Eight-string Guitar - Contemporary History

Contemporary History

The eight string guitar has recently begun to gain popularity, notably among jazz artists such as Charlie Hunter, The Special Purpose, Terje Rypdal and Richard Scott, and metal artists such as Deftones, Meshuggah, Fear Factory, Mariachi Terror, Nemessis, Ad Ruinas, Stations, Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Ihsahn, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, After The Burial, and Gwar. More bands such as Periphery, Glory to Shame, Instinct for Rank, The Paradoxical Spiral and Animals as Leaders aimed to achieve more audio span and ambiance within metal and experimental genres by utilizing the additional strings by using a combination of octave E and top A throughout.

There are steadily increasing numbers of manufacturers offering eight string guitars, and a production eight string was released in 2007 by Ibanez, followed in 2010 by a new RGA 8 string. One of the main manufacturing companies of 8 and even 9 string guitars is Novax Guitars established by Ralph Novak and Conklin Guitars. Recently ESP, Mayones and Schecter Guitar Research have also begun to make production line eight string guitars as well.