8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

[Filipe Marquez]

So, i was thinking about this today. If the low-B of a 7 string guitar is about 60hz (i think, more or less), how low would it be the low-F# of an eight string?

And more important, do regular amplifiers reproduce frequencies that low?

And even more important, how do bass amplifiers work? and bass in general?
Do they reproduce some notes that are just 'oomph' and not even in our hearing range (the 20hz-20khz thingy)?

I really don't know about these, and would really appreciate some help.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

46.2493Hz.

Guitar speakers pretty much reproduce the entire 20Hz-20KHz I'm quite sure.
Obviously if it were a completely flat response, it would sound like shiit.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

They work just fine.

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

Hm, thanks, i didn't know...What you know, livin' and learnin', lol. Thanks again!

 

[trevorus]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

You may not be hearing the fundamental note as much as you might think. The higher harmonics are what you hear, and your brain tends to fill in a bit for you.

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

Hm, what do you mean exactly? That counts only for the bass or 8 string guitars too?

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

I'll let Meshuggah answer that question for you ....

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

^ I know most metal guys are supposed to love that band, but I don't get it... maybe I just don't like polyrythems.

I read somewhere some guys that tune really really low like to run a sub woofer. I've played with that idea in the past. It's cool. My 'system' didn't have a crossover or anything, but I slaved the output of my 5150 into my brother's bass amp and just used it to bring up the bass frequencies to where I felt them a lil' bit more. It was kinda cool for tuning really low and chunking around, but when I started trying to play leads it sounded weird. Plus, I learned a while ago let the bass handle all them lows!

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

^ I know most metal guys are supposed to love that band, but I don't get it... maybe I just don't like polyrythems.

I read somewhere some guys that tune really really low like to run a sub woofer. I've played with that idea in the past. It's cool. My 'system' didn't have a crossover or anything, but I slaved the output of my 5150 into my brother's bass amp and just used it to bring up the bass frequencies to where I felt them a lil' bit more. It was kinda cool for tuning really low and chunking around, but when I started trying to play leads it sounded weird. Plus, I learned a while ago let the bass handle all them lows!

I'm a big fan of Meshuggah. I love that they have their own sound and

originality in a somewhat stagnant & clone filled Metal scene. Meshuggah

has been around since the early 90's, their first full length album

"Contradictions Collapse & None" is more straight ahead thrash mixed with

some odd time signatures. But when they released "Destroy, Erase, Improve"

in '95 that is where Meshuggah separated themselves from the pack...that

album is so far ahead of its time. Fast Forward to 2002 when Meshuggah

released "Nothing", Fred & Martin had Ibanez build Custom 8 String Guitar's

which helped create IMO "The" Meshuggah Sound, plus the slower tempo

poly-rhythm's are unlike anything heard in Metal until that point. That album

single handedly spawned the "Djent" Genre and thousands of bands trying to

copy their sound.

I know that Meshuggah used Line 6 Vetta Heads Live in the early 2000's but

I'm pretty sure they use the Fractal Audio Axe FX II now if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

I like Meshuggah, but i'm with xxxplorer on that one: i think you should let the bass lead the lows and you play, at tops, down-tuned to baritone 6's. Otherwise the mix gets confused, and the guitars have such big range that it takes room off of the bass space, if you know what i mean?

 

[eschoendorff]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

I'll let Meshuggah answer that question for you ....

Not my thing. At all.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

There might be something to be said for the fact that Meshuggah prefers heavy processing/modeling vs just plugging into a tube amp. I'm not sure they could pull off the 8 string tone without a lot of digital tweaking. Still, they always have an amazing crunchy tone and are an incredible metal band, in a league of their own.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

There might be something to be said for the fact that Meshuggah prefers heavy processing/modeling vs just plugging into a tube amp. I'm not sure they could pull off the 8 string tone without a lot of digital tweaking. Still, they always have an amazing crunchy tone and are an incredible metal band, in a league of their own.

Yeah, getting that tightness would probably be difficult with anything as unpredictable as a tube amp.

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

I like Meshuggah, but i'm with xxxplorer on that one: i think you should let the bass lead the lows and you play, at tops, down-tuned to baritone 6's. Otherwise the mix gets confused, and the guitars have such big range that it takes room off of the bass space, if you know what i mean?

Well letting the Bass Player handle the lows is the tried and true method. As we all know Guitar is a Midrange Instrument but I give props to Meshuggah for breaking away from the norm. The Funny part is in an interview with Meshuggah, their rhythm guitarist Marten Hagstrom said even though they play 8 strings a ggod chunk of their sound is the "Oil Tanker dragged over gravel" distorted bass that brings it all together.

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

Not my thing. At all.

Then maybe you should stick to Brass Instruments like in your Avatar. Obviously its the only "metal" you enjoy

 

[JOLLY]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

Not my thing. At all.

I didn't care for it either.

 

[everdrone]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

So, i was thinking about this today. If the low-B of a 7 string guitar is about 60hz (i think, more or less), how low would it be the low-F# of an eight string?

And more important, do regular amplifiers reproduce frequencies that low?

And even more important, how do bass amplifiers work? and bass in general?
Do they reproduce some notes that are just 'oomph' and not even in our hearing range (the 20hz-20khz thingy)?

I really don't know about these, and would really appreciate some help.

I think for guitar 7 strings is more than enough... after that its more of a novelty that wears off after a few years... not sure why ur asking about bass amps, they are for basses and push the low end.

I play bass and guitar and have great rigs for both. it sounds way better when there is less competing for the frequencies between the two! any thing below 30hz is really all feeling, our ears cant really hear it. no one really cares about those frequencies in a recording though as they are really hard to mix and you wanna get rid of em for the most part for rock music. live, its hard to mic those frequencies! for bass a lot of people play direct box cause its hard to mic with all the other volume on stage...

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

I didn't care for it either.

To each his own......maybe this would be more up your alley as Meshuggah is too much for your ear vagina to take . Tosin Abasi from the band Animals as Leaders is a phenom on the 8 string check him out.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

Not my thing. At all.

I was getting into it until the vocals came in. I always feel like getting those poor guys a cough drop or something.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: 8 string guitars and guitar amps: How do they work?

Guitar speakers pretty much reproduce the entire 20Hz-20KHz I'm quite sure.

Maybe not quite the full audio range. Example: Celestion publishes the frequency response of the 12" Vintage 30 as 70-5,000 Hz. That's low mid-bass up to low treble. That's (as I'm fond of saying) a giant paper midrange driver.

http://celestion.com/product/1/vintage_30/