We pulled into the parking lot. I got out of the driver seat with my buddy Rainbow Dash stepping out from the passenger seat. We both stare at this big guitar store in a shopping plaza taken just half an hour from our home town, Canterlot.
“Okay, let’s see what eight strings of death they have that you’re talking about.” Rainbow Dash says jokingly as she playfully nudges me.
“Heck yeah, can’t wait.” I lock the door as I did the swirling key technique with my fingers before putting them into my pocket as we walk to the store. “So you’re buying a guitar, too?”
“Nah, I’ll just look at them with you while you drool on the rest of the guitars.” Dash replies.
“Ha ha, very funny.” I said with a smirk. I’ve known Dashie since middle school after I’ve been playing guitar for a few years back then. Now that I’m more advanced, we jam together whenever we get the chance. We started our own mini band.
Heck, we even wrote songs together. Some heavy, some are more in the alternative rock feel.
Eh, we both dig what we write sometimes.
I would show her some guitar licks I come up with. Bust out some tabs for her. However, her fingers can’t possibly keep up with my techniques, and capabilities as my fingers can spider very well along the fretboard. While she can’t do it as fast as I can. Especially on a seven string guitar.
I open the door and walk in first with Dashie following behind. Our ears were greeted with other fellow guitarists trying out guitars on various amps.
The place is huge. The ceiling looks like it’s a mile high. The drums in another department with a drummer thundering away on them. However, they’re barely heard.
The bass department looks rather small. The bass barely thundering the section.
“Okay, let’s see what we’re dealing with here.” I mumble. We both ask for guitar cables from fellow employees who work there.
“Hey Rainbow, you should play a Floyd.” I said to her, handing her a guitar with a Floyd rose. Rainbow picks up the guitar off my hands, and finds a Marshall DSL40-c amplifier.
She chooses a tone that suits her just right. Not too gainy, but at the same time. Not too clean. She plays a single chord…
“Ugh, out of tune. I hate Floyd rose bridges sometimes.”
“What’s wrong, Rainbow? I thought you’re a rockstar. They use those bridges all the time.” I chuckle at her as she just jokingly scuffs as she puts the guitar back.
“Yeah, but they’re not really my style.” She says as she then picks up a Fender Stratocaster. Much better. It also has a floating bridge, but not as bad as the Floyd.
While she strums away, I’m still on a hunt for the eight strings of death. “Okay, let’s see…” I mumble to myself until I spot one. Sitting high up. Almost at the ceiling. “I’ll be right back.” I said to Dashie.
I almost start sprinting to the counter. “Excuse me, can you guys get a guitar down for me?”
“Sure, which one?” One of the employees ask.
“An eight string up there.”
“Alright, just give me one second.” He said.
I immediately went back to Rainbow as she’s still on that strat.
“Found the love of your life?” Rainbow asked, jokingly.
“You can say that.” I said as the employee gets the ladder, climbs up, and gets the eight string down.
Once I grabbed the eight string off of the employee’s hands. I take a look at it. It’s manufacturered by Schecter guitars. Featuring a maple body with neck through. The neck also made of maple. The fretboard made from ebony wood. The scale length is pretty big too with the guitar having fanned frets. The guitar has a decent weight to it. I admire the beautiful instrument as Rainbow Dash sits there and just shakes her head a bit as she chuckles at my reaction to the thing.
“Beautiful.”
“Alright bro. Plug it in and play it. I know you’re dying to.” Rainbow Dash said to me.
I grip the guitar’s very thick neck as I search for an amp. I chose a Blackstar half stack, plug my guitar in, and have the gain as high as possible.
One pluck of the thickest string… “Oh, beasty.”
All of a sudden. I’m jamming. I jam to some Meshuggah, Deftones, Animals as Leaders. I was having a blast. Rainbow Dash puts the guitar down as she wonders off for a second while I have some fun on this fantastic eight strings of wonder.
I close my eyes and just let the music take me. Plucking at the strings with both my fingers, and my guitar pick. Eventually, I had enough, and it was time to buy it.
Rainbow Dash comes back to me as she holds a pack of strings. “You getting yourself some strings, Dashie?”
“Why not? I don’t really need any, but I thought I’d at least get something from here. So you made a decision if you’re gonna buy that?” Rainbow asked.
I looked at the price tag. I was expecting it to be a big one, and it was. $800 dollars for this beautiful eight string guitar. It plays great, and it sounds beautiful. “Yes, I’m gonna buy this thing.” I said to Rainbow Dash.
“Well don’t waste anymore time. Let’s go. We can jam at my place.” Dash said as I follow her to the register.
~*~
Finally, we arrived at Rainbow’s place. I chose one of her amplifiers as she gets herself set up while I just chug along at the eight string I happily bought.
“That thing sounds incredibly low.” Rainbow Dash says as she listens to me play.
“You’re just not use to the string sounding this low?” I asked, plucking the thickest string.
“No, it just sounds unbelievably low. I mean…wow.” Dash says as she stares at the guitar. “What’s the note on that one?”
“The thickest string is F#.” I said to her.
“Yeah, that’s pretty dang low.” Rainbow chuckles. “Okay, ready to have a jam session?”
We both get ready. “Heck yeah! Let’s do this!”
Our guitars hum through the amplifiers with the feedback going through as Rainbow starts the countdown.
“One, two, three…!”