R-458MN WH Fanfret : Not too shabby...

I wanted to get into the world of 8 string guitars, but I badly wanted the multiscale experience for under $700.

Enter, this axe.

By far my favorite feature is the multiscale design, and I often find myself using this 8 string for jamming rather than my other regular 6 string guitars.

Build quality and QC aren't too bad, with decently rolled fingerboard edges and no super sharp fret ends. Tuners could be better, and the cutting job of the nut is kind of abysmal. The E, A and D strings taper off in an unnatural manner.

Pickups are serviceable for sure; they sound shockingly good, jangly and bright, for cleans. It can become a muddy mess with high gain settings, so make sure to crank the treble and it should sound fine.

One note of recommendation is to crown the frets and they'll feel superb. Out of the box, the fret job leaves a bit to be desired with scratchy fretwire. I do hope that Harley Benton makes a revised edition with stainless steel frets in the near future.

Second recommendation is to swap the floppy wet noodles that are the stock strings. Threw on a set of 74 gauge strings and now it can handle drop E, D#, D or even C# like nobody's business.

Overall, for $300 for shipping to Canada this is a solid investment if you would like to get into the world of 8 strings.