Walking the Talk - 8 String Content

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

6 stringers snob spotted!

heh, kidding. Anyway, so shreddy, is there anything that you can nit pick on the 8 stringers which cant replace a 6 stringers?

 

[Whitestrat]

anything that you can nit pick on the 8 stringers which cant replace a 6 stringers?

Yes... He can't thumb his bass lines... WHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

[Whitestrat]

I wonder how many softies here play 7 strings or more guitar.

I was a 7 stringer... "Was" only because I sold my beloved 1077XL in search of something a bit less painful... Like a JP7... With a piezo...:twisted:

I WILL still go back to 7 strings some day... When I finally decide what colour I want for my JP7... Whahahahaha...

 

[jerryoc221]

It's counted so that makes us 3 :smile:

 

[ShredCow]

heh, kidding. Anyway, so shreddy, is there anything that you can nit pick on the 8 stringers which cant replace a 6 stringers?

Like what Whitestrat said lor.

Can't do that open D/F# chord with the thumb over - and mind you, I have a mutant thumb that's exceedingly long and useful.

I also find the 8 string toeing the line between too much and it makes sense - in terms of physical limitations and sonic limitations.

Physical is obvious - can't thumb, I only have 4 fingers and 2x the amount of strings, doing a barre chord is outrageous, muting techniques better be very good and the picking hand gets a real workout on accuracy. I think I leveled up some on the dexterity attribute.

Sonic... This one I'm not quite sure yet but I find the range of the 8 a little too wide. For example, EQ for the typical metal tight chugga so the low stuff sounds awesome... then your higher register chords and single notes sound thin and brittle. You know what I'm talking about? I suspect that if the pickups were made a bit more versatile - adjustable pole pieces for example - then things will be more balanced. Anyway, I'm not a metal player and in my case, I find the middle ground sounding perfect. On cleans... its a whole new issue.

 

[ShredCow]

I'm waiting... patiently waiting... For the day you decide that 6 strings are still where it's at...:mrgreen:

highly likely lah. Fickle minded guitarists. Heh.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

hmm, shredy...mutant thumb...long...and....useful...hmmmm...i wonder....

hehe, anyway, i guess thumbing issue not too big lah. Since not everything need that thumbing thingy.

range too wide ont he 8 strings? Hmm, i was thinking bout soemthing when you first posted bout this 8 strings.

whats the tuning? Adding 2 lower strings and to G,B,E,A,D,G,B,E?

Will it be useful if instead of 2 lower strings, have one lower(b?) and one higher string(A?) or simply just 2 higher ones(A and D?)

 

[THOA]

Sonic... This one I'm not quite sure yet but I find the range of the 8 a little too wide. For example, EQ for the typical metal tight chugga so the low stuff sounds awesome... then your higher register chords and single notes sound thin and brittle. You know what I'm talking about? I suspect that if the pickups were made a bit more versatile - adjustable pole pieces for example - then things will be more balanced. Anyway, I'm not a metal player and in my case, I find the middle ground sounding perfect. On cleans... its a whole new issue.

I've been pondering about this for a while. I mean, in the context of a 6 stringer, tunings to the lower scales and pitches would sound best on some pickups while standard tunings will sound best on other pickups.

In this context though, all 8 strings are sharing the same pickups. Trying to get a versatile pick up that can cater to such a tonal variation is... I dunno... and altogether new tone quest on it's own? We still haven't put in the factors of the guitar's inherent acoustics yet (eg body wood, fingerboard, neck etc).

Even with a 7 stringer, despite some assurance that the physical width of the neck is not a hindrance, the idea of utilizing the same pick up for the lower and upper scales is a bit scary.

 

[Whitestrat]

EQ for the typical metal tight chugga so the low stuff sounds awesome... then your higher register chords and single notes sound thin and brittle.

Didn't mention this on Sat... Can't you tilt the pups?

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

ahhh, shreddy, mod the thing, route out some wood from pickup cavity and make the pickup adjustable. oH best, add in a bass pickup on the lower 3 strings and make it like a charlie hunter 8 stringers

oh, talking bout tilting, i was wondering if novax fanned fret system can make the 8 stringers easier to play with.

 

[ShredCow]

whats the tuning? Adding 2 lower strings and to G,B,E,A,D,G,B,E?

Will it be useful if instead of 2 lower strings, have one lower(b?) and one higher string(A?) or simply just 2 higher ones(A and D?)

F# B E A D G B E is the tuning.

The higher string tuned to an A, done some research, is usually pretty fragile given the guage and tension.

However, there is this new bunch of strings that have been developed that can handle the tension... I can't remember the name but I know that this extended range bass player, Gary Goodman, uses them. Pretty innovative.

I am not too keen on the higher string at the moment because I see that as something more difficult. The lower bass strings seem to make more sense to me for some reason...

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

okie dokie, thanks for the info!

 

[ShredCow]

Didn't mention this on Sat... Can't you tilt the pups?

ahhh, shreddy, mod the thing, route out some wood from pickup cavity and make the pickup adjustable. oH best, add in a bass pickup on the lower 3 strings and make it like a charlie hunter 8 stringers

oh, talking bout tilting, i was wondering if novax fanned fret system can make the 8 stringers easier to play with.

Can tilt lah... but I think individual adjustable pole pieces are better suited.

That said, the EMG-808 sound fine to me... but many metal-heads claim its too loose.

The charlie hunter thing - the bass pickup sorta in the middle possible - can't change the tone there much.. I was thinking of a 5 + 3 pickup though... 1 bar but its split for 3 bass strings and the 5 higher strings. I thought that made sense. Maybe a blade pole for the 5 regular strings and then adjustable poles for the 3 bass strings.

The novax system allows easier playing on some things but makes some other things harder, like barre chords. Also another thing I am trying to figure out is scale length... every guitar that has some extended scale length, I find it tends to sound extremely crisp, tighter, clear... notes have exception clarity... but that's not what I really like. I like that harmonic intermingling thing and a bit of that sluggish-ness. Then again, I've not tried it out so I'm just talking.

 

[ShredCow]

I've been pondering about this for a while. I mean, in the context of a 6 stringer, tunings to the lower scales and pitches would sound best on some pickups while standard tunings will sound best on other pickups.

In this context though, all 8 strings are sharing the same pickups. Trying to get a versatile pick up that can cater to such a tonal variation is... I dunno... and altogether new tone quest on it's own? We still haven't put in the factors of the guitar's inherent acoustics yet (eg body wood, fingerboard, neck etc).

Even with a 7 stringer, despite some assurance that the physical width of the neck is not a hindrance, the idea of utilizing the same pick up for the lower and upper scales is a bit scary.

The 7 strings on my C-8 sound very balanced actually. Really. Not a problem at all.

I think the problem rears its head if you go even lower than the 7 strings' standard low B tuning.

Also, I think the problem has to do with string guage. The low B I use is a 0.56" - and that's the low E in a typical heavy set of electric guitar strings. The low F# is a 0.64" and it tends to boom a bit more.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

metalheads sibey tight one, tight until cant see joke one. Guess you cant be too serious with them

hey, you idea sound fun. Iam more intrigued by what can be done to zhng the thing then the eventual result.

 

[ShredCow]

metalheads sibey tight one, tight until cant see joke one. Guess you cant be too serious with them

hey, you idea sound fun. Iam more intrigued by what can be done to zhng the thing then the eventual result.

No kidding. Granted, getting THE metal tone isn't easy... but the one thing that must be there? TIGHTness both physically and sonic-wise. Its gotta be tight. Basket, 30" scale 8 string guitars? Check. 25.5" 8 string? = Fail because scale too short, strings floppy and the sound will be mushier on the lower notes. Which is true but... damn... 30"?!? On my 26.5" C-8, doing stretchy chords, you can feel that 1" difference already and it isn't easy to get over that (surprisingly).

I don't know whether my ideas will work. I'm tried of trying stuff out though... a lot of time, a lot of $... its... tiring leh.

I did see this pickup make who wound a STEREO 6-string humbucker. It had 4 mini coils = 2 mini humbuckers = 1 stereo humbucker. I'm corresponding with him at the moment on what he can do for my 8 string. I don't need stereo, I just want passives that don't push everything I put in front of it into overdrive.

Oh Pathein, I got something rather interesting - did you know that EMGs on 9v actually seem to PUSH an amp/pedal harder than at 18v? Very very interesting finding.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

woah, playing geetar suddenly feel like a struggle with physic studies

hmmm, stereo option? Make it switchable. More is still more! Less, can never be more. Its a fact and anyone who can count, will know!

9v pushing harder.. hmmm, not too aware of that. Headroom issue?

 

[Whitestrat]

On my 26.5" C-8, doing stretchy chords, you can feel that 1" difference already and it isn't easy to get over that (surprisingly).

Can lah... Takes time...

But now you understand why I gave up the baritone... Even though it was such a nice guitar...:mrgreen:

 

[ShredCow]

woah, playing geetar suddenly feel like a struggle with physic studies

hmmm, stereo option? Make it switchable. More is still more! Less, can never be more. Its a fact and anyone who can count, will know!

9v pushing harder.. hmmm, not too aware of that. Headroom issue?

Well, the problem is... it actually matters? 25.5" to 27" to 28" to 30" - the playability is a concern. Like what Whitestrat experienced - the scale length can really put you off an instrument.

As for the sound... I've only had personal comparison between 27", 26.5" and 24.625" and the guitars were all different guitars. Judging from what has been said though... I kinda guesstimate the outcome.

I thought about the stereo thing - makes sense huh, to get the perfect low end and the perfect top end. But. Eh. Damn leh chey lah. Can I just play guitar not?

Kidding... if I got the time and resources, I'd love to check it out.

 

[Whitestrat]

Like what Whitestrat experienced - the scale length can really put you off an instrument.

I'll never forget it... PLaying a CMaj chord on my baritone for the first time... Almost ripped a tendon...

But it was such a nice sounding instrument.:mrgreen: