People who criticize 8 and 7 strings

[DJENTLEMAN1994]

I was talking to my buddy this weekend, and i mentioned to him that i just got an 8 string. He seemed like he was absolutely appalled. His reasoning is that it's unnecessary, and that's why we have bass and bassist. He also mentioned that it's only useful for djent players, but this is obviously not the case. As i've seen stuff like "taco groove" on youtube.

To be honest, i think the sentiment lies with the fear of change. Do you guys agree? I think 8's and 7's are the future, and we're going to be seeing more creative and inventive people changing guitar music in general.
Just my two cents.

 

[Sumsar]

Well I play seven strings 99% of the time and I think they are the future too. To me a seven string neck is a lot more comfy than an 6 which fells small and flimsy.

I think that 7,8,9,10,x strings got a bad reputation because of the way they are used in mainstream metal: Retards playing them like a 1 string bass guitar. They can do so much more than a 6 string can do (including all a 6 string can do).

The reason I don't use 8 or N strings, where N > 7 is because I need a tremolo and a 25.5 scale to shred on. I know you can get fanned fret guitars, and that floyd rose is making 8 stringed trems, but i have not seen a design with fanned frets and a floyd rose ish design

 

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Well I play seven strings 99% of the time and I think they are the future too. To me a seven string neck is a lot more comfy than an 6 which fells small and flimsy.

I think that 7,8,9,10,x strings got a bad reputation because of the way they are used in mainstream metal: Retards playing them like a 1 string bass guitar. They can do so much more than a 6 string can do (including all a 6 string can do).

The reason I don't use 8 or N strings, where N > 7 is because I need a tremolo and a 25.5 scale to shred on. I know you can get fanned fret guitars, and that floyd rose is making 8 stringed trems, but i have not seen a design with fanned frets and a floyd rose ish design

Yup. The problem pretty much lies with the people who pick them up before they can even play a six string, and then become too afraid to deviate from the F#.

 

[Sumsar]

Yup. The problem pretty much lies with the people who pick them up before they can even play a six string, and then become too afraid to deviate from the F#.

Haha maybe we should consider introducing a worldwide law (or maybe just on youtube):
To purchase a guitar with 8 or more strings one must
- Have played regular 6 string guitar for atleast 5 years.
- Be able to play chords on a guitar, other than powerchords
- Not be a retard (in the popular sense of the word)
- Not be a 15 year old kid
- Not have dreams of starting a metalcore* band
- Release an album containing music not played on a super downtuned 6 or 7 string.

Failure to comply with these rules will result in water boarding torture performed by Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.

* Djent is for all practical purposes threated as a terrible sub-genre of metalcore

 

[rockskate4x]

become a great eight string player and prove your "friend" wrong

 

[lewis]

i agree OP. Change terrifies people to a ridiculous amount, to the point they will convince themselves anything new is garbage. I embrace.

best thing I ever did was get a 7 and 8 string (8 string specifically) guitar.

 

[davemuselman]

I was talking to my buddy this weekend, and i mentioned to him that i just got an 8 string. He seemed like he was absolutely appalled. His reasoning is that it's unnecessary, and that's why we have bass and bassist. He also mentioned that it's only useful for djent players, but this is obviously not the case. As i've seen stuff like "taco groove" on youtube.

To be honest, i think the sentiment lies with the fear of change. Do you guys agree? I think 8's and 7's are the future, and we're going to be seeing more creative and inventive people changing guitar music in general.
Just my two cents.

Yea you can take his reaction to mean that he is jealous of your awesome decision, and his medieval hipster reaction is called "haterade". If it was me i would just agree with him at all cost and then take that energy and blast it into your next riff and let your music speak for itself. If you dont, he might be right!

 

[Daniel13]

Yup. The problem pretty much lies with the people who pick them up before they can even play a six string, and then become too afraid to deviate from the F#.

which is why i just got a bass VI instead lol best of both worlds, i'm terrible enough with 6 strings and "tested" an 8 string and sure enough only used the top 2 or 3 strings. my bass VI on the other hand, lets me play heavy and comfortably

 

[GraemeH]

"Only useful for djent players" -> they were apparently djenting in the 1800s when 8 string guitars were invented, then.

I point out the same thing when people suggest my scalloped fretboard is a modern gimmick. People have been scalloping fretboards for hundreds of years.

And these assholes think they're being "traditionalists" by playing old teles and les pauls, which have existed for a fraction of the time...

 

[trem licking]

Inferiority complex

 

[AxelKay]

Why on earth should anyone tell you how many strings are you supposed to play or why even bother listening to what other people believe on the matter???
It's definitely not a matter of what the future is simply because it's not important. "Modern" guitar players (for about 40 years now) used to play standard tuned six string guitars. Back then they'd probably make jokes about strange shapes and unusual finishes I'm sure.
Nowadays since there's infinite amount of guitar players compared to the older days and since there's plenty of knowledge out there, it makes sense that people are evolving around new techniques and styles almost on a daily basis. It seems that everybody forgot about shapes and colors and moved their gossiping needs onto the number of strings.

 

[bostjan]

The argument isn't really worth having. Just play your guitar and if someone does not like what you are playing, send him on his way or give him a pair of earplugs. If someone likes what you are playing, but has a problem with what you are playing it on, that person might just reconsider his opinion.

 

[Carl Kolchak]

I was talking to my buddy this weekend, and i mentioned to him that i just got an 8 string. He seemed like he was absolutely appalled. His reasoning is that it's unnecessary, and that's why we have bass and bassist. He also mentioned that it's only useful for djent players, but this is obviously not the case. As i've seen stuff like "taco groove" on youtube.

To be honest, i think the sentiment lies with the fear of change. Do you guys agree? I think 8's and 7's are the future, and we're going to be seeing more creative and inventive people changing guitar music in general.
Just my two cents.

Meh! Small minds think small.

 

[TheRileyOBrien]

Find better friends. This is an art. Anything goes.

 

[Halowords]

While you're preaching to the choir, the one thing I will say to sort of play Devil's advocate and somewhat sympathize with your friend is that there really IS a ton you can do on a standard six-string guitar. Very few are creatively hampered by it for a lead and rhythm instrument. It's not like Hendrix or Harrison or Trower are running out of notes.

On the other hand, you can find tons of examples of people making great music on >6 string instruments. Charlie Hunter, Tony Levin, Robert Culbertson, and Greg Howard should shut your friend up pretty quick.

http://youtu.be/dYKB6Lag-wg

Mainly though:

The argument isn't really worth having.

Just play whatever you're drawn to, get good enough to make it an invalid argument, or just enjoy it and let it all wash past you regardless. Presumably you are not playing for the validation of your friend's opinion.

-Cheers

 

[Mike]

Is it just me, or does this topic get reposted every couple months?

 

[Halowords]

Is it just me, or does this topic get reposted every couple months?

No, it's totally just you.

-Cheers

(j/k)

 

[sevenstringdjentlemen]

I think that 9 string are future. It's perfect because you can play some notes on 9 string, not orły tapping and you can do some variation of chords. You can play as heavy and low as you want and play some good clean notes in few seconds. On 6 string it's impossible. Weń you tunel it to F# or C# you have only down-tuned beast. Any good solos , any tonę changing. Tosin can't play his crazy notes on 6 string.

 

[bostjan]

I think that 9 string are future. It's perfect because you can play some notes on 9 string, not orły tapping and you can do some variation of chords. You can play as heavy and low as you want and play some good clean notes in few seconds. On 6 string it's impossible. Weń you tunel it to F# or C# you have only down-tuned beast. Any good solos , any tonę changing. Tosin can't play his crazy notes on 6 string.

You could tune in fifths, low to high FCGDAE and get the range of an eight string on a six, if you really wanted to. Want more range? Try minor sixths. CAbECAbE and get the range of a nine string on a six string. Or why not major sixths tuning: GEDbBbGE and get the range of a ten string in standard tuning.

If all you care about is range, this argument makes perfect sense.