Should i skip the 7 and moove to an 8??

[notasian]

just wondering what the learning curve for someone switching from a 6 to an 8, should i just go for it, or would it be a disaster for me, i having been playing long but i really want an 8!!should i get good at 7s first? any advice?

 

[Elijah]

I wouldn't necessarily call it a matter of how big the learning curve is, rather if you REALLY think you'll be down for all that much extra range.
I personally have bought an 8 and sold it nearly 3 months after the purchase. It was a cool guitar and all, but I found all the extra low range pretty unnecessary for the sort of playing/writing I was doing.

 

[notasian]

yeah good point, i have small hands, but average length fingers, i need to test drive one out to see if i like it, but barely any stores carry them!!!! and guitarcenter is far away for me!
but i love the dgent tone i can get out of the lower strings it think its the coolest sound ever when its that low

 

[SchecterC7TechyMetal]

No way man! Get a 7 first, then try an 8 at a local Guitar Center or Sam Ash. If you feel like you can handle those two extra strings, save up and buy it.

 

[manana]

I have a 7 tuned to dropped D#(below the F# of the 8 mind you,) with a .60 gauge elixir set so.... get whatever is cheaper and more comfortable for you. Honestly, an 8string is huge.

 

[Cheesebuiscut]

As previously said, figure out if you want / need that much range and go from there.

I initially planned on getting an 8 string to tune to Ab standard but instead bought a 7 because it was a bit cheaper and I was skeptical that I would enjoy that much range. I also tried tuning my 6's a bunch of different ways as low as E1 and as high as G4.

I'm glad I got the 7 because I found out I don't like having a high F# and just wanted the low Ab on top of C# standard.

 

[Eric Christian]

just wondering what the learning curve for someone switching from a 6 to an 8, should i just go for it, or would it be a disaster for me, i having been playing long but i really want an 8!!should i get good at 7s first? any advice?

I'd go with the 8. There isn't any "learning curve"... think of it as a fully functional 6 string with a couple of extra strings. Apple music has a Schecter Damien Elite 8 you can try out to see if you like 8 strings. I wasn't too keen on the Schecter neck thats why I got the Ibanez instead. I don't know why everyone is so hung up on the big wide fretboard either because as a kid I learned how to play on a classical guitar and that fretboard is way wider than my 8.

 

[StratoJazz]

It depends on what you want. In this case, you probably don't know that much except for that you'd like to try an 8 string guitar. I think you should just go for it.

While there is a learning curve, if you switch between a six and the 8 frequently, you eventually get used to both. 6 feels like playing a 6, 8 feels like playing an 8.

I suggest that you try to get one for as cheap as possible. Get one used.

 

[Chumple Spuzz]

I went straight from a 6 to an 8, and i absolutely LOVED it. i've never owned a 7 string and have barely ever played one...only tried a few out at guitar shops/ my friends house, so there really wasn't any learning bridge or what have you.

when i first got my 8, i was thrown off by the two lower strings a couple times, but because i was so eager to start playing and writing on an 8 and make use of the larger range, it didnt take more than a day to get totally comfortable with the big neck and addition of strings. every once in a while i would pick up my 6 and it would feel like playing a twig for a neck...compared to playing an 8, at least.

SO GO FOR IT!

 

[SW Davion]

Small hands.. hmm I would go with the 7

I tuned one down to C using an 80 gauge string set...

 

[MetalDaze]

I guess the big question for yourself is why you need an 8?

Don't do it because it's cool.
Don't do it because of the low notes (you can downtune any guitar with the right gauge strings)

Do do it if there are songs you want to learn that require both the low and the high notes.
Do do it if you are trying to compose songs that need the large range.

 

[Konfyouzd]

The number of strings you "should" use is totally dependent upon what you want out of your instrument and what is comfortable for you.

Learning curve? Well you can learn one more string, right? I assume this is why you even humored the idea of a 7... Well if you can learn one string once, you can probably do it twice...

Do the math, homie...

 

[notasian]

thanks alot guys, i wish more stores carried 8 strings but nooo!! anyway i like the feeling of going from my bass to my guitar, it makes the guitar feel soo small and easy to play. i will try to play an 8 and a 7 and see wich one i like better, i have my eye on the Agile pendulum 7 nat

 

[notasian]

lol another quick Q (im a noob), can i put those huge gage strings on my 6?? like a F# or a B? cause the bridge on my schecter looks like it will only exepct the normal sized strings.

 

[JunkMan13013]

I tune my mustaine V down to drop F#, So its do able, But id say go into a shop, try a 7 and a 8 and see which one fits you, i like playing 7's cause of the width of tthe neck, i got small hands but the little extra width seems to feel alot more comfortable than a 6 string, while an 8 string is to wide for me to use comfortably.

Its personal prefrence at the end of the day.

 

[Seanpat76]

No need to run and buy an 8. If you like the low end sound then you can just restring a 6 or 7. Before I found a 7 string I liked I played my Dean ML strung B to B. I missed having the high E on my solos, but a decent guitarist should be able to adjust.

 

[Konfyouzd]

No need to run and buy an 8. If you like the low end sound then you can just restring a 6 or 7. Before I found a 7 string I liked I played my Dean ML strung B to B. I missed having the high E on my solos, but a decent guitarist should be able to adjust.

Yea... After reading the thread again it looks like you're diggin' on the low end... You can get that w/ a 3 string guitar and a good scale length...

 

[Switch30]

I asked the same question but my thread got shut down?

 

[SirMyghin]

^ no repeat topics.

 

[Robfromae]

I just went straight from a 6 to an 8 about 2 weeks ago, and I love it! I use the full range of the instrument consistently, and immediately began composing music that made full use of the low end. However, 2 things. 1: I have enormous hands. I'm 6'6" tall and I have no trouble reaching the low strings, as many people seem to. 2: I went for Baritone scale, which has a different tone than conventional scale. I'd been wanting a baritone guitar for awhile and thought I'd kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Also the giant hands help with the increased reach. My use of an 8 string might differ significantly from other people's because of the scale difference, and I definitely wouldn't recommend baritone scale if you've ever had trouble reaching for notes on a conventional guitar. the only negative I've encountered going straight from a 6 to an 8 string is that when I first started playing it I had trouble with sweep picking, as i found it hard to find the A string for standard 5 string sweeps. after a little practice this was no problem though, and I've been working on getting more comfortable with 6 and 7 string sweeps