Six of the best: eight-string guitars

Framus Panthera 8-string

This German-made eight-string teams a carved-top mahogany body with a set 24-fret maple neck that’s laminated with Santos Rosewood stripes, to improve stability under the extra string pressure. Seymour Duncan Blackout Phase 1 AHB-1n 8 (neck) and AHB-1b 8 (bridge) pickups provide the grunt, and there’s no extra cost for left-handed models.

For more information, visit the official Framus website.

Jackson Pro DKA Dinky 8

The limited-edition Dinky 8 seems extremely inappropriately monikered: it promises low-slung rock tone aplenty, delivered via a combination of an arched-top alder body, bolt-on flat-sawn 24-fret maple neck with graphite reinforcement, DiMarzio D Activator 8 humbuckers and a kill switch, capped of with a single shark-fin inlay at the 12th fret.

For more information, visit the official Jackson website.

Ibanez TAM100 Tosin Abasi 8-string

The incredible talent of Animals As Leaders’Tosin Abasi deserves a guitar like this: three Ionizer8 pickups sit atop a basswood body with a quilted maple top, plus a specially engineered FX Edge III-8 double-locking fixed bridge. A 24-fret titanium rod-reinforced wenge/bubinga neck, plus neck/ bridge coil-taps finish the picture.

For more information, visit the official Ibanez website.

Schecter Hellraiser C-8

Schecter claims the Hellraiser’s three-piece mahogany set neck with two carbon-fibre rods makes for extreme playing stability; that the wide-aperture coils of its EMG Active 808s solve the muddiness some eight-strings suffer; and that its Hipshot Custom-8 bridge provides perfect intonation. £1,199 gets you a Floyd Rose- equipped version, too.

For more information, visit the official Schecter website.

Dean USA Rusty Cooley Signature RC8 Xenocide Fanned Fret

Guitar lord Rusty Cooley has pushed the boat out with this 25-only limited-edition eight- string, with industrial sci-fi Red Xenocide finish. An angled tune-o- matic bridge, fanned fret ebony fingerboard and twin EMG 808 humbuckers make for a unique take on the eight-string.

For more information, visit the official Dean website.

Carvin DC800 Extended Scale 8-String Guitar

Carvin’s first eight-string is available in a wide range of body woods, figured tops, and neck wood types, while new A80 active pickups aim to improve low- register response, and the straight string-pull of the headstock is claimed to reduce string breakage. Comfort contouring promises pleasurable playing, too.

For more information, visit the official Carvin website.

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