The Q
The Engineer
Hi everyone,
I am finally the owner of an M80M. I had some previous experience with an 8-string, a no-name brand from Korea with a 27" scale length and (unbelievable) horrible stock pickups. I still have it, it's back in my home country and perhaps it's worth getting it back with me to Switzerland when the whole COVID-19 situation dies down a bit.
The one thing I do remember from that guitar though, it was how impossible the 8th string was for me to use. We're talking stock F# tuning; I wouldn't dare tune a cent lower. Then again, it might have been my technique, but it kinda made me think of those very long-scale guitars as a panacea, something that would make the 8th string useful. The M80M was released around that time and its price was reasonable, but I didn't buy it back then.
So, after quite a few years, I saw an ad for an M80M, which actually was the former model (the one with the rosewood fretboard and the case) from a guitarist named Thomas who lived in Chur, a city on the southeast Switzerland. Cost? 990 CHF (about €930). The guitar was very well taken care of all these years; he had actually bought it back in 2014, and it had only minimal traces of usage. After I inspected it, I decided it was well worth it and the exchange was made.
So then, the big question in my mind was "Is this the answer to the 8th string problem?" Well... it's inconclusive. Here's what I have know so far.
1. The guitar didn't really need a setup, it was very well taken care of. However it does need new strings and until they arrive, I've kept the (quite visibily different from the rest) 8th string and put an Elixir 7-string set (it was back from the era when they only had 10-56 for 7 strings). I like Elixir and coated strings in general. My hands are not sweating and I only need to change strings when I decide to clean my guitar. The 7-string set however is different from their 8-string set. If that doesn't work out, I will look for alternatives (feel free to recommend any, but keep in mind I tend to significantly favour coated ones).
2. I find the standard F tuning... weird. It's just me; I know, but I prefer my highest string to be in either D or E; makes things easier when I combine different instruments in a song. I did try different tunings though, standard F#, standard E, drop E, drop D. I am currently with standard E (D on the highest string) and the result is... OK. Tension-wise it's fine; I've put 11s on my 6-string so I can easily bend a tone without much hassle. Sound-wise...
3. ... I have no idea how to properly build a signal chain around the 8th string. Now, I can't say I enjoy djent really, but I would like to get that percussive sound that's prevalent in many extreme metal songs. Well, I am getting quite a bit of fizziness instead. Still, until the new strings arrive and I can do a proper setup, this might be caused the the weird 8th string, because...
4. ... the other strings are screaming like they are being tortured in hell (metal, I know!). I have to adjust the volume and/or the tone to make the Lundgren behave. Christ, that pickup is angry! With the knobs it can be tamed and it becomes manageable, but yeah, this is not what you call a flexible instrument.
5. I can use a 7 string with relative ease. In my mind I tend to treat it about 70% as a 6-string with an extra string, but that extra string can be useful regardless of how I use it. Sure, I could do without the 7th string and the 8 string is an even bigger departure from this! So far I tend to approach it as a 7 string with an extra bass-like string, which is limiting.
I actually wasn't bothered by the scale length. Some chords are a bit more difficult and there are a few that I simply have to attempt inversions because there's no hope of actually stretching my fingers that much, but in general this is a very playable instrument.
Do I regret it? Absolutely not. I knew what I was getting into and I don't regret it one bit. I don't like buying and selling guitars, so this thing stays with me. It's an opportunity to expand my horizons a bit and become more articulate with it. There are a couple of frets that need a bit of a filing on their sides, but nothing too serious. They are properly crowned and polished and the setup is OK.
Now, there's only one problem. I was so set to buying an M80M that I hav emanaged to order one, new, since the seller for this one didn't respond to my message soon enough. It's going to arrive tomorrow or the day after and I have to send it back, preferably without opening the box at all. While the idea of two M80Ms (with different fretboards) is funny, I really don't have a need for two one-trick ponies and I couldn't see how to utilise the other one differently (and I need a new bass, my old one finally committed suicide by truss rod)!
Thanks for reading, here are a few pictures!
(I took the photos before I realised I put that nut cap thingie wrong. D'Oh!)
I am finally the owner of an M80M. I had some previous experience with an 8-string, a no-name brand from Korea with a 27" scale length and (unbelievable) horrible stock pickups. I still have it, it's back in my home country and perhaps it's worth getting it back with me to Switzerland when the whole COVID-19 situation dies down a bit.
The one thing I do remember from that guitar though, it was how impossible the 8th string was for me to use. We're talking stock F# tuning; I wouldn't dare tune a cent lower. Then again, it might have been my technique, but it kinda made me think of those very long-scale guitars as a panacea, something that would make the 8th string useful. The M80M was released around that time and its price was reasonable, but I didn't buy it back then.
So, after quite a few years, I saw an ad for an M80M, which actually was the former model (the one with the rosewood fretboard and the case) from a guitarist named Thomas who lived in Chur, a city on the southeast Switzerland. Cost? 990 CHF (about €930). The guitar was very well taken care of all these years; he had actually bought it back in 2014, and it had only minimal traces of usage. After I inspected it, I decided it was well worth it and the exchange was made.
So then, the big question in my mind was "Is this the answer to the 8th string problem?" Well... it's inconclusive. Here's what I have know so far.
1. The guitar didn't really need a setup, it was very well taken care of. However it does need new strings and until they arrive, I've kept the (quite visibily different from the rest) 8th string and put an Elixir 7-string set (it was back from the era when they only had 10-56 for 7 strings). I like Elixir and coated strings in general. My hands are not sweating and I only need to change strings when I decide to clean my guitar. The 7-string set however is different from their 8-string set. If that doesn't work out, I will look for alternatives (feel free to recommend any, but keep in mind I tend to significantly favour coated ones).
2. I find the standard F tuning... weird. It's just me; I know, but I prefer my highest string to be in either D or E; makes things easier when I combine different instruments in a song. I did try different tunings though, standard F#, standard E, drop E, drop D. I am currently with standard E (D on the highest string) and the result is... OK. Tension-wise it's fine; I've put 11s on my 6-string so I can easily bend a tone without much hassle. Sound-wise...
3. ... I have no idea how to properly build a signal chain around the 8th string. Now, I can't say I enjoy djent really, but I would like to get that percussive sound that's prevalent in many extreme metal songs. Well, I am getting quite a bit of fizziness instead. Still, until the new strings arrive and I can do a proper setup, this might be caused the the weird 8th string, because...
4. ... the other strings are screaming like they are being tortured in hell (metal, I know!). I have to adjust the volume and/or the tone to make the Lundgren behave. Christ, that pickup is angry! With the knobs it can be tamed and it becomes manageable, but yeah, this is not what you call a flexible instrument.
5. I can use a 7 string with relative ease. In my mind I tend to treat it about 70% as a 6-string with an extra string, but that extra string can be useful regardless of how I use it. Sure, I could do without the 7th string and the 8 string is an even bigger departure from this! So far I tend to approach it as a 7 string with an extra bass-like string, which is limiting.
I actually wasn't bothered by the scale length. Some chords are a bit more difficult and there are a few that I simply have to attempt inversions because there's no hope of actually stretching my fingers that much, but in general this is a very playable instrument.
Do I regret it? Absolutely not. I knew what I was getting into and I don't regret it one bit. I don't like buying and selling guitars, so this thing stays with me. It's an opportunity to expand my horizons a bit and become more articulate with it. There are a couple of frets that need a bit of a filing on their sides, but nothing too serious. They are properly crowned and polished and the setup is OK.
Now, there's only one problem. I was so set to buying an M80M that I hav emanaged to order one, new, since the seller for this one didn't respond to my message soon enough. It's going to arrive tomorrow or the day after and I have to send it back, preferably without opening the box at all. While the idea of two M80Ms (with different fretboards) is funny, I really don't have a need for two one-trick ponies and I couldn't see how to utilise the other one differently (and I need a new bass, my old one finally committed suicide by truss rod)!
Thanks for reading, here are a few pictures!
(I took the photos before I realised I put that nut cap thingie wrong. D'Oh!)
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Even though M80M would be pretty cool.
