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Doubleneck Guitar/Bass

Hi all,
I’m looking to buy a doubleneck with a bass on top and 6-string guitar on bottom. Any suggestions? Love the way the Rickenbacker 4080s look, but they don’t make them anymore (and the ones for sale are ridiculously expensive). So I’m looking for alternatives.

Or – if anybody has any drawings or anything that can help me build my own, that’d also be really helpful.

Thanks so much!
 
I got mine (12 str. - 4 str.) from Logical Guitars in Vancouver. It's really just an Alibaba guitar from China, but he dealt with my specs and getting it into the country. He's pretty reliable. I doubt I'd try it now, with CITES getting all medieval on Rosewood. Not a bad axe. Not great (ya get what ya pay for). Sounded nothing like a Ric (obviously). I ended up selling it.

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Shame they put the bass on top - that just seems wrong to me.

For right or wrong, doubleneck designers put the neck they think will be used the less of the two on top 99% of the time.
It also makes sense from a balance perspective to have the longest horn possible on top, which would normally be from the longer of the two scale length instruments.

I’m looking to buy a doubleneck with a bass on top and 6-string guitar on bottom.
......
Or – if anybody has any drawings or anything that can help me build my own, that’d also be really helpful.

You're going to have slim options for finding a new, premade instrument. They're very seldom made, for a lot of practical reasons.

One is that bands usually don't sound good when the bass player stops playing bass and starts playing guitar unless someone else steps in to take over the bass role.

The second is that most people don't play bass and guitar through the same rig, so it would need separate outputs (which few designs include) or an external switching system leading two amps. Which is a ton to carry to a gig, along with a very heavy instrument. However, modern modeling and IEM systems would make that much less of an issue than it used to be.

If you're going to design and build your own, here's my advice: Get two instruments you like, chop them up and glue the bodies together. Make a to-scale cardboard or plywood mockup first to triple check everything.
Another thing to consider is non-parallel necks. That would let you put the bridges as close together as possible, to reduce body size and weight, while keeping the nuts far enough apart to be able to play comfortably.
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I remember seeing on eBay years ago, a double neck bass and guitar for sale that a guy had made. It was a P bass and a Strat. The body of the Strat had been cut off above the pick guard in the shape of the bottom of the P bass. There were a couple of metal pegs in the top of the strat body with holes in the bottom curve of the P bass to keep everything straight and a flat bar that would come up from the back of the strat and hook onto a bolt or screw on the back of the P bass to keep it together. The P was basically unchanged except for the holes in the bottom and the screw on the back. I thought it was a pretty slick idea. I have thought about trying it out for a long time but never have.

Wish I had a picture of it.

EDIT: Picture something like this...

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Shame they put the bass on top - that just seems wrong to me.

I'm a pick player, punk pick player, I don't quite play with the bass at my knees, but I defo wear it low, so to me, it's pointless as well.

But if you wear the bass high up, it might work out just perfectly for you, depends on where your strumming sweet spot is.

But I'll never order one, I'd never use it. But, every so often I have to talk myself off the ledge, there I am phone in hand, Warmoth's number on the screen, ready to call them and ask how much for a one off double, Bass/Bass VI. That I could make work, if I could justify the ducats...
 
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