Best 8 String Guitar

So, you've run out of strings to shred through on your 6 string and 7 string guitars, have you? You need something just a little bit heavier? Well, you're in luck because we review so can you can buy the best 8 string guitar and bring the rock thunder.

Sometimes you just want your sound to feel a little murkier than you can normally get. What if I told you you can add on another 2 bass strings to your guitar and really get down low?

Aside from the obvious metal opportunities, the 8 string guitar offers so many more chances to open up you creativity and truly make something that you could not have dreamed of with a standard 6 string guitar.

So, get ready to rock your house off of it's foundation with these 7 of the best 8 string guitars.

The Best 8 String Guitar

1. ESP LTD JR-608 Javier Reyes

2. Schecter OMEN-8

3. Schecter Damien Platinum 8

4. Washburn PXM18EB Parallaxe PXM Series 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Black Finish

5. Schecter BANSHEE ELITE-8 Gloss Natural 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar

6. Schecter 1931 Hellraiser Hybrid C-8 TBB Left Handed Electric Guitars

7. ESP LTD SC-608 Baritone Signature Series Stephen Carpenter Electric Guitar with Case, Red Sparkle

8. Ibanez Fredrik Thordendal Signature 8-String Electric Guitar Weathered Black

Best Sounding 8 String Guitar

Our top pick from this list is the Schecter OMEN-8. This guitar sounds like a dream and plays like one too. You would expect for the sound, feel, and visual appeal of this instrument to pay north of $1,000.

You can usually get this for around half that price. Depending on the production schedule, this baby can be tough to get your hands on. If you find this guitar available, especially under $500, do yourself a favor and grab it!

Best 8 String Guitar Review

You are bound to find something on this list that will check all of your boxes.

1. ESP LTD JR-608 Javier Reyes

Description: We kick this list off with a beautiful guitar. The ESP LTD Javier Reyes JR-608 is a gorgeous 8 string guitar in Pelham Blue custom designed by Jvier Reyes of Animals As Leaders.

The body is solid mahogany and holds a pair of DiMarzio JR-CTM signature humbucker pickups. The neck is made of quality maple with a Jatoba fingerboard. Glide down the U-shaped neck over all 24 jumbo frets. The fingerboard also boasts a series of custom inlays.

Dimensions 48 x 19 x 5 inches

Pros:

- custom inlays are eye catching
- good price for entry into 8 string market

2. Schecter OMEN-8

Description: The top pick on our list is the Schecter OMEN-8. This guitar features a maple neck whose bright tones perfectly compliment the warm tones from the all basswood body. The neck is topped of with a beautiful rosewood fingerboard peppered with custom inlays.

Your sound is going to scream through this pair of Schecter Diamond Plus pickups. They feature over wound coils and a ceramic magnet. Stay in tune through any shredding session with the Tune-O-Matic bridge.

Pound for pound, this is one of, if not THE, best 8 string guitar on the market today. Schecter has truly outdone themselves with this beast.

Dimensions 46 x 6 x 19 inches

Pros:

- sounds like a guitar twice it's price
- the neck is comfortable and makes playing easy

Cons:

- some reports that stock pickups can be a little hot

3. Schecter Damien Platinum 8

Description: Schecter's second appearance on the list is with the Damien Platinum 8. This is a slick instrument.

The rosewood fingerboard, with it's natural oils, provides a nice rich sound while you are playing up and down the 24X jumbo fretboard.. The neck is 3-piece maple with two carbon fiber rods next to the truss rod to add extra support.

The solid mahogany body houses a pair of EMG 808 active pickups. You are going to absolutely scream through your amps! All of the hardware is satin chrome. The bridge is a sturdy Schecter CTM-8 complimented by the Rotomatic tuners.

Dimensions 44.00 x 19.00 x 5.00 inches

Pros:

- holds tuning so well you can play ir straight out of the box after shipping
- pickups sound great

Cons:

- does not come with case

4. Washburn PXM18EB Parallaxe PXM Series 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar

Description: The Washburn PXM18EB is a beast of a guitar.

This guitar has a 5 piece maple and mahogany neck with a smooth ebony fretboard. It's 27" scale with it's double cutaway design will have you ripping through solos with ease.

The alder body is home to a pair of EMG 808 active pickups that will make your playing cut through the mix. Not only does this guitar sound amazing but it is eye catching as well. Specifically, the small dot inlays with the Parallaxe resting at the 12th fret.

Dimensions 41.00 x 16.00 x 5.00 inches

Pros:

- double cutaway design makes soloing easier
- EMG 808 pickups sound awesome

5. Schecter BANSHEE ELITE-8 Gloss Natural 8-String Solid-Body Electric Guitar

Description: If you are looking for a guitar to push your sound to another level, this just may be it. With it's USA SuperCharger Mach-8 humbuckers, you will be able to mold your sound exactly how you want it.

The Schecter Banshee Elite-8 comes standard with the user feedback modeled maple/walnut multi-ply Ultra Thin C neck. That combined with the ebony fingerboard will have you soaring from fret to fret. Never lose your spot on a dark stage either with the glow in the dark side dot fret markers.

The swamp ash body gives off a bright, warm tone. Lock in your sound and tuning with the Hipshot hardtail bridge and Schecter locking tuners.

Dimensions 44.00 x 19.00 x 5.00 inches

Pros:

- the ultra thin C neck is great for comfortable playing
- Schecter's locking tuners are a great feature

Cons:

- 28" scale may be too large if your hands are on the smaller side

7. ESP LTD SC-608 Baritone Signature Series Stephen Carpenter Electric Guitar with Case, Red Sparkle

Description: ESP LTD is carrying on their tradition of offering artist specific designed guitars. The ESP LTD SC-608B Baritone Signature Series is by Stephen Carpenter of the Deftones.

If the Washburn above is a beast, this thing is the beast slayer! At 54" long and just shy of 30lbs, this guitar is a monster. But it's size delivers some awesome metal tones.

The maple neck, with it's 24 fret rosewood fingerboard allows you to really explore the additional sonic regions provided by the 8 strings. Perfect your sound with the all mahogany body, Hipshot Hardtail bridge, and LTD locking tuners.

However, where this guitar really shines is in the pickups. Stephen Carpenter has helped to craft such a unique system of sound exploration. Both the middle alnico and bridge ceramic pickups each have multiple voicings; "Modern Active" or "Modern Passive Attack".

Dimensions 54.00 x 5.00 x 19.00 inches

Pros:

- holds it's tune well
- neck is comfortable

Cons:

- fret edges can be a bit rough
- this guitar is heavy (almost 30lbs!)

8. Ibanez Fredrik Thordendal Signature FTM33 8-String Electric Guitar Weathered Black

Description: While we are on the subject of signature models, take a look at the Ibanez Fredrik Thordendal FTM33 Signature 8-String. If you don't know, Fredrik Thordendal is the guitarist for the seminal Swedish metal group, Meshuggah.

If you want to play some deep, dirty (dare I say "djent") metal, this is what you're looking for. This guitar features a maple and walnut neck-through for added sustain. Take the tuning as low as you want, this neck can handle it.

Glide up and down the rosewood fretboard, nailing every single one of the 22 jumbo frets along the way. The swamp-ash top and ash body will give you the deep firm lows you crave while preserving those pleasant highs, as well.

Your tuning is locked in tight with Ibanez's own FX EDGE III-8 double locking fixed bridge. This bridge was designed specifically to handle the extra tension added with two extra strings.

Dimensions 50.00 x 18.50 x 5.90 inches

Pros:

- holds it's tune well
- swamp ash body has great tone

Cons:

- frets may need to be leveled

How To Pick Out A New Guitar

Picking out a new guitar should be an experience that you enjoy. You are likely going to spending a ton of time with it so you want to make sure you pick the right one.

Personal Taste and Ability

First and foremost, which guitar catches your eye? Which guitar feels "right" when you hold it. Which guitar inspires you to keep playing even after you have been playing for hours?

Skill Level

If you haven't been playing for long or you don't have a good grasp on playing scales (I know, I know), an 8 string may not be the best choice right now. However, if you are pretty proficient along the fretboard, you may be up to the challenge.

Be honest with yourself about your skill level. An 8 string looks fun, and IS fun, to play, but if you aren't going to be comfortable it may be more frustrating and lead to less playing overall.

Preference

Like the questions above ask, which guitar feels like it's your new guitar? We don't play guitar just to have something to do. We use our instrument to express ourselves (and also to look cool).

You want to make sure the guitar you choose makes you feel like a rock star!

Price/Budget

For a decent 8 string guitar, you are going to spend several hundred dollars if not over a thousand dollars. We have tried to include guitars at several price points on this list.

However, 8 strings are not super common yet, and thus, generally have a decent sized price tag. That's not to dissuade you from buying one, you will just want to make sure you have a realistic budget in mind for the guitar you want to buy.

Quality

You want to make sure you guitar comes from a reputable manufacturer. You also want to make sure the materials used are of high quality.

A great guitar is crafted like the precious instrument that it is. You want to ensure that the guitar you get has been made with that level of care and attention to detail.

Common Questions About 8 String Guitars

We were shocked when we first saw 8 strings hit the market. I mean, how many strings do you really need anyway (wait until we get to the best 9 string guitars).

All jokes aside, there is not a ton of information out there about 8 strings yet, so we wanted to hit a few of the more commonly asked questions about them.

How Do You Tune it?

The most common tuning for an 8 string is standard tuning for the bottom six with the two new bass strings at F# and B. So the tuning should read from top to bottom as, F#, B, E, A, D, G, B, e.

Are They Worth It?

That's a pretty subjective question. If you enjoy playing a heavier style and you can't quite get low enough with a 6 or 7 string, then an 8 string is absolutely worth it!

Is An 8 String Guitar Harder To Play?

If you are only comfortable playing a 6 string then there is definitely a learning curve involved. Obviously, you have 2 extra bass strings. That will open up new scale and chord positions.

The neck will also be a good deal wider than what you may be used to playing. So, the 8 string is not exactly harder to play, but it is a different playing experience. But with practice you will be just as comfortable with it as you are with your 6 string.

Why 8 Strings?

Why not?

Seriously though, if you play a heavy style, you are able to get a deeper, heavier, more raw sound with the extra 6 bass strings.

Outside of playing metal, the extra strings can also give any guitarist some new territory and soundscapes to explore.

New Vs Used?

You can always try and find a used guitar in the second hand marketplace. We won't tell you not to do that. My first guitar was $100 Peavey Patriot at a Flea Market. You can sometimes find a banging deal on a preowned guitar.

Our argument for buying new is that you have all the quality assurances you can get from the manufacturer (i.e. warranty, shipping insurance, etc). You also know the life and history of that guitar.

You can have confidence it's never been dropped, had someone play around with the pickups or switch systems, or mess with the truss rod.

With a used instrument you can get a great deal and save some money. With a new purchase, you can also have the peace of mind and an awesome instrument.

Is An 8 String Guitar Good For A Beginner?

That depends. If they are a beginner and have somewhat of a grasp on playing a 6 string, but not a lot of scale or theory experience, an 8 string may be frustrating to try and take on.

However, if they are a brand new, never touched a guitar before, type of player, then it can't hurt for them to learn on an 8 string. 8 String guitars are a bit pricey for a beginner's guitar. But if they are committed to learning, an 8 string can be a fine way to learn.

Overall Top choice

Again, our top pick for best 8 string guitar is the Schecter OMEN-8. From the moment your fingers touch these strings, you will feel like you are in a metal dream (nightmare?).

Seriously, you can't beat this combination of quality and price.

Conclusion

Enough reading! Grab one of the guitars we've reviewed, start shredding, and melt some faces like you know you can!

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