ixlramp said:
Garry, i just wanted to ask some questions
what tuning have you currently settled on? B or Bb for the lowest string?
what gauges are you using? a standard ERB set?
are you using a lower tension for the strings on this bass than your normal preference?
would i be right in thinking this bass is designed primarily for tapping? (hence the close string spacing)
my name is matt, i normally spend my time on the ERB.com forum and ERB yahoo forum. i currently have my 6 string bass tuned in fifths like a grand stick (C G D A E B) to obtain a large range on a smaller number of strings (i can't afford any more than 6 strings at the moment). any thoughts on fifths tuning?
apologies for a blizzard of questions...
matt / ixlramp
First of all John and Skip-thanks for your supportive posts!
Matt:
Ok -i think I Like the Bb tuning.When you have this many strings with this many frets,it's just a matter of choosing a "default" tuning. With the Bb tuning,my second highest string is middle C.This is a good reference point because i am a reader. I like to have the same sense of "center" as a pianist would. I am a traditional bassist,so E A D G looms large in my bass experience.Open E is great,but....in order to come up with new sounding music,one needs new open notes.
I feel the interval between strings is a personal preference. When i bought my Stick in 1975,upside down fifths was a big mind bender.
I know 4ths and at my age,don't want to start over. Having the majority of 10 octaves from octave 000 to half of octave 7 allows one to play any intervallic leaps without too much effort.If you really feel comfortable with 5ths,then tune to 5ths.
I like having m2,mi2,M3,m3P4,b5,5,b6,M6,b7,M7,Octave,b9,9,+9,11,+11,b13,13 all within a 4 or 5 fret area across 4 or 5 strings. With 5ths,getting a Major 3rd is a stretch in either direction.I suppose it's just a matter of preference.
It seems i am the only player using an .005,.004, and .003 on a bass guitar at this time.Maybe it will catch on. The strings work,but require some adjustments as to how you play them. With the lower tuning,I get a lot of "play" and can bend the string easier in the 32" scale. Mike's neck can take whatever tuning i give it, but the middle C as the 2nd string seems to make thinking easier and has less tension. Why bother limiting ourselves to this(C#, F#) B-E-A-D-G-C-F-(Bb,Eb Ab) thing.Somebody decided long ago "a bass shall be tuned E-A-D-G" All though there has been great riffs,from "Day Tripper" to "Pretty Woman" to "Good Times, Bad Times" "E" has ruled our lives. EEEEEEEEEEEEE-ok,after 40 years I need something else.
As far as standard ERB gauges... I don't know what those are. Like that bit that the wheel width of the railroad car that carries the solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle is the same as the ancient Roman chariot's, evolving to wagon wheels to English rail roads etc..My gauges came from my Fender Bass VI strings in the 70's,converted to 7 ,and then the Tobias 7 string in the mid 80's. So i use my core 7 string set,and introduced the .009 and .007 strings at 40" for bass for the standard Bb and Eb strings on a 9 string, and the .004 for the highest,topping out at Gb4. So my standard B is a .130 ,.E is .100, A.85,D .65,G .45,C.35 and F .20 . The F# is Bill Dicken's (s.165 and .195 for Jauqo's string). I did suggest extra winding on the part that touches the bridge saddle,which S.I.T. was happy to do.
The bass was not primarily designed to be a tapping instrument, but first and formost a practical ,usable 92 note guitar. The famous Adler neck and fretboard makes tapping easier than any touch instruments I've ever played and makes traditional bass playing effortless. I went with Adler because of this. Mike is a nice guy,but if I wasn't completely satisfied with this aspect,I wouldn't have purchased the 11-string and ordered a 12. And as with the 7 string bass, I never intended this to be a production line model.It's just my little fantasy .
The close string spacing was also carried over from playing the first generation 6 string basses from the 60's. Michael Tobias actually suggested widening the spacing to a whopping 13MM on the 7 string.I agreed and that has been my spacing for about 18 years.
Although the 12 was in the planning stages before Mike Adler completed the 11-string,Mike thought the 17mm spacing would be more comfortable for most bass players.It is a nice spacing and the bass records well. I like it.The 12 was really made specifically for me.i wanted a balance between a regular bass, a touch instrument and a finger picking instrument.It is great for all applications.
so Bb00 Eb Ab Db Gb/F# B E A D G C F4 ,continuous 4ths,36 frets to F7 spanning 10 octaves works for me.
I hope this helps
I would never been able to handle it, but I admire people who do. You guys are redefining the bass totally!
