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Pros:
- Amazing Sound
- Great Lifespan
- Awesome Look
- Great Output
Cons:
- Expensive
The wonder of the 8 string guitar should never be lost on you, or me, or any other guitar player. The ability to go beyond what the average instrument offers you is lovely, though the cost this ability comes at is high. I mean do you realize how much engineering must go into producing a viable 8 string guitar that looks good, sounds great and does not break? You guessed it, a lot. So let us take at one of the best 8-string guitars currently on the market, the Schecter 1925 Hellraiser Hybrid C-8 and see if it lives up to the requirements.
Body Quality
First and foremost, we need to talk about the design of this guitar. Taking a closer look, you will know that the guitar actually looks rather awesome. The guitar takes a little bit from the very well-known Stratocaster designs, but puts on the hellraiser twist into the instrument that is so typical of the series. The double-cutaway neck, with slight difference in the height of the wings. The quilted maple top of the guitar adds some much-appreciated character and an interesting pattern onto the instrument. The two coloring options both look very handsome, though the black one is the one I favor.
The body of the guitar is made out of mahogany. This is actually a rather great thing, especially if you know how much I appreciate mahogany in general. This hardwood has a lot of qualities that an 8 string guitar could really enjoy. Such as the low lovely low-tone resonance that the extra bass string definitely uses well. The tone on the guitar is tus thicker and warmer, with sharp mid-tones and lovely high tones. The sturdy nature of the hardwood is also something all 8 string guitars can use. Resistance to denting and scratching, as well as the warping pressures that the extra string exert on the body. The only problem some players might find is that mahogany tends to be heavier than other hardwoods. This does not seem to be a big problem here though as the guitar seems to be rather comfortable to play for an 8 string.
The neck of the guitar is made 3 pieces of maple, which allows the guitar to be more lightweight than with a solid piece of maple. The neck is definitely very sturdy, promising a good lifespan for the guitar. The joint of the neck and the guitar is set into the body, which provides some extra sturdiness that is very appreciated. The fretboard of the guitar is very high-quality ebony.
Hardware
The guitar comes with a hipshot hardtail bridge, a very nice piece of hardware. The bridge provides the guitar with great action, lovely sustain potential and some great string stability.
The nut of the guitar is made of high-quality material, which allows the instrument to have a clear, noiseless sound and some great harmony. Truly useful for an 8 string guitar.
The tuning machine of the guitar looks rather awesome and does its job very well. The tuning stability on the guitar is exceptional, with never an issue being encountered.
Electronics
The guitar comes with a set of two beautiful humbuckers. The EMG 66-8 Active Humbucker is located at the neck, while the EMG 57-8 Active humbucker sits at the bridge of the guitar. These two active humbuckers do a great job of covering the entirety of the 8-string guitar’s tonal spread. With amazing sustain, high output and incredible detail in both the low tones and the high tones, I couldn’t think of a better pick of pickups myself.
The controls on the instrument are very interesting. You get two volume knobs for each individual pickup, one master tone control knob, as well as a three-way blade switch for the pickup configuration selection.
Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid Sound
It is hard not to fall in love with the sound of an 8-string guitar. It is harder yet to not fall in love with the sound of this 8 string instrument. The tonal range provided by the 8 strings is lovely, which is as you should expect of a guitar. The active pickups do a great job at providing high output for the player, with intense volume, and high detail both in the bass range and the high range of the guitar. The spike in the mid-tone of the guitar makes the instrument a very interesting one to have and play.
Conclusion
This is a rather great 8 string guitar, with an awesome look and an awesome sound. Highly recommended if you do not mind dropping a grand (or more) on an instrument.
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