[ain't talking about fanned frets here; i don't know but i get the impression that it would be darn difficult to play]


Since it's still much just started out,

i'm very much concerned on whether it'll be difficult to play due to its wider fretboard, longer scale. What are the things that differentiates these guitars as compared to 7 string electric guitars in terms of hardware, tones, and most importantly in measurements?

Ibanez has released them; does anyone has their specs?

Definitely haven't tried them out before, but has anyone here did that already? If so, comments on feel, and most importantly on the playability?

Thanks people!

I dont think or never heard that Ibanez has released them. The 8 strings ? nah man.
I have tried Conklin 8s before, pretty good, but not so comfortable as the 7s(for the chords wise). But I have no clue on the 8 string that made by Ibanez... so far I think Dino(fear factory) and Fedrick(Meshuggah) has it ?They are LA custom shop I believe.

I'm ordering one for myself soon (LGM). But still waiting for my 7 string LGM custom to come... waited for it for like 7 months now...

Definitely a bigger step to go to 8 strings than going from 6 to 7, especially if it has a longer scale length - frets are particularly far apart down low. Having said that, I love my 8 and haven't touched any other guitar but that one since I built it (although that was only a couple of weeks ago). I find it frees your mind from set patterns and boxes that you've always used - makes you look at things differently again. And if you've gone from 6 to 7 strings already then you've got a pretty good idea about the types of changes that are neccesary. I love mine.

I have never played an 8-string guitar yet but I'd love to.

I'd invite you around for a beer and a play of my 8-string, but I think it'd be a long way to come......