I like that 8-string "Brahms" guitar. It would be useful for things like Bach's lute works that rely upon the open tuned bass strings (like BWV.998). Prior to the 19th century, guitars weren't particularly standardized, though the 6-string spanish guitar evolved to be the standard format for guitars over the past 200+ years.bishopdante wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 11:00 pm8 string guitar isn't particularly new in the classical guitar world (1994) :Geiginni wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:13 pmExactly. I never see some crazy jazz guy or classical guitarist using one of these monstrosities - it's always some chug-a metal dude.penningtron wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 3:33 pm
Yep. 95% of this music is "junt junt junt" on a low fuckin' A string with metal zone distortion yet they have 9 strings and fanned frets..
In fact it's closer to the much older 8-course lute.
Fanned frets first appeared on the 16th-century Orpharion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpharion, a variant of the cittern, tuned like a lute.
The idea was reintroduced by Novax instruments, who held a (fairly dubious) patent on the system for quite a few years, and made semi-famous by Charlie Hunter, a jazz player.
Lutes are a whole different beast, as far as fretted plucked instruments go, as are theorbos, citterns, and the extended family of things tuned in fifths.
Not of fan of whatever Charlie Hunter was doing there. He had a couple records I liked from the early 90s, but I haven't paid attention to him since then, 8-string guitars or not.
