8 string electric mando

[jazzjune18]

I understand the advantage of 8 strings on a Mando vs 4 but does adding 4 strings to an electric do anything extra??

[Atpruitt89]

Do a quick YouTube search for the "Eastwood Mandocaster" it's a 8 str electric and sounds great. I can't speak for the actual advantages but I do know I want one.

[Mandobart]

I sure like my 8 string Mandobird VIII. (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?80061-8-string-mandobird-rock-thoughts) Sounds more like a mandolin. To me, a 4 or 5 string e-mando sounds like an electric guitar.

[Paul Busman]

FWIW-- I have two electric mini-telecaster style mandolins. One is a 4 string I built from a kit (Saga? I forget), and the other is the aforementioned Eastwood.
Both play well. The kit does indeed play and sound more like a little electric guitar. Depending on what I'm playing, that's not a bad thing. The 8 string Eastwood feels and plays much more like a "real" mandolin. I play it through a Fender Mustang 1, and I can get a good enough acoustic sound from it to use it for our Irish band gigs.
I had a really beautiful Jerman mini Les Paul style 4 string a number of years ago. It was much nicer in every respect than my kit built 4 string. I eventually sold it because it didn't deliver the acoustic mandolin quality I found I wanted so it never got the play time it deserved.

[mandroid]

the feel of a tremolo is different with 8 strings ..

I have a Fender FM 61SE 8 string it sits idle, if there is intrest I can put it in the classifieds.

[Jim Garber]

All my electrics are 8 strings: EM-200, EM-150. I used to have a nice Roberts Tiny Moore 5 string but sold it. I think it if played more swing I might have kept it. For right now 8 strings make more sense.