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tjon901 « Great budget 8 string »
Published on 05/19/11 at 08:038 string guitars are very new on the market so there arent many of them. With this Agile guitar the cheapest 8 string may be the best. This guitar can be had in many different configurations. You have a choice between a 28 and 30 inch scale, with tremolo or hardtail hipshot bridge. You have a choice between one or two pickups which can be passive or EMG 808. The model I have has the hardtail hipshot bridge and a single EMG 808. It has a neck through construction with a 5 piece neck for stability which is important with all this tension on the neck. It has a single volume control. The maple fretboard is clean with only fretmarkers on the side of the neck. The body is made from mahogany which gives a thick sound perfectly matched to the intent of this guitar.
UTILIZATION
Being an 8 string you will naturally need large hands to play effectively. The cutaways on the body are deep so you will have no problem reaching the high frets. The large frets let your notes and chords ring out cleanly. The body is beveled on the top so it doesnt dig into your arm like on some guitars.
SOUNDS
With any 8 string I would recommend active pickups. With the low end on these guitars being so low you need the clarity that an active pickup provides. For even more clarity with the active pickups you can do the EMG 18v mod. You will need a tight amp setup to keep the sound from getting muddy. The neck through construction gives extreme sustain and resonance throughout the whole guitar. It also adds more clarity to the sound as the pickup is mounted on the same piece of wood as the fretboard.
OVERALL OPINION
I love that you can get an 8 string now without going to a custom guitar maker. The Agile guitars vendor RondoMusic has been listening to their customers when they put out these guitars. They have been the modern metal players best friend in recent years.
UTILIZATION
Being an 8 string you will naturally need large hands to play effectively. The cutaways on the body are deep so you will have no problem reaching the high frets. The large frets let your notes and chords ring out cleanly. The body is beveled on the top so it doesnt dig into your arm like on some guitars.
SOUNDS
With any 8 string I would recommend active pickups. With the low end on these guitars being so low you need the clarity that an active pickup provides. For even more clarity with the active pickups you can do the EMG 18v mod. You will need a tight amp setup to keep the sound from getting muddy. The neck through construction gives extreme sustain and resonance throughout the whole guitar. It also adds more clarity to the sound as the pickup is mounted on the same piece of wood as the fretboard.
OVERALL OPINION
I love that you can get an 8 string now without going to a custom guitar maker. The Agile guitars vendor RondoMusic has been listening to their customers when they put out these guitars. They have been the modern metal players best friend in recent years.