Short scale Eight string?

[Jisch]

I just sold the first bass I made, so it's time to reinvest :-D I'd love to say it was a huge commercial success, let's just say that the guy who bought it is really happy, which made me happy. Getting paid in smiles not money.

Immediately I started thinking about the next build. I was thinking about an eight string (4 mains, 4 octaves) fretted with a relatively short scale - maybe a 32". I'd have the main strings set up with a headless system and the octave strings tuned on the headstock with regular guitar tuners.

I need to look around at eight strings to see what I'm getting into, of course I'd have to do some serious work on the nut to figure out a system that would work for both.

Any ideas/comments welcomed.

 

[ctmullins]

My first eight-string was a 32". My second was a 33". My third will likely be 33". They work fine. When I build a 32" I like to string the fundamentals through-body, so I can use regular long-scale strings.

Go for it!

 

[PDX Rich]

I don't see why not, but I agree that there are challenges with a combo headless system + the treble pairs. I am eagerly looking forward to this one, as I am about to make first cuts on a 35" 8-octave. I am somewhat cheating and getting a 8 string 'just-a-nut' from Warwick and using a headstock style similar to Godlyke.

 

[ctmullins]

In that scenario, the problem isn't the nut, it's the bridge saddles. Most headless hardware is set up for one string per saddle, not two. And even if it could accommodate two, they won't be independently intonatable.

 

[Jisch]

A really stupid question, should the primary strings be on the bass side or the treble side? I've seen them both ways in looking through pictures.

I think I know how I will address the bridge ends and intonation, but I need to look at a few things.

 

[PDX Rich]

Primary bass octaves usually on bottom of treble octaves. eE, aA, dD,gG

 

[CosmoReverb]

A really stupid question, should the primary strings be on the bass side or the treble side? I've seen them both ways in looking through pictures.

I think I know how I will address the bridge ends and intonation, but I need to look at a few things.

This tends to be a determination usually based on preferred playing styles and is usually based on whether the instrument will be played primarily with a pick (predominate downstrokes) or fingers (predominate upstrokes) to determine the position of the octave strings.

(Most people tend to play dual-course instruments with picks)

 

[Jisch]

The video I saw the guy was playing with a pick and the primary strings were on the bass side, but then most of the pictures I saw had them on the treble side.

I primarily play with my fingers, hmm.

 

[Jisch]

Last year I got on a Charlie Hunter kick and was convinced I wanted to make a Novax style guitar/bass like he plays. If you haven't seen Charlie Hunter play - check out one of his videos sometime, he's amazing. After gathering most of the parts and watching a lot more Charlie Hunter videos I realized just how amazing he was and how unlikely it would be that I could even play that thing, never mind master it, so I abandoned the project. It's kind of funny how I clearly remember doing a lot of planning, but I forgot the details.

I was rooting around through my parts bin and found that I made more progress on that than I remembered. I bought a guitar bridge from Carvin, then had my brother who is a machinist make me individual holders for the saddles out of stainless. The idea was that I could enlarge the holes in 3 of them to accommodate bass strings.

Assuming I go forward with this eight string, I can use these individual string saddles for the octave strings and buy some of @michaelwayneharwood individual tuners and I'd be pretty good to go. I would just need to figure out an adjustable saddle for the primary strings, I'll have to think about that. I also have guitar tuners, so that's done too.

Lots more planning to do, but it seems like I have at least some of the necessary hardware (the hardest part of this build I think).

I have a cherry neck blank that I could use as well if I did this as a bolt on.

 

[Jisch]

Just realized I'm going to have trouble with string spacing, getting those octave strings close will be tough, have to do some thinking. It looks like the two strings are not intonated individually.

 

[Jisch]

I found this bridge on ebay: 8 String Bass Guitar Bridge 8 String Chrome | eBay

I'm thinking I could bury the @michaelwayneharwood tuners underneath the bridge (i.e. inside the body).

 

[Will_White]

I found this bridge on ebay: 8 String Bass Guitar Bridge 8 String Chrome | eBay

I'm thinking I could bury the @michaelwayneharwood tuners underneath the bridge (i.e. inside the body).

That bridge only has 4 saddles, you really need an 8 saddle bridge to get it to intonate, I've also been looking one for a 12 string build, I think I'm going to modify an 8 string guitar bridge if I can't find a purpose built one priced decently,
So far the only one I've found is the ABM one on all parts
Chrome ABM 8-String Bass Bridge | Allparts.com

 

[ctmullins]

The Schaller 471 is the typical bridge used. Warmoth has them at a good price: Invalid Link Removed

It comes unslotted, so it can be used for 8 or 12 string.

 

[Jisch]

I saw that Schaller - so you basically cut slots like you do in a nut to set the string spacing.

It would be tough to use that in a headless design as it's meant for top loading, not string through.

I see a lot of the bridges do allow for individual string intonation, I suppose that's a necessity.

 

[ctmullins]

I saw that Schaller - so you basically cut slots like you do in a nut to set the string spacing.

Yep.

It would be tough to use that in a headless design as it's meant for top loading, not string through.

I don't see why. The string-through holes can be just aft of the tailpiece.

Edit - like this:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[PDX Rich]

You can also order 8-string octave parts from Warwick, but they charge a ton, plus import fees. That Schaller is nice. I believe Hipshot makes 8 string octave bridges as well.

 

[Jisch]

Edit - like this:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'll have to look at real estate, those tuners are 2" long, so that might look kind of wonky. I suppose I could install the tuners from the back and put them in at an angle. I'd have to be careful about it as that angle into the body is pretty severe, tuning wouldn't work very well over that kind of break. Thanks for that picture.

 

[Steve Dallman]

My first 8 string was a modded Fender Musicmaster bass. I moved the neck and bridge out an inch to make room for routing for octave tuners behind the bridge plus made a new pick guard to cover the gap at the neck. I set intonation for each pair of strings splitting the difference. It worked out great. I replaced the punk stock pickup with an EMG SA strat pickup. It was a hoot and served me well until I converted a Vox Phantom to an 8 string.

 

[Jisch]

Thanks @Steve Dallman - so you did both the primary and octave intonation with one string bridge, interesting!

 

[ctmullins]

Yes, I've done that as well - one saddle for both strings, pre-compensated like some of the boutique Tele bridges or some of the rosewood archtop bridges.