How low can you go?

[JB_From_Hell]

I spent a good bit of yesterday dorking around with the setup on my Falbo 8 string. It's multi scale (25.5 on the treble side, fans to 27.5 on the bass), big stainless frets, and has what Frank describes as a "complex compound radius, for absurdly low action."

My usual is medium-ish action, so I decided to see how low I can get this and still have it playable and sounding good. Currently, it's strung 10-46, 59, 74, in standard plus low B, then low F# or drop E. The high E string is under 1mm from the 12th fret, and the 8th string is right at 1.5mm. There's almost no relief, and it plays great everywhere on the neck. Minor third blues bends? No problem.

I have no idea if I'll end up leaving it like this, but it's super fun to play with zero effort.

 

[beaubrummels]

Description almost sounds like a Chapman stick or something.

 

[GuitarStv]

It pretty much comes down to how well your frets were done. If they're are excellent you can have a guitar that will sound notes with the strings almost laying on the frets. My limiting factor is usually my right hand. If stuff starts getting too low then it'll buzz out when I hit the strings hard which eventually annoys me enough that I raise the action.

 

[jeremy]

since i dont switch guitars for slide, i need my action at least at a certain height. its not crazy high but i wouldnt try to drop it below 1mm though im guessing i could on a few if i tried

 

[Mincer]

Description almost sounds like a Chapman stick or something.

The weird thing about the Stick is that it is generally in 5ths and 4ths, with the lowest string being in the middle of the fretboard.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

since i dont switch guitars for slide, i need my action at least at a certain height. its not crazy high but i wouldnt try to drop it below 1mm though im guessing i could on a few if i tried

I keep my PRS guitars and Tele considerably higher. Don’t usually measure, but those three are high enough to play slide or lead comfortably.

This one’s definitely setup like this as a novelty, but it’s a lot of fun. Just for grins, I’m gonna see if it can go lower than this. I think the low F# is about bottomed out, but I think the rest could go down some more.

The really surprising part is how good it sounds. With very little adjustment of my right hand attack, it sounds killer for all the metal rhythm stuff.

 

[GuitarStv]

I always figured that very low action should help intonation . . . because you're not pushing the string as far to touch the fret there should be less out of tuneness.

 

[beaubrummels]

The weird thing about the Stick is that it is generally in 5ths and 4ths, with the lowest string being in the middle of the fretboard.

But I think that makes it natural for two hands, no? Kind of like an African thumb piano.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Not anal about them (strings) being at a specific height. I just set all my guitars up so they don't have ANY fret buzz whatsoever. Can't stand buzzing. Apart from ruining your guitar tone...it fucks up your sustain & harmonics.

If I were to guess it range's from about 2.0 to 3.0 mm at the 12th.. (have'nt measured so...).

I actually don't care for really low action ..even if there's no buzzing. Too low & it affects the tone (notes sound dryer & don't ring out/bloom properly or something) & your guitars natural harmonics in bad way ..not sure why that is. It also makes it tougher to "dig in" when bending (which I do a lot of) .. so nothing super-high, but not crazy low either.

 

[Mincer]

But I think that makes it natural for two hands, no? Kind of like an African thumb piano.

It makes sense if you are doing polyphonic playing, less if you are doing one part at a time. For that kind of thing (and since this is about 8 strings and low tunings) I'd check out a Touch Guitar.

 

[Guest]

You have no idea.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

It makes sense if you are doing polyphonic playing, less if you are doing one part at a time. For that kind of thing (and since this is about 8 strings and low tunings) I'd check out a Touch Guitar.

oh, is it? haha...I guess I have such an aversion to the djenty low tuned stuff my mind fails to comprehend anythng to do with it :laugh2:

 

[JB_From_Hell]

^ I suppose that makes sense, given the first post was describing an 8 string guitar

 

[Phantasmagoria]

yeah, I saw the 8 strings, normally I'd read that and be out of here straight away ....but then after I roughly glossed through the op I though it was about string height (..6strings , 7 strings 8 strings, what's the difference? String height is string height )

...I'm still not sure what it's about to be honest. Might be my current state of mind

 

[JB_From_Hell]

yeah, I saw the 8 strings, normally I'd read that and be out of here straight away ....but then after I roughly glossed through the op I though it was about string height (..6strings , 7 strings 8 strings, what's the difference? String height is string height )

...I'm still not sure what it's about to be honest. Might be my current state of mind

Lol, it was kind of referencing both.

I tend to use a more classic metal tone, with a little Meshuggah thrown in. It is possible to do more than djent on an 8 string. One of these days, I’m gonna take it to the local blues jam, put it on voice 2 of the neck pickup, and confuse the hell out of all of them with what they hear.

Back to your point about action and tone, typically I’d agree. Like I said before, I keep my Tele and both PRS guitars much higher, and they sound better for it. This one doesn’t suffer from any of that stuff with the strings practically laying on the frets. The really tricky part is that 8th string. A 7 string sounds like a guitar tuned down to B, but once it’s over .070” at this long of a scale and down to F# or E, it’s tough to get it not to sound like a bass. The thinner string helps, but I mostly credit the guy who built it.

Unplugged, the F# sounds buzzy and flappy, but through an amp, it’s monstrous. If I use the split coil settings and play finger style, it can still sound like a bass, too.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah, yeah ...things are clearer now

haha..yeah...I often jam some blues on my Ironbird at gigs...stuff like that can be fun :bigthumb:

I have a 7 string Ibanez Sabre that I bought out of curiosity but that's about as far as I'll take things :laugh2: Like you said things get way too much into bass guitar territory after that :lmao:

 

[Mincer]

I don't think 8 strings have really been explored yet- I'd love to hear some new music made on one that doesn't rely on chugga chugga.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

I don't think 8 strings have really been explored yet- I'd love to hear some new music made on one that doesn't rely on chugga chugga.

Animals as Leaders has lots of chugga chugga, but probably even more atmospheric clean tones. Enough that Tosin’s Fluence pickups were more focused on clean tones.

 

[jeremy]

charlie hunter has been playing 7 and 8 string guitars for a long time and does some very cool, non chugga chugga, stuff