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Doubleneck question

D

Deleted member 264575

Supporting Member
Jun 19, 2014
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#1
I'm currently looking for a Doubleneck (4 or 5 string / 8 or 12 string). I've pretty much run out of searches, so I thought as a last gasp effort, I'd ask here. Anyone know of any manufacturers that may have produced one?

To save time, this is what I already know;
1. I know Rickenbacker made a 4080-12, but I don't feel like waiting 100 years and paying $30K to get one, lol.
2. I know Carparelli made them. I am keeping my eyes out for one.
3. I know there are Chinese copies of the 4080-12 (and other DNs) made, but I don't care for the Chinese DNs I've seen.
4. I know it will weigh a ton. I'm OK with that.
5. I know it will have limited use. I'm OK with that.
6. I know I can get a custom axe made by a luthier. That will be my choice, if I can't find a used one.
7. I know that most people don't care for Doubles. I'm OK with that. <---[EDITed from 'most people think they're stupid'. :oops:]

If anyone has any useful suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Neal.
 
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#2
It's not that double necked basses are stupid, it's the fact that they are really undesirable/rare because most players feel that they are not functional and unnecessary. Because of this you are going to have to pay a lot, wait a long time or both.
Sorry I don't have much constructive advice, about the best deals I've seen on actual legitimate, playable double necks over the years have been Danelectros and they are rare.
 
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#3
B.C. Rich? ;)


ABSOLUTEPROOF.jpg
 
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#9
I would take the option 6. Ask your local luthier. I made one double neck and its actually only slightly more difficult to do than your average bass guitar. With light wood and light tuners and so on, it does not have to weight that much either. Mine is under 5kg. I could shave it down a lot by changing the tuning gears from cheap ones to say ultra lights, but I dont get to use it with a band at all so why bother...
 
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#10
I was on that same quest myself.....back in the late 1980's. I tried about everything that was hanging in shops. Doublenecks were more popular back then. The Ricks were expensive and I found them to be awkward and uncomfortable to play. I ended up with a Carvin, which was hanging in the store in Hollywood. It's a 6-string guitar on top and 4-string bass on the bottom, both necks parallel with inline headstocks. It's about 12 lbs and is actually reasonably comfortable and balanced. The body is LB70 style. I eventually modded it to DiMarzio pickups on the guitar and EMG's on the bass. The guitar neck has a tremelo, and I built a special low-profile arm for it. It's a nice instrument, and I still own it today. I have to admit that it hasn't gotten much use over the years, though. Not much call for it in a bluegrass band.....And I'm pretty lame on guitar anyway. But it's there if I need it!

Carvin doesn't list the doublenecks in their catalog any more, but I think they will still make them on custom order. Outside of having a complete custom instrument made by a Luthier, I'd recommend Carvin.

Also, it would be a relatively simple project to buy two used Carvins and splice them together.
 
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#11
With just one double neck I would recommend not to do it by joining two basic bass guitars together. A comfortable double neck needs to be designed from the ground up. But if you do that option, I would strongly suggest you to use basses with the smallest body you can find, but with a longish upper horn. With two necks the balance needs a long upper horn, but two big bodies make one giant piece of lumber.

Here is mine, actually not ready in that picture but you can get the idea of the body design. Its for double neck only. If I would make two separate basses from those necks, they would need whole new bodies. No point in using that one there for either.

Link Removed
 
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#14
Dude love that someone believes in these. I want a 4-8 one like the original 6-12 double neck guitars. My teacher had what he called his 80-80 it was an 80 p bass fused to an 80 strat with built in wireless sending to an svt for the p and to a Marshall stack for the strat
 
#20
Here's an Alembic fretless4/fretted8.
aledn1.jpg

I like how they put the bridges close together and the heads farther apart. That maximizes playability while keeping the body smaller and lighter than if they were parallel.

With parallel necks often either the body is too wide for comfort or the necks are so close you have problems playing the upper one.

Your best bet is probably going to be Warmoth necks and a custom body.
 
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