8-strings: high or low strings on top?

morgan138 · #1 09-02-2010, 09:54 PM

This is one of those things I'd love to figure out for myself, but 8-string basses seem to be really scarce in my area -- does it matter which string you hit first? Because if so, it seems like you'd want them set up in opposite ways for fingers vs. pick, which seems like it'd be a huge pain.

Sorry if this has been covered already, but searching for "8-string" gives me every thread with the word "string" in it.

**line6man** · #2 09-02-2010, 10:24 PM

Seems like it would be difficult to fret the notes with the thinner strings on the bottom, because you would have to angle your fingers a certain way to press both strings down rather than the thick one only.

OTOH, I've never played an 8 string bass, so that's just theory.

TolerancEJ · #3 09-02-2010, 10:29 PM

Well, not an 8, but there's a pretty cool 12-string video on YouTube. That one also has the smaller strings on top. I think in general all those types of basses are strung with the smaller string on top.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP95QX_imo8

ModuMan · #4 09-03-2010, 02:07 AM

I have an 8-string and I play fingerstyle. I like that I hit the fundamental first and then the octave second. I can see that with a pick you would prefer it the other way around but maybe in that regard the pick is more acommodating since an upstroke isn't any harder than a downstroke?

That video is awesome by the way...

UnfortunateTony · #5 09-03-2010, 02:22 AM

Well I have an 8 string and never play with a pick. I have fund basically no difference between the sound playing the octave first or secnd though that's just me. Or maybe I just like the way it sounds as is.

Fuzzbass · #6 09-03-2010, 10:47 AM

I prefer the fat string on the bottom for fingerstyle because of feel: I'm not that comfortable hitting the "guitar" string first. I never noticed a difference in tone.

That said, I've never owned a double or triple-course instrument, and have limited experience with them. In other words, maybe my fingertips would get used to having the skinny string on the bottom.

morgan138 · #7 09-03-2010, 12:37 PM

Seems like there's a consensus that having the low strings down...low works best for fingerstyle. Any plectrum players out there? I actually would have figured you'd want to hit the high string first with a pick, in order to avoid having the pick glance off the low string and skim the high one.

If that's the case, I guess it explains why double-course basses don't come in distinct "fingerstyle" and "pick" models.

iamthebassman · #8 09-03-2010, 12:55 PM

I play 12-string, with a pick, octaves on bottom. Same when I played 8-string.

SteveMcB · #9 09-03-2010, 01:03 PM

I play a 12, occasionally with fingers but mostly with pick. Works just fine with the high strings closest to your head. When I checked out 12's and 8's they all seemed to have the root strings on the bottom, which works well for fingerstyle and just as well for pick IMO, but IIRC the Rickenbacker 8 (like their 12string guitars) has the strings arranged the other way, ie. root strings closest to the player's head.

Steve

countrybass007 · #10 09-03-2010, 07:34 PM

I own two 8-strings, and both of them came with the smaller string in the top position. It seems to work with a pick or with fingers equally well.

KeithAlanK · #11 09-04-2010, 04:13 AM

I play an 8 with a pick most of the time, but when I use fingers it still sounds cool as hell.

If it was a bad design choice both for playability and sound, don't you think the manufacturers would have gone the other way long ago?
Yet nobody sells an 8 or 12 with the low string on top.

I wonder why that is?

Darkstrike · #12 09-04-2010, 05:49 AM

I'm dead happy withh my octaves on top, pick or fingerstyle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeithAlanK

Yet nobody sells an 8 or 12 with the low string on top.

Rickenbacker always did with their 8 string basses.

GeoffByrne · #13 09-04-2010, 05:56 AM

Certainly Rickenbackers have a 'reversed' course of strings, i.e. root on top & octave underneath as you play them. This was done as a whim to do 'something different' if my memory serves me correctly.

Historically the course has akways been the other way around.

I've played 12's since the early 60's and, personally, I prefer the historical version for both pick & finger.

Starflyer59 · #14 09-04-2010, 10:53 AM

Its all about technique at the end of the day. Play my 8-string both with finger style and pick.

Eight_Stringer · #15 09-04-2010, 01:19 PM

Play 8 string, octave string upper most. Seen Alembic Spyder bass with octave string under. Seen posts here on TB also of guys swapping the order to suit their playing style on high end paired string basses. Predominant seems to be what the other players indicate, octave string on top. Am a 99% finger player, would like to try an 8 with "reverse" order one day. Regards.

Hoover · #16 09-04-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeithAlanK

Yet nobody sells an 8 or 12 with the low string on top.

Didn't the Rickenbacker 8-string basses come from the factory set up w/ the low strings on top?

edit: duh, DarkStrike beat me to it.

KeithAlanK · #17 09-04-2010, 04:39 PM

Well, Rickenbacker has always marched to the beat of a different drummer.
And they don't make 8s anymore, that I know of.

KeithPas · #18 09-04-2010, 04:39 PM

The bridge and nut are going to determine how you string it.

darkstorm · #19 09-04-2010, 04:57 PM

Its been done both ways. If I remember Gibson 12 string is opposite rickenbacker 12 string for that. Id go with thinner string on the bottom like the alembic myself. From my expereince with 12 string guitars I liked that order better.

tehbassist · #20 09-04-2010, 04:58 PM

I have my 8 string strung with octaves on the treble side like the old ric and such. I'd see the more common way bad for finger style because you might miss the octave string due to its small size.

The only problem I have is fretting both the E strings, but that is really more of a nut/saddle issue...