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Doublenecks

O

OPBASSMAN1994

Jul 30, 2010
2,177
43
#1
I've always loved the things, but after getting more into Genesis, I WANT ONE LIKE CRAZY!

I'm going to try to find an old black acoustic guitar and fuse it with an old korean p bass rip off I have of the same color. Any one have a doubleneck on here they'd like to show off? Any advice on the build? Any one with a spare black strat style crap-guitar lying around? :D
 
#2
Maybe it's not what you'd like to hear, but I have to say it: doublenecks look so ugly to me, and cumbersome... Like a real frankenstein guitar... or freaky siamese twins if you prefer. Maybe for a guitarist who would like a 12-string to play some parts of a song, it would be useful.

But I don't know when a bassist would also need a guitar, unless he or she has to fulfill both roles at the same time? Actually I'm interested in knowing what a bass-guitar doubleneck would be used for, in general...

Also, are there any doublenecks that have, say, two bass necks?

Not that I would get one anytime soon, but I'm interested in learning new stuff.
 
#3
I think they can be works of art:

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Thread this pic is from is [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
 
#4
carlthegroover said:
Maybe it's not what you'd like to hear, but I have to say it: doublenecks look so ugly to me, and cumbersome... Like a real frankenstein guitar... or freaky siamese twins if you prefer. Maybe for a guitarist who would like a 12-string to play some parts of a song, it would be useful.
Click to expand...
Jimmy Page would like a word with you...
jimmypage.jpg
 
#5
Being a hardcore prog fan/player I am naturally drawn to all sorts of musical indulgences, and this includes doubleneck guitars. Rickenbacker's 4080 (I keep picturing Geddy playing Xanadu on one) is the one I want the most, but the price tag always seems to keep it out of reach.

Warmoth offer a double body P Bass and Strat that tempts me to start a little project, but I know I'd never finish it. Has anyone here seen a doubleneck P Bass/Strat?

How proggie would it be to play a gorgeous Ovation doubleneck acoustic while holding down the low end on my PK-5 bass pedals! All I would need is a mellotron in the background, a cape and a smoke machine lolololol! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist:

Doublenecks will always have a special place in my heart.
 
#6
Picturing the weight of a double necked bass hanging by a strap over my shoulder... and then after playing of for a song or two, the pain in my back and neck and shoulder for the next week... not my thing. If it floats your boat, that's cool. but I would strongly recommend finding one in a store and spending a while playing it while standing up with it strapped on before you bought/built one.
 
#8
Ive owned a few, all but one weighed 12 and half pounds total or less. So theres no reason for one to be terribly heavy though some are. Main recurring problem Ive had with all doublenecks Ive owned (Gibson, epiphone, Ibanez, custom made by Uk luthier) has bee only being able to get one side to sound excellent. Never been able to get both sides to totally satisfy. I can geauss that part of the problem with them is the extra mass for body plus 2nd neck. I still think about haveing a bc rich eagle guitar and bass joined together into one at times. But past experience tells me I'm better off sound wise with seperate single necks.
 
#11
Timmy C had a double built with one neck strung BEAD and the other EADG (iirc). The headstocks were mirrored, which looked cool. I think the Fender CS made it.

Yes, a 5 would serve the same purpose as that double. But it's what he wanted. More power to you double neck players.
 
#13
Can't for the life of me remember the guy's name (I think he was german or something) but he had a doubleneck Wal one neck fretless and one fretted and to me that was so awesome and made perfect sense. Most other doubleneck basses however make no sense at all. However I would LOVE to have a doubleneck guitar/bass. Mostly because I like to play both instruments and having both in a conveniant package would be great.
 
#15
EXACTLY. A bass/6 string is good because if you've got some bass pedals/midi pedals for a keyboard, you can keep a good rhythm guitar part going, or add a wall of distorted sound, while the guitarist goes insane, and keep the bass going. A good double neck also just looks awesome, honestly.
 
#16
I own the classic Ricky 4080 with a Bass and a 6-string (although I would have much preferred the 12-string model).

I also own an inexpensive import model with 2 bass necks, a fretted 5 string and a fretless 4.

I want to do a show with my guitar player who owns a REAL Gibson 12/6 just because 2 double necks on stage would just be stupid :rolleyes:

The 4/5 one was kind of useful considering all things. I rehearsed with it quite a bit and it was ok for under 45-60 minutes....

The Ricky...not so much....

I do have a set of bass pedals, and in the interest of full disclosure I'm a Geddy fan...

I can't justify buying the Taurus re-issues...yet :D

Definitely a niche item, and in the case of the 4080 for me a great investment...
 
#17
95svtcobra said:
I own the classic Ricky 4080 with a Bass and a 6-string (although I would have much preferred the 12-string model).

I also own an inexpensive import model with 2 bass necks, a fretted 5 string and a fretless 4.

I want to do a show with my guitar player who owns a REAL Gibson 12/6 just because 2 double necks on stage would just be stupid :rolleyes:

The 4/5 one was kind of useful considering all things. I rehearsed with it quite a bit and it was ok for under 45-60 minutes....

The Ricky...not so much....

I do have a set of bass pedals, and in the interest of full disclosure I'm a Geddy fan...

I can't justify buying the Taurus re-issues...yet :D

Definitely a niche item, and in the case of the 4080 for me a great investment...
Click to expand...

You would love the Taurus-3 - I've owned all 3 versions of Moog Taurus, and the Taurus-3 are by far the best - all of the features of the Taurus-1, but greatly improved with an arpeggiator, an LFO, & preset storage. As for your Ric 4080, please pm me if you ever want to sell it - I sold mine almost 20 years ago, & I've been looking for one ever since.
 
#19
cchorney said:
Picturing the weight of a double necked bass hanging by a strap over my shoulder... and then after playing of for a song or two, the pain in my back and neck and shoulder for the next week... not my thing. If it floats your boat, that's cool. but I would strongly recommend finding one in a store and spending a while playing it while standing up with it strapped on before you bought/built one.
Click to expand...

This is my thinking too! Cripes the weight of ONE bass can be a chore for an evening let alone TWO of them slung around your neck!

Now I can dig the idea of say a fretted and fretless bass combo. But to me weight-wise it makes much more sense to look into one of those Frankenbass things we've seen on Youtube where a lever raises and lowers to frets on a single-necked bass to switch.

Which leads to my final point. Why in the world are all these double necked basses and bass/guitars etc. all super heavy -looking solid bodies? I mean if a person started out THINKING about the idea of a double-necked instrument, my first cut would be along the lines of two violin basses or say two Carvin AC50 basses fused together. You could handle that weight!

In fact now that I'm thinking about it, a fretted/fretless fused Carvin AC50 would be a primo double-necked bass!
 
#20
UnfortunateTony said:
Can't for the life of me remember the guy's name (I think he was german or something) but he had a doubleneck Wal one neck fretless and one fretted and to me that was so awesome and made perfect sense. Most other doubleneck basses however make no sense at all. However I would LOVE to have a doubleneck guitar/bass. Mostly because I like to play both instruments and having both in a conveniant package would be great.
Click to expand...

Jonas Hellborg perchance? YouTube - John Mclaughlin Jonas Hellborg
 

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