12 string bass

[Dana R Gregory]

Hey all, I'm curious about the 12 string basses like the Dean Rhapsody and the Hamer. Anyone have experience with them. Are they heavy (over 10lbs) and are they physically hard to play? How useful are they for hard rock. I know Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick developed the 12 (4X3) system and uses it all the time live and a 12 was used in Jeremy by Pearl Jam. I would appreciate some feedback as I am interested in looking at the Dean Rhapsody.

 

[fcleff]

Have a listen to this.

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[NecroticImbecil]

I owned a Dean Rhapsody 12 string. I did not weigh it but it did not seem unduly heavy. Google brings me to an expired Groupon that claims 12 lbs. I do not know the accuracy of this. I found it to be physically quite hard to play. The neck is over 2 inches wide, the bass is long scale and ships strung with thick, high tension strings. I should mention for perspective that I have small hands and find Precision necks uncomfortably large.

Restrung with a custom-assembled set of ultra light strings (85 E, do not recall the octaves) it was easier to manage but the size of the neck was still a chore. I play hard rock originals. The sound was quite good, the 3 piece band loved it but it was just too much work. I sold it and purchased a short scale 8 string which is no harder to play than any 4 string. I do miss the the tone of the 12. Someday it would be nice to be able to afford (or even find) a Hamer USA model short scale 12 string, but until then the 8 comes close enough.

 

[wkargel]

Dana, I own two 12-string basses. I have a MkII Galveston and a Carlo Robelli model. They were produced in the same factory in South Korea as the Dean Rhapsody specimen, and are essentially identical to one another and very similar to the Dean other than body shape. Are they heavy? Yes. Also, there is considerable neck dive. Are they difficult to play? Yes, at first. You have to get used to it. This is not an instrument you can "shred" on in the traditional sense. Are they useful for rock and metal? Most definitely! I already do that! If you can keep a clean bottom and keep your overdrive/distortion in the high frequencies only, it sounds absolutely massive. The best example of this is on the early King's X records. Doug Pinnick played a Hamer Chaparral 12-string bass quite a bit on 'Gretchen Goes To Nebraska', 'Faith Hope Love', and the S/T album. The King of Klang! I hope that this helps!

What band are you in? I live in Orlando proper, and I get out to a lot of area shows.

Cheers,

Bill

 

[Rib 13]

Ive owned two Hamers in the past (one a USA and one a Korean) and - as of this writing - I have just purchased another one and I am currently awaiting its arrival............I miss having them. Interestingly enough, one of the most useful formats I have ever used it in was in a duo with a guy playing acoustic guitar...It sounded phenomenal........but I miss using it in a band context on some things...Heres a pic with my first one, twenty-five years ago

 

[wkargel]

Have a listen to this.
View attachment 3044076
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I have that CD!!! Sold exclusively through the 12-stringbass.net website some years back.

 

[fcleff]

I have that CD!!! Sold exclusively through the 12-stringbass.net website some years back.

I have it, too! Amy Humphrey from Clatter gave me a copy. It’s awesome.