Best Cheap 8 String Guitar: Djent For (A LOT) Less

8 string guitars can get expensive quickly, but if you’re looking for a cheaper option, you should definitely be looking at this bad boy by Jackson – it is one of the best cheap 8 string guitars you can buy right now…

---

You want to start playing djent but you do not have the budget to drop $1000+ on an 8 string guitar. This is a problem. But as with most things in life, there is a solution.

Cheap 8 String Guitars

And that solution is to go with a cheap 8 string guitar over a super-expensive one. If you’re a beginner or someone that just plays for fun, you don’t need a studio-grade 8 string guitar for playing at home and/or jamming with your buddies.

You just need something that’ll get the job done, sound good, pack in some decent pickups, and that plays nicely. And the 8-string guitars listed below all fit the bill. We have included an affordable option, a mid-range option, and a premium option (which is the Meshuggah Signature model).

---

Best 8-String Guitars

---

---

---

Notable Mention: Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA SBK AH

The Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA SBK AH, which I’m just going to call the Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA from here on out, retails for just $366 and it packs in plenty of great specs and hardware. It also looks stunning too, as you can see below:

Full Specifications

• One-piece bolted neck: Maple, with graphite reinforcement and scarf joint
• Fretboard: Amaranth
• With fretboard binding
• Piranha fretboard inlays
• Fretboard radius: 12″-16″
• 24 Jumbo frets
• Scale: 673 mm
• Pickups: 2 High-output Jackson humbucker
• 3-Way toggle-switch
• 1 Volume and 1 tone control
• Jackson HT8 bridge
• Black hardware
• Colour: Satin black

Having played this guitar, albeit very briefly, and having no idea it was so cheap, I was kind of blown away when I found out that it cost less than $400.

The Jackson pickups – you get 2 High-output Jackson humbuckers were brilliant, giving clear, deep tones even on the lower end of the spectrum which is key when you’re dealing with 7 and 8 string guitars.

Best 8 String Guitar Under $400 

The body and design, in my opinion, are totally gorgeous – it looks like a million bucks up close and in pictures. The Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA is also relatively lightweight for an 8 string guitar, coming in at just over 14 pounds.

It also comes in white which, if you like white guitars, is definitely a plus – I think it looks dope. Although I think, given a choice, I would almost certainly go with the black model, just because it will look good for longer – white shows every bit of grime as well as scuffs and bumps.

Another cool thing about this guitar? Its Amaranth fretboard is nice and fast; it’s also pretty thin too, so you can move around pretty easily. Again, it’s not going to rival the more expensive 8-string guitars on the market in this context, but for less than $400 you really cannot fault this guitar.

If you’re looking for a cheap 8 string guitar that looks great and plays like an angel then the Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA SBK AH is 100% worth a look. I cannot fathom how Jackson can retail a guitar of this quality for such a small amount of money, but I’ll take it!

Kudos, Jackson! You just earned yourself a lifelong fan.

---

Verdict: What’s The Best Cheap 8 String Guitar?

The entire point of this post is to show you that it isn’t necessary to drop over $1000 on an 8-string guitar. You can still get a killer setup without breaking the bank. I do really like the Jackson JS32 Dinky but the damn thing is sold-out everywhere.

For this reason, my next choice would be the Ibanez RG8; it is as good as the Jackson JS32-8 Dinky with respect to build quality, tone, and pickups. And it costs exactly the same – $399.99. As affordable options go, the Ibanez RG8 would be our #1 recommendation right now. It is an incredible guitar for not much money at all.

If you want to take things a step further, but still not break the bank, the Schecter Demon-8 is well worth a look. This guitar is slightly more expensive than the RG8 at $539 but you will notice the difference in quality when you pick it up and when you hear how good its pickups sound. If you can stretch, get the Schecter Demon-8 – it is ridiculously good for how much it costs.

---

How good is the Schecter Demon-8? Personally, I’d take a Schecter Demon-8 over the more expensive Ibanez M80M Meshuggah Signature model. Why? I prefer the way the Schecter Demon-8 looks. I also prefer its pickups. The Schecter Diamond Active HB-1055 humbuckers are hot-as-f*ck and sound incredible.

What about the Jackson? Well, I just realized that the Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA SBK AH is pretty much sold out everywhere. I cannot say I’m surprised; at this price point, it was always going to be extremely popular.

You can still get one, but you’ll be waiting 6-8 weeks for delivery.

If you cannot wait, however, the Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA SBK AH isn’t the only game in town when it comes to killer (and affordable) 8 string guitars. You also have the worryingly cheap Harley Benton R-458BK Fanfret which retails for just $189.

---

Is it as good as the Jackson JS32-8 Dinky DKA SBK AH? No, not even close. But it is an 8 string guitar with OK pickups that plays great. If you want mega value for money, and you can live with cheaper hardware/components, this extremely cheap 8 string guitar could be worth a punt.

Me? I’d go with either the Ibanez RG8 or the Schecter Demon-8; they’re both under $600 – the RG8 costs $399.99 – and both are superb. The Demon-8 is obviously the superior guitar here, it has better pickups and better build materials, but if you cannot stretch to $539, the $399 Ibanez RG8 is still a very, very good option.

---

---