaway will ease the playing as much as possible.
Cons and potential flaws:
- EGM humbuckers- Anyway, these humbuckers are not exactly the same quality as this top-notch guitar.
2) Ibanez RG Series RG8 – Black
For guitarists that are mainly focused on a speed and playability, this guitar is like custom-made. Double sharp cutaways not only increase the playability but also add to the appearance overall. Guitar has 24 frets with dot inlays for easier improvisation and orientation through the neck.
Furthermore, maple neck with rosewood fretboard and mahogany body are main parts of this 8-string guitar. In other words, the manufacturer made a guitar with most common, proved materials that will increase the durability, quality, and performance of the instrument.
This guitar features all the advantages of Ibanez RG series including ultra playable, fast and slim neck. It has a beautiful arctic white finish and black hardware that makes a cool contrast to the white body.
Pros and highlights:
- The neck- As 8-string guitars are harder to play than regular 6-string guitars, their neck is also quite wider. Therefore, it’s required a certain skill or time to adjust in order to play on these wide necks. With this guitar, you won’t have those problems since it has an ultra-playable and slim neck.
- Appearance- When it comes to the appearance, this devilish looking Ibanez is what warms up every heavy metal/metal guitarist’s heart.
- Easy to play- Well, in general, playing the guitar isn’t easy. Anyway, Ibanez, with this certain model, eases playing as much as possible. Double cutaways, thin neck, and inlay dots are what every guitarist needs on the 8-string guitar for better improvisation or solo parts.
Cons and potential flaws:
- The pickups- Anyhow, pickups might not be equal quality to the overall guitar quality. They are not bad, but simply for this quality guitar, it would be nice that pickups are at least same quality as guitar, if not better.
3) Schecter OMEN-8 8-String Electric Guitar, Walnut Satin
This 8-string electric guitar from Schecter is nothing less than we expected but a great quality guitar. Standard Schester structure for guitar also can be spotted in this guitar- basswood body, maple neck with carbon fiber reinforcement rods.
Now, throughout the fretboard, there are pearloid semi-goth inlays that affect not only appearance but your playability as an extra orientation across the neck.
The guitar belongs to affordable price point category and pays good value for the cash. It has fixed guitar bridge system and humbucker pickup configuration.
Pros and highlights:
- Design- On the first sight, design of this guitar is simple. Now, if you look closely you will notice a lot of small details that make this guitar’s design way above the standard.
- Easy to play- Double cutaways, thin neck and pearloid semi-goth inlays are little things that make this instrument easier to play, as much as possible that playing 8-string guitar could be.
- Good value of the guitar- Anyhow, guitar belongs to an affordable price point category, and the value you get from it is more than just “good”.
Cons and potential flaws:
- Tuning- Anyhow, if guitar comes out of tune, you are going to need often tuning of those strings until they stretch and adapt to the guitar.
4) Schecter C-8 DELUXE Satin White 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Satin White
Top notch basswood body and maple neck will increase the durability of this 8-string guitar. Schecter uses its own diamond plus 8 pick-ups which are top class in the industry of pickups.
Furthermore, for the better playability and improvisation through the neck, there are dot inlays on a rosewood fingerboard. Also, the guitar has a double cutaway, so you will be able to reach higher notes without a problem. The guitar has 24 X- Jumbo frets and belongs to a lightweight electric guitar category.
Pros and highlights:
- Lightweight-With only 13.5 pounds, this electric guitar belongs to a lightweight category of 8-string guitars. Therefore, you will easily carry it around from gig to gig.
- Playability-Thanks to the rosewood fingerboard, the comfort of pressing the strings is drastically increased. Also, the guitar has double cutaways and it’s quite easier to reach those highest frets.
- High-quality materials- As we said, basswood body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard are top class materials for any guitar, so 8-stringed guitar as well. Nowadays, manufacturers are mainly using these materials due to their proven quality they provide.
Cons and potential flaws:
- Wider neck- A bit wider neck might be problematic for 8-string guitar beginners. Therefore, you might have some problems adapting to this new neck wideness.
5) Agile Renaissance 8X SB EQ 8 String Acoustic Multiscale
This handcrafted 8-string acoustic/electric guitar packs an acoustic pickup plus a preamp with a three-band EQas well as an onboard tuner. Thanks to the high-quality materials that were used for this guitar, such as a spruce top (solid one), mahogany neck, sides, and back, ebony fretboard with 25”- 27” length, guitar excels in the field of performance, durability, and of course, quality.
Rosewood slanted multi-scale bridge and installed La Bella strings are in charge of beautiful, soft, and natural sound.
All in all, the guitar has a great value for the cash, and it’s one of the best 8-string guitars on the market.
Pros and highlights:
- Quality- As we mentioned, high-quality wood is what makes this guitar’s quality one of the best out there.
- Performance-The guitar excels in the field of performance. Adding this guitar to your collection, or starting one with it is surely not a mistake.
- Great features-Rosewood slanted multi-scale bridge, preamp with 3 band equalizer, phase switch and built-in tuner- these features are increasing the overall impression when it comes to this guitar.
Cons and potential flaws:
- Tuning- As every other new guitar, it has strings that are yet not stretched. The guitar will often fall out of tune, so keep tuning them until they adapt.
6) Schecter BANSHEE ELITE-8 Gloss Natural 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar
This extraordinary looking 8-string guitar with swamp ash body and flamed maple neck might be everything that one professional musician needs. The guitar has ebony fingerboard with 24 X-Jumbo stainless steel frets.
Furthermore, for this guitar, we can say that truly plays itself. Super playability is what Schecter was aiming for in this one. The guitar obtains remarkable versatility and tone that players relish.
What needs to be mentioned is a unique way of placing dot inlays. On first 12 frets, inlays are on the bass side of the guitar (top side of the fretboard), and the rest are on the bottom side of the guitar to ease those solo and improvisation parts.
Pros and highlights:
- Appearance-As we said, the guitar has a really astonishing appearance with swamp ash body and flamed maple neck.
- Versatile sound- This one is truly dominant when it comes to electric guitars versatility, and ability to interact with pedals and amps.
- Pickups- Schrecter uses its own SuperCharger Mach-8™ pickup set, which is well-known for its quality in the pickup world.
Cons and potential flaws:
- High-end price point category- However, for this beauty, you are going to need a bit bigger investment, but all in all it still has great value for the cash.
7) ESP LTD H-308 – Black Satin
This smooth looking 8-string guitar utilizes a body made of mahogany, along with maple neck, plus a classic rosewood fingerboard. Although these materials are well known for the quality they offer, it’s good to mention that the same won’t suffer on this guitar either.
Furthermore, this axes comes loaded with a fixed bridge, as well as LTD tuners. With its scale of 25.5’’ and twenty-four Extra Jumbo frets on the fingerboard, you will be able to fully enjoy its marvellous performance. Thin U neck shape will increase the playability of this instrument, while EGM 808 pickups are in charge of catching every single note you play.
Finally, the controls included in the mix are Vol and Tone plus a standard three-way switch. That way you will be able to setup your guitar properly as you wish.
Pros and highlights:
- Durability- High-quality wood was used for the body, neck and fingerboard of this guitar. Therefore, it will drastically increase its durability and guitar will serve you for a long time.
- Great natural sound- Anyhow, this guitar provides great natural and soft sound. What is the most important, when amplified, preamps will save the quality of that natural sound.
- Thin neck- Thin neck of this guitar is what really makes a difference when it comes to its playability. In general, playing 8-string guitar is quite demanding, and every single thing matters including this thin neck.
Cons and potential flaws:
- String buzz- Be sure that you hit the right tuning, otherwise, it might result in some noisy string buzz.
8) 8 string Guitar, Solid wood body, new
This 8-string electric guitar with a solid wood body is something new on the market. It comes in sunburst color, which adds to its overall appearance. Sharp cutaways are what guitar, as well as this one, needs in order to achieve a certain enjoyable level of playability. Therefore, sharp cutaways on this guitar will ease the access of upper frets that would be highly difficult to approach without it.
The best way of describing this guitar is through its features. The guitar has sealed tuners, good action, and sound. Also, it’s known for its low action and great sound ability. Finally, it has maple wood enforced neck for better durability.
Pros and highlights:
- Playability-Anyway, the manufacturer was aiming for playability of the instrument, in order to ease life for 8-string guitarists. There are sharp cutaways so your fingers could reach even those hardest bass notes on higher frets.
- Appearance-With its sunburn color and double cutaway, this guitar will definitely leave a good impression on every guitar lover.
- Great features- With sealed tuners, good action, and a high-quality sound, this custom made guitar could soon
Cons and potential flaws:
- No dot inlays- The only downside of this guitar might be missing dot inlays. For some of the musicians, these dots are like a compass to a lost man.
9) Jackson JS32-8 Dinky – Satin Black
With its double cutaway satin black style, solid wood top and body this guitar looks smooth and badass. Anyhow, what makes this guitar different is maple neck with graphite reinforcement. Scale length is 26.5” and features 24 Jumbo frets that are fully approachable, thanks to the cutaways.
Simply speaking, this model is a result of 30 years experience in making guitars. Small details like triangle inlays are what make the overall quality of this guitar. The guitar has sealed die-cast tuners and a fixed Jackson HT-8 bridge.
Pros and highlights:
- Triangle inlays for better playability- It’s not that common to see triangle inlays instead of dots. Anyway, it will help you navigate through the fretboard easily.
- Approachable upper frets- Thanks to the sharp cutaways on both sides, you will be able to approach even those hardly approachable frets.
- Features- Guitar has high-quality die-cast tuners and a fixed Jackson HT-8 bridge. This will result in a good quality sound when you amplify it.
Cons and potential flaws:
- Heavy- Anyhow, guitar might be a bit heavier than the standard 8-string guitar. Although it takes time, you will eventually adapt to it.
10) Dean Guitars USA RC8 US141100 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Red Xenocide Graphic
On the first sight, you can see that this guitar has something different definitely. This devilish looking beast is surely made for one genre, and we all know which one. Other than great appearance that this beauty has, we may conclude that wood used for making this guitar is top class wood. Anyhow, alder body, maple neck, and ebony fanned fingerboard are what add to the quality of the guitar.
The guitar has an adjustable bridge and EMG 808 humbucker guitar pickup configuration. This guitar obtains tight, snappy sound with great sustain and punch. Now, what matters also is a thickness of a neck. The neck of this guitar is extremely thin, hence, it is made to ease playing and practicing.
Pros and highlights:
- Great appearance- When it comes to the appearance, this devilish looking guitar is what every heavy-metal/metal musician would like for his guitar to look like.
- Thin neck- As we mentioned earlier, a thickness of the neck is of great importance. Therefore Dean Guitars has made this model with a thin neck in order to ease their customer’s overall experience with this guitar and increase the comfort of playing it.
- High-quality sound- This guitar has a tight, snappy sound with great sustain and punch. We are talking about top-notch sound quality.
Cons and potential flaws:
- Weight- Guitar weighs 24 pounds, which is more than the standard electric guitar.
Choosing the Best 8-string Guitar from the Best 8-string Guitar Brands
In the light of everything we previously said about 8-string guitars, we may conclude that there are several factors that should be considered.
2) Ibanez RG Series RG8 – Black
- Affordable
- Popular Choice
- Easy to play
- Slim Neck
- Rosewood Fretboard
1) Schecter 1925 Hellraiser Hybrid C-8 TBB Electric Guitars
- Professional
- High Quality
- Ebony Fiberboard
- Great Performance
- Carbon Fiber Binding
3) Schecter OMEN-8 8-String Electric Guitar
- Beautiful Design
- Reputable
- Custom Hardtail
- Good Value for the Money
First of all, when searching for 8-string guitar, you should look after those with great playability. Simply speaking, playing 8-string guitar is difficult. The neck is wider and pressing those strings might be painful. Therefore, search for the thin neck with a rosewood fingerboard that will increase the comfort of playing.
Secondly, be sure you are getting a guitar that’s made from fine materials, in order to increase its durability and quality overall.
Finally, great role plays the quality of bridge, pickups or preamps. If you make sure that these three are high-quality parts, you should get one top notch 8-string guitar.
In this review, we have discussed what you should look for when buying any 8-string guitar. These 10 eight-string guitars are, by our humble opinion, top class guitars, with balanced quality, performance, design, and durability. We hope that this review will be useful in your pursuit of a high-quality 8-string guitar.