Do you play guitar and feel like having only six strings just is not enough to express your musical prowess? Do you desire only the lowest of tones coming from the depths of music? If either of those questions resonate with you, or you just need the freedom of an extended range guitar, an 8-string guitar may be the perfect instrument for you!
Having the added two strings on the bottom has some really awesome tone benefits. Obviously these guitars are perfect for heavy metal, but that is not all they are utilized for. Having the additional strings can add much needed low end to any genre! They have been used in almost every style of music, such as rock, jazz, classical, R&B, prog rock and metal, fusion, and of course heavy metal. Some notable 8 string players are Tosin Abasi from Animals as Leaders, John Petrucci from Dream Theater, Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, Charlie Hunter, Fred Fried, and Alex Hutchings among many more!
Brands such as Ibanez, Jackson, ESP, and Ernie Ball Music Man are the ideal guitars for anyone looking to expand their sound into some lower register music, or if you are looking to head bang and djent!