One string bass?

[AmazingGracePlayer]

I don't mean to be offensive, but what's the point of a 1-string bass? If it were a whamola, at least it can be beat with drumstick and some cool rhythm and stuff can be played on it... but a 1 string bass guitar?...

 

[derrenleepoole]

I have a Krappy 2 string fretless designed a bit like a Chapman stick (sort of) - I'll have to upload some pics. These instruments are just plain fun to play. They make you throw away your known comfort zones of playing and just experiment and go wild. Ait also allows you the opportunity to forget all that boresome technique etc...

 

[derrenleepoole]

Some pics during the 2 string bass development:

 

[zx81basic]

I have played a one-string bass made by a finnish luthier. The bass is meant for kids but I used one for a few gigs (just for one song/gig). Attached gig pic and pic from makers web site Link Removed (site only in finnish). The bass sounded great through an Ampeg SVT-AV and 610HLF .

That's quite an unusual little instrument. If you don't mind me asking, how much do they cost? Do you know if they would ship one to the United States? Thanks.

 

[mccartneyman]

Wes Claypool did have a one-string bass and posed with it on the cover of Bassplayer a few years back. However, he never mentioned it in the interview inside. I thought it had one tuning gear at the top.

 

[Yvon]

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[Silversorcerer]

really cool!

One srtring is a great exercise tool for learning fretless positions. And really, for simple pop tunes, they work well.

 

[Low D.]

I don't mean to be offensive, but what's the point of a 1-string bass? If it were a whamola, at least it can be beat with drumstick and some cool rhythm and stuff can be played on it... but a 1 string bass guitar?...

The whole point is to expiriment, and yes I m looking something similar to the whamola, but instead of a stick I can always use my thumb. And ofcourse is a cool and cheap way to play some crazy fretless for fun heheh...

Anw. I m GASing that Krappy bass. Its cheap too and I m in Europe, so shipping wont hurt my pocket.

 

[Low D.]

Some pics during the 2 string bass development:

Hey man, this is one of the simplest and coolest 2 strings I ve seen. I do believe they came also as a 1-string right? I was wondering the quality of it. How much quality u can have with $85?
Oh and what strings r u putting on?

 

[Jean Baudin]

Jean Baudin has a 1 stringer doesn't he?

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Here it is. Although it's currently nailed to my 12-string. (Shhhhh!)

 

[andrewd]

Jean, have you tried mounting the pickup so all of the pole pieces align with the string?

 

[Silversorcerer]

I've got you beat Jean! I just took all the strings off of one of my basses, so now I have a 0 string bass. All you hear is the wood vibrate. The pitch can be changed by bending the neck a little. It's hard to play, and kind of bad tone, but 0 strings. Top that!

 

[Silversorcerer]

Jean, have you tried mounting the pickup so all of the pole pieces align with the string?

You mean like this guy's one string bass? It's all been done before:

 

[Herrlster]

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Here it is. Although it's currently nailed to my 12-string. (Shhhhh!)

Uh Oh! Better not let a certain somebody hear about this!!!

 

[dronnba]

That's quite an unusual little instrument. If you don't mind me asking, how much do they cost? Do you know if they would ship one to the United States? Thanks.

I don't really know how much it costs, the guitarist of the band owns it and I never asked him how much it was. I'll send an e-mail to the luthier and ask for price + shipping costs.

Dronnba

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

... what's the point of a 1-string bass?

For the chords.

 

[derrenleepoole]

Hey man, this is one of the simplest and coolest 2 strings I ve seen. I do believe they came also as a 1-string right? I was wondering the quality of it. How much quality u can have with $85?
Oh and what strings r u putting on?

Yeah, the design is actually developed from Krappys 1 string basses. No idea what the strings on it are actually? They could be the ones that came with it, or I could of changed them but I don't remember if I did! Needless to say it's very fun to play especially with a bottleneck slide!
I'm thinking of modding it further (when time permits) with a better coating on the finger board, better bridge (those individual/separate ones you see on Mazeti basses - don't know what they're called (any ideas anyone?)) and a way to strap it a bit better!

 

[pklima]

I have the Krappy 1/2/3 string tripleneck bass. Decent quality (much better than either of the Wishnevsky instruments I've owned), great fun, great distorted tone though kind of nasal clean (probably because the pickups are so close to the bridges). The 1-string neck is a bit too flexible for my liking.

I've used quite a bit on some recordings. You can hear it playing the distorted part on the song "Czerwony Pas" (though it's the 3-string neck so kind of off-topic) here: Link Removed

I never bothered to change the strings, they're whatever roudnwounds Kevin Siebold threw on there when he built it. I did change one of the nuts after it got lost in transit, other than that it's all stock.

 

[dravenzouk]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Mark Sandman of Morphine in this forum yet. He played an unusual bass along the lines discussed here. It was a two string (often tuned in unison) that he played with a slide. Great stuff.

The band was drums, bass, and saxophone (usually baritone). Dan Colley sometimes played two saxes at once, making the instrumentation even more unique. For brief moments there were two drummers as well.

The band was excellent. Look them up if you haven't heard them before. Standout tracks include: "Honey White", "Buena", "Cure for Pain", and "Speak My Language".

I for one love it when players successfully break out of the box and pull off something unique. Sandman and Morphine did so. In this case the question isn't "Why have a one (or two) string bass?", it's "Why not?"

 

[derrenleepoole]

Morphine were a great band. I'd forgotten about them, cheers for the reminder.... I'm checking them out gain now