Definitely not pretty. I think in the back is top of my list right now. I need to check the balance point.
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Short scale Eight string?
- Thread starter Jisch
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- scale short short scale
The balance point appears to be a bit back from the front of the horn, so I think I'll put it in the back and be ok.
One behind the horn
and one in the end
Two observations:
1) the balance point is further forward, there is a bit of neck dive
2) I need to get a dedicated strap for this instrument, the twist to connect to the upper horn lock is bad.
and one in the end
Two observations:
1) the balance point is further forward, there is a bit of neck dive
2) I need to get a dedicated strap for this instrument, the twist to connect to the upper horn lock is bad.
- Apr 18, 2008
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- 31,725
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Sorry, should have mentioned, having the rear strap higher up, on the curve, helps with the dive too.
Dedicated strap, yeah, 'cuz the straplock gets installed backwards from "normal"...
Dedicated strap, yeah, 'cuz the straplock gets installed backwards from "normal"...
A bit of a zombie thread resurrection, but I thought an update would be in order. I work from home and my "office" is also my music studio, which is both great (because I can often noodle around on whatever instrument I'm interested in at the moment while on conference calls) but also a bit too tempting at times.
While I rarely play the eight string in practice it's the instrument I most often pick it up to mess around on. It's a really fun instrument to play, I find I play much differently on this than any other bass due to the sound it makes. I love the tone, the EMGs sound great. I play in a three piece band so the guitarist and I have specific tone ranges where we exist (apparently), the eight string confuses things. I'm sure if it was my only instrument we'd adjust, but it just doesn't fit correctly without adjustment. When I'm messing around I often play a bass line just using the primary strings (by playing carefully I can hit just the bass notes), I record that into my looper, than jam over that with the eight strings.
One thing that is kind of surprising is the amount of tension on the neck from the strings. I never calculated it, but I presumed it would be a lot and left the neck fairly thick. With a 32" scale I thought that would mitigate the tension to some degree. I was doing some work on it last week and had to take the strings off and with no string tension the neck had a pretty significant amount of back bow from how tight the truss rod is. I really didn't notice it until putting strings back on, the strings were bottomed out on the frets until I got the G strings tightened up and the neck started getting pulled over. If I did another I'd probably add a second truss rod or maybe some carbon rods. The truss rod holds it well (I haven't had to adjust it in a while), but there's a lot of tension here.
All in all a very successful build, I really enjoy this instrument!
While I rarely play the eight string in practice it's the instrument I most often pick it up to mess around on. It's a really fun instrument to play, I find I play much differently on this than any other bass due to the sound it makes. I love the tone, the EMGs sound great. I play in a three piece band so the guitarist and I have specific tone ranges where we exist (apparently), the eight string confuses things. I'm sure if it was my only instrument we'd adjust, but it just doesn't fit correctly without adjustment. When I'm messing around I often play a bass line just using the primary strings (by playing carefully I can hit just the bass notes), I record that into my looper, than jam over that with the eight strings.
One thing that is kind of surprising is the amount of tension on the neck from the strings. I never calculated it, but I presumed it would be a lot and left the neck fairly thick. With a 32" scale I thought that would mitigate the tension to some degree. I was doing some work on it last week and had to take the strings off and with no string tension the neck had a pretty significant amount of back bow from how tight the truss rod is. I really didn't notice it until putting strings back on, the strings were bottomed out on the frets until I got the G strings tightened up and the neck started getting pulled over. If I did another I'd probably add a second truss rod or maybe some carbon rods. The truss rod holds it well (I haven't had to adjust it in a while), but there's a lot of tension here.
All in all a very successful build, I really enjoy this instrument!
Nice job on this one! I love the sound. How do you like the flush mount strap locks? I think I'm going to try them out.
-Jake
-Jake
I love those and wish I didn't just buy a four pack of the regular ones! I also accidentally bought a set that are in between - they have the lock inside, but they don't have the flare so you can't use a regular strap on those. I thought I was ordering the flush mount ones.
I think for instruments with pointy upper horns it looks a lot better than having the strap button on the horn. I also used them on a four string I made with no knobs. The recessed ones kept the "clean look" going.
I guess I could, but I'm not very interested in making copies, just not my interest.
I'm surprised there's not bad head dive with that design though. Eight tuners is a lot of weight to have on the headstock and that upper horn is pretty far short of the 12th fret.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,013
- 1
- 31,725
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
I’m a big fan of the Hamer B8 shape. The B8S is short-scale, which helps with neck-dive a bit, but yeah, the design isn’t optimal for hands-free balance. It bothers some of you more than the rest of us. 
My eight string has a bit of neck dive, it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Probably another one of those things we stress too much about. I used to play Jazz basses, there's some good neck dive in those instruments.
haha yeah they dive, but not as bad as the B12S, Ive owed several of both, the 8 is easier to control, the 12s get muddy, I played power pop back then and mostly stuck with the 8. unless you are trying to be Tom Petersson or playing metal its overkill and you better have good speaker. I dont like the EMGs or active circuits that Hamer used later on trying to tame the beast, after using dimarzios in the 80's.I’m a big fan of the Hamer B8 shape. The B8S is short-scale, which helps with neck-dive a bit, but yeah, the design isn’t optimal for hands-free balance. It bothers some of you more than the rest of us.
I stuck Dimarzio X2Ns in mine and they never sounded that good. I had to call the guys at Dimarzio to get the B models, the guy put me on hold for 20 mins so he could go dig those his old pickup box and see if he had any, he had one and made me another.
I like trad shapes and I guess its boring to some, Im afraid I would stab myself with those radical shapes. the Hamer B8s basses have gotten silly price and I cant aford one any more, was thinking about getting someone to make me on, I have a buddy that has an 80's model I could get the measurements off of.
the Hamers use Schaller guitar tuners for the octaves so that keeps some of the weight down but it will dive on you if you move around too fast with out our hand on the neck.
I havent played bass in a band in years, been playing guitar, but if I keep goofing with bass, Im prob gonna try to find someone to build me a body with a glued in neck Hamer 8 copy
I havent played bass in a band in years, been playing guitar, but if I keep goofing with bass, Im prob gonna try to find someone to build me a body with a glued in neck Hamer 8 copy
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,013
- 1
- 31,725
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Back in the day the Schallers were a good lightweight tuner. Those days are over. Now it’s Gotoh Res-O-Lites for the fundamentals and something like the Hipshot open-back tuners or, if you’re really progressive, the astonishing Gotoh Stealths for the octaves. 12g for a Stealth! @Dadagoboi is doing a 12-string with those right now, and I will be soon as well, once the weather cools down a bit!
I'm already planning my second build to be either a narrow spaced 5er or an 8 string, so really appreciate all the threads documenting the builds on here, especially ones like this where you get a lot of the "why" as well as the pretty pictures 
This build is full of "don'ts", ha!
Don't start with a headless, don't fill in all the open space with wood, don't have a fire. :-D
Don't start with a headless, don't fill in all the open space with wood, don't have a fire. :-D
if I did a build i would def look into lighter key options as long as they dont look too rad or modern and look right with a fishtail headstock (see my Greco / Hamer B4s profile pic), Id still stick with 4 reg bass keys and the rest guitar keys, they would all have to match or it would be silly looking, at least to me lol
Yet another zombie resurrection on this thread.
I bought a used bridge for this one and the string slots were already filed into it. They were nice and even, but I don't necessarily like how much space is between the fundamental and octave string. I saw someone's build here where they made new saddles. So that's what I'm doing, I'm also making a new nut to accommodate the new string spread.
This level of precision is crazy compared to using wood. I started by cutting off a section of brass rod I had and squaring it off. The nice thing is brass is really easy to file.
I cut it into small sections and filed each one into the shape of a string saddle
I didn't have the right tap (2.5mm/45tpi), that came today so I finalized the shape to get it to fit in the slot, get the sides the right width and get the hole in the right spot. I figured I'd mess up some so I made 5 saddles. Sure enough I messed up the hole on the first one. I got 3 others done before remembering this was an eight string, I need 8 not 4! I'll get on it again tomorrow, I just ran out of steam after the third one. I busted a screw, so I had to replace one of them too. I like the hex head a lot more, but replacing a screw is not easy, as it needs to rotate freely in a hole in the upper end of the saddle.
I bought a used bridge for this one and the string slots were already filed into it. They were nice and even, but I don't necessarily like how much space is between the fundamental and octave string. I saw someone's build here where they made new saddles. So that's what I'm doing, I'm also making a new nut to accommodate the new string spread.
This level of precision is crazy compared to using wood. I started by cutting off a section of brass rod I had and squaring it off. The nice thing is brass is really easy to file.
I cut it into small sections and filed each one into the shape of a string saddle
Attachments
I got three more saddles done today and broke two more slotted head screws, talk about cheap screws, wow, or maybe I'm just hamfisted. I suspect there will be eight hex heads on here before I'm done. I have optimized the process along the way, but it still takes a long time to get each one so the threaded hole is in the right place and it slides smoothly on the rails. I should finish up tomorrow.
