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V12 Bass, home-made 12 string


ShergoldSnickers
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My cabinet maker friend, who adapted his skills to making basses, has just finished the bass pictured below. He calls it his 'V12' for obvious reasons. 4 main strings, each one having two parasitic strings pitched an octave higher. That'll cut through!

Lovely spalted beech finish. Yum.

Edited by ShergoldSnickers
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Just out of interest was there a reason for choosing the flying V for the body shape?

IMHO a V is about impractical as you can get for a body shape and not exactly in everyone's top 10 favourite shapes! Not trying to diss' the work, just a comment.

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[quote name='warwickhunt' post='32369' date='Jul 16 2007, 09:25 AM']Just out of interest was there a reason for choosing the flying V for the body shape?

IMHO a V is about impractical as you can get for a body shape and not exactly in everyone's top 10 favourite shapes! Not trying to diss' the work, just a comment.[/quote]

And a fair comment. I think he just fancied having a bass shaped that way, and is lucky enough to have the skills to do it. I think this is an aesthetic rather than practically led project! And why not!? :)

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[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='32387' date='Jul 16 2007, 10:14 AM']And a fair comment. I think he just fancied having a bass shaped that way, and is lucky enough to have the skills to do it. I think this is an aesthetic rather than practically led project! And why not!? :)[/quote]

And, Very Metal.......

Lovely peice of wood BTW!

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[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='32387' date='Jul 16 2007, 10:14 AM']And a fair comment. I think he just fancied having a bass shaped that way, and is lucky enough to have the skills to do it. I think this is an aesthetic rather than practically led project! And why not!? :)[/quote]

Why not indeed!

If your mate intended pusuing this further and making others, I'd (costructively) suggest that he looks at the string break angle for the rear tuners. There is the potential there for possible string breakages due to the extreme angle they run off at. Please take this as it is meant, as genuine constructive criticism as I wish him all the best in his future projects.

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[quote name='warwickhunt' post='32465' date='Jul 16 2007, 12:40 PM']Why not indeed!

If your mate intended pusuing this further and making others, I'd (costructively) suggest that he looks at the string break angle for the rear tuners. There is the potential there for possible string breakages due to the extreme angle they run off at. Please take this as it is meant, as genuine constructive criticism as I wish him all the best in his future projects.[/quote]

Excellent constructive criticism warwickhunt, and taken as such. It's funny really, as I was just thinking that I'd have put some small pulleys in to guide the strings around to the tuners when I spotted your post. Keep 'em coming, so that when I visit him to have a go on the beast, I can appear particularly knowledgable and clued-up. For once. :)

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my plan was utilizng a three per side neck I have, with the otave tuners in the V. for a reasonably straight pull I was going to offset the inner portion, or maybe do a slight W with the tuners on the center. those strings would then use telecaster type ferules in the headstock.

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[quote name='David Nimrod' post='32586' date='Jul 16 2007, 04:40 PM']This may seem like a daft question, but does a 12 sound much different to an 8?
I take it that the 12 has 2 identical octave strings as well as the primary string...
So apart from sounding a bit thicker, is there much more to it?[/quote]

I've owned an 8 and tried a couple 12s and though you are correct they are essentially very similar beasts there are tonal differences (think of an 8 through a chorus pedal). Discounting the fact that any manufacturer of 12 will be different due to woods, pups etc just the same as a 4 would be, you get some lovely overtones with a 12 that aren't quite there with an 8 (just as you get overtones on an 8 that aren't on a 4). Shame they have to be so heavy!

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I only tried a 12 briefly - unplugged. I preferred the playability of my 8, and that can be sonically overpowering anyway (especially for insecure guitar players :) ) so haven't considered one of these.
a single octave 10, 12 or 14 string I have thought about - and keep getting back to playability issues, as aside from width, the neck needs more girth as well. a lot of tension with a lot of strings.
sometimes a regular 4 is all you need, especially if you are in (or want to get in) a R&R band.

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