8 string bass (not octave tuned)

[LordAvon]

Hi,

I'm after an 8 string bass, something with 8 seperate strings, not 4 pairs :-)

I'll explain what I'm wanting to do :-)

take the 8 strings off.
In place of the lower 4 strings, put four strings tuned like the first 4 of a guitar.
In place of the next 4 strings, put the strings like a regular bass (EADG, possibly a semitone down)

Then set it up for tapping. yeah, I know the chapman stick exists, but I don't have £2000 and I can't wait 18 months again, I had a stick, too many strings (12) and the spacing was WAY to close for my fat fingers.

Does anyone know of a cheap'ish 8 string bass I can do this too? or even a place I can buy a wide neck for a bass (capable of taking 8 strings) or a twin neck bass (with both necks fretted) ?

Or, ideally, anyone know of anywhere I can get/order/get made one of these?

Paul

[queenofthedepths]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Galveston-PRO-SERIES-8-String-Electric-BASS-Guitar_W0QQitemZ360010951359QQihZ023QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Galveston-PRO-SERI...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url]

I've got the 7-string version of this and it's pretty nice - I'm sure you could make use of those extra 2 frets for tapping as well
Also I'd suggest keeping the high F, C, G and D on there and tuning them all up half a step (or just play a tone down - you would have 26 frets after all) rather than using guitar strings, but I wouldn't really know where to begin if I was gonna do something like this so I'm sure you know best

[Dood]

Off the top of my head, you'd need a new nut cut, a custom bridge to take the 4 guitar strings (as a bass bridge's string mount holes will be too large) and may also need tuners that are suitable for guitar strings, if said bass doesn't come with keys like the Gotoh GB707/ Hipshots for example. As you have said, you'd be looking at a decent set up too. I'd recommend finding a bass with 2 truss rods, as you'd be able to set up either side of the neck for the amount of relief required for the massively different gauges. oooh.. there's a good point..

I wonder what the effect of having very high tension on one side of the neck and much less (guitar strings) on the other? I'd hazard a guess that it probably won't be too healthy unless it has the same amount of strengthening as my 7 string custom lol!!

You can buy 8 string basses on the cheap from ebay by Galveston.. can't tell you what sort of quality they are, but I'd make a guesstimate considering they are eight stringers for less than 500 quid.

I think you are asking for quite a specialist bit of kit and a custom build isn't out of the question... but, unfortunately you suggest the budget is. EEK!

[Dood]

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='115901' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:03 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Galveston-PRO-SERIES-8-String-Electric-BASS-Guitar_W0QQitemZ360010951359QQihZ023QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Galveston-PRO-SERI...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url]

I've got the 7-string version of this and it's pretty nice - I'm sure you could make use of those extra 2 frets for tapping as well
Also I'd suggest keeping the high F, C, G and D on there and tuning them all up half a step (or just play a tone down - you would have 26 frets after all) rather than using guitar strings, but I wouldn't really know where to begin if I was gonna do something like this so I'm sure you know best[/quote]


^^^^ is a better idea. Theory being that *if* you could get a light enough gauge bass string, you could tune those 4 bass strings, F C G D up a tone. Have a chat with ARGH to find out what his gauges are on his 9 string tuning. I believe his Bb string is a .0018 (ish)

[gypsymoth]

there are doublenecks out there with a bass neck and a guitar neck, which would be your somplest solution. you would only have to break two of the guitar strings.

[LordAvon]

[quote]There are doublenecks out there with a bass neck and a guitar neck, which would be your somplest solution. you would only have to break two of the guitar strings.[/quote]

I thought about this, my main issue here is that the frets will have different spacing and it might feel strange when playing both sides at the same time.
That's what put me off this kinda thing - [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190188028338"]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=190188028338[/url]

[quote post='115909' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:10 PM']Off the top of my head, you'd need a new nut cut, a custom bridge to take the 4 guitar strings (as a bass bridge's string mount holes will be too large) and may also need tuners that are suitable for guitar strings, if said bass doesn't come with keys like the Gotoh GB707/ Hipshots for example.[/quote]

Yep, all of which is easier and cheaper than building the whole thing from scratch!

[quote name='dood' post='115909' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:10 PM']As you have said, you'd be looking at a decent set up too. I'd recommend finding a bass with 2 truss rods, as you'd be able to set up either side of the neck for the amount of relief required for the massively different gauges. oooh.. there's a good point..[/quote]

Fair point, I hadn't thought about the need for two truss rods.
Oh, won't setting that up for tapping be a riot!

[quote name='dood' post='115909' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:10 PM']I wonder what the effect of having very high tension on one side of the neck and much less (guitar strings) on the other? I'd hazard a guess that it probably won't be too healthy unless it has the same amount of strengthening as my 7 string custom lol!![/quote]

possibly, though I buy 'stick/warr guitar' strings, I might get away with it.

[quote name='dood' post='115909' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:10 PM']I think you are asking for quite a specialist bit of kit and a custom build isn't out of the question... but, unfortunately you suggest the budget is. EEK![/quote]

Yep, I figure if I can 'bodge' something together, and I like where it's going I can then afford to splash out on a custom build.
But until I know that it'll work and that I'll like it, it's not worth the financial risk.

I'd be tempted by the 8 string version of it one here - [url="http://krappyguitars.com/touchstyle.html"]http://krappyguitars.com/touchstyle.html[/url] (video - [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXPB2EaFscQ)"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXPB2EaFscQ[/url]) But, I worry about shipping something like that all the way from the US

[quote name='queenofthedepths'][url="http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Galveston-PRO-SERI...1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Galveston-PRO-SERI...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url]

I've got the 7-string version of this and it's pretty nice - I'm sure you could make use of those extra 2 frets for tapping as well tongue.gif
Also I'd suggest keeping the high F, C, G and D on there and tuning them all up half a step (or just play a tone down - you would have 26 frets after all) rather than using guitar strings, but I wouldn't really know where to begin if I was gonna do something like this so I'm sure you know best.[/quote]

Thanks for the pointer, it's a fair price for a 'trial' equipment.

Edited January 7, 2008 by LordAvon