So you’re on your way to pick an 8-string guitar and you’re stuck between two options. Guess what? We’re here to help! Today, we bring you Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8.
This is going to be quite a long read. If you don’t have the time to check through the whole article, check out the comparison overview below. It contains the main points that are explained upon throughout the article.
With that said, let’s get into it!
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Comparison Overview
Looking at the features of these two guitars, we have to say that we were impressed. One might have looked at guitars in this price range and immediately right them off.
However, after looking at the overall features of these two products, you might want to have a serious rethink. Everything you need for a professional electric guitar is available in these two guitars.
Yes, there were a few things the companies could have done a little better. However, those little errors can be forgiven, given how affordable these guitars are.
These guitars have a very good price to performance ratio, it’s insane. At under $500, there is so much you can get in the way of quality, especially for 8-string guitars. In fact, looking into the market, you might not find a better deal than the two guitars here: Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8.
Although, we do have to point out that the Ibanez RG8 is slightly more affordable than the Schecter Omen 8, which is the reason why we picked the Ibanez, at the end of the article.
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Brand Comparison
Schecter is an American-based guitar manufacturing company. They produce electric guitars, bass guitars, and amplifiers for both. When the company started in 1976, by David Schecter, it used to make only replacement parts for the bigger brands like Fender, Gibson, and Ibanez.
Yes, Ibanez. There is no doubt that Ibanez is the bigger brand here. Beginning in 1908 by its founder Hoshino Gakki, this Japanese company began selling musical instruments.
In 1935, this company started production under the name “Ibanez Salvador” which was later shortened to “Ibanez” as we know it today.
Ibanez was the first company to mass-produce 7 and 8-string bass guitars and is one of the first Japanese companies to gain a foothold in the US and European market.
Honestly, in this one, there is no contest. Ibanez will win on all sides, even pricing. There are few companies that go as low as Ibanez with their prices.
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Comparison Of Key Features
Ibanez RG8 |
Schecter Omen 8 | |
| Tonewood | Mahogany | Basswood |
| Neck wood | Maple/walnut | Maple (with carbon fiber reinforcement rods) |
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – What Situation Is Each Best For?
Ibanez RG8 |
Schecter Omen 8 |
| The first major thing about these two guitars is that they come with 8 strings. If you’re a beginner, steer clear of 8-string guitars. They are really difficult to play and are better suited for more advanced players. | This guitar is also eight strings. Which means that it’s not something that you should look into getting if you’ve not learned the basics of playing electric guitar. |
| Well, it will interest you to know that this guitar is very affordable. It is very difficult to find an 8-string guitar for under $500. This is what makes this guitar special, the fact that it provides this much quality at the price it’s at. | Also coming in at under $500, this guitar is an absolute steal, looking at how much quality you get. So, if you’ve always wanted an 8-string guitar but the high prices you’ve been seeing have been drawing you back, seat tight, because these two guitars are really affordable. |
What Features Do The Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 Have In Common?
They’re both 8-string guitars.
They’re solid-body guitars.
They’re made with rosewood as their fretboard and maple as their neckwood.
They’re Both 8-String Guitars
This is probably the biggest similarity between these two products and the reason why a lot of people pitch one against the other. Both of these guitars are 8-string guitars.
8-string guitars are not very common. So, if you’re looking into buying one, then we’re sure that you know your stuff. However, if you don’t, we advise that you click here to find other guitars that are better suited for beginners.
Just like everything in life, 8-string guitars have their benefits, and their drawbacks. Picking one for yourself is ultimately determined by your preference and style.
Does it match up with what you want in a guitar? If it does, then you definitely know that this is the right number of strings for you.
8-string guitars provide you 10 more notes to play with than the regular 6-string guitar, and 5 more to play with than the Russian 7-string guitar.
The two strings added are the thicker strings. This means that the electric guitar can play those lower, fuller notes that the regular 6-string guitar cannot play.
The 8-string guitar gained a lot of popularity and became associated with heavy rock and metal bands. Apart from metal bands, 8-string guitars are also used when playing jazz and classical music.
How To Tune An 8-String Guitar
The standard 8-string bass is tuned (from low to high) F#, B, E, A, D, G, B, and E.
However, there is another use for the 8-string guitar that is not as popular.
A jazz guitarist named “Charlie Hunter” plays an 8-string guitar. The five upper strings of the 8-string guitar are tuned the same as the 5 upper strings of a regular guitar (A, D, G, B, E). The three remaining strings are tuned to the bass’s lowest strings (E, A, D).
With this type of implementation of the 8-string guitar, you get the best of both electric guitars and bass guitars, on the same guitar.
If you’re one who likes the bright snappy sounds of the electric guitar, but from time to time you want to go low and get the growling sounds of a bass, this is something for you.
The final tuning variant for the 8-string guitar affects only the first string, the F#. Some people would rather tune this to a low E (E1). This is the same note as that on the lowest string of a standard 4-string bass guitar.
What this does is that it gives the 8-string guitar a much fuller sound than a standard electric guitar. This is as a result of the presence of three different E strings.
If you’re still not sold on the whole 8-string idea, here is a quick video that should remedy that. Check it out:
Body Style: Solid Body
Even 8-string guitars come in different body types. Just like regular electric guitars, you have hollow-body 8-string guitars, a semi-hollow body, and a solid body.
Both of the guitars we’re looking at today have a solid body. There are a few reasons why people love a solid body guitar, all of which we’re going to look at. However, it also has its downsides, which we’re also going to mention.
First of all, what is a solid body guitar? Well, just like we mentioned earlier, there are different types of guitar bodies available. Basically, they are different by how much is inside them.
For solid body, it is completely solid, full. For semi-hollow body, it is partially full. And for hollow body, it is completely empty, like an acoustic guitar.
Solid body guitars are very heavy. Also, because of the extra width that has to be added to make room for the extra strings, these guitars are even heavier than normal electric guitars. However, that does have some advantages. Let’s see them:
Advantages Of A Solid Body Guitar
No feedback. Solid body guitars do not have any box. Because of that, all the sound comes out through the pickups. That way, it doesn’t give off any feedback when connected to an amplifier.
It carries enough bite and growl. Hollow-body guitars have a more acoustic sound and feel than solid body guitars. If you play metal or rock, we’re sure that’s not the sound you’re going for. With solid body guitars, you get the biting sound that you desire.
They’re more durable. Finally, solid body guitars are more durable. This is simply understanding. They’re thicker than hollow body guitars, so it takes more to damage them when they drop than hollow body guitars.
Disadvantages Of A Solid Body Guitar
It is heavy. This is probably the biggest disadvantage of the solid body guitar, it is quite heavy.
It is not versatile. As much some people love the biting sound of the solid body, some people prefer a much calmer sound. With a semi-hollow guitar, you get the best of both worlds. This is why most people prefer the semi-hollow body to the other two guitar body types.
Fretboard: Rosewood
The part of your guitar that you have the most interaction with, as a guitarist, is your guitar’s fretboard. Because of this fact, it is important that the fretboard is made with utmost care.
There are a few materials that are considered high quality, when it comes to fretboard for electric guitars. These are: maple, ebony, and rosewood. Out of these three, rosewood is our favorite, and we will tell you why.
Durability
The first reason why we like rosewood is because of its durability. For woods, durability is determined by how hard that particular wood is. The harder the wood is, the more wear it can endure without cracking.
There is a test done on woods to find out the hardness. This test is called the “Janka hardness test”. It is measured in pounds.
Out of the three woods we mentioned earlier that are considered good fretboard woods, rosewood has the highest Janka hardness test score, scoring 2440 pounds.
This means that out of the three, rosewood is the most durable. It will handle the high-tension of your strings better, and for longer.
Tone
Another reason why we like rosewood is because of its tone. Compared to the other two, rosewood produces the softest and warmest sound. Maple and ebony produce a brighter and snappier tone.
With rosewood, you get a mellow sound that balances out the bright and snappy sounds of the guitar. Although, this is a small factor to a lot of people as the sound of an electric guitar is affected more by its electronics than its build and wood choices.
Feel
The main thing people look at when picking a fretboard is the feel. Just like we said earlier, your fingers will be on your fretboard a lot of the time, so they just have to feel right.
Rosewood does not have a very smooth feel. This is because it does not require a finish. However, it feels completely natural. Most guitarists like this natural feel.
Maple has a very smooth feel, if you’re looking for that instead. However, because maple uses a finish, your fretboard starts to discolor over time. The spots where you play the most begin to have a greyish hue. For some, this creates a vintage-looking guitar, for others, it’s simply not clean.
With rosewood, because it doesn’t come with a finish, you’ll need to condition it from time to time. Conditioning and cleaning of your fretboard should be doing periodically, as often as you change your strings.
So, depending on the kind of feel you’re looking for with your fretboard, rosewood can either be good or bad. If you don’t mind the porousness of the wood and like its natural feel, then a rosewood fretboard is the one for you.
Neck wood: Maple
The final feature that these two guitars share is their neck woods. Both of these guitars come with a maple neck wood. Maple is a very hard and dense wood. Because of its strength and density, maple is a durable wood.
It has a Janka hardness of 1450 pounds. Yes, we know that’s lower than rosewood, but it’s still a very good score. To put it into perspective, mahogany has a score of between 800 and 900, and even that is regarded as hardwood.
There is one downside to this strength, though, which is that maple is quite heavy. It’s a good thing that maple was only used for the neck of this guitar.
If it was used all through, this would’ve been a really heavy guitar, and we’re sure that’s not what you want.
There is always an argument as to how much the tone of a neck wood affects the sound of a guitar.
The argument is usually that because the neck isn’t close to the pickups where the sound is produced, it adds little to how the guitar sounds. And that is a solid argument.
However, some others feel that the whole structure of the guitar and the materials chosen, have little impacts one way or another, as to how the guitar sounds.
Whichever school of thought you belong to, here is a useful piece of information: Maple produces a bright sound. If you know anything about tonewoods, then you definitely know this. Maple puts good emphasis on those upper mid notes.
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Features Unique To Each Product
Features Unique To The Ibanez RG8
The only difference between the Ibanez RG8 and the Schecter Omen 8 is their tonewood. The Ibanez RG8 is made with mahogany tonewood.
Tonewood: Mahogany
For the tonewood, Ibanez decided to go with mahogany. The first thing about mahogany, and the reason why it’s so widely used, is because it’s very affordable. Being that this guitar is a budget guitar, this choice for tonewood does not come as a surprise to us.
Aside from its affordability, mahogany is also chosen as a tonewood because of its quality. This quality includes its looks, durability, and of course, tonal properties.
The first one, the looks, is not important for this particular guitar as it is painted over. However, if you’re picking up, say an acoustic, and you don’t know what tonewood to pick, based on color, Mahogany has a distinctive brown color. It’s a good-looking wood and is lumbered mainly for its pleasing aesthetics.
Mahogany has a Janka hardness score between 800 & 900. The reason why it’s a range and not a particular score is because there are so many types of mahogany, grown all over the world.
In 2003, a ban was placed on native sourcing of mahogany, and the wood could no longer be regrown in America. The mahogany used today is American mahogany, however, it comes newly grown plantations in the Pacific and Asia.
Mahogany might not be as durable as some of the other tonewood choices out there. However, it is durable to a large extent.
Also, it’s not as heavy as the other tonewoods. Because this is what forms the majority of this guitar, the guitar’s is considerably not heavy.
Finally, mahogany produces a warm and soft sound. The sound is well-balanced and produces a good bite. If there is a spectrum of tonal differences with maple at the brighter end and rosewood at the warmer end, mahogany lies somewhere in between.
Sound
Honestly, it makes no sense if we finish all our talks and this guitar ends up not sounding the way you want it to when you finally get it. And obviously, the two guitars in the Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 comparison do not have the same sound.
We know that you would like to go to the store and rock out a guitar before going home with it. So, we decided to bring the store to you. Check out the video below for a brief review on the Ibanez RG8. In that video, you’ll be able to hear, exactly, how this guitar sounds.
Check it out now:
Features Unique To The Schecter Omen 8
The only difference between the Ibanez RG8 and the Schecter Omen 8 is their tonewood. The Schecter Omen 8 is made with basswood as its tonewood.
Tonewood: Basswood
Basswood is a budget tonewood. That is the first line on everybody’s lips once they hear basswood. And they’re not lying, at all. Basswood is more commonly found in mid-range and budget guitars.
However, just like we’ve seen consistently throughout this Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 article, budget doesn’t always mean bad.
Basswood has been the tonewood of choice for a very long time, and that’s because it does have some benefits aside being so affordable. The tone produced by basswood is well-balanced. It produces really great mid-range notes and produces quite a warm sound, with good sustain.
Because the sound produced by basswood has quite a bite and growl, it is most suited to Metal and Rock musical genres.
Apart from the fact that basswood is readily available and affordable, basswood has been used for a long time because of these tonal properties.
There is one downside to basswood though, the reason why a lot of people think “budget” when they think about this tonewood, and that’s its durability. Basswood is a very soft wood, compared to other tonewoods. It is very susceptible to tending, and breaks easily. It is also very lightweight.
If you get a guitar with basswood, you have to take extra care where you keep your guitar. Any mistake and this guitar drops, basswood is not strong enough to keep it together, it’ll probably break.
Basswood has its good sides, and its flaws. While people think that this is simply cheap wood, it is important to note that on a well-made guitar, this tonewood can create good sound dynamics. If you’re looking for that “oomph” in a rock guitar, basswood might just be the answer.
Sound
At the end of the day, all these talk about features will make no sense if the guitar doesn’t sound like what you want. So, you want to hear what this guitar sounds like? Check the video below:
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Unique Pros
Why Some People Prefer The Ibanez RG8 To The Schecter Omen 8
The Ibanez RB8 is made with Mahogany. Mahogany has great tonal properties, it’s hard, and it’s highly dense.
This makes the Ibanez RG8 more durable than the Schecter Omen 8. It’s a lot less likely to break if it falls.
Why Some People Prefer The Schecter Omen 8 To The Ibanez RG8.
The Schecter Omen 8 is made with Basswood. Basswood produces a warm sound with good sustain. This counteracts with the really bright sound that guitars produce to give it a balanced sound overall.
Also, because basswood is much lighter than Mahogany, this guitar is pretty lightweight.
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Unique Cons
Ibanez RG8
- Mahogany can be quite heavy.
Schecter Omen 8
- Basswood is not durable.
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Common Pros
Ibanez RG8 |
Schecter Omen 8 | |
| Affordability | At under $500, these are some of the most affordable 8-string electric guitars you can find anywhere. 8-string guitars are not as popular as normal electric guitars. Because of that, it’s hard to find affordable ones like these two. It is to be pointed out, though, that this guitar is slightly more affordable than the Omen 8. | This is also very affordable, priced also at under $500. However, it is slightly more expensive than the Ibanez RG8. This doesn’t come as a surprise to us, being that Ibanez was the first company to start mass-producing 7 and 8-string guitars. |
| Nice feeling fretboard | Both of these guitars are equipped with a rosewood fretboard. A rosewood fretboard might not have the smoothest feel, but that’s because it has a very natural feel. The only thing with this type of fretboard is that you’ll have to take extra care of it by conditioning it from time to time. | This guitar also comes with a rosewood fretboard, bearing the same pro as the Ibanez RG8. |
| Enough room for creative | The main aim for having 2 extra strings than the standard electric guitar is to give room for more creativity. Those extra strings come with extra notes that just give you a fuller sound and a longer scale. | Same as the Ibanez RG8. |
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Common Cons
Ibanez RG8 |
Schecter Omen 8 | |
| Way too advanced for beginners | While an 8-string guitar is a benefit for the more advanced players, it’s a drawback for beginners. If you’re a beginner, it would be better if you start learning with a regular 6-string guitar. That’s easier to learn, and you would learn the basics properly before moving up. | Same as the Ibanez RG8. |
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – General Feeling Amongst Users
Ibanez RG8 |
Schecter Omen 8 |
| People were actually genuinely surprise when they bought this guitar. Almost everyone’s reaction was the same. “How can something of such quality be so affordable?” That was the question on everyone’s lips, or should I say, thumbs. Ibanez has always been a brand to beat the rest when it comes to price and this particular “8-string wizard” did not disappoint. | Although this was not as affordable as the Ibanez RG8 (it’s difficult to beat Ibanez when it comes to price), this guitar also gave its customers quite the same feeling. Many customers explained that they bought this guitar with spare cash lying around, just to show you how affordable it was for some people. |
| When people were done awing about the price and actually got to use the guitar, they were even more delighted. A lot of five-star reviews for this guitar, all including brilliant comments about the fit, finish, and tone of the guitar. | Many people really like the neck on this guitar. Although a bit wide, because of the extra strings, it was easy to move around and play with. People often recommend this if you’re new to 8-strings because of how comfortable the neck is. |
| Using this guitar opened a world of possibilities to guitarists, especially tuning options. Somewhere in this Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 article, we looked at the opportunities that the 8-string guitar brought with regard to tuning. It doesn’t come as a surprise to us that a lot of people who bought this guitar explored those opportunities. | Lastly, with this guitar, versatility was a big catch. A certain customer narrated how he used this to play hard rock, jazz, and thrashing metal, and all the sounds came out great. |
| Now finally, the tone. People who used this guitar were glad with the kind of tone it produced. The low-ends were low, and the high-ends were bright and crisp. This is the sort of guitar that has the ability to play a variety of sounds and still sound nice. Your chords are fuller, and you have a lot more individual notes to play with for your long solos. | People who used this guitar also completely its tone. One customer, in particular, said that the guitar produces a neat tone that is crisp and bright, but also warm. So, similar situation to the Ibanez RG8, this is one guitar that has the ability to play a variety of sounds. The final things people pointed out with this guitar were the pickups. Many admitted that the neck and bridge pickups both produced really nice tones. |
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – What Do We Think?
Honestly, we do not think there is a lot between these two guitars. In terms of features, both of them are simply, quality. Any choice you make here will be a really good choice.
However, if we were to choose a winner for the Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 argument, we would have to say the Ibanez RG8. This is down to the fact that the Ibanez is more affordable. It’s almost always down to price with these things, right?
Well, like we said earlier, when it comes to features, these two are on the same pedestal. At the end of the day, the final decision is to be made by you.
We’ve shown you videos of what both of these guitars sound like. Which one sounds better for you? Which one sounds like something you want to rock with? Get that one!
Ibanez RG8 Vs Schecter Omen 8 – Frequently Asked Questions
What is an 8-string guitar called?
An 8-string guitar is called just that – an 8-string. An 8-string guitar has two more strings than the typical 6 strings you will find on a regular guitar. 8-string guitars are however less common than 6-string and 7-string guitars. Having 8 strings on a guitar allows for a wider tonal range and non-standard tuning options. 8-string guitars are popular amongst metal bands and it was inspired by a Swedish progressive band called Meshuggah.
What is the best 8-string guitar?
Companies such as ESP/LTD, Ibanez, Jackson and Schecter are all in the game of delivering top-quality 8-string guitars. There have also been some excellent 8-strings coming from up and coming specialists like Jericho, Legator, Strandberg and Strictly 7. That said, some of the best 8-strings ever made include the Ibanez RGM58, Schecter Omen-8, Ibanez RG8, Jackson DKAF8, Schecter Damien Platinum 8, ESP-LTD EC-258 8-string electric guitar amongst others.
Should I get a 7 or 8-string guitar?
Choosing between a 7-string and an 8-string guitar requires careful consideration, although both guitars have essentially the same features apart from the difference in the number of strings. Your choice will depend largely on how you intend to play the instrument, the tuning you prefer to use as well as other performance preferences. You will also have to consider the variance in features between these two guitars and determine which features suit your style. These features to consider include scale length, nut width, neck profile, string gauges, and tuning.
Why do guitarists not cut their strings?
It is actually not compulsory to cut off your strings after fitting them on your guitar. However, it is just natural convention to curt off the excess strings. However, some guitarists choose to leave the excess string length without cutting them off. Some guitarists who do this claim that it affords them more string length to play around with while they are tuning their guitars. Some others just leave the strings uncut because they consider it cool to do so.
Is an 8-string guitar hard to play?
The idea of playing with an 8-string is to explore an extended range of play. One obvious challenge that comes with playing on an 8-string is playing on a wider neck. It is generally harder to play chords on a wider neck, especially if you have small hands. However, one can get used to this through repeated practice. Other than that, if you are also ready comfortable playing with a 6-string guitar, a little self motivation is all you need to be able to play with an 8-string guitar.
What band uses 7-string guitars?
A 7-string guitar comes with an additional string to the regular 6-string guitar. This is done to create an extended note range. 7-string guitars are commonly used in music genres such as classical, jazz, rock and heavy metal. The 7-string guitar was made popular when the band, Korn, used the Ibanez universe guitar in their 1994 debut album. Some other notable guitarists who used a 7-string guitar with their band include Matt Bellamy of Muse, Christian Olde Wolbers of the heavy metal band Powerflo, Jeff Loomis of Nevermore and recently, Arch enemy. Stephen Carpentar of Deftones is also known to use a 7-string.
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