I picked this up on a whim somewhat recently. The jury is still out though as I am not sure a 12 string is for me. Don't mind the poor photography.
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My new 12 string..... :)
- Thread starter lowrez
- Start date
cool.
It takes a whole lotta amp tweaking to get the right sound. be patient.
Also be careful. they terrify guitarists.
It takes a whole lotta amp tweaking to get the right sound. be patient.
Also be careful. they terrify guitarists.
I'd love to post some sound clips, trying to figure out what to play with it is the trouble. Any ideas?
ibanezcollector
Yoyo's Hurt When You Crank It Into Your Face
First things first: Korean model or the new Chinese model?
Secondly: play with a pick. Downstrokes come out great. You can play these with your fingers but the string spacing is TIGHT if you haven't noticed. Try flattening out your hand a bit. The important part is that the octave notes RING out.
Other than that, hasbeen's right... flatter EQ the better.
Secondly: play with a pick. Downstrokes come out great. You can play these with your fingers but the string spacing is TIGHT if you haven't noticed. Try flattening out your hand a bit. The important part is that the octave notes RING out.
Other than that, hasbeen's right... flatter EQ the better.
usa model. I've been trying to use a pick, which is definitely not intuitive for me at this point. I definitely appreciate any tips I can get! Right at this moment I am playing it on my baby baby blue set mostly flat, I may try my bddi once I feel a bit less sloppy.
I've been playing my 12-string for a year or so. I had to raise the strap up a bit so I could reach the whole fretboard. I play my basses really low so it took some getting used to.
I almost always use a pick so the twelve-string isn't that difficult to play with my picking-hand, but if you play with your fingers you can always reverse the order of the strings. You set it where you would strike the two octave strings first with your finger then the low string.
I have heard that some bass players can actually just strike the two octave strings and not the low string and make it sound like a guitar, then add in the bass notes during the same song.
For me, the fretting hand was a little tough to get used to. I changed my style of playing to compensate the extra strings. Some riffs just don't sound right on the twelve-string bass, just moving from fret to fret or string to string is more difficult. The strings tend to ring by themselves, so I found that more controlled palm muting is necessary with both hands. The twelve-string is almost an entirley different beast compared to a regular 4 or 5 string bass.
As for getting a good sound through an amp. I just use a Zoom pedal to add some EQ and compression, then I use my SWR "bass intensifer" to boost some of the lows. That amp works great for the twelve-string. It has a mute button on the footswitch that automatically cuts off the D.I. and switches to your tuner. It also has a headphone jack. That comes in REALLY handy when you are trying to tune a twelve-string in a noisy bar.
Here's a pic of my Dean Rhapsody
By the way, that Hamer is awesome. I want one of those too!
I almost always use a pick so the twelve-string isn't that difficult to play with my picking-hand, but if you play with your fingers you can always reverse the order of the strings. You set it where you would strike the two octave strings first with your finger then the low string.
I have heard that some bass players can actually just strike the two octave strings and not the low string and make it sound like a guitar, then add in the bass notes during the same song.
For me, the fretting hand was a little tough to get used to. I changed my style of playing to compensate the extra strings. Some riffs just don't sound right on the twelve-string bass, just moving from fret to fret or string to string is more difficult. The strings tend to ring by themselves, so I found that more controlled palm muting is necessary with both hands. The twelve-string is almost an entirley different beast compared to a regular 4 or 5 string bass.
As for getting a good sound through an amp. I just use a Zoom pedal to add some EQ and compression, then I use my SWR "bass intensifer" to boost some of the lows. That amp works great for the twelve-string. It has a mute button on the footswitch that automatically cuts off the D.I. and switches to your tuner. It also has a headphone jack. That comes in REALLY handy when you are trying to tune a twelve-string in a noisy bar.
Here's a pic of my Dean Rhapsody
By the way, that Hamer is awesome. I want one of those too!
Good info! is that bass intensifier something available outboard? I don't recall having the on my baby baby blue. I really don't own much in the way of effects (just a bddi), but I think I should probably choose something that will enhance this.
Great suggestions! Also, if I may add, try using a splitter. I use a Lehle, but the Sansamp Bass driver lends well to the 12'ver setup because of the additional eq. Use separate bass/guitar amp. Many 12'ver bassists roll off the lows going to the guitar amp, but I don't. A distortion pedal comes in handy, but I just use my tube amp for channel switching. Enjoy your 12'ver!
and it's true. They terrify guitarists!
and it's true. They terrify guitarists!
Octave basses are very cool but very limited in their usefulness unless you write a lot of songs that need it like Cheap Trick did. I bought an 8-string Rhapsody recently, and though I like it a lot, I have to shoehorn it into my present bands if I want to use it, which means using it on one or two songs a night tops. Which also means I won't often bring it because I hate bringing a bass and not using it. Therefore, I'm going to sell it soon.
Jeff Ament has 2 12-string. One solid body and emg pups, the other is semi-hollow with emg pups and also piezo.
I haaate the sound of the solid body, very sterile and harsh.
I looooove the sound of the semi-hollow with piezo. Super organic, full, warm.
I haaate the sound of the solid body, very sterile and harsh.
I looooove the sound of the semi-hollow with piezo. Super organic, full, warm.
I lucked out. My band actually loves the 12-string. When I first got it they were always me to try it with every single song we'd play, covers and originals. Except the 12-string isn't great for some songs that you would think it would be. I'm surprised by some of the tunes that it does sound great in, like some Godsmack songs that we play or Helmet's "Unsung." I also use it for a couple of my band's original songs.
About the SWR's "Bass Intensifier." It's a feature that's built into the amp which you can turn on or off with the foot pedal. At one of our recent shows I let the opening band's bass player use my amp. I let him do whatever he wanted with the amp controls. He laughed when he saw the "bass intensifier" controls and said, "What the hell is that supposed to be?" Then he tried it and was really surprised how well it filled in the sound.
As far as I know it's featured on the SWR WorkingPro 400 and WorkingPro 700 amps.
This is SWR's description-
BASS INTENSIFIER - A new SWR® tone circuit that
boosts of a chosen set of low-frequencies combined
with a smooth, fast-acting compressor. The boost and
compression work in harmony to allow radical boosts
in the chosen bass and lower midrange frequencies
without the side-effect of overdriving the amplifier
circuitry. Once dialed in, it literally intensifies the bass
tone in your sound. It can be used as a boost for
certain, heavier sections of a tune, or just as a part of
your overall preferred sound.
Hope this helps.
About the SWR's "Bass Intensifier." It's a feature that's built into the amp which you can turn on or off with the foot pedal. At one of our recent shows I let the opening band's bass player use my amp. I let him do whatever he wanted with the amp controls. He laughed when he saw the "bass intensifier" controls and said, "What the hell is that supposed to be?" Then he tried it and was really surprised how well it filled in the sound.
As far as I know it's featured on the SWR WorkingPro 400 and WorkingPro 700 amps.
This is SWR's description-
BASS INTENSIFIER - A new SWR® tone circuit that
boosts of a chosen set of low-frequencies combined
with a smooth, fast-acting compressor. The boost and
compression work in harmony to allow radical boosts
in the chosen bass and lower midrange frequencies
without the side-effect of overdriving the amplifier
circuitry. Once dialed in, it literally intensifies the bass
tone in your sound. It can be used as a boost for
certain, heavier sections of a tune, or just as a part of
your overall preferred sound.
Hope this helps.
- Feb 24, 2004
- 4,103
- 643
- 68
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Phantom Guitars, Eastwood Guitars
Gonna Raise Hell is an Alembic 8-string.
In the 90s I only played 12-string, I had two Hamers. Still have one.
Damn man, I wanna see a full pic of that Hamer! Never seen one like that before.Gonna Raise Hell is an Alembic 8-string.
In the 90s I only played 12-string, I had two Hamers. Still have one.
- Feb 24, 2004
- 4,103
- 643
- 68
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Phantom Guitars, Eastwood Guitars
I used to have a black one just like it, the model is B12S, the finish on this one is called Salmon Blush. In the 90s I was in a 3-piece band that sounded like a mix of Cheap Trick, The Smithereens, and REM, those basses were always a hit at gigs and usuall, before the show, had a small crowd staring at them on the stands.
Here's the only other photo of it I have on my computer.
Here's the only other photo of it I have on my computer.
That is SWEET!!!!!! All of it!I used to have a black one just like it, the model is B12S, the finish on this one is called Salmon Blush. In the 90s I was in a 3-piece band that sounded like a mix of Cheap Trick, The Smithereens, and REM, those basses were always a hit at gigs and usuall, before the show, had a small crowd staring at them on the stands.
Here's the only other photo of it I have on my computer.
I have one similar to that one - page at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I find that the only sensible way to record it is mic'd up (not DI'd).
Rolling an amount of treble off helps a lot, if you want to avoid resetting your EQ all evening.
I use downstrokes mainly, though I got faster on it over time and can now play just about anything I do on a 4 string on it.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I find that the only sensible way to record it is mic'd up (not DI'd).
Rolling an amount of treble off helps a lot, if you want to avoid resetting your EQ all evening.
I use downstrokes mainly, though I got faster on it over time and can now play just about anything I do on a 4 string on it.
