New Mike Adler TWELVE STRING BASS????

[Bryan R. Tyler]

That's how innovation happens. Someone builds a plane that can travel at hypersonic speeds to show that it can be done. 10 years later, airlines routinely fly hypersonic aircraft. Someone builds a car that can run on electricity to show that it can be done. 10 years later, electric cars are common. Someone builds a bass with the range of a pianos. 10 years later, 12-string basses are common and new playing techniques are developed for taking advantage of them.

10 years ago, how many 7-string basses existed? Now, they are fairly common. I have three. You can buy them at Guitar Center.

It's all about pushing limits. Can anyone honestly say that having more range is a bad thing for an instrument? Perhaps if you are playing the traditional bass role in a band but a bass is a musical instrument first and foremost. Having additional range for an instrument is a good thing and something we should look forward to. Nobody is going to stop selling 4 string basses and only build 12 string basses. It's not like choices are being taken away from anyone.

- Dave

Great post, Dave.

 

[Brendan]

Interesting. I think all the knobs for a single (well, dual) pup bass would come from maybe seperate pickups for the lows and highs. Volume and EQ for the seperate ones. Maybe two pickups, even three are under that case.

 

[oversoul]

Great post, Dave.

+1

 

[PhatBasstard]

Yeah, well, if I had the option of driving this

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to work every day, I would.

- Dave

Leaving reality. Possibly the answer to the whole thing.

 

[PhatBasstard]

I'm going to say that your point on the piano analogy doesn't work, either. What you're suggesting is that the bass can not evolve into something more due to its simplistic roots. Worse, you're not looking into the past very well as you would have seen extended range upright instruments (viols, primarily) dating back quite a ways.

It does in relation to what mark said. You, however, also missed the point and are taking it somewhere else.

PS. As far as your "Viols" analogy: building a separate instrument for another range is one thing, but, how about a pic of one of those "Viol 12s".

 

[mark beem]

It does in relation to what mark said. You, however, also missed the point and are taking it somewhere else.

Not really.. There are a lot of available notes on a grand piano most of which probably are not used in any given piece of pop music. Yet somehow it's acceptable to have one for Vanessa's music and not acceptable to play an 11 string bass because the music doesn't require it?

Are all 88 keys required?

 

[Brandt Scanlan]

I think Nimosoy meant viols with more than four strings. I have seen as many as seven strings on such instruments, and on more than one occasion. Granted, there were likely never any 12 stringers, but the instruments that I have seen do demonstrate that there has been a desire for extended range longer than electric bass has been around.

Back to the original subject, I think this new bass looks awesome. I don't know if I would really be able to play it, but I would love the opportunity to try it. It would be fun for tapping.

 

[oversoul]

Yep, the major tendencie ppl seem to have in seeing so many strings togheter is that somehow the player has to find a way to play them all a once or something like that, or in other words, the idea that "shred" has to be associated with an instrument like this. False?

 

[j-raj]

...PS. As far as your "Viols" analogy: building a separate instrument for another range is one thing, but, how about a pic of one of those "Viol 12s".

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[Dave Grossman]

I think Nimosoy meant viols with more than four strings. I have seen as many as seven strings on such instruments, and on more than one occasion. Granted, there were likely never any 12 stringers, but the instruments that I have seen do demonstrate that there has been a desire for extended range longer than electric bass has been around.

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- Dave

 

[mark beem]

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- Dave

That's impressive!!!

 

[niomosy]

It does in relation to what mark said. You, however, also missed the point and are taking it somewhere else.

PS. As far as your "Viols" analogy: building a separate instrument for another range is one thing, but, how about a pic of one of those "Viol 12s".

It's not so much that I'm missing your point as I think your point is irrelevant. I'll refer to your post making your point:

I didn't mean "to get by" (assuming you were the bassist that created the original part...with your suposed 1 string), I meant to properly play the songs the way they were originally recorded, and she would probably want them recreated on stage. Something tells me you don't need 11, or even 9 strings for it, but having played much of her material, a 5 is a must.

To properly play the songs, you need the minimum number of appropriate strings. You could, however, recreate the song exactly as it was recorded on a bass with more strings. The required strings are likely to all be there on a 9 string bass. Yes, you don't need a 9+ string bass but that's really not a relevant point. So long as you have at least the minimum requirements accounted for, everything else is just bonus.

 

[PhatBasstard]

I think Nimosoy meant viols with more than four strings. I have seen as many as seven strings on such instruments, and on more than one occasion. Granted, there were likely never any 12 stringers, but the instruments that I have seen do demonstrate that there has been a desire for extended range longer than electric bass has been around.

That was kind of my original point.
I feel I've been put on the "Jaco only needed four strings" side of the augument. I'm not.
I was all for extended range (owning 5s and 6s myself), but, unlike a piano, an instrument whose function is kind of all over the place and was originally an instrument for solo performance (thus it's "one man band" range), the bass, simply by it's name is meant for a fairly specific function and especially range. I have absolutely no problem with it going lower (after all, that's what we do ). But this idea of putting on monumental amounts of extra strings so we can fly up into the stratosphere (at the expense of our original function when we do) tells me that being a "Bassist" is not enough for you. Perhaps you should have played piano, an instrument meant for those kind of musical explorations, because I don't see it as really being a Bassist anymore.

If you need this instrument as a "Solo Bass" (So-Low? ) artist, GREAT. I'm all for it. It's just 70% worthless (and in some ways prohibitive) for use in a normal/traditional musical situation.

 

[PhatBasstard]

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The Hamer Upright 12????

 

[mark beem]

But this idea of putting on monumental amounts of extra strings so we can fly up into the stratosphere (at the expense of our original function when we do) tells me that being a "Bassist" is not enough for you. Perhaps you should have played piano, an instrument meant for those kind of musical explorations, because I don't see it as really being a Bassist anymore.

If I'm labeled as anything I'd prefer it to be "musician"..

I get involved with ALL aspects of the music I play not just the bass parts.

 

[PhatBasstard]

The required strings are likely to all be there on a 9 string bass. Yes, you don't need a 9+ string bass but that's really not a relevant point. So long as you have at least the minimum requirements accounted for, everything else is just bonus.

See "point of diminishing returns".
Even a 9 isn't so bad if you've got low C# on up.

 

[PhatBasstard]

I get involved with ALL aspects of the music I play not just the bass parts.

...which goes along with what I just said.
But choose the right tool for the job. Don't continue to add weight to the Mallet if a JackHammer is required.

 

[PhatBasstard]

I get involved with ALL aspects of the music I play not just the bass parts.

As do I, but there's already a flute player on stage.

 

[j-raj]

Yep, the major tendencie ppl seem to have in seeing so many strings together is that somehow the player has to find a way to play them all a once or something like that, or in other words, the idea that "shred" has to be associated with an instrument like this. False?

Exactly, Use xWhateverx instrument for the gigs you get, innovative solo performance or to front your own eclectic multitonal original act. These are still tools of the trade, right?




I personally think of these 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 stringed ERB's as having different boxes of Crayons. Yes they might come in 4ct., 8ct., 16ct., 24ct., 32ct., 64ct., 120ct., 128ct., ... and so on... doesn't necessarily mean that you have to use all the colors on every piece of art that you produce. It just allows you to have a greater vocabulary to pull from.

Yes, there are many of the same notes found on multiple strings... Do they have the same timbre? No. Each 'fingered' note is going to be different... ON THE WHOLE DARN 12v'er.

Sh!t, go ahead and push the envelope. I'm waiting till there is a wall build with 88 strings & frets, a mess load of pups and cats saying that this is an ERB... Someone from the sidelines will still say 'back in 3013, Zaco PastiXirias only needed 12 strings!!'


I think that right now history is being written, let's celebrate that.

 

[niomosy]

See "point of diminishing returns".
Even a 9 isn't so bad if you've got low C# on up.

The thing is, I couldn't care less about diminishing returns. If someone wants a 14 string bass, I'm all for it. So long as it allows them to do what they want to do, I think it's great.