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New Mike Adler TWELVE STRING BASS????

#461
I play only 4 string flatwound p-basses and upright basses most of the time, but I would dearly love to spend an afternoon playing one of these things!

I think it is totally awesome!

Somebody mentioned a 7 foot flute?

There actually is something similar. A contrabass recorder. it sounds very much like a pipe organ. It's taller then most humans, and has some funky looking keys!
 
#462
lucas vigor said:
I play only 4 string flatwound p-basses and upright basses most of the time, but I would dearly love to spend an afternoon playing one of these things!

I think it is totally awesome!

Somebody mentioned a 7 foot flute?

There actually is something similar. A contrabass recorder. it sounds very much like a pipe organ. It's taller then most humans, and has some funky looking keys!
Click to expand...
Take a look here for the low down on true low down.

;)
 
#463
pointbass said:
Garry, you certainly do not need to justify what you do and how you do it to anyone, but I guess by opening yourself up in a public forum you can reasonably expect a certain degree of backlash now and then ;)

It is directly due to players like you, Jauqo, Stew, Al and others that I have, at the age of 54, advanced from a 4 to a 5 to a 6 to now a 7, with the absolute clarity of thought to see where an 8 would be beneficial. After a lifetime of playing I now find the creativity and joy in playing has returned in full force, thanks to these extended ranges .... something I would have thought inconceivable 2 years ago. And playing these basses has, frankly, significantly improved my funk grooves for regular gigs as my overall knowledge and comfort level of the fingerboard has increased.

To those who don't see the point of it all, stop worrying about it and let the "extended range" players do their thing :cool:
Click to expand...

This is an encouraging post.Thanks.
 
#466
Garry,

i'm interested to hear whether this new .005 string can be tuned up one semitone to Ab4 on your 32 inch scale and remain playable/practical. my interest rises from the 9 string in fifths tuning i am proposing (CGDAEBF#C#G# from a low C0)

is this .005 some new high tensile metal or nothing special?

matt
 
#468
It's official!

I have an Ab string,Ab4 ,415 Hz, that is flexible and stable at 32". It has taken 20 months and a lot of experimentation to develope the wire for this string.It is stable,sturdy and allows the Adler 12-string to be tuned from C#0 to Ab4, up to Ab7 at the 36th fret. The string can actually tune up beyond Ab, but it makes a very playable Ab string. The string is thin, but it doesn't break as easily as the other Ab prototypes I've tested .In fact, I've never had one break .

There is no need to fan frets any shorter than 32" to attain an Ab4.I believe this to be the highest tuned bass string in use.
 
#474
Least lowest is good......

I tried putting on a new Ab string, and it works . So this tuning

C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab is now confirmed as a real option.

The Bb00-F4 tuning worked
The C0-G4 tuning worked

There a few more strings to test, but the idea of a 13-string bass with a high Db5 is looking slim. Fanned frets won't help.
 
#475
O.K. so im one off the few here that is in to the octve string bass, But a 12 string octave can be very useful, if your in to jazz like Pat Metheny I learned to retune my 12 so each set of strings when I plucked them made a power chord, Root, fifth and octave, Otherwise tuning it in thirds can end up in some very jazzy tones......never underestimate the power of a octave string insturment
 
#476
8guy said:
O.K. so im one off the few here that is in to the octve string bass, But a 12 string octave can be very useful, if your in to jazz like Pat Metheny I learned to retune my 12 so each set of strings when I plucked them made a power chord, Root, fifth and octave, Otherwise tuning it in thirds can end up in some very jazzy tones......never underestimate the power of a octave string insturment
Click to expand...

Yeah, love the octave 12-strings. One of the by- products of experimenting with these high strings is the other uses for them on guitars and basses. It looks like I will have a triple octave 12-string string sets pretty soon.
 
#477
Garry Goodman said:
Least lowest is good......

I tried putting on a new Ab string, and it works . So this tuning

C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab is now confirmed as a real option.

The Bb00-F4 tuning worked
The C0-G4 tuning worked

There a few more strings to test, but the idea of a 13-string bass with a high Db5 is looking slim. Fanned frets won't help.
Click to expand...

Garry, if strings can still be made thicker, it may still be possible to go higher with a shorter-scale instrument while maintaining the low end range? Although that would make the frets closer together so you may not necessarily get an advantage in terms of playability...
 
#478
Garry Goodman said:
I have an Ab string,Ab4 ,415 Hz, that is flexible and stable at 32"
Click to expand...

thanks for the information Garry. what gauge is this string?

perhaps a 13 string bass would be possible not tuned
C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db
but starting on a Bb00 which you have found to work.
the top string would be another Bb 5 octaves above, Bb4, only 2 semitones above your Ab4 string. perhaps possible on a 30 inch scale with your Ab string tuned a little tighter?

so may i suggest a 13 string bass scale length 35 to 30 inches, starting on a low Bb00/A#00:

A#00 D# G# C# F# B E A D G C F Bb (!)
 
#479
therealting said:
Garry, if strings can still be made thicker, it may still be possible to go higher with a shorter-scale instrument while maintaining the low end range? Although that would make the frets closer together so you may not necessarily get an advantage in terms of playability...
Click to expand...

Hi
It works, but.....For instance,putting an .007 string on a 34" bass, I can tune it up to Eb4, and it is comfortable to play. Tune it higher to F4,it is more rigid.Try for an F# an..POP!. So I put the string on a 32" scale bass,but the exact same thing happens. I try it on my 30" scale Hofner, and I get a very tight,stretched to the max Ab4.A little too rigid for my liking. Going from 34"-30" changes the way one plays , at least for touch style.
 
#480
ixlramp said:
thanks for the information Garry. what gauge is this string?

perhaps a 13 string bass would be possible not tuned
C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db
but starting on a Bb00 which you have found to work.
the top string would be another Bb 5 octaves above, Bb4, only 2 semitones above your Ab4 string. perhaps possible on a 30 inch scale with your Ab string tuned a little tighter?

so may i suggest a 13 string bass scale length 35 to 30 inches, starting on a low Bb00/A#00:

A#00 D# G# C# F# B E A D G C F Bb (!)
Click to expand...

The current Ab string is less than .007 ,but I am not at liberty to discuss this at this time. I can tune one of my custom .007 wires to Ab4 on the 30" scale Hofner, but it is very tight.The Ab string tuned up to Bb4 at 30" should work, but once again a 34-30 inch fan is too much for me.

The only reason I can see for having 13 strings is to get the highest notes on the 12th string closer to the 12th fret on a Db string.

I like being able to read "Ultrapolation of One Note" # 968 on page 130 in Nicolas Slonimsky's Thesauras of Scales and Melodic Patterns without transposing or substituting octaves. The highest note in the 8va bracket is C7.One reason to have a 7-1/2 octave guitar.
 

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