You'll still have your current guitar and if you need to learn some stuff on that first then that's completely fine. At the same time you can start experimenting with 8 string guitar kit. Switching between 6 and 7 strings has been fun for me and I think it's made it easier to understand both instruments.

The 8-string guitar opens up a world of musical possibilities 

Arming yourself with one of the best 8-string guitars could be a game-changer for musically adventurous players. Sure, the 7-string guitar is ripe with potential for low-end chug and unorthodox chord voicings, but for those serious about djent or progressive modern metal, the 8-string is where the action is.

Typically tuned low-to-high – F#, B, E, A, D, G, B, E – or with the eighth-string tuned down a step to drop E, the 8-string makes a musical incursion into frequencies hitherto the sole preserve of bassists. For standard six-stringers, holidaying in such registers can be exhilarating.

Playing an 8 string guitar requires you to think differently about your playing, adjusting your style accordingly, but through such fresh thinking comes fresh musical ideas, and that’s what it’s all about.

Here we’ve got the best 8-string guitars to cater for all budgets, and some pointers to look for when choosing the right instrument for you.

Buying advice of best 8-string guitars: 

The 8-string guitar might still be a musical instrument, a specialist’s weapon, but its evolution has accelerated in recent years. The big bang came in the shape of the Ibanez RG2228, which took the much-loved RG S-style shred template and expanded it for 8-strings. It was the first mass-produced model, and it would find early adopters in players such as Animals As Leaders’ Tosin Abasi and Periphery’s Jake Bowen. But in today’s market you’ve got a fair degree of choice in body shapes, builds and pickups.

For players making their first steps into 8-strings, there are some points to note. The first is a question of fretboard geography – to accommodate the lower tunings and maintain string tension, the scale lengths are considerably longer than on regular six-string guitars, measuring from a relatively short 26.5” to 28” or more. This takes some getting used to.

With a nod to playability and intonation, many guitar builders now incorporate multi-scale designs on their 8-string guitars, which is to say their guitars have more than one scale, typically running a very standard 25.5” from nut to bridge on the high-E string to a generous 28” on the low eighth string.

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The fingerboards on multi-scale guitars feature fanned frets to keep intonation in good order. They require a little getting used to, but then so too does the 8-string.

Six-stringers will also find the nut width a change of pace. Where a conventional six-string might measure 43mm across the nut, to accommodate the extra two strings an 8-string typically measures around 54mm, which is quite the stretch. There is no “correct” nut width, just that which feels right to you, with string spacing making sure the fingerboard is not too crammed nor too spaced out. 

Of all the demands made on the 8-string guitar’s anatomy, the neck gets the most abuse. You will find that most of these guitars have necks reinforced with either graphite or titanium rods. Some manufacturers opt for a sandwiched construction to aid stability. If your prospective 8-string lacks stability in the neck, you are invariably in for tuning problems further down the line. 

It’s always worth fretting playing some open strings and gently applying some pressure to the headstock to see how far the guitar will go out of pitch; you should meet plenty of resistance from a solidly built instrument.

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