NBD - twice the fun!

[BAG]

I've been wanting an 8 string for quite some time. Didn't manage to get one in Australia before moving to NZ and they are even harder to find over here. One of the Christchurch shops had one when we first arrived in January and i thought i'd wait awhile and try and get a discount later in the year...... and it sold a month later.

Since then the only one i've been able to find in the country was in Wellington. My daughter had a 10% discount voucher that expired at the end of September so I thought i'd see if the local store could get it shipped for me to try. It arrived yesterday but this weekend we're going away so i wasn't going to get a chance to go and try it until next week. We'll, this morning the manager of another club rang to see if he could borrow a keg of Macs Gold Beer..... we've got enough so i said i'd deliver it personally. Their club just so happens to be across the road from the guitar store......... you know the rest of the story.
Got it for a decent price (for over here) and picked up a nice Gator gig bag to put it in.
Yes.... I like black basses.

It's sitting in the corner of my office calling to me....... stop working.... get off TB..... play me.....

 

[StevieMac]

Super cool, congrats!

 

[KeithAlanK]

I've seen that one in a transparent black finish over flame maple (photo-flame?) and a black with sparkles, but I really like the matte finish on yours.
Nice score.
Let us know how it plays and sounds.

 

[JMacBass65]

Sweet!

 

[BAG]

Let us know how it plays and sounds.

Unfortunately ive only had less than any hour with it as we headed out of town for the weekend and couldn't bring it with me but first impressions are. ......
the intonation is nearly spot on and relief also very good.
The sound is BIG! For some reason the lower notes sound deeper and fuller than a standard 4 string even though they are simply accompanied by higher notes.

It hangs on a strap without any dive and feels like it's around only eight and a half pounds. I'll have to wait until my daughter gets home next week with our hanging scales to check for certain.

The painted neck doesn't feel painted due to the satin finish. It is wider than my usual thin jazz necks but not overly so and plays very well. I tried to drop the action a little but the bridge adjustment was on the deck.

I wrote to ESP while on the road to ask about bridge height adjustment and they said that it might need a shim. I asked if it'd void the warranty if i did it myself and they said it was a part of standard setup so I'm good to go. I'm really impressed with their customer service as they answered three emails pretty much straight away.
So.... tomorrow night I'll probably take the neck off, shim it and adjust action height. I've got a first jam with a new originals band on Monday night so I'll take my black trifecta....... black fretless Franken Jazz, the black Franken P and the new black 8. That should cover most sounds.

 

[KeithAlanK]

My 8 has a very similar bridge and tailpiece, although it can also do string-through.
And my bridge is also on the deck.
When I replace the neck pickup, I'm going to shim the neck, too.

I have an LTD Viper (SG styling) that I got in a pawnshop for $80, and it blows me away.
My guitarist sold his high$$ EVH and PRS guitars to go with LTD, and he's happy as heck.