Great comparison. As someone that had an 8 and sold it, I prefer the clarity of the extra long scale baritones, I sold my 8 because 27 inch just wasn't enough for my taste and I had to use strings that were too thick to actually play fast.
I've never tried a baritone, but there's no denying that it just does one thing. The 8 string is, like you mentioned, multiple guitars in one. Recently I was recording some guitar parts that only called for a 7 string, so I stuck a piece of foam between the neck pickup and the 8th string. It was effectively muted, and I could play the other 7 strings without worrying about that string ringing out or anything. If you really wanted to, you could take one or two strings off entirely to make it a baritone or 7 string. A truss rod adjustment may be necessary, of course. 😛 But yeah, I like that 8 strings can do everything. Also, having coil splits on an 8 string is a game changer. I use the single coils a lot for more precise, clanky riffs. I have little girl hands and I was able to adapt to an 8 string so it's not too difficult, the neck profile will make a big difference. The neck on the Schecter C-8 Deluxe is pretty flat so it's not a handful to hold.
I think they are just different, most 8 strings are over 27 inch which makes them a baritone guitar. 6 string baritone lets you go low without having to learn new chord shapes, 8 string have their own unique chord voicings. So yeah, both are great for different things
8 string multi scale superior in every way. Can shred high register and get clarity by using thinner gauge on the lows because of the extended scale. Obviously wider range and thus better for creating music. No brainer really
Awesome video. I love your tone and style. About the guitars. Neither one is better than the other. I changed from a 7 string to a 6 string Baritone (28") and with the Baritone I lost the high notes from the 1st string, but I have low tunings. For me the Baritone is ideal for riff and rhythm. But for solos it is much better to have the 1st string and the high notes. C'ya
You covered my point, I think it’s a matter of what you’re looking to do. Riff city/chugs? Baritone is the way to go. You wanna get technical and have an actual extended range to keep the high widdlie’s and lower chugs a la Archspire, Allegaeon, Kallias, then the 8-string. I personally don’t have much desire for low tunings so I’d legit go middle of the road haha - MAYBE drop G the absolute lowest, 7 string on a 26.5” scale (maybe 27”).
You definitely hit the nail on the head, I was about to say that the 8 string has more of a sonic wave of sound and the baritone has the clarity to it 🤘🔥🔥🤘
I do also prefer Baritone, I like guitar tone with more punchy and as Ray stated, tone with more clarity, for low end there’s bass for that service and combined you have overall a great mix with not too much of unnecessary frequencies that’s for my ears, easier to catch and understand.
Second tip. Roll the tone knob back a little and the sound will thicken up on those JM pickups. There are ways to make those PU's more silent aswell, IDK if you are interested on that.
@@centroproiv5614 before it was a hum that would bother you over time, now it's only noticable if you're really be picky, even my amp is louder when running idle now. Didn't had the chance to test on a stage yet but practice room and especially at home for me was worth it. I play aswell under quite a gain with them. so full shielding with copper tape wins for me over shielding paint with an small alu strip on singlecoil guitars, I have also an AO with these vintage plates in it and while it was a bit quieter then my mexico one with paint, it profit aswell from fully shielding. Otherwise wide range humbucker are aswell interesting with gain.
@@centroproiv5614 Yes, important is that it overlaps where the screws are so all metal parts have somewhere contact. Check Puisheen's shielding video on that, he explains it good.
I absolutely get the feel and familiarity of a downtuned six, but damn that eight sounded good. I've always been a six guy. I got an Andy James Kiesel (the red and black) about 8 months ago. Still trying to get used to it. It sounds killer though. I don't get alot of time to play. Gonna work on getting more. P.S. Neural Gojira, still blowing me away!!!
I just use a 7 string and a digitech drop when I wanna go low. I usually just stay in the range of e standard to c standard since I have the drop. Most of the stuff I play is in e, eb and d and the drop tuning equivalents.
Ray I’ve been watching your channel for about two years as you’ve said I was attracted by your in depth Jim Root interview and I was hooked I think Ola said it best when he said you had an upbeat personality I love watching you play guitar the joy that comes over your face I was so upset when the Concrete Dream thing fell through and the way it happened but you seem to have come out of it even better I’m a big fan of metal guitar but not always the vocals or lack there of but your solo stuff is killer I love all the changes you’ve gone through your love of baritone which inspired me to buy one BTW your love of orange love that Solar just the way you evolve allllll the time I’m so glad I found you and your energy I really look forward to all your new videos keep it up Brotha
So my Schecter Omen 6 is 25.5 scale and I have it set up with Ernie Ball Mammoth Slinkys, 12-64 gauge. Currently I have it tuned to C Standard, 1/2 step up from typical B Standard baritone, and I've also had it down to A Standard.
Been debating selling my evertune equipped solar 1.7 for a fixed bridge schecter omen elite 7. I just cant stand having to deal with the evertune and no fret markers.
I just sold the 7 string I had since 1998, and plan on getting a baritone next. 6 is enough strings The jazzmaster pickups are noisy. I can hear them humming before the gate chops
I have this jm.. the pups are only noisy in the bridge position. need lots of noise gate lol but, middle and neck positions are not noisy at all and i absolutely love the neck position for playing ambient stuff
I have a 7 string and an 8 string that I never touch because I just don't enjoy playing them, even though they sound awesome and I love how low they are. So I'm 100% getting a 30" Baritone/Bass VI.
Honestly, all depends. You don't use a hammer for everything, you know? But, as a personal preference, baritone is more my area. Used to play the 7 and 8 strings, but just kinda... I experienced what I wanted, let's just leave it at that haha
Baritone, all day. Too many strings that I don't use lol. Used to play 7s but still a 25.5 which was fine for A but then we started getting down to g and f. they didn't have all the long Bois and fanned fret when I was playing then. Still prefer a 6 string long neck. Got a 26.5 and a 27 just need my 30. I also feel the JM sounded ALOT more clear. Love p90s for metal I found out. I have them in my cabronita.
For me, the problem with 7 and 8 string guitars are width of neck. Got small hands and its a PITA to play them. I would prefer the baritone. Personally I never go below Drop C so a standard length 6 string works just fine.
Great video. On another topic, Ray if you are reading this I just wanted to let you know that someone tried to scam me on channel. I saw through it. But if you want to know the details please reach out to me. I would (and I am sure you would too) hate to see someone get scammed. You have put in too much hard work to deserve this on your channel. Thank you.
8 string alllllll day. And that 8 just has more bass in the eq, that's why it's not as clear. I put thicker strings on mine and use the bridge pickup for distorted rhythm and leads and that punches up the tone. Not to mention I use an eq pedal and a boost to get a good crunch.
Thanks for the comparison Ray! I'm still to this day battling between 6 string baritone and 8 string as im getting back to writing music but want an all in one solution, and only dabbled so much with the two. To me (and my small hands, 6 string baritones get too lengthy for me with thick ass strings but do have amazing clarity. The scale length makes me stretch more uncomfortably. Maybe thinner strings and thinner radius will help mitigate the issue? With 8 strings, the neck can be rather wide even with a slimmer profile. Fan frets might help? Also I'm about to try out the grandaddy of 8 stringers aka Strandberg Boden 8. Heard how "easy" it plays compared to others but who knows. While I don't solo much, the extra strings do give me range for big ass chords. And as the ol saying goes "better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them." Wish me luck djentelman! 🤘
Have a baritone 6, 7, & 8 string. I wouldn't recommend any scale length shorter than 30 inches. The 28.65 inch scale length on my 8 makes the lowest string too floppy for my tastes. I occasionally see 9 or 10 string guitars with 27" scales and wonder 'what are they thinking'? Get a multiscale if you play leads as you DON'T want all that string tension on your high strings. A 27" to 30" fan is extreme but pretty much ideal.
I feel like that's the wrong question. What is the difference between a long scale 8 and a baritone guitar? The number of strings. That's it. An M80M and a long scale baritone will do the same thing on the low end. Need the high notes? Get more strings.
Baritone all the way. The tone is a lot more clear and articulate. Surprised me that those single coil jazzmaster pickups sounded better than the 8 string. That 8 string just had the normal 8 string tone that I’m not a fan of at all. Slightly muddy and almost muted I’m the chugs. Nope…that 30” baritone neck all the way son.
the difference I noticed between them is the same difference i noticed when i first moved from a 6 string baritone to a 7 String. having the extra string also means guitar build with more wood in the structure of the build and tone. More mass seems to give more extended lows which for me works great (maybe not better) the same can be heard here. awesome comparison!
I prefer 6 strings because it's easier to play and I don't need that wide of a range. I have both though. Also a big problem for me is there is no 8 string multiscale Floyd Rose trem, so that is kind of a deal breaker.
@@Ottophil you think so? I've had that issue with some guitars but I've never really pinpointed it. Some people say it's ringing behind the nut but I'm not convinced.
Sooo, you're comparing two vastly different guitars with different specs and draw general conclusions about baritone vs 8string? Bruh. The only time it would make any sense if you compared two nearly identical guitars with the only difference being number of strings. Same pickups, same scale lenght, same wood.
One thing is for damn sure... Ray has a cooler job than I do.
Great comparison. As someone that had an 8 and sold it, I prefer the clarity of the extra long scale baritones, I sold my 8 because 27 inch just wasn't enough for my taste and I had to use strings that were too thick to actually play fast.
In the video, I think the key difference as well is the P90 styled Jazzmaster pickup.
I've never tried a baritone, but there's no denying that it just does one thing. The 8 string is, like you mentioned, multiple guitars in one. Recently I was recording some guitar parts that only called for a 7 string, so I stuck a piece of foam between the neck pickup and the 8th string. It was effectively muted, and I could play the other 7 strings without worrying about that string ringing out or anything. If you really wanted to, you could take one or two strings off entirely to make it a baritone or 7 string. A truss rod adjustment may be necessary, of course. 😛
But yeah, I like that 8 strings can do everything. Also, having coil splits on an 8 string is a game changer. I use the single coils a lot for more precise, clanky riffs. I have little girl hands and I was able to adapt to an 8 string so it's not too difficult, the neck profile will make a big difference. The neck on the Schecter C-8 Deluxe is pretty flat so it's not a handful to hold.
I think they are just different, most 8 strings are over 27 inch which makes them a baritone guitar. 6 string baritone lets you go low without having to learn new chord shapes, 8 string have their own unique chord voicings. So yeah, both are great for different things
8 string multi scale superior in every way. Can shred high register and get clarity by using thinner gauge on the lows because of the extended scale. Obviously wider range and thus better for creating music. No brainer really
Awesome video. I love your tone and style. About the guitars. Neither one is better than the other. I changed from a 7 string to a 6 string Baritone (28") and with the Baritone I lost the high notes from the 1st string, but I have low tunings. For me the Baritone is ideal for riff and rhythm. But for solos it is much better to have the 1st string and the high notes. C'ya
I’d definitely go for the 8 string because imagine lead playing and rhythm playing. Even though the baritone has more clarity, I prefer the 8 string.
You covered my point, I think it’s a matter of what you’re looking to do. Riff city/chugs? Baritone is the way to go. You wanna get technical and have an actual extended range to keep the high widdlie’s and lower chugs a la Archspire, Allegaeon, Kallias, then the 8-string.
I personally don’t have much desire for low tunings so I’d legit go middle of the road haha - MAYBE drop G the absolute lowest, 7 string on a 26.5” scale (maybe 27”).
i play a 7 string 27 inch scale in drop F, i think its the sweet spot where its still playable and clear but can also get low and riffy
You definitely hit the nail on the head, I was about to say that the 8 string has more of a sonic wave of sound and the baritone has the clarity to it 🤘🔥🔥🤘
I do also prefer Baritone, I like guitar tone with more punchy and as Ray stated, tone with more clarity, for low end there’s bass for that service and combined you have overall a great mix with not too much of unnecessary frequencies that’s for my ears, easier to catch and understand.
Love the channel ray keep it up
Thanks so much. Trying my best
Second tip. Roll the tone knob back a little and the sound will thicken up on those JM pickups. There are ways to make those PU's more silent aswell, IDK if you are interested on that.
This, nothing teached me more about using the vol and tone than my Jazzmaster, went aswell to fully shield it 😈
@@g.koch. How much noise reduction did you get after the shielding ?
@@centroproiv5614 before it was a hum that would bother you over time, now it's only noticable if you're really be picky, even my amp is louder when running idle now. Didn't had the chance to test on a stage yet but practice room and especially at home for me was worth it. I play aswell under quite a gain with them. so full shielding with copper tape wins for me over shielding paint with an small alu strip on singlecoil guitars, I have also an AO with these vintage plates in it and while it was a bit quieter then my mexico one with paint, it profit aswell from fully shielding. Otherwise wide range humbucker are aswell interesting with gain.
@@g.koch. I think i'm gonna try to do some shielding or get somebody to do it. Do you shield the whole cavity right?
@@centroproiv5614 Yes, important is that it overlaps where the screws are so all metal parts have somewhere contact. Check Puisheen's shielding video on that, he explains it good.
I absolutely get the feel and familiarity of a downtuned six, but damn that eight sounded good. I've always been a six guy. I got an Andy James Kiesel (the red and black) about 8 months ago. Still trying to get used to it. It sounds killer though. I don't get alot of time to play. Gonna work on getting more. P.S. Neural Gojira, still blowing me away!!!
Congrats on that Guitar!
That open F on the 8 has something that the 6 just doesn’t. Both awesome guitars, and I can’t definitively say which I prefer lol
Duuuude the first riff you played was sick asf
Baritone for me. Way more snappier tone. Use a hard gate for the staccato parts and you will kill the noise.
My vote goest to 8 string, I grew up with a classical guitar so i like the feel of big but thin 8 strings
I just use a 7 string and a digitech drop when I wanna go low. I usually just stay in the range of e standard to c standard since I have the drop. Most of the stuff I play is in e, eb and d and the drop tuning equivalents.
that Squier has an insane tone man! great video as always brother keep it up!
While I enjoyed my 7 string Jackson I would like to try a baritone because of Max C. He only needs 4 strings.
Ray I’ve been watching your channel for about two years as you’ve said I was attracted by your in depth Jim Root interview and I was hooked I think Ola said it best when he said you had an upbeat personality I love watching you play guitar the joy that comes over your face I was so upset when the Concrete Dream thing fell through and the way it happened but you seem to have come out of it even better I’m a big fan of metal guitar but not always the vocals or lack there of but your solo stuff is killer I love all the changes you’ve gone through your love of baritone which inspired me to buy one BTW your love of orange love that Solar just the way you evolve allllll the time I’m so glad I found you and your energy I really look forward to all your new videos keep it up Brotha
pre ordered the harley benton ja baritone cant wait to play with it. nice to hear you play the scallion!
My vote goes to the baritone. 8 string necks are typically just too wide for me personally.
you should try out one of the ibanez 7 string baritones, the necks great if you want something smaller than an 8 and it has the same f# too
@@Roman-me5bi I wouldn’t mind an Ibanez 7, my “metal” guitar for now is my RG120 and the neck is surprisingly comfortable.
Or a 7 tuned as 8, I think it's the best
I feel you, but I struggle to go without the high strings. I do go into a different mindset with an 8 string. That's where a baritone would be better.
@@J-Cardozoi had a 7 tuned to 8 but i really didn’t like having to tune back up if i wanted to play a solo.
So my Schecter Omen 6 is 25.5 scale and I have it set up with Ernie Ball Mammoth Slinkys, 12-64 gauge.
Currently I have it tuned to C Standard, 1/2 step up from typical B Standard baritone, and I've also had it down to A Standard.
Been debating selling my evertune equipped solar 1.7 for a fixed bridge schecter omen elite 7. I just cant stand having to deal with the evertune and no fret markers.
That's one of my few complaints about Solar. I would really like for fixed bridge options.
@@katten39 for real, thought I would like it but it just turned into a hassle
I just sold the 7 string I had since 1998, and plan on getting a baritone next. 6 is enough strings
The jazzmaster pickups are noisy. I can hear them humming before the gate chops
I have this jm.. the pups are only noisy in the bridge position. need lots of noise gate lol but, middle and neck positions are not noisy at all and i absolutely love the neck position for playing ambient stuff
I have a 7 string and an 8 string that I never touch because I just don't enjoy playing them, even though they sound awesome and I love how low they are. So I'm 100% getting a 30" Baritone/Bass VI.
8 string crushes the Squier. Couldn’t get down with the JM when I had one.
Honestly, all depends. You don't use a hammer for everything, you know? But, as a personal preference, baritone is more my area. Used to play the 7 and 8 strings, but just kinda... I experienced what I wanted, let's just leave it at that haha
ayy first! excited to watch.
I hope you enjoy!
@@xanderraymondcharles Loved that jam track man! keep it up!
Loved the vid!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼
cool comparison! thx!
JUST DO SEPARATED EACH ITS OWN JOBS:
PLAY SINGLE MELODY ON THE BARITONE
PLAY DROP CHORDS ON THE 8 STRING
I prefer the humbuckers over the single coils. The noise would drive me crazy.
Baritone, all day. Too many strings that I don't use lol. Used to play 7s but still a 25.5 which was fine for A but then we started getting down to g and f. they didn't have all the long Bois and fanned fret when I was playing then. Still prefer a 6 string long neck. Got a 26.5 and a 27 just need my 30. I also feel the JM sounded ALOT more clear. Love p90s for metal I found out. I have them in my cabronita.
For me, the problem with 7 and 8 string guitars are width of neck. Got small hands and its a PITA to play them. I would prefer the baritone. Personally I never go below Drop C so a standard length 6 string works just fine.
I vote 8 string baritone 😮
Great video. On another topic, Ray if you are reading this I just wanted to let you know that someone tried to scam me on channel. I saw through it. But if you want to know the details please reach out to me. I would (and I am sure you would too) hate to see someone get scammed. You have put in too much hard work to deserve this on your channel. Thank you.
I definitely prefer the playability of a 6 string baritone. I don’t need the high strings. I do prefer the humbuckers tone though.
What is that tune you keeping playing? Its awesome and i want to learn it
8 string alllllll day.
And that 8 just has more bass in the eq, that's why it's not as clear. I put thicker strings on mine and use the bridge pickup for distorted rhythm and leads and that punches up the tone. Not to mention I use an eq pedal and a boost to get a good crunch.
the baritone seems more "raw" cause of the string noise and the 8 string seems more "artifical" cause of the lack of string noise
I would like to have a baritone cause I am mostly rythm guitar player and power chords sound massive in B standard or Drop A tuning
Quick question. What are the string Gauges you use for the Baritone?
So, is it better to get an 8 string or a baritone? I'm trying to get a new guitar and don't know which to settle for
awesome jam
When you have the best baritone (in that price range and a bit above) in your hands, no contest!...
Why did u list your baritones for sale on reverb!!??😢
What string Gauge do you use on a Baritone Guitar?
If they are really thick is it a Bitch to play if your used to a regular 6 String?
In a live band setting, I'd go with the baritone. All the extra low end thud from the 8 will get lost with the bass and drums...
much more clean sound in the 8 string
Looks at you with the multiscale... lol
Baritone for the win in my book. Clarity and note definition. Less mudd
that was cool but like ....... 7 strings gotta be my limit ..... lol
Thanks for the comparison Ray!
I'm still to this day battling between 6 string baritone and 8 string as im getting back to writing music but want an all in one solution, and only dabbled so much with the two.
To me (and my small hands, 6 string baritones get too lengthy for me with thick ass strings but do have amazing clarity. The scale length makes me stretch more uncomfortably. Maybe thinner strings and thinner radius will help mitigate the issue?
With 8 strings, the neck can be rather wide even with a slimmer profile. Fan frets might help? Also I'm about to try out the grandaddy of 8 stringers aka Strandberg Boden 8. Heard how "easy" it plays compared to others but who knows. While I don't solo much, the extra strings do give me range for big ass chords. And as the ol saying goes "better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them."
Wish me luck djentelman! 🤘
When does it get to the point where your better off getting a Bass?
Have a baritone 6, 7, & 8 string. I wouldn't recommend any scale length shorter than 30 inches. The 28.65 inch scale length on my 8 makes the lowest string too floppy for my tastes. I occasionally see 9 or 10 string guitars with 27" scales and wonder 'what are they thinking'? Get a multiscale if you play leads as you DON'T want all that string tension on your high strings. A 27" to 30" fan is extreme but pretty much ideal.
what is the tone id like to check out
was it Andy James?
You must be using fairly light strings on the 8 considering that 7 of those strings would be tuned up 1/2 step.
Both sound great, but that 8 string neck looks a foot wide, and I have smaller hands, lmmfao
What tune you use on 8string guitar?
I feel like that's the wrong question. What is the difference between a long scale 8 and a baritone guitar? The number of strings. That's it. An M80M and a long scale baritone will do the same thing on the low end.
Need the high notes? Get more strings.
Baritone all the way. The tone is a lot more clear and articulate. Surprised me that those single coil jazzmaster pickups sounded better than the 8 string. That 8 string just had the normal 8 string tone that I’m not a fan of at all. Slightly muddy and almost muted I’m the chugs. Nope…that 30” baritone neck all the way son.
Baritone just has the punch i need. My 30" is a beast in drop f#
Scale length is all that matters
Lowest string on 8 strings go: BRRR
Lowest on baritones goes: BAYRM
They are all better ✌️🎸✌️
I have huge hands and even a 7 feels too wide to me. I guess I’ll just have to go baritone, lol.
Funny enough, I have tiny hands and prefer my 26.5 scale 7 string
@@floridaboy9641 what brand? I’ve only tried the cheaper Jackson’s and Ibanez
@@jeffleecust PRS. I don’t have much of a province with the width, but the neck sure is thicker than most sevens. I use lighter strings to compensate.
I have big hands ( I don't know if they're huge or not ) and a 6 string feels like a violin neck to me. Electric, and steel acoustic, not classical.
+3 inch = more tension = more attack in right hand without tune problems + PAFs... the result is obvious
It’s gunna be baritone to me, 8 strings feel like I’m playing a surfboard
I honestly like the 8 string better
the difference I noticed between them is the same difference i noticed when i first moved from a 6 string baritone to a 7 String. having the extra string also means
guitar build with more wood in the structure of the build and tone. More mass seems to give more extended lows which for me works great (maybe not better) the same can be heard here. awesome comparison!
@@gaethanos3686 I agree about the tone woods thing, but still not sold on the mass aspect.
@@gaethanos3686 i never said tonewood. tonewood would only apply to acoustic guitars.
i was talking about mass
baritone of course
comparison starts at 3:30
the 8 string had sooooo less noise
I bet the baritone cuts through the mix better. Eight string and bass are going to be clashing.
The Squier sounded heavier
I feel like a baratone will be easier for me to play bc I have fat short fingers
As a former owner of 8 string I say 8 string because baritone is nor great for lead guitar IMO
I prefer 6 strings because it's easier to play and I don't need that wide of a range. I have both though. Also a big problem for me is there is no 8 string multiscale Floyd Rose trem, so that is kind of a deal breaker.
everyone is always like blah blah baritone blah blah 8 string and im like. Why not both? peep my short upload BIHHHHH
💪🏻🤘🏻
Please dont sell the baritone, I love baritone content and its worth keeping.
Baritone sounds way better than 8 string and I don't need that much range
Unrelated to the comparison, that squier has a ringing from the tremolo springs that would drive me nuts. Great video.
It’s a hardtail bridge, no springs
@@lightfandango2955 oh i see. It looks like a floating bridge, that's why I thought it was a tremolo. Must be something else rattling.
@@altpath its the pickups
@@Ottophil you think so? I've had that issue with some guitars but I've never really pinpointed it. Some people say it's ringing behind the nut but I'm not convinced.
8 string
Ex. Andrew Baena
There is some nasty resonance on that baritone, 8 string is way clearer
7string?! 😂
You can only play Meshuggah on 8-string. Case closed.
they started their career off on 7 strings.
I’ll be honest….99% of my playing is on 4 strings lol
Sooo, you're comparing two vastly different guitars with different specs and draw general conclusions about baritone vs 8string?
Bruh.
The only time it would make any sense if you compared two nearly identical guitars with the only difference being number of strings. Same pickups, same scale lenght, same wood.
Dead tie for me
Lol 4 string