noob question about 8 strings...

JonM · #1 01-20-2013, 03:10 PM

Hi all,

I have a pretty basic question for you...

In a moment of craziness, i decided i would build an 8 string bass (4 standard strings doubled up with octave strings)

Will i need to purchase special pickups, or will a standard 4 string pickup catch the octave strings too?

Cheers!

Jon

Stealth · #2 01-20-2013, 03:28 PM

Any standard pickup should be fine for it. You can have the double pole-pieces on a Jazz or Precision, single huge pole-pieces on a MusicMan, or a bladed pickup, it doesn't really matter, it'll work.

As long as your strings are inside the field made by the pole-piece (between the outermost ones) it'll work well. The only one I'm not sure about would be if you used single-coil precision pickups (the ones on the old '51 Precision basses) as they have small single pole-pieces.

JonM · #3 01-20-2013, 04:35 PM

nice one, i thought that might be the case, but better safe that sorry!

thanks very much for getting back to me

Stealth · #4 01-21-2013, 02:39 AM

I hope someone else will reply as well to give you a bit more input, just to be on the safe side.

ctmullins · #5 01-21-2013, 07:13 AM

I concur with the above, as a second opinion.

eukatheude · #6 01-21-2013, 08:37 AM

I worry about the volume though. Will the guitar strings have enough output to be heard?

ctmullins · #7 01-21-2013, 08:44 AM

Definitely. Most bass pickups are wide-band enough to support the octave strings just fine.

Stealth · #8 01-21-2013, 10:44 AM

Though that raises the question of how an EB-0 neck pickup, a notoriously muddy pickup, would work on an octave bass.

Bassist4Eris · #9 01-21-2013, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctmullins

I concur with the above, as a second opinion.

FWIW, my Schecter Stiletto Studio 8 has the same EMG pups as their other basses. So, while not a luthier, I concur as well.

ctmullins · #10 01-21-2013, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealth

Though that raises the question of how an EB-0 neck pickup, a notoriously muddy pickup, would work on an octave bass.

I still want to try this some day.

X8X · #11 01-22-2013, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassist4Eris

FWIW, my Schecter Stiletto Studio 8 has the same EMG pups as their other basses. So, while not a luthier, I concur as well.

IIRC I think EMGs are a bit different from the rest of the classic pickups in that they have a rail/blade design (a single long magnet that picks up anything in any place between the two ends). They would work great if you're worried about difference of volume