Extended Range Basses (Bassists)

[Verne Andru]

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It was created out of the needs of a musician. The music came first.
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it is about experiencing music.
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After all,it's only music.

Excellent post - the most lucid I've read at TB yet.

You should seriously consider writing a book. I for one would find your experiences and observations invaluable. Be sure to let us know when the CD is available, it sounds like a great project.

 

[_Unregistered_]

My best estimates put me with my first 5-string at about 1985 or 86. I suppose I was a fairly early adopter. I remember getting some heat from some rock guys I was playing with at the time (one guitarist in particular). "What the hell you gonna do with that in a Rock context?? ...I can see in Jazz, maybe, but Rock???"

Every time I turn on MTV and see one of these rock bands with 5-strings and 6-strings, I fight the urge to call that guitarist on the phone and ask him if he remembers saying that...

 

[Josh Curry]

Once upon a time I played an 8-string (single course). I loved it, wicked range, easy chording, etc.... But, I felt like an outcast (not outKast). I would get funny looks from other bassists/guitarists. And they would ask "What the hell is that thing?", or "Why do you need that many strings?". I was also getting flak from my band, I think because I was getting some odd attention that was taking away from them. I also think the guitarists felt a little like I was showing them up, we all know they hate that At the time I did not have TB as a support group for this type of thing, so I stopped playing it and went back to 6. I sold it last year.

I went back to 5's for about a year and am just now getting back into 6 and even getting an itch to go up more (7 or 8) but I don't want to deal with the attitude from other people. I also don't really have that much skill to throw an 8-string lick down to basically say to them "F&*! you, Let's see you play that!"

I love playing 6'ers, it's what I'm most comfortable with, but I know that I would use a 7 or 8 if I had it, just maybe not in public. I love to do melodic 2 hand tap stuff and a 6 just isn't enough for me to do that.

 

[Stewmc5222]

... i think it all boils down to area again. I never seen a 7 in person...nor have the many musician friends i have in some larger cities... But certainly working their way up in popularity as it seems more places every year are beginning to offer them.

hey B'Aces High,

I live in New Orleans, which is not a big city by any stretch of anyone's imagination, but I have seen a couple of exotic instruments here. on one of my first gigs with the 8, I saw that the bassist for one of the other bands on the bill had a suspiciously large case. as we were breaking down and they were setting up I saw that he had a Conklin GT-7!

additionally Dave Anderson, a doubler who plays in the Louisiana Philharmonic generally carries a locally made double neck to his electric gigs. each neck has 5 strings. the fretted is tuned B - E - A - D - G and the fretless is tuned E - A - D - G - C. he will often tap on both 'boards simultaneously!

on top of that we also play host to a few Stick players and wicked luthier Kyley Boyd (also on TalkBass), who recently crafted a wild 6 for Byron Santo.

if we're opening up in the lower frequencies in this town, I'm optimistic aboutthe rest of the world!

from the depths of funk,

Stew

 

[B'Aces High]

Definitely cool Stew...
And i can only hope that trend starts to come up this way...i find its hard to find or try any basses of "real" quality or just things that are different up here.
For instance i believe there are no Pedulla dealers or Zon dealers in Canada at all. I would love to try something like those...as im currently thinking about buying a Zon or Pedulla as my next bass (possibly a 6 string as well)
I would also love to see some doubleneck basses...i never seen one in person, but i know i would love to own one one day...i can only imagine the uses and tunes i can get of one

Alot of the instruments up here remain to stay just mass produced basses...i look forward to a day however when i can walk into a store and try a GT7.

-Dave

 

[Stewmc5222]

Definitely cool Stew...
And i can only hope that trend starts to come up this way...i find its hard to find or try any basses of "real" quality or just things that are different up here... Alot of the instruments up here remain to stay just mass produced basses...i look forward to a day however when i can walk into a store and try a GT7.

-Dave

hey Dave,

isn't George Ferlinetti of F Basses up in Canada?

from the curious (and geographically challenged) lows,

Stew

 

[Verne Andru]

hey B'Aces High,

I live in New Orleans, which is not a big city

Stew

I've been to both North Bay and New Orleans and the latter would be considered a megalopolis by comparison. Both charming in their own way...

BTW Stew - I passed your NAMM comments to Koltai - maybe next time.

 

[Atshen]

...i look forward to a day however when i can walk into a store and try a GT7.

I tried one in Montréal in 2000 (at Archambeault Music).

isn't George Ferlinetti of F Basses up in Canada?

Yes he is.

 

[B'Aces High]

hey Dave,

isn't George Ferlinetti of F Basses up in Canada?

from the curious (and geographically challenged) lows,

Stew

Yup he is! but there are no stores around my area that sell his stuff last i looked...and he is in southern Ontario (A bit out of my way)
I think there are more places in the USA that sell "F" than in Canada sadly.

There is also Club Bass in Toronto that sell some higher end stuff...But its also a pain for me to go down there to try things out (i have a very busy work lifestyle and dont get much time off)...plus you have to make an appointment, and they usually dont carry anything that really "tickles my fancy" so to speak

But to be honest im not really fussy on his design (F bass that is)...im not saying its bad..just not my style...
I kinda have my thoughts with a Zon at the moment because of the neck, lately i have been having problems with the crazy temperature up here sadly. These neck problems happen every year at this time for me, Very dissapointing...but im at a discouraging where i hate setting up my basses all the damn time. I believe a Zon might be able to solve that issue.

And to keep this on track im thinking 6 string Zon with a quilted redwood top
But thats not until spring

 

[B'Aces High]

I tried one in Montréal in 2000 (at Archambeault Music).


Yes he is.

Very cool, but North Bay isnt even a fraction the size of Montreal...But if i ever head that way that is very cool to know.

 

[B'Aces High]

I've been to both North Bay and New Orleans and the latter would be considered a megalopolis by comparison. Both charming in their own way...

BTW Stew - I passed your NAMM comments to Koltai - maybe next time.

Cool...not too many people been this way, another forumite and chum of mine Thor has been here before too. That makes 2 of you

Its a small city...and it has its own problems..but its a good somewhat clean and very safe place to live.

 

[oversoul]

There are always somewhat different cases...

I hooked up this last weekend with this cat thats been using a sixer for 5 years strung From F# to G, except he's been using 145" gauges to tune that low, not very nice according to him. so anyway I let him try the GT, the first pluck he gave to my low F#...

- "I like it, I love it, how much do you want for it??"

The dude is all over me, he wants to buy my friggin' bass!!
He played like 10 minutes on it, how can he possibly say "I love it", and when did I said to him that I was selling the bass?? I cant remember that happening... He offered to trade in his Yamaha patitucci sig (older version) for it!!
And I tought I liked ERBs
Anyway I made him realise that if he wants a beter low F# he could always go a cheaper route and buy some decent gauge strings...but he wasn't that convinced, the dude wants this bass in a compulsive way, and the worse part he wants to convince me to sell it so he doesn't have the trouble I had getting it here. boy do I have a special price for him!!Wait and see

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

i have a question - how are you received for your instrument choice? do folks meet it with interest that you meet, or scorn? some of both no doubt, but what's your general impression about how you are perceived?

I'm not elros, but I have a funny anecdote about that when I had my seven. I went into a local music store (I live in southeast Connecticut-it's no Iceland but a six-string is extremely rare). I asked the clerk if he had any bass stands that could hold a wide neck for my seven-string, and the clerk replied "You mean six-string."

After I told him that, no, I meant seven-string because I have a seven-string bass, he just looked at me and said "You're crazy" with a little smile.

Everyone I ever showed it to in person either at parties or music stores though were very interested in it-several employees asked to play it because they'd never seen anything like it (and this was just a BD-GT7 production model).

 

[oversoul]

I had a guy telling me once that "there's no way you can have a low F# string, because that note can't be heard, no way there's a string with 23 Hz fundamental, thats infrasounds.
Trust me, I'm an audio technician..."

 

[Josh Curry]

I had a guy telling me once that "there's no way you can have a low F# string, because that note can't be heard, no way there's a string with 23 Hz fundamental, thats infrasounds.
Trust me, I'm an audio technician..."

HAHAHA! was it in this thread we talked about the harmonics created by different wave forms?

 

[Garry Goodman]

cool, garry. i for one can't wait to hear it .

Thanks John.

 

[oversoul]

No it was at a local shop, really uncomfortable silent moment followed, then I went "OK, you're the expert dude, thx anyway, cya" too bad he got fired (go figure) because I acctually took the bass to that shop some time after to try a cabinet

 

[Garry Goodman]

Excellent post - the most lucid I've read at TB yet.

You should seriously consider writing a book. I for one would find your experiences and observations invaluable. Be sure to let us know when the CD is available, it sounds like a great project.

Thanks.i am working on a book about concepts for 6+ strings to make these basses easier.

more ramblings:

You know, if there were 7 string basses available years ago, i would have purchased one. I had that mind set. When they became commercially available,some guys had to jump on it right away.

I "out grew" a six string and kept finding my finger wind up on that invisible string that wasn't there yet. The 7 string ,for me, grew out of my own musical developement.So my only option was to find someone to make the bass. I used G.H.S. strings because I could make up a set from .120 or .115-.20 . I didn't think 8 string because I wanted to keep the round wound "feel" across the fingerboard.

No matter how you arrived at 7 strings(or 6-11), you must have a spark inside you that draws you to the idea.I realize it is wrong of me to impose my concepts of playing my Tobias 7 string for 17 some odd years on anyone.If these basses don't make sense to you, it's ok.They are just tools to express musical ideas on.Use the right tool for the job.

In the late 80's and up until 1993, i would get a few comments on the bass. What most people really noticed was what i was playing and how I was playing it.i did the same stuff on a six string.

I was accused of "trying to be a guitar player" even though I was playing bass parts (a few octaves and chords thrown in). This is because of how the bass looked.
i played the same way on a four string,still do.
I think if you show up on a gig with an 11 string bass,you have a responsibilty to play it well and be musical because you represent the entire community of bass guitarists.You need to have enough experience and ability on the bass before you go public.
Anthony Jackson told me backstage at an Al Jareau concert in 1991:
" remember Garry, it's not how many strings you have,it's what you do with them"

 

[Garry Goodman]

I had a guy telling me once that "there's no way you can have a low F# string, because that note can't be heard, no way there's a string with 23 Hz fundamental, thats infrasounds.
Trust me, I'm an audio technician..."

i just caught this...
that's the truth-i had guys just walk away from me in the middle of discussions saying "you can't hear F#,and forget C#".

I said'come have a listen" but their minds were made up.

 

[elros]

cool, i hope you like them, you're playing my gauges

Yes, I like them - I tild Bill that the idea of a lighter top and heavier bottom was a stroke of genious. The top ones are sweet and singing for melodies and chords, and the big ones are powerful - they'll support lots of music. I like them.
However, the exposed core strings sound a bit funny when played higher on the neck - it seems the harmonics are shifted so the string sounds somehow out of tune with itself. Not a bit problem, just... funny.

i have a question - how are you received for your instrument choice? do folks meet it with interest that you meet, or scorn? some of both no doubt, but what's your general impression about how you are perceived?

Well, I have only had my 7-string for about two months now, and I've so far only played it in my home church; but everybody seems to like it a lot. Perhaps those that don't like it aren't telling me, though.

Now, some might think "who needs a 7-string in church?" - well, maybe our church is different, but often we play long instrumental (sometimes improvised) passages; and then the 7 strings are very handy. I can do chords, melodies, themes, harmonics etc. and thus free up the other musicians to do different things - or just to add some texture and / or tension to the music. Especially true if we are but a trio or a quartet, which we often are (bass, drums and guitart and/or piano). The seven is so perfect for the job that I don't play the old 4-string anymore (wanna buy it?).