Build Quality:4.9 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.9 out of 5 stars
Electronics:4.9 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.9 out of 5 stars
Value:4.9 out of 5 stars
Average:4.9 out of 5 stars

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ESP H LH408BFMSTBLKSB 8-String

Pros:

  • Good Sound
  • Powerful Output
  • Amazing Tone

Cons:

  • Basic Design
  • Heavy

The world of the 8-string guitar manufacturing is vast. The guitars produced all vary in design, coloring, and the way they sound. Yet the best ones seem to have similarities between them. Some of these similarities are more overt than others, and yet they allow you to built expectations of certain guitars. Let us take a look at the ESP H-408B FM STBLKSB 8-String guitar and see if the guitar is actually living up to the expectations.

Body Quality

The body design of the guitar is something straight out of a catalog for manufacturers. While not being truly exceptional in any way, in terms of its design, the guitar seems to have the character to scream power when looked at. The guitar seems to have been designed to impress, rather than to stand out. It is reminiscent of many guitars of similar design and price range. The black design, maple quilt top and all the little details add some nice, if a little basic, character to the guitar.

The body of the guitar is made out of mahogany. This hardwood is a great choice for any guitar, especially an 8-string guitar. Mahogany is known to have a great effect on the lower tones of the guitar, resonant as it is with the low tones. The mahogany is also known to have a powerful resonance with the midtones, producing a guitar that is thick, full and warm in sound. The hardwood is rather sturdy, with most dents and scratches never being much of a threat to the guitar. The only problem the guitar might have because of the hardwood is because of the heavyweight of the mahogany.

The neck of the guitar is made out of solid maple, which is a great choice, though it does have a negative effect on the instrument. The sturdiness of the maple results in  the guitar never being in danger of breaking or aging too soon. The set through the body joint results in great neck stability and a good long life span. The only problem one might encounter as a result of the solid maple is the heavyweight of the instrument. The fretboard of the instrument is made of rosewood.

Hardware

The guitar comes with a fixed bridge system with a fixed saddle system. This allows the guitar to have a very good level of action, as well as being easy to restoring and pretty to look at.

The nut of the guitar is high quality and never causes any issues for the guitar’s sound. The nut has a long lifespan and is in general rather useful.

The tuning machine of the guitar is rather beautiful. The instrument has a great tuning stability which is lovely to have on an eight-stringed guitar.

Electronics

The guitar comes with a dual humbucker set up. The two EMG 808 s are active humbuckers, which results in the instrument having some awesome sound. The humbuckers are biased towards low tones but also have a great level of output, as well as a nice, detailed high and mid-tone amplification. The pickups are rather lovely and even if you will have to replace batteries every once in a while, are definitely worth the trouble.

The controls on the instrument are rather simple. You get one master volume knob, one master tone knob and one lever for determining which pickups and what combinations of them are being used.

ESP H-408B Sound

The guitar has an awesome sound, The heavy tones with beautiful sustain are something anyone will deeply appreciate, but the musician also gets a nice level of high and mid tone recreation. The loudness and power of the guitar are definitely unquestionable, with the sound of the guitar being designed to get the attention of everyone.

Conclusion

This guitar offers a lot of the same things that so many more expensive 8 string instruments do, and yet is much lower in price. This means the instrument is highly recommended for anyone looking for an affordable 8 string instrument.

Click here to find out more about ESP H-408B FM STBLKSB 8-String.
Click here to view more from Best 8 String Guitar.

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