Don't hold back...How do we feel about 8 string basses?

[BobbyDevlin]

Although I use mine in limited scenarios, I feel no collection is truly complete without one. When playing in louder bands as a power trio, there are myriad uses...for example, I play in a New York Ozzy/Sabbath Tribute called The Fordham Baldies and one of the Ozzy cuts we do is "Mama, I'm Comin' Home". The tune requires a 12 string guitar, however gets heavy pretty quickly without time for axe change....soooo, I do the tune with the 8 and play along with intro and outro parts and damnit if it don't sound like somebody in there is playing a 12!

Otherwise, they are pretty friggin' useless. Hahaha!

 

[Mister Ed]

Careful with that thing, you could put an eye out!

Although I wouldn't own an 8, you make a reasonable argument for one. If it serves the song, why not?

 

[TomA1234]

I wish I had an 8, but then again I wish I had almost every bass I have ever seen.

 

[groooooove]

double-strung basses are sort of cool. ive toyed with them in music stores but never owned one. i dont think i'd ever want to play one as my main bass, but they might be cool to create some stuff with.

8 single-strung, however... damn.. never tried one. wish i have.

 

[KingRazor]

5 is all I need. I can get by with 4.

Nothing against 8s, I just don't need one.

 

[Old Joe]

I feel like... GAS!!!

Want one. Don't have the money right now.

 

[Hoover]

Come on over to the dark side:
the official 8-String (octave courses) bass club - TalkBass Forums

 

[xUptheIronsx]

I wish I had an 8, but then again I wish I had almost every bass I have ever seen.

^ bam! Just hearing early Kings X tells me that I need an 8 string of my own. Borrowed one from a student of mine a while back...a Hamer...it was fun to play on my own, but couldn't fit it into the sound of the band I play with right now...

 

[DLEE]

I used mine on some original material in the 80's as well as certain cover tunes. In a song that has a chugging bassline you can't beat the bottom it puts down. I wouldn't play any Rush on one but you're basic 4 on the floor rock sounds good with them. Oh yeah,even though it was played on a twelver just play the beginning of Jeremy in a club and the crowd freaks.

 

[Jim Nazium]

Just hearing early Kings X ...

Yup. Love that sound.

 

[Ron Plichta]

I used to have a Rickenbacker 4003s8. It was thunderous! Wish I still had it.

 

[Darkstrike]

8's are made of awesome.

 

[zachoff]

They're cool, fun to play, and sound big. I'd like to get one someday to try w/ my band, but they're hard to find and I'm not too fond of Schecter or Dean (two that I know of that make regular scale 8-strings). Conversely, they step on guitar frequencies and can muddy up a mix if you're not careful.

 

[Corevalay]

Quite honestly I'd never even seen one before. I think it would be something really cool to fool around with.

 

[angrypanda]

I think they are great if someone would make one that doesn't have horrible action ( without spending a lot of money), I don't use a pick so I would like to see an 8 string with the octive string at the correct high, even at the top with the bass string.

 

[cchorney]

Did The Mothman (YouTube - ‪the Mutha-Lickin Mothman Bass!‬‏) have a baby?

 

[GM60466]

I made a lot of money playing mine

 

[MEKer]

why not just use a chorus or octaver?

<Tho I admit I have toyed with the idea of having one, they just seem too much a 0ne-trick-pony to justify the money. Still would like one cuz its cool--the Ric for instance--but....>

 

[Scott549]

I recently saw a 12-string bass -- 4x3 configuration. In Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The guy who owns the music store said it was designed, or at least inspired, by Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick.

 

[Darkstrike]

why not just use a chorus?

Because it sounds different.