I just noticed something about 8 string guitars last night. I've been playing 8 strings for around 10 years and it has always felt like a totally different instrument for me. I got my first 7 string a couple of weeks ago and after playing it for a few days I noticed that the 7 felt a lot more like a 6 string guitar to me. Last night I was thinking about it and I think for me 8 string guitar feels a lot more like a bass with added guitar strings and the 7 feels a lot more like a guitar with an added low string, if that even makes sense haha. Really cool video!
7 feels the union of a baritone and a standard tuning 6, because tuning wise, it's just both added together. An 8 string is more like a 6 string combined with a bass VI, so that's why it feels more like a bass i think.
10 years! Damn, you were cool before everyone else, haha I haven't had a chance to play a 7 string but I can definitely see how it would feel like 6(+1). And the way people tend to play 8-string (at least popularly in Metal) is more like a bass, so that makes sense as well. Good insight!
May I ask? I've been playing on an 8 like the entire time I've been playing guitar. 8 years. I can't cord worth crap because of it. I know full well I set myself back because I started this way. If I wanted to learn the proper way. Do you all recommend getting a 7 or just cutting back completely and going for a 6? I'm split on what to do.
@@eggpod4567 honestly, Id go for a 6. All youd probably want to do with a 7 you can do with an 8. And if you want to learn chords and more regular guitar stuff, 6 is the way to go.
I don't even play guitar but I watched this entire video because of the sheer amount of quality that your content has. You are very well spoken and seem like a great teacher!
Finally someone gets it. I try to explain this to everyone when they argue with me saying anything below 80 is spaghetti ""MuH StRinG tEnSiOn ChArT" 😒 ive jad the best experience with comfort and tone with lightsr gauges
Super pertinent information, as usual Always love when you drop a video A few people on the extended range Reddit were looking for a ressource to learn to adjust to an 8 string guitar Sent them here immediately No one does what you do Keep it up, brother
Aw, thanks for sending people my way Dom! I have been thinking about posting there sometime, so if you think it's worth it, maybe I should! Thanks for the love!
I am currently trying EADGCFAD. It’s just everything tuned down a whole step from the original f sharp tuning. It’s… interesting. Still learning what all I can do
A surprisingly small amount of people ive seen use this tuning. Has the benefit of being able to keep bass in standard tuning, and you can have things like a sub pedal for some nice low end. You can also tune down the C and F strings to B and E, making it E A D G B E A D, so essentially a 6 string guitar with two extra high strings pitched down an octave, which effectively eliminates any learning curve on the lowest 6 strings, though obviously you wouldnt play large full chords like this since it would sound muddy, it would make relearning the fretboard a lot easier in theory
I agree with you about string gauge for that 8th. For F# I use 68 on 27" and for E 74 on 27" and 28". For me 80 is too boomy and also the gap in size with the 7th is too big. Same deal with the 7th, 58 to 60, for B and A, no matter the scale length.
Just wanted to say thank you so much for creating a channel like this. I had absolutely no idea where to begin when it came to switching to an 8 string. I'm using your exercises for it and it's been so much easier to navigate the fretboard because of it. Legitimately, thank you for making a channel like this.
Since I was 20 I'd always wanted to play Acrid Placidity on a 7 string. I'd listen to that beautiful solo while tacking together beer crates at my factory job. 16 years later, today I got an 8 string and soon as I got home, Acrid Placidity was my first and only thought but I had to wait for baby to sleep. I can honestly say, what an amazing feeling playing something that's been out of reach for so many years. Thanks for the tips btw
I’ve been a 6 string player for almost 10 years. Then I saw Animals as Leaders. I REALLY want to jump on the 8 string train. This was very helpful ! Do you have a video on how to go about finding the best 8 string to buy?
It's on my list of videos to make but unfortunately, I haven't got there yet. I would first set a budget and then go from there. The people on r/extendedrangeguitars are nice and you can find lots of previous posts discussing which guitars are good. That's where I'd start at least!
A+ concise, clean explanation. You have done the best beginner guide; I've come across. Hearing you say things I had to learn from having to mess around with my equipment for years so perfectly explained. Thank you for this brother wish I saw this at 18
Your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you letting me know this information is valuable. I hope some others who are 18 can get some use out of it to avoid some of the struggles we learned the hard way.
@@xandergoh4239 awesome! So excited for you to get it. Feel free to check out my videos and free pdf resources to help you along your journey and leave a comment on any of the videos if you have questions!
Personally Im trying to get the ibanez rg8 which I believe is literally the cheapest 8 string available from sweetwater. I really like the instrument in theory so Ill get the cheap one to see if I can get used to some things like the tuning and wider neck, if I end up preferring it ill probably do some mods. Immediately Im gonna put a set of 9-80 from daddario in f# standard because I hate transposing (though I will probably go to F soon because I want to learn some atb), and although I actually like the look and feel of thicker strings since I learned on bass anything thicker than 80 scares me lol. If I do like it Im essentially gonna upgrade everything on the guitar 😭 I think mods are cooler than just a new guitar though so its fine. Also your videos are a lifesaver, I originally learned music on trumpet so I appreciate your applications of theory and sheet music on the 8 string when not many use it like that Oh and Im gonna get the mxr 10 band eq
I have the ESP LTD JRV-8FR, which is an awesome 8 string strat for Javier Reyes. I wasn't initially happy about the price, but honestly I think its worth it. There's nothing readily available on the market like it at all. The neck is very forgiving even though its 8 strings - I've played plenty of 7's that felt as thick/wide. One of the more interesting things about it is the stock string gauge - it's a D'Addario XL set of .9 - .42, with a .52 (B) and a .65 (F#). Surprisingly the low B and F# feel fine even at that light of a gauge (at least in standard tuning). I doubt a .80 would fit through the tuner. Another note: it weighs a ton. Around 10.5lbs.
Thanks for the comment about that guitar! I was curious about it as it looked super cool. Can't believe how light the string gauge is, stock, or how heavy it is!
The hardest adjustment for me right now is palm muting the 8th string, and getting my left hand stretched the right way as to not cause the higher strings to ring out from sympathetic vibrations.
Hey! For suuuure would love to see more videos about tone. I'm guessing a lot of us are using plugins so would be cool to see you dial sounds on Neurals plugins.
Disagree on the string gauges: for F# standard, a 74 is fine, but once you go to drop E, even on a 28in scale, the tension drops significantly (from 18lbs to around 14lbs) which feels terrible imo. When you do drop E on the abasi's 27.5in low string, it must be floppy as all hell dude, no wonder it sounds bright. I subscribe to the idea of progressive or balanced tension being best: you want your high strings to feel slinky and easy to bend and your low strings to feel tough and chuggable, not the other way around. If the tone isn't crisp enough then EQ is your friend. 9-80 sets work great on guitars with 26.5-28in multiscale which strandberg for example uses. I would love if companies like Elixir made 9-74 and 9-80 sets as well as their 10-74.
Hey, thanks for the comment. I definitely didn't include scale length into the discussion of this and it is an important point, so thanks for pointing that out. Drop E with a .74 actually feels fine to me on the Abasi but I don't pick super hard. So I can see how if you chug hard AND have a longer scale length, you definitely need heavier strings. Also, it all depends on the style of music. In my own free time, I practice fusion/jazz style stuff, so I don't want big bassy strings and prefer more homogeneity between strings for more fluid playing and consistent tones for chords. Good point about drilling the tuning peg holes too. Definitely an option and people can get it done by a guitar tech if they aren't comfortable/have the tools. Just make sure you don't have locking tuning pegs first (like I do). Could very easily eff those up, haha. Thanks for your comments. Important points!
Yeah for sure!! I pick quite hard because although I love learning AAL, my background is with more traditional metal. You can drill out locking tuners by the way, as I did on mine. You just have to unscrew the locking nub all the way first so you don't damage it.
About a year or so after starting to play 8 strings I've started to experience thumb pain, something I thought I'd get used to but is happening which is making me lose enjoyment in playing anymore.
Oh brutal. I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like a technique or positioning issue in my experience. If you want me to take a quick look to see if I can help, you can sign up for a free 20 minute consult lesson (link in the description) and I can take a look and see if I have any insights for you.
I am interested in content with a high A string and how that makes finding notes and chords more flexible and easier to do. Also, I am interested in non-distorted amplifiers and quieter volumes of music -- not metal noise. Of special interest is how to do fingerpicking for more advanced musical expression.
Oo, I have not yet tried the high A setup. I would love to have a semi-hollow 8-string to do that on and play around with chords more since the low 8th string isn't as used in harmonic contexts. Tried and true are the fender amps that jazz musicians use - princeton, twin reverb, etc. - That's what I practice with when I'm not doing distorted stuff. And all fingerpicking techniques still apply, but I will be definitely making videos about the fingerpicking stuff in the future.
I just want to say ENJOY your ability to hop to lowerstrings when moving roots perfect fourths or more down, its faster and more energy effiecent. well worth the extra money spent on strings
Would love for you to a video about other styles of music specifically jazz and folk music on the 8 string. For example walking bass on a 8 string, maybe an intro into playing bass and melody at same time. Also maybe a look into cello repertoire on the 8 and if you really just want to do my experimentation for me looking into figured bass and the basso Contino or just how to be both bass and chords of a rhythm section. Thank you and best wishes
I am not currently an 8 string guitarist but I do have a music degree and consider myself a music educator so if you wanted any kind of collab discussing eight string for "traditional" styles of music I think that could be a lot of fun.
Those things would be awesome and I would love to eventually do videos about them! My training is also in Jazz and classical so I already have understanding of the concepts. Playing them or improvising in them is a whole other beast though. Once I finish running through the more popular techniques, I will definitely be working on these. Thanks for the comment!
Idk, I use 9-80 rn, in my country is so hard to find anything else sadly, but I really have feeling that 9-42 + 58 + 74 would be way better than 74 as 7 and 80 as 8. Just its ll be more readable and more like guitar sound than bass.
It can be super difficult to find string gauges if you're not in a place that has them easily available. And shipping fees/restrictions can really suck, so I feel you!
I've got an Orange Super Crush 100, and I know it's still fairly expensive for many, my 8-string sounds incredible through it. I played through a Tiny Terror too, and it sounded great there too.
I have that $400 Ibanez 8 string and the F# is so loose and floppy with a 74 gauge to the point of being unplayable, the sustain is weak and super short, it's muddy and undefined, if I EQ it to be somewhat crisp and serviceable my higher strings become shrill and eardrum piercing. I haven't tried other string gauges because there is only a single pack of strings sold locally for an 8 string, the Ernie Ball 8 string slinky 10-74. I was looking into higher gauges to order online but it's really deflating to hear a thicker gauge won't solve my issue. The heck can I do?
I’ve been using a Schecter Hellraiser C-8 FR for almost 7 years now, and as nice and tight as the low end is, I’ve found that the notes on the high E string tend to get shrieky, because of the higher string tension due to the extended scale length. Have you found ways to manage that? Obviously, I see you’re using a multiscale guitar here, so your high E string is probably under less tension than on non-multiscale 8-strings. The second influence I’ve found is the pickup type, of course: The Hellraisers have regular EMGs; the newer Schecter Hellraiser Hybrids seem to have slightly darker pickups, while still being active, so I’m thinking about trying one of those for comparison.
Hmm, I'm not sure how to mitigate the shrieking sound on the high E. What gauge of string is the high string? Perhaps some of it can be affected by EQ'ing your tone in various ways. If you can get your hands on the pickups and try them out, I always suggest it! Super interesting to see the differences and discover your taste preferences.
@@eightmetalstrings Thanks for your reply! I’m already using a Heavy Bottom gauge, since the Hellraiser C-8 came stock with them, so the high E string is .009.
@@metalvisionsongcontest7055 hm, that's what gauge I would have suggested trying. Without hearing the issue myself, I'm stumped on what else to suggest. If it is not related to any fret or saddle noise, and it can't be EQ'd out, I'm not sure what it is 🤔
@@eightmetalstrings Saddle noise is unlikely, since my 8-string has a locking nut (Floyd Rose). So unless it’s one of the saddles in the bridge - or one of the frets, with the string action being too low so that it buzzes against them - it might just be the result of the scale length combined with the pickups. I’ll have to try and test these various hypothesis, and if need be, take the guitar to the store for setup (even though I already did that once). Anyway, thanks for your input! 😉
I own a fender tone master, it currently has high gain amps like the dual rec, Uberschall, 5150, Friedman BE100, JCM800, and of course stuff like Plexi, Fender Amps, Mark V etc.. I want to create a tight drop E tone and a kinda glassy Polyphia tone, which amps would you recommend? 😊
I always say that you can make whatever you've got work with some fiddling and maybe a pedal or two but if you're really looking for something new, Neural DSP has a Tim Henson archetype plug-in. I imagine that's the closest you'll get without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars and falling down a tone rabbit hole. Always remember that most of a guitarist's tone comes from their fingers and the years of practice to develop their voice.
What an exciting place to be in! So much potential. I'm excited for you to get your guitar. Shoot me an email if you are interested in lessons or just drop comments around on my videos if you need some general guidance. I'm happy to help in whatever way you need.
Should I buy a Positive Grid 40w amplifier? I do not have a computer so I can't do plug-ins and my current amp is a little First Act "baby's first" practice amp
I don't have much in the way of capability of making music; I just have my new 8 string, a beginner bass, and a violin. The violin is the only instrument that I've been formally taught and played it for the longest but I'm really into metal and want to learn guitar. I'm pretty much self taught along with youtube university when it comes to the bass, and I can play piano a little but do not own one
@@Professor_MemesSquad while I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't buy, that amp looks like it has decent overall reviews but I have never played through one. A decent amp though makes a huge difference in how enjoyable it is to practice and play. Lots of good stuFf to learn from on TH-cam. If you're not going to have a teacher, at least in the beginning, the best advice I can give is to have clear goals of what you are trying to improve at and why. Otherwise you'll end up trying to learn too much and never get really good at any of it.
Unless you're sponsored by Neural DSP, it makes zero sense to recommend their overpriced plugins over free ones, like by VTar, Nalex, Neural Amp Modeler, Tonocracy or dozens more. Also, $200 audio interfaces are overkill for beginners. A newer $50 model, like Thomann's Swissonic Audio 1, or a $100 unit, like Arturia's Minifuse 1, is more than enough.
Hey Erebos! Welcome to the channel. Thanks for your recommendations. Hopefully people who see this comment will find the ones you say useful. I'll definitely check them out too. I'm relatively new to the metal/amp modeling/8-string world myself so can only talk about what I have experience with. So your additions are appreciated!
Also, just to clarify, the prices I'm listing are in Canadian dollars, so they aren't going to be as expensive in other countries. I realized this is maybe an issue when looking up the interfaces you mentioned and seeing they are more expensive than you say. Whee currency exchange.
I just noticed something about 8 string guitars last night.
I've been playing 8 strings for around 10 years and it has always felt like a totally different instrument for me. I got my first 7 string a couple of weeks ago and after playing it for a few days I noticed that the 7 felt a lot more like a 6 string guitar to me.
Last night I was thinking about it and I think for me 8 string guitar feels a lot more like a bass with added guitar strings and the 7 feels a lot more like a guitar with an added low string, if that even makes sense haha.
Really cool video!
7 feels the union of a baritone and a standard tuning 6, because tuning wise, it's just both added together. An 8 string is more like a 6 string combined with a bass VI, so that's why it feels more like a bass i think.
10 years! Damn, you were cool before everyone else, haha
I haven't had a chance to play a 7 string but I can definitely see how it would feel like 6(+1). And the way people tend to play 8-string (at least popularly in Metal) is more like a bass, so that makes sense as well. Good insight!
@@eightmetalstrings The Meshuggah addiction goes waaaay back for me haha.
May I ask? I've been playing on an 8 like the entire time I've been playing guitar. 8 years.
I can't cord worth crap because of it. I know full well I set myself back because I started this way.
If I wanted to learn the proper way.
Do you all recommend getting a 7 or just cutting back completely and going for a 6?
I'm split on what to do.
@@eggpod4567 honestly, Id go for a 6. All youd probably want to do with a 7 you can do with an 8. And if you want to learn chords and more regular guitar stuff, 6 is the way to go.
Yes please. Help with tone 🙏🏼
Sweet! Will make a it a priority video
Thank you for these videos you are really helping me in my new journey with the 8 string. I also think that a tone video would be AWESOME.
Lower the bass and boost the treble and mids
I don't even play guitar but I watched this entire video because of the sheer amount of quality that your content has. You are very well spoken and seem like a great teacher!
Wow, what kind words! That comment just made my evening. Thank you so much!
I just bought my new 8 string and this video is the most straightforward and understandable one I encountered, many helpful tips. Thank you very much!
Finally someone gets it. I try to explain this to everyone when they argue with me saying anything below 80 is spaghetti ""MuH StRinG tEnSiOn ChArT" 😒 ive jad the best experience with comfort and tone with lightsr gauges
Super pertinent information, as usual
Always love when you drop a video
A few people on the extended range Reddit were looking for a ressource to learn to adjust to an 8 string guitar
Sent them here immediately
No one does what you do
Keep it up, brother
Aw, thanks for sending people my way Dom! I have been thinking about posting there sometime, so if you think it's worth it, maybe I should!
Thanks for the love!
I have two 8 strings. One is in EBEADGBE since Animals as Leaders and Polyphia use it. The other I have in DADGCFAD
Doom perhaps?
I am currently trying EADGCFAD. It’s just everything tuned down a whole step from the original f sharp tuning. It’s… interesting. Still learning what all I can do
Huh. That is very interesting. I would have never thought to go that route. I'm curious what you will come up with. Keep me posted.
A surprisingly small amount of people ive seen use this tuning. Has the benefit of being able to keep bass in standard tuning, and you can have things like a sub pedal for some nice low end. You can also tune down the C and F strings to B and E, making it E A D G B E A D, so essentially a 6 string guitar with two extra high strings pitched down an octave, which effectively eliminates any learning curve on the lowest 6 strings, though obviously you wouldnt play large full chords like this since it would sound muddy, it would make relearning the fretboard a lot easier in theory
I agree with you about string gauge for that 8th. For F# I use 68 on 27" and for E 74 on 27" and 28". For me 80 is too boomy and also the gap in size with the 7th is too big. Same deal with the 7th, 58 to 60, for B and A, no matter the scale length.
Tuning-wise, it makes more sense to tune it EADGCFAD, or a whole step down. That gives you both standard tuning in 4ths and one step down.
Sir, I can’t emphasize enough how thankful I am for this video! You are awesome!
Just wanted to say thank you so much for creating a channel like this. I had absolutely no idea where to begin when it came to switching to an 8 string. I'm using your exercises for it and it's been so much easier to navigate the fretboard because of it. Legitimately, thank you for making a channel like this.
People like you are who I do it for! Thank you for letting me know how much of a help it is. It keeps me going!
Since I was 20 I'd always wanted to play Acrid Placidity on a 7 string. I'd listen to that beautiful solo while tacking together beer crates at my factory job. 16 years later, today I got an 8 string and soon as I got home, Acrid Placidity was my first and only thought but I had to wait for baby to sleep. I can honestly say, what an amazing feeling playing something that's been out of reach for so many years. Thanks for the tips btw
That's so nice to hear! so happy that you got to fulfil the dream of playing that song!
I’ve been a 6 string player for almost 10 years.
Then I saw Animals as Leaders. I REALLY want to jump on the 8 string train. This was very helpful !
Do you have a video on how to go about finding the best 8 string to buy?
It's on my list of videos to make but unfortunately, I haven't got there yet. I would first set a budget and then go from there. The people on r/extendedrangeguitars are nice and you can find lots of previous posts discussing which guitars are good. That's where I'd start at least!
I more detailed video on tones please 😄
Excellent video, thanks for putting it up. I think i have just learned everything I need to get started on an 8 string.
A+ concise, clean explanation. You have done the best beginner guide; I've come across.
Hearing you say things I had to learn from having to mess around with my equipment for years so perfectly explained. Thank you for this brother wish I saw this at 18
Your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you letting me know this information is valuable. I hope some others who are 18 can get some use out of it to avoid some of the struggles we learned the hard way.
Just ordered an 8 string and it’s otw over the seas of Ukraine. Panicking now but ur video is helping with that. Thank you!
@@xandergoh4239 awesome! So excited for you to get it. Feel free to check out my videos and free pdf resources to help you along your journey and leave a comment on any of the videos if you have questions!
Personally Im trying to get the ibanez rg8 which I believe is literally the cheapest 8 string available from sweetwater. I really like the instrument in theory so Ill get the cheap one to see if I can get used to some things like the tuning and wider neck, if I end up preferring it ill probably do some mods. Immediately Im gonna put a set of 9-80 from daddario in f# standard because I hate transposing (though I will probably go to F soon because I want to learn some atb), and although I actually like the look and feel of thicker strings since I learned on bass anything thicker than 80 scares me lol. If I do like it Im essentially gonna upgrade everything on the guitar 😭 I think mods are cooler than just a new guitar though so its fine.
Also your videos are a lifesaver, I originally learned music on trumpet so I appreciate your applications of theory and sheet music on the 8 string when not many use it like that
Oh and Im gonna get the mxr 10 band eq
I appreciate all that you do, you help make an overwhelming switch much more manageable.
Thanks Rob! I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. My goal is definitely to bring down barriers to this awesome instrument!
best video ever, u helped me alot thank you
I have the ESP LTD JRV-8FR, which is an awesome 8 string strat for Javier Reyes. I wasn't initially happy about the price, but honestly I think its worth it. There's nothing readily available on the market like it at all. The neck is very forgiving even though its 8 strings - I've played plenty of 7's that felt as thick/wide.
One of the more interesting things about it is the stock string gauge - it's a D'Addario XL set of .9 - .42, with a .52 (B) and a .65 (F#). Surprisingly the low B and F# feel fine even at that light of a gauge (at least in standard tuning). I doubt a .80 would fit through the tuner.
Another note: it weighs a ton. Around 10.5lbs.
Thanks for the comment about that guitar! I was curious about it as it looked super cool. Can't believe how light the string gauge is, stock, or how heavy it is!
Cool video! 🙏
I wish this video would have been there 5 years ago :D Thank you for making it!
Ha, yes! I don't know why this stuff hasn't been covered already by a thousand people :P
The hardest adjustment for me right now is palm muting the 8th string, and getting my left hand stretched the right way as to not cause the higher strings to ring out from sympathetic vibrations.
That is exactly my biggest problem as well! I don't have a perfect solution yet but will make a video if I find one
Hey!
For suuuure would love to see more videos about tone. I'm guessing a lot of us are using plugins so would be cool to see you dial sounds on Neurals plugins.
Perfect! Thanks for the feedback. I'll make it a priority video. Hopefully next week or the following.
That string muter is wild
Disagree on the string gauges: for F# standard, a 74 is fine, but once you go to drop E, even on a 28in scale, the tension drops significantly (from 18lbs to around 14lbs) which feels terrible imo. When you do drop E on the abasi's 27.5in low string, it must be floppy as all hell dude, no wonder it sounds bright. I subscribe to the idea of progressive or balanced tension being best: you want your high strings to feel slinky and easy to bend and your low strings to feel tough and chuggable, not the other way around. If the tone isn't crisp enough then EQ is your friend.
9-80 sets work great on guitars with 26.5-28in multiscale which strandberg for example uses. I would love if companies like Elixir made 9-74 and 9-80 sets as well as their 10-74.
Also, you can just widen the holes in the tuner with a drill if the strings you like to use are too big. No need to unwind the ends each time.
Hey, thanks for the comment. I definitely didn't include scale length into the discussion of this and it is an important point, so thanks for pointing that out.
Drop E with a .74 actually feels fine to me on the Abasi but I don't pick super hard. So I can see how if you chug hard AND have a longer scale length, you definitely need heavier strings.
Also, it all depends on the style of music. In my own free time, I practice fusion/jazz style stuff, so I don't want big bassy strings and prefer more homogeneity between strings for more fluid playing and consistent tones for chords.
Good point about drilling the tuning peg holes too. Definitely an option and people can get it done by a guitar tech if they aren't comfortable/have the tools. Just make sure you don't have locking tuning pegs first (like I do). Could very easily eff those up, haha.
Thanks for your comments. Important points!
Yeah for sure!! I pick quite hard because although I love learning AAL, my background is with more traditional metal. You can drill out locking tuners by the way, as I did on mine. You just have to unscrew the locking nub all the way first so you don't damage it.
About a year or so after starting to play 8 strings I've started to experience thumb pain, something I thought I'd get used to but is happening which is making me lose enjoyment in playing anymore.
Oh brutal. I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like a technique or positioning issue in my experience. If you want me to take a quick look to see if I can help, you can sign up for a free 20 minute consult lesson (link in the description) and I can take a look and see if I have any insights for you.
Love your content and I am streadily working through your lesson videos. Keep it up!
Amazing! Thank you so much.
I am interested in content with a high A string and how that makes finding notes and chords more flexible and easier to do. Also, I am interested in non-distorted amplifiers and quieter volumes of music -- not metal noise. Of special interest is how to do fingerpicking for more advanced musical expression.
Oo, I have not yet tried the high A setup. I would love to have a semi-hollow 8-string to do that on and play around with chords more since the low 8th string isn't as used in harmonic contexts.
Tried and true are the fender amps that jazz musicians use - princeton, twin reverb, etc. - That's what I practice with when I'm not doing distorted stuff. And all fingerpicking techniques still apply, but I will be definitely making videos about the fingerpicking stuff in the future.
Great vid and I could use help with my tone. I've been boosting the bass on my 8 string (face palm)
Noted :) Thanks for the comment. I'll aim to do that video next week now.
I just want to say ENJOY your ability to hop to lowerstrings when moving roots perfect fourths or more down, its faster and more energy effiecent.
well worth the extra money spent on strings
Would love for you to a video about other styles of music specifically jazz and folk music on the 8 string. For example walking bass on a 8 string, maybe an intro into playing bass and melody at same time. Also maybe a look into cello repertoire on the 8 and if you really just want to do my experimentation for me looking into figured bass and the basso Contino or just how to be both bass and chords of a rhythm section. Thank you and best wishes
I am not currently an 8 string guitarist but I do have a music degree and consider myself a music educator so if you wanted any kind of collab discussing eight string for "traditional" styles of music I think that could be a lot of fun.
Those things would be awesome and I would love to eventually do videos about them! My training is also in Jazz and classical so I already have understanding of the concepts. Playing them or improvising in them is a whole other beast though. Once I finish running through the more popular techniques, I will definitely be working on these. Thanks for the comment!
thanks alot buddy :)
@@euphoricdeathmetal3227 hey! You're welcome 😁
Dean saying "fuck you all" with His squier strat LOL
Idk, I use 9-80 rn, in my country is so hard to find anything else sadly, but I really have feeling that 9-42 + 58 + 74 would be way better than 74 as 7 and 80 as 8. Just its ll be more readable and more like guitar sound than bass.
It can be super difficult to find string gauges if you're not in a place that has them easily available. And shipping fees/restrictions can really suck, so I feel you!
I've got an Orange Super Crush 100, and I know it's still fairly expensive for many, my 8-string sounds incredible through it. I played through a Tiny Terror too, and it sounded great there too.
Oh sick, I bet it sounds awesome through the super crush.
I have that $400 Ibanez 8 string and the F# is so loose and floppy with a 74 gauge to the point of being unplayable, the sustain is weak and super short, it's muddy and undefined, if I EQ it to be somewhat crisp and serviceable my higher strings become shrill and eardrum piercing. I haven't tried other string gauges because there is only a single pack of strings sold locally for an 8 string, the Ernie Ball 8 string slinky 10-74. I was looking into higher gauges to order online but it's really deflating to hear a thicker gauge won't solve my issue. The heck can I do?
Is your guitar a multiscale with fanned frets?
I’ve been using a Schecter Hellraiser C-8 FR for almost 7 years now, and as nice and tight as the low end is, I’ve found that the notes on the high E string tend to get shrieky, because of the higher string tension due to the extended scale length. Have you found ways to manage that?
Obviously, I see you’re using a multiscale guitar here, so your high E string is probably under less tension than on non-multiscale 8-strings. The second influence I’ve found is the pickup type, of course: The Hellraisers have regular EMGs; the newer Schecter Hellraiser Hybrids seem to have slightly darker pickups, while still being active, so I’m thinking about trying one of those for comparison.
Hmm, I'm not sure how to mitigate the shrieking sound on the high E. What gauge of string is the high string? Perhaps some of it can be affected by EQ'ing your tone in various ways.
If you can get your hands on the pickups and try them out, I always suggest it! Super interesting to see the differences and discover your taste preferences.
@@eightmetalstrings Thanks for your reply! I’m already using a Heavy Bottom gauge, since the Hellraiser C-8 came stock with them, so the high E string is .009.
@@metalvisionsongcontest7055 hm, that's what gauge I would have suggested trying. Without hearing the issue myself, I'm stumped on what else to suggest. If it is not related to any fret or saddle noise, and it can't be EQ'd out, I'm not sure what it is 🤔
@@eightmetalstrings Saddle noise is unlikely, since my 8-string has a locking nut (Floyd Rose). So unless it’s one of the saddles in the bridge - or one of the frets, with the string action being too low so that it buzzes against them - it might just be the result of the scale length combined with the pickups.
I’ll have to try and test these various hypothesis, and if need be, take the guitar to the store for setup (even though I already did that once). Anyway, thanks for your input! 😉
I own a fender tone master, it currently has high gain amps like the dual rec, Uberschall, 5150, Friedman BE100, JCM800, and of course stuff like Plexi, Fender Amps, Mark V etc..
I want to create a tight drop E tone and a kinda glassy Polyphia tone, which amps would you recommend? 😊
I always say that you can make whatever you've got work with some fiddling and maybe a pedal or two but if you're really looking for something new, Neural DSP has a Tim Henson archetype plug-in. I imagine that's the closest you'll get without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars and falling down a tone rabbit hole.
Always remember that most of a guitarist's tone comes from their fingers and the years of practice to develop their voice.
What guitar is that? An abasi signature or something?
Yup! Signature Master Larada
Abasi Concept,,by tosin abasi
It’s like Mr. Rogers has a metal channel.
Haha! I am only capable of reading this as a huge compliment, so I hope that was the intention :P
Problem is that I love meshuggah bleed and it is so difficult lol
Join all of us just wallowing in puddles of our own tears, lol. I can every build the speed and endurance to play it, I'll definitely post about it
you’re p smart bro but just remember, i’m onto you
I just bought mine and I'm waiting for it to get here. I also know fuck all about guitar and have no clue how to properly play
What an exciting place to be in! So much potential. I'm excited for you to get your guitar. Shoot me an email if you are interested in lessons or just drop comments around on my videos if you need some general guidance. I'm happy to help in whatever way you need.
Should I buy a Positive Grid 40w amplifier? I do not have a computer so I can't do plug-ins and my current amp is a little First Act "baby's first" practice amp
I don't have much in the way of capability of making music; I just have my new 8 string, a beginner bass, and a violin. The violin is the only instrument that I've been formally taught and played it for the longest but I'm really into metal and want to learn guitar. I'm pretty much self taught along with youtube university when it comes to the bass, and I can play piano a little but do not own one
Also I should clarify when I meant positive grid spark 40
@@Professor_MemesSquad while I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't buy, that amp looks like it has decent overall reviews but I have never played through one. A decent amp though makes a huge difference in how enjoyable it is to practice and play.
Lots of good stuFf to learn from on TH-cam. If you're not going to have a teacher, at least in the beginning, the best advice I can give is to have clear goals of what you are trying to improve at and why. Otherwise you'll end up trying to learn too much and never get really good at any of it.
Tone please ... And More Low Tunnings
That's a great video and your Larada is an absolute beauty
Tone tone tone! lol
Unless you're sponsored by Neural DSP, it makes zero sense to recommend their overpriced plugins over free ones, like by VTar, Nalex, Neural Amp Modeler, Tonocracy or dozens more.
Also, $200 audio interfaces are overkill for beginners. A newer $50 model, like Thomann's Swissonic Audio 1, or a $100 unit, like Arturia's Minifuse 1, is more than enough.
Hey Erebos! Welcome to the channel. Thanks for your recommendations. Hopefully people who see this comment will find the ones you say useful. I'll definitely check them out too.
I'm relatively new to the metal/amp modeling/8-string world myself so can only talk about what I have experience with. So your additions are appreciated!
Also, just to clarify, the prices I'm listing are in Canadian dollars, so they aren't going to be as expensive in other countries. I realized this is maybe an issue when looking up the interfaces you mentioned and seeing they are more expensive than you say. Whee currency exchange.
80 is mandatory on a 27.