8-string (4 pairs), picolo, short scale basses , ppl share your thoughts
- Thread starter greekdude
- Start date
thnx I didnt mean all of those attributes at the same time. I meant the kind of "treble-ie" basses, like in Manowar. What I think I like most is 8-string, in a configuration as you said, 4 standard bass + 4 guitar-tuned (1 octave up ).
But I think that short scale e.g. 30" and standard bass tuning + one good octave pedal (1 octave up), would do wonders.
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Artie
Peaveyologist
Funny you mention that. "Quiet Afternoon", from the "School Days" album, was the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title. Great song.
alex1fly
Well-known member
8 string sounds really fussy to me. Cool I suppose if you want to devote a lot of time and probably money into a unique instrument. I'd rather have a solid 4-string bass that I could play normally, with an octave doubler pedal, and with a whammy pedal to get you up an octave. More flexibility that way.
Especially if you don't have a bass currently, I'd definitely push you towards getting a regular bass and then doing weird stuff with pedals. A regular bass will serve you forever, while an 8 string bass will fill its niche but won't do a good job as a regular bass. I can see parts of a song benefitting from the octave doubling... but personally I'd want to enable and disable that effect.
Coming from guitar, a regular 34-35" scale bass can seem big, but you'll be surprised how quickly you can adapt. Just play the thing for a couple of days, give yourself time to get used to it and your hands will remember what they're supposed to do.
Mentioned this in another thread, but I have a Squier Bronco bass (30" short-scale) and it totally rocks. Sounds every bit as good as my Fender P bass in a band setting. Build quality isn't as good, but the intonation is great and the tone is solid. Getting made-for-short-scale strings made a lot of difference here (they have different tension ratings than regular bass strings). Easier to get around on coming from guitar. But again, if you're rocking a 7-string guitar now, you're already used to bigger necks, so I'd be confident that you could make the switch to a full scale bass. Something like a Jazz Bass will have a smaller neck than a P Bass.
Piccolo basses are another niche, sort of random instrument. Cool because they're different, but not terribly practical. Again I'd point you towards a regular 4 string bass, and you can put piccolo strings on there at any time.
So if it were me, I'd get a 4 string bass, an octave doubler pedal, and then see if that met my needs.
Especially if you don't have a bass currently, I'd definitely push you towards getting a regular bass and then doing weird stuff with pedals. A regular bass will serve you forever, while an 8 string bass will fill its niche but won't do a good job as a regular bass. I can see parts of a song benefitting from the octave doubling... but personally I'd want to enable and disable that effect.
Coming from guitar, a regular 34-35" scale bass can seem big, but you'll be surprised how quickly you can adapt. Just play the thing for a couple of days, give yourself time to get used to it and your hands will remember what they're supposed to do.
Mentioned this in another thread, but I have a Squier Bronco bass (30" short-scale) and it totally rocks. Sounds every bit as good as my Fender P bass in a band setting. Build quality isn't as good, but the intonation is great and the tone is solid. Getting made-for-short-scale strings made a lot of difference here (they have different tension ratings than regular bass strings). Easier to get around on coming from guitar. But again, if you're rocking a 7-string guitar now, you're already used to bigger necks, so I'd be confident that you could make the switch to a full scale bass. Something like a Jazz Bass will have a smaller neck than a P Bass.
Piccolo basses are another niche, sort of random instrument. Cool because they're different, but not terribly practical. Again I'd point you towards a regular 4 string bass, and you can put piccolo strings on there at any time.
So if it were me, I'd get a 4 string bass, an octave doubler pedal, and then see if that met my needs.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
My first thought was Tom Peterson in Cheap Trick. I'll have to lookup Manowar to hear their usage.
Artie
Peaveyologist
And I'll have to look that up. I know "Cheap Trick", but not familiar with that particular bass sound of theirs.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Cheap Trick and King’s X are 12 string bass (4 string with 3 octaves each). The best example of an 8 string I can think of is Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy.”
beaubrummels
Well-known member
St_Genesius
New member
idsnowdog
Imperator of Indignation
He's playing a 12 string here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQT_SIT_lFI
12 string cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9QmNEyPd44
8 strings sounds cleaner to my ears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFxuWjWhQBc
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