12 and 8 String Basses

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow true, but this is helping others, not funding the whimsical unicorns you are looking for in the bass world

[AndyTravis]

15 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

You don't need the money to find out. It's obvious. The bridge is a singular saddle. Once you get past the 7th fret it'll be out of tune by miles. For such an expensive instrument it's an epic fail.

I’ve asked the guys who build it. Will feed back once I’ve had a reply.

 

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@Al Krow true, but this is helping others, not funding the whimsical unicorns you are looking for in the bass world

OK you've made the case and I'm sure Osiris will not give me a hard time in consequence.

Go on then, put me down for 10p. I'll take it off what I would have otherwise donated to Oxfam.

[Cuzzie]

@AndyTravis only £3999.80 to go now

[Al Krow]

Digitech Mosaic - mini review

On 15/02/2018 at 18:48, dannybuoy said:

...It's pretty much just an octave up with a tone control so you can reduce the jangly top end you often get with octave ups, or even dial it right down for a more subtle effect. I guess it uses the same algorithm as the Whammy line, so great rock solid tracking.

I bought it ages ago and then hardly used it as I mistakenly thought the blend control could go 100% wet, and I wanted it for split-chain fake guitar sounds like Royal Blood - however it is just a pure level control for the wet signal whilst the dry signal stays at unity.

Mosaic arrived today. Played a normal 6 string Washburn semi-acoustice to a budding musician who had popped round to collect a Hiscox case he'd bought off me via eBay and he instantly said "back to the 70s" with a grin on his face! With a normal six string and dialled back it actually doubles up as a very decent chorus.

On bass: as an octave up it's tight on tracking as Danny said and for me a bit less synthetic than the EHX Pitchfork (although the PF clearly is a much more versatile pedal overall).

As a polyphonic octave up it's good! And it does deliver a passable 4 -->8 string sound. Good enough for my covers bands for the occasional tracks that will benefit from an 8 string.

Then I tried it with my Ibby SR1206, which I've just had restrung E to E, with the previously top C string de-tuned to a B, i.e. so it's effectively a 34" scale Fender Bass VI. OMG it's just GREAT!! Lush 12 string guitar but an octave down as I strummed and plucked chords. The sound I had in my head.

Love it! Methinks good enough for the original material where I might have been looking to use an 8 string for.

So DB thanks very much for the pedal which is already firmly on my board! You've just saved me 30% off the cost of new pedal from Andertons and a 6 to 8 week wait. Even better, I think you've also just saved me the cost of getting that new Schecter 8 string (although there is still that one that has come up in the FS section) and helped find a fuller purpose from my SR1206 at the same time...  

Edited February 17, 2018 by Al Krow

[AndyTravis]

apart from the slap bit 🤦🏻‍♂️

[AndyTravis]

4 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

That's not bad. Four grand for a bass that won't intonate properly. Hold me back.....

Sort of answers that...now, would I use it enough to justify £4K? Probably not.

[Wolverinebass]

59 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Sort of answers that...now, would I use it enough to justify £4K? Probably not.

Because the slot is pre cut and can't be altered, that means that even if it intonated properly, you'd be locked into that gauge of strings they strung it with when they set it! It's bonkers and I'm not buying that.

[SpondonBassed]

4 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

You don't need the money to find out. It's obvious. The bridge is a singular saddle. Once you get past the 7th fret it'll be out of tune by miles. For such an expensive instrument it's an epic fail.

Whatever it sounds like, it's an amazing bass in any case.  I was gobsmacked.

If you look closely at the saddle it is, in fact, irregular where each string breaks across it's length.  I would have expected more of a difference between the strings but small as it is each string has a unique break point.

I'd like to know if anyone's listened to or had a go on one.  Anyone here lucky enough to actually own one?

[AndyTravis]

Just now, SpondonBassed said:

Whatever it sounds like, it's an amazing bass in any case.  I was gobsmacked.

If you look closely at the saddle it is, in fact, irregular where each string breaks across it's length.  I would have expected more of a difference between the strings but small as it is each string has a unique break point.

I'd like to know if anyone's listened to or had a go on one.  Anyone here lucky enough to actually own one?

I’ve put a video on, but I’m not ultra sold on the sound of 8 string acoustic slapping 

[Wolverinebass]

Just now, AndyTravis said:

I’ve put a video on, but I’m not ultra sold on the sound of 8 string acoustic slapping 

Try slapping on a 12! That's Tonto!

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

Because the slot is pre cut and can't be altered, that means that even if it intonated properly, you'd be locked into that gauge of strings they strung it with when they set it! It's bonkers and I'm not buying that.

I’m not selling it 😉

but you sort of asked the question and I got the answer for it...

i reckon they’d look after you if you wanted a specific gauge or string type - I’d certainly hope so at £4000.

[SpondonBassed]

I spotted Nick Lowe playing a Hamer eight on a Dave Edmunds number the other day.  I'd seen it before and wondered but this thread encouraged me to look it up when I saw it again.  I like Nick Lowe as a singing bassist too.  I have almost got Love the Sound of Breaking Glass down.

Edited February 17, 2018 by SpondonBassed

[Wolverinebass]

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

I’m not selling it 😉

but you sort of asked the question and I got the answer for it...

i reckon they’d look after you if you wanted a specific gauge or string type - I’d certainly hope so at £4000.

Pity, if you did sell them, I'm sure you'd have the Bentley on order! 😉

I just don't think it's a good enough reply. As you say, I'm sure they'd sort out the inherent issue by putting a better bridge on if you asked. Everyone changes string gauge and type occasionally. With that bass you'd be stuffed if you did that.

Still, it does look fantastic!

[SpondonBassed]

22 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I’ve put a video on, but I’m not ultra sold on the sound of 8 string acoustic slapping 

Cheers Andy.

Apart from the slap and the awful stall after he did a palm slide it sounds good.  I'd like to hear it played on something appropriate though.  That sound could get tiresome in the same way that  banjo or a uke might, I think.

 

[AndyTravis]

13 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Cheers Andy.

Apart from the slap and the awful stall after he did a palm slide it sounds good.  I'd like to hear it played on something appropriate though.  That sound could get tiresome in the same way that  banjo or a uke might, I think.

 

Yeah, it’s got that hint of novelty about it. Which at that kind of money, you either need super deep pockets or it’d need to be a big itch to scratch.

[Al Krow]

Granted that the workmanship that's gone into this 8 string is likely to be high end and we can appreciate it for that.

But it kinda seems to me like a ridiculously expensive, dare I say fugly and difficult to play piece of kit that has no real-life use? An answer to a question that no one's asking. 

Or am I the only one thinking that?

[SpondonBassed]

4 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Granted that the workmanship that's gone into this 8 string is likely to be high end and we can appreciate it for that.

But it kinda seems to me like a ridiculously expensive, dare I say fugly and difficult to play piece of kit that has no real-life use? An answer to a question that no one's asking. 

Or am I the only one thinking that?

It cheers me to know that there are actually people who can afford to buy items of this sort.  If I was one of them I'd probably buy something equally inexplicable to onlookers like a hat made out of dodo skin gloves or summat.

Seriously though.  It is a beautiful thing.

[tauzero]

On 11/02/2018 at 11:49, Al Krow said:

So pulling together what I think we are all agreeing on from above:

- a pedal ain't going to make a 4 string an 8 string. Let's define that as the alcohol free beer option, as it seems to be a liked terminology  

- an 8 string is only going to be useful for some but certainly not all songs.

How best to practically make this work live? Decide to accept something that is an approximation with a pedal or accept that set-flow is could well be disturbed whilst you swap basses around, depending on song grouping and breaks.

OR is it possible to get good enough on an 8 so that you can play it like a 4 string when you want?

I guess it's also going to depend on how core an 8 or 12 string is to your sound? I can see that if you're an originals band (and I'd certainly like to be doing more original stuff) and 8 or 12 is 'your' sound, then yes 100% that's the way to go. If you're a covers band then almost no one seems to be using 8 or 12.

One of the bands I'm in is an originals band, and I've been using a 10-string on some recordings that we've done recently. However, for live purposes, I think I'll be sticking with a 5 but with an octave-up on one of the Zoom pedals.

[cattytown]

6 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

I spotted Nick Lowe playing a Hamer eight on a Dave Edmunds number the other day.  I'd seen it before and wondered but this thread encouraged me to look it up when I saw it again.  I like Nick Lowe as a singing bassist too.  I have almost got Love the Sound of Breaking Glass down.

This? 

 

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, cattytown said:

This? 

 

The one I noticed it on was Queen of Hearts.

[Al Krow]

On 17/02/2018 at 14:33, Al Krow said:

Digitech Mosaic + retuned 6 string (E to E)

...I tried it with my Ibby SR1206, which I've just had restrung E to E, with the previously top C string de-tuned to a B, i.e. so it's effectively a 34" scale Fender Bass VI. OMG it's just GREAT!! Lush 12 string guitar but an octave down as I strummed and plucked chords. The sound I had in my head.

Guys if you have a six string in your arsenal then I would definitely recommend giving this configuration a go - it got a "that's a gorgeous sound" from Mrs Krow (who is a reasonably discerning critic when it comes to bass stuff)! Certainly bodes well for demonstrating to band mates with original material down the line.

[Woodinblack]

Anyone still after an 8 I notice that there is a Dean 12 8 on the facebook bass players marketplace

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by Woodinblack

[Al Krow]

Cheers Woody - it's on at £320 and looks in reasonable nick. And there's also a Schecter 8 in the FS on at £425. 

Fortunately Dannybuoy sold me a second hand Digitech Mosaic so I'm sorted for now...  

[cattytown]

I think I can say with a degree of confidence the schecter isn't for sale anymore :-)

 

Paul.