8 String Guitar roundup
The Best 8 String Guitars for the Money
The Ibanez RG8 remains the most trusted starting point, but Solar Guitars and the RGD series offer real improvements at mid-range prices. Here is what to buy and why.
There is a moment in a lot of players' extended-range journeys when the best 8-string guitar for you stops being an abstract question and becomes an urgent one — when you have been listening to the low chugging patterns on a Meshuggah record and realised you cannot get there on what you already own. The market has expanded considerably since the Ibanez RG2228 first appeared in 2007. Here is a considered short-list of what currently represents honest value.
Best Under £400: Ibanez RG8
The RG8 has been the most trusted entry-level 8-string guitar since it appeared. It has a fixed bridge, Ibanez's famously thin and fast Wizard neck profile, and a body shape the company has refined over decades. The stock pickups are decent rather than exceptional — many players swap them out eventually — but the playability and tuning stability are solid for the price. If you want to try extended range without committing four figures, this is the most trusted starting point in the category.
Best Mid-Range Under £700: Solar Guitars A1.8
Solar Guitars was founded by Ola Englund with the explicit aim of building well-specified heavy guitars at fair prices. The A1.8 delivers on that: multiscale design, 27-inch bass scale, quality hardware, and a sound that works in modern metal contexts without immediate need for pickup upgrades. The brand has developed a strong following among progressive and djent players who want boutique-level specification without boutique prices.
Best for Djent and Progressive Metal: Ibanez RGD Series
The RGD series takes the RG formula and adds a longer scale length — typically 26.5" or 27" — designed specifically for low tunings and tight rhythmic playing. The result is an 8-string guitar that handles aggressive palm muting and low djent rhythms cleanly, with better string response than the standard-scale RG at the same price point. A recurring favourite among players who want proven reliability in a heavy music context.
Best Premium Option: Strandberg Boden Metal 8
Strandberg's endneck (headless) design is genuinely different. It is lighter than conventional alternatives, the ergonomic body shape improves playing posture, and the multiscale design optimises string tension across the full range. The Boden Metal 8 is built for the same context as the djent-oriented competition but with a higher overall quality level: better hardware, improved resonance, and Fishman Fluence Modern pickups. The price — around £1,500 — is significant, but for players who have committed to extended range, it represents a long-term instrument.
Best for Non-Metal Applications: Aguilar Guitars and Boutique Options
For jazz, classical or hybrid applications, the metal-oriented production market is less useful. Charlie Hunter's approach to eight strings — using the instrument for simultaneous bass and guitar playing — is better served by custom or semi-custom instruments built for that purpose. Boutique builders like Barker Guitars and Rick Toone produce eight-string instruments outside the metal paradigm. If your interest is not metal, the specification requirements differ substantially from what the production market delivers.
A Note on Used Instruments
Extended-range instruments hold value reasonably well when maintained. A used Ibanez RGD or Solar instrument at the right price will often represent better value than a new entry-level alternative. The usual checks — fret wear, truss rod condition, electronics — apply. Extended-range instruments have no unusual failure modes that would counsel against the second-hand market.
The Bottom Line
The Ibanez RG8 remains the most trusted entry point. Solar Guitars and the Ibanez RGD series offer meaningful improvements at mid-range prices. Strandberg rewards the committed extended-range player who wants the instrument to last. For a full buying decision guide, our buyer's guide covers every variable. For an introduction to the instrument, our overview explains how it works. And for new players, our beginner's guide is where to start.
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