8-string (2x4) - Exploratory Questions

[jaywa]

Years ago I bought a Warmoth 8-string neck with the intent of making myself an 8-string bass (4-string with octaves, not ERB). It never went any further but now I'm looking into it again.

Couple of questions:

1) Who makes the best set of strings for an 8? Do they come as such or do you have to buy a regular set and a piccolo set or whatever.

2) How do you string an 8 to minimize the strain on the neck and get everything in tune? I.e., first the octaves and tighten them up and then do the main strings, or do you put all 8 on at once and tune them together, or what.

There will be many more questions to come as the project progresses, but this is a start. Thanks in advance.

 

[tplyons]

1) As far as strings, as you know, it's a matter of preference. On my twelve string bass, I always used D'Addario's. Yes, they do a special 8 string set, the XL170-8. HOWEVER, I've found that the octave strings tend to lose their shimmer before the fundamental strings, so I've heard of people buying the same set in the 12 string version, and replacing only the octave strings halfway through. That set would be the XL170-12, which is what I always used on my Hamer 12.

2) Tuning eight strings is a lot easier than it sounds. I tuned the fundamentals, then the octaves, fundamentals, and then the octaves. By that time, everything should be settled in. As far as stringing it... it's easiest, IMO just to do them in order. EeAaDdGg or eEaAdDgG, depending how you string it. Moving around the headstock is a pain in the butt with that many strings, so do it whatever way is easiest for you... the neck will be able to take the strain, no worries there.

Out of curiosity, are you planning on stringing the bass octaves on top or bottom?

 

[jaywa]

Out of curiosity, are you planning on stringing the bass octaves on top or bottom?

Which is the correct way for playing with a pick? Octaves on top (i.e., the pick would hit the octave strings first)? That's how I see almost every 8 strung, anyway.

 

[tplyons]

Which is the correct way for playing with a pick? Octaves on top right (i.e., the pick would hit the octave strings first)? That's how I see almost every 8 strung, anyway.

Yep, that's the most common. With some careful finger picking you can hit them too.

 

[Fealach]

IIRC Rickenbackers had the octave strings on the bottom, but they were the oddball. If it didn't mean needing a new nut, I'd set mine up that way just to see what the difference is.

I buy a set of bass strings and a set (or 2 for my 12) of piccolo bass strings. No 8 string set has the string gauges I like.

I tune as Tpylons does.

 

[jaywa]

Cool, thanks. I'm about a 90%-10% fingerstyle vs. pick player on my main bass (78 Precision) -- but with this 8-string I want a totally different sound and since I almost always see 8-strings played with a pick that's what I'm planning on for this one.

 

[SteveMcB]

For strings, I'd suggest buying the 12 string sets so you have spare octave strings (I've actually never broken an octave string though), but the D'addario sets seem to cost about the same for 8 and 12 string sets last time I looked. D'addario make good strings, but last time I bought it was cheaper for me to buy from Waterstone, who make nice 8 and 12 basses and sell 12-string sets which are made for them by Pyramid IIRC.

Stringing should be OK, but it can take quite a bit of setting up as the tension required on the truss rod to counteract the pull of that many strings may mean (as it does on my 12) that without enough string tension the neck back-bows a little, meaning it's hard to tune up the strings initially (easy to over-tighten if you're not careful).

Steve