After The Burial were one of the earliest bands, that I was aware of, really embracing the 8 string guitar. Their blend of djenty riffage and hooky choruses topped off with ripping solos is something that really struck a big fat chord with a lot of people. A chord with 8 notes and a whole lotta bass.
Now they’re taking the Spinal Tap route and going one more, to give it that little push over the cliff. I’ve seen pictures of Justin Lowe playing a 9er live, but now he’s gone and made this official video for Ibanez. He talks about why he likes having that extra range and how he got used to playing more and more strings.
The guitar in question is the RG90BKP Prestige model with Bare Knuckle Canine pickups. It’s unlikely that I would personally shell out for a nine string, but this one looks so damn nice I would definitely touch it. I’d touch it so naughty. And this is an example of how to get low without getting muddy. It doesn’t even sound as muddy as a lot of 8 string tones I’ve heard, and I imagine he tightened up that sound by cutting out a lot of bass a la the VFE Focus pedal or a similar device.
I imagine this will stir up some feelings inside you: ones you didn’t know you could feel, or haven’t acknowledged until now. If you wish to explore those feelings further, click here.
Mason Stewart / November 6, 2014 10:32 pm
really interesting sounding. Im guessing the bassist is matching the lower octave of the notes he plays on the 6th string. Either way, sounds pretty tight considering all of the low end they”re playing with.
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