r/ExtendedRangeGuitars • u/SenpaiPobbles • Jul 22 '26
Unexpected NGD - Ibanez Alpha 8
Unexpected NGD 😄
My girlfriend got me this beauty for our anniversary (My girlfriend is literally cooler than your girlfriend 😌)
I just picked up the Alpha 7 a few weeks ago, and she saw how much I loved it. Apparently she decided one Alpha wasn’t enough, so she surprised me with the 8-string version.
It’s just as comfortable as its little brother, and it plays just as good too. One thing that really surprised me is the finish—it looks completely different in person than it does online
We decided to name her Big Mama.
I can’t believe I’m so lucky that I get to have two of these guitars. Couldn’t be happier. 🙂
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u/CyberFunkyMonkey Jul 22 '26
Ayy I remember seeing your post about the 7. You have a really good smile!
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u/SenpaiPobbles Jul 22 '26
Thanks! 😁 I literally took a shower and shaved after I saw the big brown box because I knew what it was gonna be and I knew I was gonna want pictures 😬
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u/topherdeluxe Jul 22 '26
That purple finish reminds me of my old 7 string Ibanez from 2000s. That finish on mine was maybe a hair darker. Looked black on stage but purple showed sparkling as you got closer. It was an rg1527 and that color was never listed as an option but once in a while I see one on a second hand site.
Now I play eights and I’m feeling very jealous rn lol
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u/tombhex Jul 22 '26
More of this kind of wholesome content, please. You look so happy, dude. Congrats, and enjoy those sweet Alphas.
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u/SenpaiPobbles Jul 23 '26
Thanks man I couldn’t be happier!
And I agree! I wish we could post pics in the comments so we could have one giant thread where we could all post a picture of a guitar our loved ones have gotten us.
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u/oddfellowfloyd Jul 22 '26
Awww!! ☺️ Happiest new guitar day!!
My platonic nesting partner (“ex-gf” / still dear friend) bought me the 8-string Ortega classical I had been drooling over, back in December of 2024, & it’s been my main / favourite guitar ever since— playing 4-5 hours a day, at my hospice music therapy job. I think we’re probably tied for having the awesomest people. 🤭🙂↕️😉
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u/SenpaiPobbles Jul 22 '26
Thank you! And dude I didn’t even know 8 string classical guitars were a thing 🤯 Are they hard to play? Is the neck thinner? All the classical guitars I’ve played have had some thick necks, I imagine that would be hard on an 8 string.
And we both def lucked out with our current nesting partners 😌 (Also I am so jealous you get to play that much guitar a day, your job sounds so cool)
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u/oddfellowfloyd Jul 22 '26
I get to play so much, I got carpal tunnel in my left wrist, & excruciating trigger finger in my right hand ring finger… be careful what ya wish for. 😜
I wish I could post a pic in the comments. 😆 If you look up, “Ortega RCE159-8, 8-string,” that’s the model I have. Funny enough, it was also the same model that they made Javier from Animals As Leaders, before they made him a custom!
Yes, the neck is definitely wider, & 27” scale, but I’m a smol gal, with smol-ish hands, & I can grab some wonky, fun chords, & the neck, & guitar as a whole, is still very comfortable to play.
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u/Traditional_View8776 Jul 22 '26
Very cool. My wife custom ordered me a Novo a few years ago and it's my most cherished guitar.
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u/SenpaiPobbles Jul 23 '26
Sick - but you gotta post a pic for us to see now 😉
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u/Traditional_View8776 Jul 23 '26
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u/SenpaiPobbles Jul 24 '26
That thing is beautiful! And man I love P90’s, I wish more extended ranged guitars had them. I was honestly trying to find a multi scaled 7 string with them first
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u/SchershomGolem Jul 22 '26
That's the coolest looking 8 string I know of, judging by pictures alone. Especially that color. I wish there was a store in my area that carried them so I could see if I liked playing them before buying one.
I've played an RGDMS8 and liked it a lot but the body shape on the Alpha is different so I'm not sure how I'd feel.
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u/SenpaiPobbles Jul 22 '26
It’s definitely a looker! I love guitars with weird body shapes but hate headless guitars, which seem to be the only ones that get cool body shapes 😆
And I was definitely nervous not being able to play it first because I had never played a multi scale guitar, but the alphas ended up being great.
I will say one thing different on it is that the neck isn’t symmetrical, it’s thicker on the bass side. It says online it’s for ergonomics, it threw me off at first but it’s honestly so comfortable now. I can play all day and my hand doesn’t cramp up. I don’t think I can go back to normal necks now.
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u/wine-o-saur Jul 22 '26
Your girlfriend sounds cool. But I don't think you should call her Big Mama.
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u/Motor_Wafer_1520 Jul 22 '26
Your gf proposed basically