8 String Bass

[allighatt0r]

OK, I did a search but couldn't find anything particularly useful.

I've decided that within the 4 piece band I'm in the process of getting up and running (vox, 1 guitar, 1 bass and 1 drums) that I need to get myself an 8 string to make my life a bit easier. I'm finding myself having to play chords at various times and it would just be nicer to be able to have that extra octave.

So, I stuck a Wanted ad in the wanted section, and have got a total response of zero.

My questions are: What 8 string basses are available? What should I be looking for? and where can I get one?

At the moment, the only joy I have had in my search is seeing pictures of 8 string Washburn B20s (absolutely gorgeous but proverbial rocking horse poo to obtain), and the Hagstrom HB8, which is available, but appears to be a short scale (I'm not keen on short scale).

[Muzz]

I had a B20-8 a long while ago, and it had the most vicious neckdive of anything I've ever picked up, plus a really odd v-shaped neck. It broke strings quite a lot - there's some serious break angles where they've run the strings to get all them on.

That said, I'd probably have another, just for the nostalgia...

I've got a Dean Edge 8-string, which is very well built and sounds great - well worth looking at.

[Mykesbass]

Played a Dean Rhapsody 12 once - although I can't personally see the point of such a thing it was dead easy to play and very nicely built and balanced. Might be worth adding to your list.

[BigRedX]

Dean and Schecter both do 8-string basses. If you can find one try a Carlo Robelli 8-string model. It's a little neck-dive-y due to the body shape, but it's essentially the same hardware and electronics as the Dean and Schecters but with a single MM style pickup and is generally about half the price.

If you have plenty of money look for a Japanese Tune.

[Lenny B]

I've a Shine 8-string - I picked it up pretty cheaply on here, and for an entry point it's been great. (I tune it down so it's D-A-D-G, huge sound!)
But otherwise the Dean ones look to be good value.

[winterfire666]

Hagstrom hb-8 around £400 ish new. Not to my liking visually but sounded great and super easy to play due to the short scalelength (30.75" i think) oops you already knew that.
If you get chance try one the short scale makes for easier chords. I thought i wouldnt like it but i was impressed with the playability.

Edited December 19, 2013 by winterfire666

[pete.young]

Could you achieve the same effect with your existing bass and an octave-up pedal ?

[shizznit]

My singer bought me a Dean Edge 8 string a while back. Great fun to play and sounded pretty good. I don't have it anymore as I really struggled to find much use for it. Befor I had that bass I has played a Hamer and Warwick 8 string and the Dean sounded pretty good next to those brands. For the price, you can't go wrong.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I put an ad selling one a few months ago, checkout the for sale section. Ch bass

[BigRedX]

[quote name='winterfire666' timestamp='1387469545' post='2312364']
Hagstrom hb-8 around £400 ish new. Not to my liking visually but sounded great and super easy to play due to the short scalelength (30.75" i think) oops you already knew that.
If you get chance try one the short scale makes for easier chords. I thought i wouldnt like it but i was impressed with the playability.
[/quote]

The Hagstrom doesn't have individual saddles for each string in the pair, which means that as you go up the neck the octave strings go more and more out of tune. Unusable above the 7th fret due to tuning issues IME. Laziness on the part of the manufacturer, I wouldn't consider any bass with multi-string courses that doesn't allow you to intonate each string individually.

[4000]

I had a Rickenbacker 4003s8 - only sold it to help fund my custom Alembic. Fantastic bass, amazing sound, but good luck finding one; even if you do it'll cost you. One thing I did find was lighter strings worked far better.

[allighatt0r]

Thanks very much for the response guys, lots of options I hadn't found. Separate bridge saddles for each individual string is something i hadn't thought of.

I hadn't considered an Octave Up pedal, I tried the Octave up on an Boss ME50B and it was pretty dreadful unless you play perfectly cleanly, but i think that was digital. Are standalone/analog ones much better?

Edited December 19, 2013 by allighatt0r

[winterfire666]

i forgot about the saddles issue on the hagstrom,
how about getting a cheap 5er or 4string with a wide neck (at the nut) and doing a conversion.
schaller do a bridge with individually adjustable bridge saddles, get the neck strenghthened to support the extra tension and you're away
just an idea :^)

[FlatEric]

I've played several, over the years and the best, by far - for me,
is this one.
Medium scale, wonderful tones and 8 separate saddles - intonation is bang on.

Not easy to find but start the search now and at some point. . . . .




Cheers.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1387481607' post='2312593']
I had a Rickenbacker 4003s8 - only sold it to help fund my custom Alembic. Fantastic bass, amazing sound, but good luck finding one; even if you do it'll cost you. One thing I did find was lighter strings worked far better.
[/quote]

Out of idle curiosity, which way around did they have the octave strings, as the 12 string guitar is famous for being the opposite way around from the conventional acoustic 12 string?

[geoffbyrne]

[quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1387531751' post='2312925']
I've played several, over the years and the best, by far - for me,
is this one.
Medium scale, wonderful tones and 8 separate saddles - intonation is bang on.






Cheers.
[/quote]

The Ibanez Studio Bass ST980 is the one I was going to suggest but FlatEric beat me to it. You won't find a better-built instrument. They come up on Ebay occasionally. I have a 1979 Ibanez Studio ST105 guitar that is absolutely superb - unfortunately almost never played.

G.

Edited December 20, 2013 by geoffbyrne

[Adee]

You can get a Dean quite easily for reasonable money, I have played the Rhapsody in 8 and 12 string and loved both to play. I used to play a Shergold Marathon 8 string and it sounded amazing .... GET AN 8 OR 12 STRING ... JUST DO IT

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

They're good for metal . Mine sounds like a mandolin

[allighatt0r]

That Ibanez looks awesome! Properly well thought out by the looks of things too. Shame they're so hard to get hold of.

Do the Dean basses have a passive switch? I don't tend to get on all that well with active basses...

[Grissle]

The newest Bass Whammy coming out would be my choice. I have a POG and its a great pedal but more organ-like sounding than the Whammy's.

[Lenny B]

I thought this conversion looked and sounded great - [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bGhJlTkhSM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bGhJlTkhSM[/url]
I remember a converted Fender P 8 string for sale on here a while ago...

[Adee]

Love Kings-X and nice to hear an 8 string played on a normal song without the widdling and the 'ooh I sound like a sitar' rubbish .... now if that doesn't make you MUST have an 8 string nowt will !

[12stringbassist]

I can recommend the Dean Rhapsody 8.

[DaytonaRik]

A friend has a vaguely Explorer/Thunderbird-esque Washburn Stage 8 string - octave tuners are at the body/bridge area. I've never seem one before or since.

[pete.young]

Schechter make a really nice neck-through 8 string but they are very rare.

I had a play with the pitch shifters on the zoom ms60b and the mono one tracks well enough, but you only get the top note if you play a chord. VB99 nails it but that is a lot more expensive than a schecter:-)