User:Oswinwong/sandbox

Eight-String Guitar

Solid-body

The solid-body eight string guitar is also used in many modern bands today. The construction of the solid-body eight-string guitar is identical to the seven, and six-string, offering many ways of being built (bolt on, neck through, set neck). The standard tuning (from bottom up) is F#, B, E, A, D, G, B, E. The tuning can always be changed. Many prefer to tune the F# to a low E (the same E on a bass guitar) to provide the guitar with more of a full sound by having three different E strings. By doing this, octaves and fifths are accessed easily.

Like the seven-string, the first commercially produced eight-string guitar is made by Ibanez guitars in Japan.

Heavy Metal

One notable guitarist, Tosin Abasi (from Animals as Leaders), tunes his guitar with the low E, and utilizes all the features of the eight-string guitar. He incorporates bass guitar techniques such as string thumping made famous by Victor Wooten (which is heard mostly on "An Infinite Regression"), and harp like techniques by combining sweep-picking with hybrid-picking.

Tuning Problems

The main problem with using an eight-string guitar is tuning stability with the lower strings. This is due to the neck being constructed too short, bridge problems such as improper intonation, uneven spacing for floating bridges, and or the use of wrong gauges. Other problems associated with tuning stability rely on the proper set up of the guitar.