25.5" scale length

Hi everyone! I just bought a used LTD H-308 at a good price as my first 8 string guitar. I'm having trouble with floppy strings and setting this guitar up. I'm worried that I've made a mistake by buying an 8 string with a short scale length. But I read a lot of reviews and comments about the...

I'm looking for guitar that doesn't cost a fortune, sounds good, looks good and plays well. Electronics and hardware can be upgraded, so I don't mind investing in a guitar that is built very finely and can serve as a foundation. My budget is around 1000-1200$. I also don't mind buying a used one...