Artics 8 string

[lidl e]

17 hours ago, alex.d said:

Everything it seems is expensive. Sets of strings start at nearly £40.00 for an 8 string set. I’ll  take a look at the Warwick nut, can you let me have the website details where you found that one please.

cheers 

https://shop.warwick.de/en/parts-for-instruments/warwick-spare-parts/just-a-nut/30040/warwick-parts-just-a-nut-iii-8-string-38.5-mm-width-brass/tedur

 

Too narrow for what i need ornid have bought one

[BigRedX]

19 hours ago, alex.d said:

Everything it seems is expensive. Sets of strings start at nearly £40.00 for an 8 string set. I’ll  take a look at the Warwick nut, can you let me have the website details where you found that one please.

cheers 

 

TBH that's a pretty good price for an 8-string set. These days there are plenty of 4-string sets that at a similar price. 

[alex.d]

Never bought a set of 8 for a bass before. I had thought about going down the flat wound route but not sure whether these are available as an 8string bass set ?

[snorkie635]

50 minutes ago, alex.d said:

Never bought a set of 8 for a bass before. I had thought about going down the flat wound route but not sure whether these are available as an 8string bass set ?

Never seen a flatwound set, although that doesn't mean they don't exist. I use round-wound Rotos for maximum 'twang' on my Ric. Good luck

[snorkie635]

Note that you can switch strings to whichever order suits your personal playing style. (Need to swap tuners around in most cases). Depends on which string -root/octave - you want to strike first. I never have noticeable tuning issues with one saddle per pair of strings, it all adds to the overall 'jangle'. 

[alex.d]

Hi I did think of switching the stringing order to the more conventional setup (like yours) But to be honest thought I’d give it a go as is before I make any more adjustments or tweaks. I’ll be buying another couple of blank nuts to cut for each potential setup and then see how it goes from there on forwards. Thanks for  posting a picture of your bass…. Looks exceptional. 
regards

[snorkie635]

3 hours ago, alex.d said:

Hi I did think of switching the stringing order to the more conventional setup (like yours) But to be honest thought I’d give it a go as is before I make any more adjustments or tweaks. I’ll be buying another couple of blank nuts to cut for each potential setup and then see how it goes from there on forwards. Thanks for  posting a picture of your bass…. Looks exceptional. 
regards

Cheers Alex. Sounds like a plan. Enjoy, whichever way suits you.

[alex.d]

Cheers Snorkie, I’m looking forward to  getting to grips with it, just a few more bits and bobs to do and we’ll be good to go.

[tauzero]

17 hours ago, alex.d said:

Hi I did think of switching the stringing order to the more conventional setup (like yours) But to be honest thought I’d give it a go as is before I make any more adjustments or tweaks. I’ll be buying another couple of blank nuts to cut for each potential setup and then see how it goes from there on forwards. Thanks for  posting a picture of your bass…. Looks exceptional. 
regards

 

I don't think @snorkie635's 8-string is the more conventional setup - AFAICS most 8-strings have the octave string uppermost, as does my Dean 10-string. Also, as 4-string sets start at around £15-20, £40 for twice the number of strings seems OK. I can't remember exactly what I did, I think it was a five-string set (or possibly a 6-string set) and a number of single strings.

[alex.d]

Having been a 12 string guitar player for many years having the thinner Octave strings set below would be more natural and comfortable for me to get to grips with I think. But that said, given the fairly significant modifications required to the head stock in changing the machine heads around I think I’m going to leave it as is at least for the moment and see how it pans out for a couple of months once all the final setup is complete. Just awaiting delivery of the new strings I’ve ordered.  I’ve opted to get two sets which will give me  50-100, 40-80, 28-65 , 18-45. I appreciate that these will be a little lighter that the original gauges but will I hope nonetheless have the desired effect. In an ideal world I’d have access to a second guitar set up the other way to directly compare the sound and playability of both setups.

[alex.d]

My mistake make those gauges read 46-100, 36-80, 26-65, 17-45 the sizes I previously gave were for the D’Addario EXL170-8 set.

[snorkie635]

2 hours ago, alex.d said:

Having been a 12 string guitar player for many years having the thinner Octave strings set below would be more natural and comfortable for me to get to grips with I think. But that said, given the fairly significant modifications required to the head stock in changing the machine heads around I think I’m going to leave it as is at least for the moment and see how it pans out for a couple of months once all the final setup is complete. Just awaiting delivery of the new strings I’ve ordered.  I’ve opted to get two sets which will give me  50-100, 40-80, 28-65 , 18-45. I appreciate that these will be a little lighter that the original gauges but will I hope nonetheless have the desired effect. In an ideal world I’d have access to a second guitar set up the other way to directly compare the sound and playability of both setups.

Yep, my headstock tuners are all the same

 

 

[alex.d]

That would’ve made for an easier change. I wonder if you might do me a favour and let me have the measurements of the nut and  slot spacing on your guitar. I’ll be ready  to cut the brass nut once the new strings arrive  and don’t want to balls it up completely.

cheers

[snorkie635]

2 hours ago, alex.d said:

That would’ve made for an easier change. I wonder if you might do me a favour and let me have the measurements of the nut and  slot spacing on your guitar. I’ll be ready  to cut the brass nut once the new strings arrive  and don’t want to balls it up completely.

cheers

Will get onto it for you.

[snorkie635]

20 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

Will get onto it for you.

There you go. Hope this helps you out.

[alex.d]

Cheers Snorkie  this is really helpful, looks like the nut is the same length, I’ll definitely be able to work it out from here on in. Thanks again

[snorkie635]

1 hour ago, alex.d said:

Cheers Snorkie  this is really helpful, looks like the nut is the same length, I’ll definitely be able to work it out from here on in. Thanks again

More than welcome. Hope it all works out for you.

[tauzero]

On 02/04/2023 at 07:37, alex.d said:

Having been a 12 string guitar player for many years having the thinner Octave strings set below would be more natural and comfortable for me to get to grips with I think. But that said, given the fairly significant modifications required to the head stock in changing the machine heads around I think I’m going to leave it as is at least for the moment and see how it pans out for a couple of months once all the final setup is complete. Just awaiting delivery of the new strings I’ve ordered.  I’ve opted to get two sets which will give me  50-100, 40-80, 28-65 , 18-45. I appreciate that these will be a little lighter that the original gauges but will I hope nonetheless have the desired effect. In an ideal world I’d have access to a second guitar set up the other way to directly compare the sound and playability of both setups.

 

Sounds like your 12-string is set up the reverse to most 12-strings too. On my 12-string, and all the others that I've played, the octave strings are above the standard strings so on a downward strum the first string that you hit is the octave.

[alex.d]

Hi tauzero

you’re absolutely correct I hadn’t given it a thought . To be honest I haven’t given the 12string as much attention as it deserves in a goodly while whilst I’ve been rehearsing with the new band. Octave strings are indeed above but having tinkered around with the 8 string bass I’m still not sure how I’d prefer a final set up to look. Watch this space , I’ll let you know how it goes

[BigRedX]

If you are a pick player, depending on your technique, having the octave strings below the main ones can been that you don't always strike both strings in the course which will lead to inconsistencies in the sound.

 

For the same reason if you only play finger style then it makes sense to have them the other way around.

[alex.d]

Generally speaking I mostly play pick, nearly there with the finishing touches. I bought two sets of nut files to finish the job off, the first set of multiple files in a small holder has already hit the bin as they were absolutely useless they  barely made a mark on the plastic nut. The other set are great, up to a point, they cut a decent groove, trouble is they leave a v shaped valley and I want to have the bottom of the notch  gently curved and not so sharp.