TekknoWaffle Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 My project of making an 8 string guitar from scratch. I am planning on building an 8 string guitar from scratch. Im just looking for some advise, this is my first guitar, and i know and 8 string is not the best build for a first timer, but i have my heart set on it and i am fairly confident i can do it. I have basic woodworking skills and access to most necessary tools and facilities. I also have a mentor who has made many guitar in the past, although he has never made an 8 string and doesn't know to much about them. I have a budget of around $1200 - $150 and i kinda know what parts i want. In terms of wood, i was thinking full mahogany body with a flamed or quilted maple top, maple neck somewhere between 27" and 28" and an ebony fretboard. With the hardware, I was looking at EMG 808's or 808x's for my pickups, but i'm still unsure of things like the wiring sets that can be used for an eight string. Is it the same as a six? And i'm also not sure about the bridge. What would be the best one and where can i purchase it from at the cheapest price? Any information about making an 8 string is greatly appreciated. Thank you. - Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polymaker Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 Hi Josh, welcome to the forum! Even though beginning with a 8 strings guitar may seem like a daunting endeavor, I'm fairly sure you can manage to do it. I say that because I myself started with a 7 strings guitar (technically a 6 strings also because I started them at same time), having almost no woodworking experience at all, and now I'm in the final steps. I even threw in things like through-neck, multi-scale and headless and I managed to do it. So given the fact that you have woodworking experience and access to all the necessary tools, I'm confident you can do it Budget wise on the other hand, is where an 8 strings can be "daunting". It is no secret that an 8 strings will cost you more. To name a few, things like two more tuners, limited pickups selections (the majority of extended range pickups are made by premium brands) and other hardware can rise the cost drastically and can make you seriously reconsider making an extended range guitar as a first build. In my case, the materials for building the 7 strings guitar was well in my budget, but I had to pause the project to save for purchasing the headless hardware that is available from very few place at an high price. And now I'm lacquering the guitar but I'm still waiting & saving to purchase the pickups. I don't mean to discourage you but my point (advice) is that if you really want to build an 8 strings as your first project and also on a budget, you need to take the time to shop and plan before starting. Of course, if you don't throw-in things like multi-scale and headless like I did, you'll be able the keep the build to a reasonable cost. For the pickups, the wiring is roughly the same with any guitar, it depends on the number of pickups and volume/tone of course. One thing to note, if you don't already know, is active vs passive pickups. Active pickups need extra wiring to include a battery, For the bridge and other hardware, you can check on aliexpress. You need to shop a little because the majority of products are very cheap but you can find relatively good hardware that will do the job for a cheap price if you don't mind making some compromises. Good luck on your project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadaegd Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 On 9/14/2017 at 9:41 PM, TekknoWaffle said: My project of making an 8 string guitar from scratch. I am planning on building an 8 string guitar from scratch. Im just looking for some advise, this is my first guitar, and i know and 8 string is not the best build for a first timer, but i have my heart set on it and i am fairly confident i can do it. I have basic woodworking skills and access to most necessary tools and facilities. I also have a mentor who has made many guitar in the past, although he has never made an 8 string and doesn't know to much about them. I have a budget of around $1200 - $150 and i kinda know what parts i want. In terms of wood, i was thinking full mahogany body with a flamed or quilted maple top, maple neck somewhere between 27" and 28" and an ebony fretboard. With the hardware, I was looking at EMG 808's or 808x's for my pickups, but i'm still unsure of things like the wiring sets that can be used for an eight string. Is it the same as a six? And i'm also not sure about the bridge. What would be the best one and where can i purchase it from at the cheapest price? Any information about making an 8 string is greatly appreciated. Thank you. - Josh On 9/14/2017 at 9:41 PM, TekknoWaffle said: My project of making an 8 string guitar from scratch. I am planning on building an 8 string guitar from scratch. Im just looking for some advise, this is my first guitar, and i know and 8 string is not the best build for a first timer, but i have my heart set on it and i am fairly confident i can do it. I have basic woodworking skills and access to most necessary tools and facilities. I also have a mentor who has made many guitar in the past, although he has never made an 8 string and doesn't know to much about them. I have a budget of around $1200 - $150 and i kinda know what parts i want. In terms of wood, i was thinking full mahogany body with a flamed or quilted maple top, maple neck somewhere between 27" and 28" and an ebony fretboard. With the hardware, I was looking at EMG 808's or 808x's for my pickups, but i'm still unsure of things like the wiring sets that can be used for an eight string. Is it the same as a six? And i'm also not sure about the bridge. What would be the best one and where can i purchase it from at the cheapest price? Any information about making an 8 string is greatly appreciated. Thank you. - Josh Hey man !!!!! I'm seriously in this same scary ship !!! Haha I mean ;;;; I seriously don't mean to sound stupid or anything..! But I'm building my own first guitar too !!!!!! 8-string I'm hoping ! ------- I've also got some maple trees all round; and would love to use them lmao!!!! Has yours coming along ng anyway ?!!? (New member (I am) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TekknoWaffle Posted March 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2018 Hey Jadaegd Its actually almost done! Im just about to start staining. IM doing a blood red sunburst from the centre of the body, fading out into a jet black. It wasnt as much of a hassle as i thought it would be! Ive got all the hardware and parts, and the few tools and machines i have in my workshop were more than enough for me to build this amazing guitar! when its finished, ill post a pic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 19, 2018 Report Share Posted March 19, 2018 1 hour ago, TekknoWaffle said: when its finished, ill post a pic! Looking forward to that! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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