Question on 8 string bass

[8stringman]

Originally Posted by Bassist4Eris

I play 8-string sometimes, and I like your concept. But I'd want to try a bass with frets like that first, before I'd commit to having my bass modded. Your price range does not seem unreasonable to me.

If you can get yourself established, you might think about eventually trying to sell the rights to a bass manufacturer, so that they could make basses with these frets factory-installed.

That's some good encouragement. I guess the average musician would want to try it out first, very good point. I have spent a lot of effort on what seemed like an easy project, now trying to decide whether to sink any more time/money into it. I wonder if any manufacturer would be interested as they look to be a major pita to mass produce, 24 different unique peices and how many 8 string players would want them anyway.

[Abner]

Your modifications are relevant to my interests.

How go the new frets? I've played some 12-string acoustic and electric guitars before, but I have just recently this past autumn acquired my first 8-string bass. Even though I'm not using a low B, I know what you mean about the relative difference in diameter between the root and octave strings. Much more noticeable on a bass than a guitar.

Doing the kind of work you did to the frets seems like a rather radical fix. I would love to try it out, but don't know that I would spend that kind of money on it without trying it first.

My first thought was to swap the root and octave strings -- it seems to me it would be easier on the fretting fingers if the fat string was above the thin one. That would required altering the nut and possibly the bridge (or saddles), and, in my case, a little work on the tailpiece/string anchor. But that seems like a lot lees work than radically modified frets. Have you given any thought to that idea?

I think pretty much every 8-string (or 12-string) manufacturer has the octave string above the root string except one -- and I can't remember which one. Maybe Rickenbacker? Has anybody played both types, and have any comments on the difference?


-Alex

[grisezd]

That is a neat idea and project, and that's the main reason I've never wanted to own an octave stringed bass.

I wonder if rather than grooving the frets you could ramp them. I think the groove would be difficult to land in when playing quickly. That would be far easier to produce, either in pre-machined frets or as a second step after installing heavy fret wire.

In terms of a marketable idea, I think that a process and a jig that you could license would be the thing here. Like Plek, just much lower volume!

It's great to see a student jumping in and working towards solving problems rather than just talking about them. Nice start!

[Abner]

So... Dead project?