6, 7, 8 & 9 strings

[7string]

In the "Build Diaries" section of Basschat, I've a thread following the construction of my 9 string by ACG [url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk"]www.acguitars.co.uk[/url]

It's getting to the exciting stage where the fingerboard is slotted and ready to join the neck. Being a 9 though, it looks ridiculously wide and one of the questions posed on that thread is "how do you play it if it's that wide ?".

I've been playing 7 strings for about 5 years now and get asked that question whenever anyone sees the basses I play. Through this thread, I just wanted to answer that question, maybe get some other players thinking about the larger basses and, hopefully, not come across as a pompous idiot.....

Leaving the "why play one" question to one side, the truth of the matter for is that they're not that tough to play. My Sei 7 string bass [url="http://www.seibass.com"]www.seibass.com[/url] doesn't weigh anymore than some 4 strings (9-10lbs or so), it's well balanced and it sounds cool (looks pretty darn good as well). Also, I'm not the tallest guy in the world (just under 6' or 1.80m) and I don't have the largest hands in world (the span from tip of my thumb to the tip of my little finger is 9" or 22.5cm).

But here's the crux of the matter. A P bass nut is about 1 3/4 inches wide, my Sei 7 is about an inch wider but it's only about 1/2 inch or so deep. Up at the 24th fret, the 'board is 3.85" or 98mm wide, but again it's really shallow. The 'board also has a huge radius to it (so it's nearly flat) and the neck is carved with a little more meat on the bass side than the treble side. So even though the fingerboard is really wide, the shallow depth makes it easy to get around on.

The neck itself is a 7 piece maple/wenge laminate with 2 carbon rods for extra strength. Not sure whether the carbon is actually needed, but with a long, wide neck is sure doesn't hurt to have it there. I think most other makers of "Extended Range" basses (more than 6 strings I think is the definition of "Extended Range") have the same principle of multi-laminate necks with rods for added strength.

Whenever I have students over, the 7 string always gets some interest and I always offer to see if they'd like to play it. As soon as they play it, they realise that even though it looks massive, the neck makes it easy to play. Don't think about the top two strings and it's a standard 5 string and within a couple of minutes, the bassists start to play the lines they're most familiar with.

So that's about it really. It's the construction of the bass (keeping the weight reasonable), the construction of the neck (keeping it straight and true) and the neck profile (for playability) that makes it possible to play a bass with more than 5 or 6 strings......

[Finbar]

I agree with you There's no magic to it, the instruments are designed to be played!

Plus, people's hands are always bigger than they think!

[6stringbassist]

I find playing my 6 more comfortable than playing a jazz 4 string.

[skelf]

Having played a round with the last 9 string I built I have to say I found it a lot easier to play than I thought I would. I have small hands but my bass of choice was a 6 string fretless which I never had any problems getting around. I found the same with the 9 string. There are a few points on the board like high up on the lower strings that are hard to play but I can't see any one using them a great deal unless maybe to tap in which case it is not really an issue. Other than that you get up to speed on it quiet quickly. The only real issue I had was getting lost on the board but again practise would sort that out quiet quickly. Been known to get lost on a 4 string so maybe that is just me being crap.

[reniwren]

Personally I never got on with 5 or 6 string basses. 5's just felt awkward and 6's just felt limiting compared to a 7 I am sure its not the basses fault its just me and 4's are practised so much I just feel comfortable to go back to them.
But the best thing about a 9 is it makes you look thin again.

[skelf]

But the best thing about a 9 is it makes you look thin again.
Like your thinking.

[Dood]

I'll do a proper reply to this thread later, as obviously I am an ERBer and have ben for many years. The short of it, is that I actually prefer playing a wide neck. I do have massive hands though, so maybe just my genetics suit a *ehem* bigger beast ;o)

I'll echo what you have said already 7string; When I first unveiled 'Doodle' at the BassBash, She was passed round the room and I was pretty chuffed to hear so many people say that the bass was a lot easier to play than they expected and not at all frightening. I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make the neck and bass as playable as possible and I think I succeeded! I've always loved the 16mm string spacing.. it makes for faster string skips and doesnt take long to get the hang of. Ummm.. oh yeah.. I have always slapped in 'thum down' position, so made very little change to my technique to accomodate the spacing too.

The only thing I would add maybe, is the wider neck actually forced me to play with a better 'safer' hand position. Infact, my whole posture used to be rubbish.. but I started to improve one aspect of my playing and the rest followed suit!

Think I veered off the topic a wee bit.. but I had some thoughts to put down!

[ped]

Not as frightening as your hair, anyway



hehehehehehehe

[ped]

Probably should add something constructive - I had a 6 string for a while and honestly forgot all about the fact it was a 6er, it just felt like a very open and approachable bass which served as well playing simple grooves as it did playing more solo-ish upper rang-y stuff. At the end of the day it was FUN!

[7string]

... and that's exactly what I think about the 7. If I want to hold a groove, that's great. If I want to play something with the guitars, I can do that as well.

But 6, 7's and so on really aren't all that scary. After all, if a song's a lousy song it doesn't matter what instrument you're using, it's still lousy

[ped]

Yep! Definitely. I would really like to try some really REALLY multi stringed basses for a laugh, it makes going back to the 4 seem both very easy and difficult because of the lack of room as it were in comparison. All of course builds experience and is a fun ride.

ped

[Finbar]

I actually find 4s hard to play because everything is too BIG compared to a 7. Maybe that's how guitarists feel when they try and play bass? ;p

[ARGH]

Alot of the comments are from fear when they see an ERB. The problem is in the mind.

Though I have been playing an awful lot of 4 recently.

One thing I TOTALLY recommend 7string,is get the LIGHTEST tuners you can,trim as much weight off as poss,My P Bass is Heavier than my 9,why ERBs are heavy as hell by some makers,is a problem I dont understand??? I guess its wood choice or design.

Rodswise,talking carbon,Im no builder,but if you have good wood surely you dont need them?

[7string]

Hey, [b]ARGH[/b] good to hear from you! How the latest build going?

Do you think that more people would play ERB's if they just got on with playing instead of taking 20 minutes going "how am I going to play that?".

ACG 9 No.2 has Hipshots Ultralites on it (I think No.1 did as well) so no problem there. I would have gone headless, but even though I've played those before, I don't really like the look anymore.

I think the carbon helps to eliminate "dead spots" on the neck as well as helping to keep things straight. Hopefully, someone who knows a bit more can shine some light on this.

[Finbar]

Well surely... Good wood + Carbon rods = belt and braces?

Edited July 24, 2008 by Finbar

[ARGH]

[url="http://www.ctbasses.com/"]http://www.ctbasses.com/[/url]

I subscribe to Carl's ideas,given his experience in the odd and bizarre. Click on the interview that was the most recent,in the 'articles' section.

My Fender P has rods in it,and its still got the same dead spots in all the usual places as all the other Fenders,some people say its more subtle,and I figure its because the Machine heads are slightly different. And it moves in summer/winter like any normal neck would,so Im not convinced by the Carbon rod idea...less wood in the neck doing what wood should do? If its laminated well,glued well,and selected well,then the problems wont really occur,I mean...necks have to move a bit,thats nature given the conditions at whatever time of year.

Edited July 25, 2008 by ARGH

[Doc B]

I think Dood's point about playing position is interesting - I've tried a couple of 6 strings before and found it really awkward to fret a low C, same with a wide necked 5 I had. maybe experimenting with the height of the strap would have changed that.

Anyway - although I don't/can't play them, the nicest looking ERBs looks so impressive, especially when played well.

[tauzero]

I've decided to start taking the 7-string up to open mic nights with me, to get myself more familiar with it, seeing as I never seem to have time to do any practising at home.

I've only got lickle hands, so having a shallow neck is very important for me. That's why my favourite 4-string is the Warwick, in fact - marvellously shallow neck, ideal for me. It's not so much the mechanical side as the mental - I know I'm not going to be able to remember anywhere near all the notes on the fretboard so I have to be able to navigate rapidly from a point I do know to a point that I want (generally by shifting up in octaves).

[7string]

[b]tauzero[/b] - Can I ask a couple of questions ?

How long have you been playing the 7 and how do the people at your open-mic night react to the big bass ??

[tauzero]

[quote name='7string' post='248199' date='Jul 26 2008, 12:13 AM'][b]tauzero[/b] - Can I ask a couple of questions ?

How long have you been playing the 7 and how do the people at your open-mic night react to the big bass ??[/quote]
A few months, I haven't been particularly working on it though.

And the reaction is generally astonishment All positive, too.

[6stringbassist]

I've been playing DB quite a bit recently, and it's really weird having to think 'up the neck', rather than just across it.

I really, really miss the extra strings, and having no low Eb is a major pain.

My lines just aren't as inventive/creative as on my 6, simply because the notes aren't there, a bit like painting a picture with only half the colours available to you.

[E_MaN]

I normally take my PJ to band practice as its the perfect bass for a band setup, but I took my Shuker 6 last night, and it was WONDERFULL. Great sound and feel.