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10 string or piccolo?


MikeStockport
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I've bought an odd bass on eBay. It's handmade, and it was originally made as a 5 string (roughly Fender Jazz shaped) but someone at some point has converted it to a 10 string. I'm now wondering whether I should re-string it as a 10 string, or as a 5 string piccolo bass and use an octave pedal? Any thoughts?

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If you've got a use for it, make it 10 string. A straight octave pedal can't come close to the harmonic complexity you get with interacting octave strings.

It will give you a very distinctive sound in your armoury but it's one which I personally find limited use for so if you're constrained in terms of numbers of instruments you can own/ store then it may not be worthwhile.

If you have a big say in arrangements or work with band members who have an open mind to unusual things then that will help.

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I've decided to go for the 10-string, as it seems a shame not to use it as such. What was worrying me initially was the thought that having so many strings might irreversibly pull the neck out of shape, as happened to me with a Washburn 12 string guitar a few years ago. But I think the truss rod is up to the task. I bought this bass because I play in a band that has two guitarists (and no keyboards), but occasionally one of them can't make a gig due to work commitments and we have to go on with only one guitar. I've tried using octave-up pedals to fill in some of the middle frequencies but it never sounded particularly good. Here's a picture: 

Ten string bass.jpg

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