Double Quarantine NGD Part 2: The Night King arrives

Utkarsh

Ministry of guitar
Joined
Apr 13, 2017
Messages
587
Location
Singapore
So this is part 2 of my Quarantine NGD post. If you want to know the background, part 1 has that covered.

There is a typical practice. When you start playing a new instrument, you buy a really cheap one first to see if you will like it and sustain the habit. Once you have the habit and some skill hopefully, you treat yourself to a better instrument.

Er, I seem to have broken that rule.

Now to be clear, I have been playing guitar and gigging for 16 years. However extended range has only tickled my fancy in the last year. I dipped my toes in 7 string land with a relatively 'affordable' PRS SE and before I knew it, I had swapped half a dozen 6s for 7s. Let's just say 7 string guitar is now my new favourite instrument.

Which leaves the question. What's next? 8 of course. Shouldn't I buy a cheap 8 string to see if we get along and then plan for bigger better things. That would have been the plan if a certain Private Stock August 2016 Guitar of the Month hadn't popped up on Reverb in my neck of the woods (Hong Kong. Quite close to Singapore) a few months ago at a price I could not believe in mint condition.

It took me only a few minutes to make the decision. In the end it was quite rational.
There were only 8 of these guitars ever made. Chances were that I would never ever come across a good example again. PRS is my Favourite guitar maker . If I got into 8 string guitar, I would want a PRS and the only route to a PRS 8 string is Private stock. Also, I had fallen in love with 7 string guitars incredibly quickly (It took less than a month for it to become as natural as 6). If I was to bet, chances would be high it would be the same for 8. Lastly, the price was very reasonable. Given the explosion of 8 string guitar and Periphery fandom (this 8 string is essentially a 8 string version of Mark Holcomb's 6), I could see that future value prospects of this guitar should be decent, should I take good care of it.

So I went and did it. My first ever 8 string guitar is a PRS Private Stock. A true face palm moment!

As stated in part 1, today's the day I'm finally getting to play two of the guitars I bought over the last few months. I lifted the 8 string out of the case with some trepidation and more excitement.

Pic time (excuse the mess in my hotel room) after which I get into some observations

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lzpLUZJVUINX4eVuYsna6PaTazvVosqr/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m-dzKpRBYetXR3BjaZHCLSt_ztHLBwSI/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m3eK6Hjl-PV-1pi2BYGybiL_VFZsqfdH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m5SBcX6qVsAJ05u7bZOaOs430OJfP1g0/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lvJOP2JBFGflWFwMG5drsWYiWhnueW79/view?usp=sharing

Observation no 1: It feels like a PRS: I was shocked at how fast the guitar felt comfortable and how easy it was to play. I think I found 7 strings quite awkward at first and kept confusing strings, but I think once the muscle has been activated, going from 7-8 is not too hard. It was a matter of minutes before it felt natural. And when I say natural, it felt like a good old PRS. I think those of us who have experienced multiple PRS core guitars know that feeling. This guitar has it. I think the 26.5 inch scale also helps and only PRS can create such a relatively short scale 8 yet have it perfectly intonate and have amazing feel. The tension on the low F# is not sloppy as all.

Observation no 2: Frostbite Glow is Evil: As you may notice from the title, I have already named this guitar after one of the more iconic fictional (and now televised) characters of the past few decades. I honestly can't think of a more appropriate name and Frostbite Glow has to be seen in real life to be fully appreciated. In pictures you could think that its just charcoal with a bit of a glow, but in the flesh, there are other dimensions of colour that are revealed. I am now seriously contemplating this colour for the seven string private stock build I will have one day since Paul and team are showing no signs of releasing a core 7 string

Observation no 3: Range and clarity for days: The little Yamaha thr in my hotel room is not famous for clarity and certainly not made for extended range guitar. It is then testament to this guitars construction and electronics that the 7th and 8th strings are as clear as the rest. No muddiness here. I cannot wait to put it through a proper rig.

A full more detailed video will come once I get home, on my Youtube channel 'Ministry of Guitar'.

In the meantime I'm looking forward to spending my Quarantine time becoming a proper 8 string player. I guess the rite of passage is to learn some Meshuggah songs, but I'm really more interested in the chordal possibilities and range for my ambient work. More to come.
 
WOW! Nice little stick of wood & wires you got there.

I have a hard enough time with 6 strings...
 
you've managed to acquire an outstanding collection my friend. Congrats this one looks wicked :cool:
 
Beautiful guitar - Frostbite Glow is definitely one of my favorite PRS finishes. Really hoping PRS puts out a Core 7 at some point.
 
Big congrats! I don’t think I’ve ever seen FBG in person. I know I’ve seen fades, but not glow. Still, it’s one of my favorites. It’s the finish I picked in Hans’s “build your 35th anniversary PS” thread.
 
So this is part 2 of my Quarantine NGD post. If you want to know the background, part 1 has that covered.

There is a typical practice. When you start playing a new instrument, you buy a really cheap one first to see if you will like it and sustain the habit. Once you have the habit and some skill hopefully, you treat yourself to a better instrument.

Er, I seem to have broken that rule.

Now to be clear, I have been playing guitar and gigging for 16 years. However extended range has only tickled my fancy in the last year. I dipped my toes in 7 string land with a relatively 'affordable' PRS SE and before I knew it, I had swapped half a dozen 6s for 7s. Let's just say 7 string guitar is now my new favourite instrument.

Which leaves the question. What's next? 8 of course. Shouldn't I buy a cheap 8 string to see if we get along and then plan for bigger better things. That would have been the plan if a certain Private Stock August 2016 Guitar of the Month hadn't popped up on Reverb in my neck of the woods (Hong Kong. Quite close to Singapore) a few months ago at a price I could not believe in mint condition.

It took me only a few minutes to make the decision. In the end it was quite rational.
There were only 8 of these guitars ever made. Chances were that I would never ever come across a good example again. PRS is my Favourite guitar maker . If I got into 8 string guitar, I would want a PRS and the only route to a PRS 8 string is Private stock. Also, I had fallen in love with 7 string guitars incredibly quickly (It took less than a month for it to become as natural as 6). If I was to bet, chances would be high it would be the same for 8. Lastly, the price was very reasonable. Given the explosion of 8 string guitar and Periphery fandom (this 8 string is essentially a 8 string version of Mark Holcomb's 6), I could see that future value prospects of this guitar should be decent, should I take good care of it.

So I went and did it. My first ever 8 string guitar is a PRS Private Stock. A true face palm moment!

As stated in part 1, today's the day I'm finally getting to play two of the guitars I bought over the last few months. I lifted the 8 string out of the case with some trepidation and more excitement.

Pic time (excuse the mess in my hotel room) after which I get into some observations

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lzpLUZJVUINX4eVuYsna6PaTazvVosqr/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m-dzKpRBYetXR3BjaZHCLSt_ztHLBwSI/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m3eK6Hjl-PV-1pi2BYGybiL_VFZsqfdH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m5SBcX6qVsAJ05u7bZOaOs430OJfP1g0/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lvJOP2JBFGflWFwMG5drsWYiWhnueW79/view?usp=sharing

Observation no 1: It feels like a PRS: I was shocked at how fast the guitar felt comfortable and how easy it was to play. I think I found 7 strings quite awkward at first and kept confusing strings, but I think once the muscle has been activated, going from 7-8 is not too hard. It was a matter of minutes before it felt natural. And when I say natural, it felt like a good old PRS. I think those of us who have experienced multiple PRS core guitars know that feeling. This guitar has it. I think the 26.5 inch scale also helps and only PRS can create such a relatively short scale 8 yet have it perfectly intonate and have amazing feel. The tension on the low F# is not sloppy as all.

Observation no 2: Frostbite Glow is Evil: As you may notice from the title, I have already named this guitar after one of the more iconic fictional (and now televised) characters of the past few decades. I honestly can't think of a more appropriate name and Frostbite Glow has to be seen in real life to be fully appreciated. In pictures you could think that its just charcoal with a bit of a glow, but in the flesh, there are other dimensions of colour that are revealed. I am now seriously contemplating this colour for the seven string private stock build I will have one day since Paul and team are showing no signs of releasing a core 7 string

Observation no 3: Range and clarity for days: The little Yamaha thr in my hotel room is not famous for clarity and certainly not made for extended range guitar. It is then testament to this guitars construction and electronics that the 7th and 8th strings are as clear as the rest. No muddiness here. I cannot wait to put it through a proper rig.

A full more detailed video will come once I get home, on my Youtube channel 'Ministry of Guitar'.

In the meantime I'm looking forward to spending my Quarantine time becoming a proper 8 string player. I guess the rite of passage is to learn some Meshuggah songs, but I'm really more interested in the chordal possibilities and range for my ambient work. More to come.

Thank you for the awesome post. I've been drooling over those 8 string PRS's since they came out and very much look forward to getting one at some point. Glad one found a good home!
 
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