Eight string guitar
Encyclopedia
An eight-string guitar is a guitar
with eight strings instead of the commonly used six strings. Such guitars are not as common as the six string variety, but are used by classical
, jazz
, and metal guitarists to expand the range of their instrument by adding two strings.
along with the seven string guitar variant in the 19th century. The eight string guitar has recently begun to gain popularity, notably among jazz artists such as Charlie Hunter
, The Special Purpose
, Terje Rypdal
and Richard Scott, and metal artists such as Deftones, Meshuggah
, Mariachi Terror, Ad Ruinas, Stations, Suicide Silence
, Ihsahn
, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
, After The Burial
, and Gwar
. More bands such as Periphery
, Instinct for Rank, The Paradoxical Spiral and Animals as Leaders
aimed to achieve more audio span and ambiance within metal and experimental genres by utilizing the additional strings by using a combination of octave E and top A throughout.
There are steadily increasing numbers of manufacturers offering eight string guitars, and a production eight string was released in 2007 by Ibanez
, followed in 2010 by a new RGA 8 string. One of the main manufacturing companies of 8 and even 9 string guitars is Novax Guitars
established by Ralph Novak and Conklin Guitars. Recently ESP
, Mayones and Schecter Guitar Research
have also begun to make production line eight string guitars as well.
Manufactures of 8 string guitars include:
Agile, BlackMachine, Siggery, Hufschmid, Chellee, Conklin, Dean
, ESP
, Guerilla, Halo, Helios, Ibanez
, LGM, Manne, Mayones, Novax
, Oni, Ran, Schecter Guitar Research
, Shamray, Sherman, The Illustrated Luthier Jesse Hall, Teuffel, Uva, and Wes Lambe.
("Michael, Row the Boat Ashore", "In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home"), patented the eight-string guitar in 1966 and holds U.S. Patent #3,269,247. While with The Highwaymen, Connors used this guitar exclusively during concerts, and on television and during public appearances. Nick Reynolds of The Kingston Trio
, upon seeing one of The Highwaymen's shows at The Cellar Door nightclub in Washington, DC, had an eight-string guitar modeled and built after Connors's eight-string. Eight string variations are also found in classical nylon strung instruments. They are generally tuned with two extra basses ([BD]EADGBE) that vary in pitch depending on the piece being played. Another common variation is to add an extra bass and treble string. The extra treble is almost always tuned to A, while the added bass string usually falls on A, B, or C.
The classical guitarists
Paul Galbraith
and Alexander Vynograd are two of the most notable eight-string players who use the extra high and low string tuning. Galbraith generally tunes (B)EADGBEA which puts standard six-string guitar chord voicings and scale shapes within the neck and allows him to read directly off of lute tablature (a whole step higher). Vynograd chooses to tune AEADGCEA (notice the B string is tuned up a half step) which allows him to play the top six strings like a guitar a fourth higher. Vynograd writes his music on a grand staff in a different key and plays as if the guitar was tuned EBEADGBE.
, Ihsahn
, Meshuggah
, After the Burial
, Rusty Cooley
, Wayde Cooper,Instinct for Leaders, Animals as Leaders
, Whitechapel
, Scale the Summit
, Dino Cazares
(Asesino
, Fear Factory
, Mariachi Terror, Divine Heresy
), Deftones
, Stations, The Acacia Strain
, Ad Ruinas, The Freelancers, Clockwork, and other metal artists. Even the pop-rock band Triumphant Return has been seen using 8 string guitars. They are most often tuned in regular 4ths, with two extra basses (Low to High) F#+B+E-A-D-G-B-E. Fredrik Thordendal and Marten Hagstrom of Meshuggah tune their 8-string guitars F+Bb+Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb, and occasionally drop it to Eb+Bb+Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb, and even five semitones below this tuning, for the song Spasm. Rusty Cooley and Chris Letchford from Scale the Summit
have been seen using one extra bass and one extra treble string (tuned B-E-A-D-G-B-E-A or B-E-A-D-G-B-E-G). Several smaller luthier
companies now offer 8-string models such as BlackMachine, Hufschmid Guitars Switzerland, Oni and Mike Shermann.
8-string pickup makers include EMG
, DiMarzio, Häussel, Bareknuckle, Lundgren, Siggery, Hufschmid, SP custom pickups France, Nordstrand, Seymour Duncan
Custom Shop, and Swineshead.
Ibanez was first to offer a production 8-string guitar, the RG2228 in March 2007. It was introduced at the Winter NAMM show of 2007 and features a 27" baritone scale bolt on neck. This first mass produced solid body 8-string electric guitar is played by Stations' frontman Dave Kavanagh and Divine Heresy guitarist Dino Cazares. Ibanez added a more affordable 8-string model RGA8 in 2010.
At the Winter NAMM of 2008, ESP Guitars
unveiled three new 8-string guitars: two of them, part of Stephen Carpenter
's signature line, are in 27" baritone scale, and an LTD version, the FM-408, in 25.5" standard scale; both versions are of neck-through-body construction. Like the Ibanez's RG2228, they utilize the same EMG 808 active pickups.
In 2007 Octave4plus introduced an effective high A440Hz string for guitar scales up to 30" without the need for a multi-scale fingerboard
(or fanned frets) giving the 7, 8, and 9 string guitars another viable tuning option. These strings tune as high as B4 (493.88 Hz) at the 28" scale.
British manufacturer Blackmachine also offers some 8 string guitars. The 8 and the F8 (multi-scale) models. These were originally an experiment by their producer, and are now a regular part of the company's product line. One notable user of these instruments is Clive Jevons of the German band Bludgeoned who also plays on Swiss-made Hufschmid Guitars.
In addition, the guitar manufacturer Schecter Guitar Research produced a short run of 100 custom shop C-8 Hellraiser Guitars. These guitars feature a 26.5" scale. They were not included in the company's official line up for 2009, but were a special limited release for that year. As of now, there is no news as to whether or not this will be added to the Hellraiser series of guitars as a regular part of the Schecter line up. They also released 100 (50 white/50 black) Blackjack 8-string guitars with Seymour Duncan
Blackouts pickups, which also feature a 26.5" scale. Currently the Schecter 8 string guitars being produced are the Damien Elite 8,Omen 8, Hellraiser 8, all of which have a 26 1/2" scale and EMG 808 pickups apart from the Omen which uses Schecters own 8 string humbuckers.
Since the spring of 2008, American importer-distributor Rondo Music has been accepting pre-orders for a limited-run Korean made budget 8-string electric guitar model named Agile Intrepid. This guitar features a 28.625" scale neck with 24 jumbo frets and a graphite nut. All models utilize a fixed string-through-body bridge and Grover die cast tuners unless noted otherwise. Pro models have a 5 piece neck-through-body maple/walnut neck with mahogany wing construction. Standard models have a bolt-on 3 piece maple neck with an ash body construction. Most guitars feature a maple fretboard and a single passive humbucker or single EMG 808 pickup, however a 30” scale neck option, rosewood and ebony fretboard option, fretless option, and dual humbucker option are sometimes offered. The Agile Intrepid is also available in right and left handed.
Left handed guitar manufacturer Gaskell Guitars, from Australia announced in March 2009, that they will be adding an 8 string guitar to their line up of left handed guitars and basses, but this is on hold due to the popularity of other manufacturers in making 8 string guitars, including left handed models.
A new addition to the eight string guitars is the new instrument called the Octo. It is a custom built 8 string guitar based on ideas of young Albanian composer/pianist/bassist from Serbia Liburn Jupolli (of band The Freelancers).
The Octo is built by the Finish/American luthier Ari Lehtela of the Lehtela Guitar Factory(North Carolina).
Its range of tones is from low E of standard bass guitar to the highest D of a standard guitar. It is generally tuned to EAGDCEAD.
It also has an addition of 43 frets having two microtonal separations per semitone interval until the 7th fret, continuing with one microtonal separation till the 12 fret and till the 24 fret a standard semitonal separation. It also includes 8 string separation from one Kent Armstrong custom humbucker pickup concluding to the use of every string separately with 8 individual outputs. Liburn uses every string with a separate output and nearly every string with a different set of effects.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
with eight strings instead of the commonly used six strings. Such guitars are not as common as the six string variety, but are used by classical
Classical guitarists
-Baroque :*Antoine Carré*Francesco Corbetta *Giovanni Battista Granata*Francisco Guerau*Girolamo Montesardo*Alonso Mudarra *Santiago de Murcia *Gaspar Sanz...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and metal guitarists to expand the range of their instrument by adding two strings.
History and variants
There are several variants of this instrument, one probably originating from RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
along with the seven string guitar variant in the 19th century. The eight string guitar has recently begun to gain popularity, notably among jazz artists such as Charlie Hunter
Charlie Hunter
for the New Zealand racehorse trainer and driver see: Charlie HunterCharlie Hunter is an American guitarist, composer and bandleader....
, The Special Purpose
The Special Purpose
The Special Purpose is a Jazz/Funk Fusion band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in the summer of 2004, the group - consisting of John Fawcett , Stephen Fogg , Chris Stefanile and Tim Symons - has become one of the Pacific Northwest's premier grassroots musical acts...
, Terje Rypdal
Terje Rypdal
Terje Rypdal is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. Most of his music has been released on albums of the German record label ECM. Rypdal has collaborated both as a guitarist and as a composer with other ECM artists such as Ketil Bjørnstad and David Darling...
and Richard Scott, and metal artists such as Deftones, Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, Mariachi Terror, Ad Ruinas, Stations, Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence is an American extreme metal band from Riverside, California. The group consists of vocalist Mitch Lucker, guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, drummer Alex Lopez and bassist Dan Kenny. Formed in 2002, the band has released three full-length studio albums, one EP and seven music...
, Ihsahn
Ihsahn
Ihsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is an American extreme metal band, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 2004, the group derived their name from celebrity Tony Danza, upon one of his professions being tapdancing...
, After The Burial
After the Burial
After the Burial is an American heavy metal band from Twin Cities, Minnesota. The group is currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released two of their three full-length albums through the label...
, and Gwar
Gwar
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
. More bands such as Periphery
Periphery (band)
Periphery is an American metal band from Bethesda, Maryland , formed in 2005.- Formation and lineup changes :Periphery was formed by guitarist Misha Mansoor in 2005...
, Instinct for Rank, The Paradoxical Spiral and Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American, Washington, D.C.–based instrumental progressive metal band, formed by guitarist Tosin Abasi in 2007 which now includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The self-titled debut album was released in April 2009 by Prosthetic Records...
aimed to achieve more audio span and ambiance within metal and experimental genres by utilizing the additional strings by using a combination of octave E and top A throughout.
There are steadily increasing numbers of manufacturers offering eight string guitars, and a production eight string was released in 2007 by Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
, followed in 2010 by a new RGA 8 string. One of the main manufacturing companies of 8 and even 9 string guitars is Novax Guitars
Novax Guitars
Novax Guitars is a guitar manufacturing company founded by Ralph Novak. His instruments feature frets which are not perpendicular to the instrument's neck , but rather fan out at various angles to allow for more comfortable, ergonomic playing and for proper intonation.Charlie Hunter, an acclaimed...
established by Ralph Novak and Conklin Guitars. Recently ESP
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
, Mayones and Schecter Guitar Research
Schecter Guitar Research
Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known as simply as Schecter, is a US guitar manufacturer. The company was founded in 1976 by David Schecter and originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson...
have also begun to make production line eight string guitars as well.
Manufactures of 8 string guitars include:
Agile, BlackMachine, Siggery, Hufschmid, Chellee, Conklin, Dean
Dean Guitars
Dean Guitars is an American manufacturer of guitars. It was founded in 1976 by Dean Zelinsky in Chicago, Illinois and is currently under the ownership of Armadillo Enterprises in Tampa, Florida.- History :...
, ESP
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
, Guerilla, Halo, Helios, Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
, LGM, Manne, Mayones, Novax
Novax Guitars
Novax Guitars is a guitar manufacturing company founded by Ralph Novak. His instruments feature frets which are not perpendicular to the instrument's neck , but rather fan out at various angles to allow for more comfortable, ergonomic playing and for proper intonation.Charlie Hunter, an acclaimed...
, Oni, Ran, Schecter Guitar Research
Schecter Guitar Research
Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known as simply as Schecter, is a US guitar manufacturer. The company was founded in 1976 by David Schecter and originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson...
, Shamray, Sherman, The Illustrated Luthier Jesse Hall, Teuffel, Uva, and Wes Lambe.
The Eight-string Classical Acoustic Guitar
Roy Connors, of the 1960s folk singing group The HighwaymenThe Highwaymen (folk band)
The Highwaymen were a circa 1960 "collegiate folk" group, which originated at Wesleyan University and had a Billboard number-one hit in 1961 with "Michael" and another Top 20 hit in 1962 with "Cottonfields"...
("Michael, Row the Boat Ashore", "In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home"), patented the eight-string guitar in 1966 and holds U.S. Patent #3,269,247. While with The Highwaymen, Connors used this guitar exclusively during concerts, and on television and during public appearances. Nick Reynolds of The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
, upon seeing one of The Highwaymen's shows at The Cellar Door nightclub in Washington, DC, had an eight-string guitar modeled and built after Connors's eight-string. Eight string variations are also found in classical nylon strung instruments. They are generally tuned with two extra basses ([BD]EADGBE) that vary in pitch depending on the piece being played. Another common variation is to add an extra bass and treble string. The extra treble is almost always tuned to A, while the added bass string usually falls on A, B, or C.
The classical guitarists
Classical guitarists
-Baroque :*Antoine Carré*Francesco Corbetta *Giovanni Battista Granata*Francisco Guerau*Girolamo Montesardo*Alonso Mudarra *Santiago de Murcia *Gaspar Sanz...
Paul Galbraith
Paul Galbraith
Paul Galbraith is a Scottish-born classical guitarist known for his unique style of playing.-Biography:Paul Galbraith had his first guitar lessons with Graham Wade, continuing his studies with Gordon Crosskey at the Chethams School for Young Musicians.At the age of 17, Galbraith won the Silver...
and Alexander Vynograd are two of the most notable eight-string players who use the extra high and low string tuning. Galbraith generally tunes (B)EADGBEA which puts standard six-string guitar chord voicings and scale shapes within the neck and allows him to read directly off of lute tablature (a whole step higher). Vynograd chooses to tune AEADGCEA (notice the B string is tuned up a half step) which allows him to play the top six strings like a guitar a fourth higher. Vynograd writes his music on a grand staff in a different key and plays as if the guitar was tuned EBEADGBE.
The Eight-string Electric guitar
The 8-string electric guitars are used by GWARGWAR
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
, Ihsahn
Ihsahn
Ihsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
, Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, After the Burial
After the Burial
After the Burial is an American heavy metal band from Twin Cities, Minnesota. The group is currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released two of their three full-length albums through the label...
, Rusty Cooley
Rusty Cooley
Rusty Cooley is a guitarist from Houston, Texas known for his highly refined guitar technique.-Early life:Rusty received his first equipment on his fifteenth birthday. From that day on Cooley immersed himself in music, practicing upwards of 4 hours a day...
, Wayde Cooper,Instinct for Leaders, Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American, Washington, D.C.–based instrumental progressive metal band, formed by guitarist Tosin Abasi in 2007 which now includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The self-titled debut album was released in April 2009 by Prosthetic Records...
, Whitechapel
Whitechapel (band)
Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade, Zach Householder; bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Ben Harclerode. Their band name is derived from a district in the built-up inner city of London, known...
, Scale the Summit
Scale the Summit
Scale the Summit is an American instrumental metal band based out of Houston, Texas. It formed in 2004 and signed to Prosthetic Records.The band draws influences from other progressive acts such as Cynic and Dream Theater. However, unlike most other progressive metal bands, they have no vocalist...
, Dino Cazares
Dino Cazares
Dino Cazares, born in El Centro, California, is a Mexican-American musician and the guitarist for Los Angeles-based industrial metal group Fear Factory. He also plays in the metal bands Divine Heresy and Asesino.-Biography:...
(Asesino
Asesino
Asesino is an American extreme metal band and the recurring project of ex-Brujeria guitarist Dino Cazares, which has featured members of Brujeria, Fear Factory, Sepultura, Sadistic Intent and Static-X....
, Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
, Mariachi Terror, Divine Heresy
Divine Heresy
Divine Heresy is an American metal band formed by founder of Fear Factory, guitarist Dino Cazares and Devolved, drummer John Sankey. Although the band's origins trace back to 2002, Divine Heresy was officially formed in 2006...
), Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Stations, The Acacia Strain
The Acacia Strain
The Acacia Strain is an American deathcore band from Chicopee, Massachusetts. Originally founded in 2001, the band itself has undergone numerous changes in the member line-up...
, Ad Ruinas, The Freelancers, Clockwork, and other metal artists. Even the pop-rock band Triumphant Return has been seen using 8 string guitars. They are most often tuned in regular 4ths, with two extra basses (Low to High) F#+B+E-A-D-G-B-E. Fredrik Thordendal and Marten Hagstrom of Meshuggah tune their 8-string guitars F+Bb+Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb, and occasionally drop it to Eb+Bb+Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb, and even five semitones below this tuning, for the song Spasm. Rusty Cooley and Chris Letchford from Scale the Summit
Scale the Summit
Scale the Summit is an American instrumental metal band based out of Houston, Texas. It formed in 2004 and signed to Prosthetic Records.The band draws influences from other progressive acts such as Cynic and Dream Theater. However, unlike most other progressive metal bands, they have no vocalist...
have been seen using one extra bass and one extra treble string (tuned B-E-A-D-G-B-E-A or B-E-A-D-G-B-E-G). Several smaller luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
companies now offer 8-string models such as BlackMachine, Hufschmid Guitars Switzerland, Oni and Mike Shermann.
8-string pickup makers include EMG
EMG, Inc.
EMG, Inc. is the current legal name of a company based in Santa Rosa, California which manufactures guitar pickups and EQ accessories. Founded in 1976, the company was originally called Dirtywork Studios. The name was changed to "Overlend" in 1978 and then to the current name in 1983...
, DiMarzio, Häussel, Bareknuckle, Lundgren, Siggery, Hufschmid, SP custom pickups France, Nordstrand, Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
Custom Shop, and Swineshead.
Ibanez was first to offer a production 8-string guitar, the RG2228 in March 2007. It was introduced at the Winter NAMM show of 2007 and features a 27" baritone scale bolt on neck. This first mass produced solid body 8-string electric guitar is played by Stations' frontman Dave Kavanagh and Divine Heresy guitarist Dino Cazares. Ibanez added a more affordable 8-string model RGA8 in 2010.
At the Winter NAMM of 2008, ESP Guitars
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
unveiled three new 8-string guitars: two of them, part of Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter is an American musician known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and dissonant chord voicings, as well as stock power chords in polyrhythms...
's signature line, are in 27" baritone scale, and an LTD version, the FM-408, in 25.5" standard scale; both versions are of neck-through-body construction. Like the Ibanez's RG2228, they utilize the same EMG 808 active pickups.
In 2007 Octave4plus introduced an effective high A440Hz string for guitar scales up to 30" without the need for a multi-scale fingerboard
Multi-scale fingerboard
A Multi-scale fingerboard is an instrument fretboard which incorporates multiple scale lengths. The scale length is the vibrating length of the strings....
(or fanned frets) giving the 7, 8, and 9 string guitars another viable tuning option. These strings tune as high as B4 (493.88 Hz) at the 28" scale.
British manufacturer Blackmachine also offers some 8 string guitars. The 8 and the F8 (multi-scale) models. These were originally an experiment by their producer, and are now a regular part of the company's product line. One notable user of these instruments is Clive Jevons of the German band Bludgeoned who also plays on Swiss-made Hufschmid Guitars.
In addition, the guitar manufacturer Schecter Guitar Research produced a short run of 100 custom shop C-8 Hellraiser Guitars. These guitars feature a 26.5" scale. They were not included in the company's official line up for 2009, but were a special limited release for that year. As of now, there is no news as to whether or not this will be added to the Hellraiser series of guitars as a regular part of the Schecter line up. They also released 100 (50 white/50 black) Blackjack 8-string guitars with Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
Blackouts pickups, which also feature a 26.5" scale. Currently the Schecter 8 string guitars being produced are the Damien Elite 8,Omen 8, Hellraiser 8, all of which have a 26 1/2" scale and EMG 808 pickups apart from the Omen which uses Schecters own 8 string humbuckers.
Since the spring of 2008, American importer-distributor Rondo Music has been accepting pre-orders for a limited-run Korean made budget 8-string electric guitar model named Agile Intrepid. This guitar features a 28.625" scale neck with 24 jumbo frets and a graphite nut. All models utilize a fixed string-through-body bridge and Grover die cast tuners unless noted otherwise. Pro models have a 5 piece neck-through-body maple/walnut neck with mahogany wing construction. Standard models have a bolt-on 3 piece maple neck with an ash body construction. Most guitars feature a maple fretboard and a single passive humbucker or single EMG 808 pickup, however a 30” scale neck option, rosewood and ebony fretboard option, fretless option, and dual humbucker option are sometimes offered. The Agile Intrepid is also available in right and left handed.
Left handed guitar manufacturer Gaskell Guitars, from Australia announced in March 2009, that they will be adding an 8 string guitar to their line up of left handed guitars and basses, but this is on hold due to the popularity of other manufacturers in making 8 string guitars, including left handed models.
A new addition to the eight string guitars is the new instrument called the Octo. It is a custom built 8 string guitar based on ideas of young Albanian composer/pianist/bassist from Serbia Liburn Jupolli (of band The Freelancers).
The Octo is built by the Finish/American luthier Ari Lehtela of the Lehtela Guitar Factory(North Carolina).
Its range of tones is from low E of standard bass guitar to the highest D of a standard guitar. It is generally tuned to EAGDCEAD.
It also has an addition of 43 frets having two microtonal separations per semitone interval until the 7th fret, continuing with one microtonal separation till the 12 fret and till the 24 fret a standard semitonal separation. It also includes 8 string separation from one Kent Armstrong custom humbucker pickup concluding to the use of every string separately with 8 individual outputs. Liburn uses every string with a separate output and nearly every string with a different set of effects.
See also
- Brahms guitarBrahms guitarCommonly referred to as the Cello-Guitar, the Brahms guitar was invented in 1994 by classical guitarist Paul Galbraith in conjunction with the luthier David Rubio. It was originally conceived in order to perform Johannes Brahms' Theme and Variations Opus 21a.The instrument is an eight string...
- 10-string guitar
- Seven-string guitarSeven-string guitarA seven-string guitar is a guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six. Some types of seven-string guitars are specific to certain cultures . The standard 7-string guitar tuning is BEADGbe...
- Russian guitarRussian guitarThe Russian guitar is a seven-string acoustic guitar that arrived in Russia toward the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, most probably as an evolution of the cittern, kobza, and torban...
- Harp guitarHarp guitar]The harp guitar is a stringed instrument with a history of well over two centuries. While there are several unrelated historical stringed instruments that have appropriated the name “harp-guitar” over the centuries, the term today is understood as the accepted vernacular to refer to a particular...