Short scale Eight string?

[Jisch]

The reason I focus on that is the ebay bridge I listed above has the ability to put the strings through the center of the bridge, so it would save some room, but it clearly is not compensated. Tuning the string from behind the bridge means the string has to slip over the top of the saddle.

I'll have to draw some stuff out.

 

[Steve Dallman]

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

I did the same with my 34" scale Vox Phantom. I built a bridge for that one with the octave tuners on the bridge itself...no mods to the body.

I am a guitar and amp tech. I intonated with my old Peterson strobe tuner. I averaged the two strings and it worked alright. On a similar note, I've have and have had 12 string guitars over the years, and not one had separate saddle adjustments for the individual pairs. I averaged between the two and good to go.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

Hipshot will do a custom mutli-course D style. It's a custom option, has a long lead time (4 to 6 weeks), and is expensive. They are intended to be used with either a tail piece, or through body, so they are a good choice for a headless build.

 

[ctmullins]

Hipshot will do a custom mutli-course D style. It's a custom option, has a long lead time (4 to 6 weeks), and is expensive. They are intended to be used with either a tail piece, or through body, so they are a good choice for a headless build.

I've often considered this option for a ten-string, but I've not seen their design. Do you (or anyone) have pics?

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

I have a ten string on order - when it comes in I will post some pix here. It will be a few weeks yet.

 

[Jisch]

I was looking at the individual bridge pieces that my brother made for me, if I put a set screw in the side to clamp down the string, I could use them as tuners. I'm thinking of burying them inside the body and running the string up over an adjustable bridge, like so:

 

[Will_White]

I was looking at the individual bridge pieces that my brother made for me, if I put a set screw in the side to clamp down the string, I could use them as tuners. I'm thinking of burying them inside the body and running the string up over an adjustable bridge, like so:

That's essentially what @michaelwayneharwood's tuners are.

 

[Jisch]

Right, I'm so stupid I didn't notice that the other day when I sent him a PM about his. I'd have to swap the adjustment screw to a longer hex head too.

 

[Jisch]

The idea for my eight string. I'll start up a new thread once I get the materials and better ideas together. Already I can see the lower horn needs to curve more tightly. The idea is to have a contoured top so the core wood is exposed around the edges in certain spots (indicated by the lines close to the edge on the mock up). I haven't selected wood yet, but this will be a bolt on.

 

[Jisch]

I visited the wood guy today. A good haul of sapele, mahogany and a small piece of reclaimed chestnut. I have no idea how I will use these, I need to sit down with my wood pile and make some decisions.

 

[ctmullins]

Mmmmm, Sapele. One of my favorites!

 

[Jisch]

There's some great grain in that sapele - the long piece. The guy wasn't sure about that big piece in the back - it looks like mahogany, but it's really heavy. The small piece in front is definitely mahogany.

 

[wraub]

If that chestnut is as old and dry as I suspect, it might be a good get for saddles/nut, or even a body core if planned properly.

Watching this...

 

[Jisch]

He said the chestnut was 300 years old. I will have a hard time using that wood. I just watched a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode where someone leaves a wet glass on an expensive piece of furniture leaving a ring - unlike that person I "respect the wood", maybe too much.

I think I'm going to make a body core that is laminated across (like my last two basses) with a cap that exposes the laminations on the edges (as shown in the mock up). I have a three piece maple/walnut/maple neck blank that I will likely be using, I'll laminate some walnut on the back of it.

I haven't figured out the string saddles, my initial thought was making a Fender style bridge with eight individually adjustable saddles out of brass rod. Maybe I should just do wooden saddles.

I was thinking last night that this will be my first attempt at installing frets. I've made fretted instruments, but I have always bought the necks, this will be my first construction.

After seeing @lbridenstine's beautiful ziricote fretboard, I think I'm going to buy one of those from LMII. I'll get it radiused and slotted. I have frets here, I've threatened to make a fretted neck a few times in the past.

I need to decide on a scale. @ctmullins - you said you started building 32" but changed to 33" - can you explain that a bit? I wanted a short scale for this one and 32" fits better with what I have drawn so far, but I actually have never played anything shorter than 34".

Oh and I guess this has become the build thread.

 

[ctmullins]

I like 32" and 33" equally well, and tend to alternate between them on my builds. I try to do string-thru on a 32", so that I can use regular long-scale strings, but with a 33" it's not necessary, unless the tuners are close to the nut. But for an 8-string it's not as much of an issue, since the E fundamental tuner is actually the second tuner on the tree. I suppose all of that is moot if you're using body-side tuners...

LMII lists 32" as one of their standard slotting scales, but not 33". I usually buy a board slotted to 35" and lop off the first fret.

 

[Jisch]

Interesting that 35" with the top fret taken off is 33".

This will be headless, so no tuners, the tuning method on the back will take up some space on the strings, but I should check that it will be enough.

 

[Jisch]

I bookmatched some sapele today, I know this looks a little weird with the red on the left, it's just the way the light is hitting it. I'll put the middle two pieces right next to each other and put some maple strips in between those middle strips and the outer ones.

 

[Jisch]

I cut a couple of pieces of tiger maple to put in as stripes. I have to figure out what to put for the core, either walnut or maple. I'm leaning toward walnut, but I think I'll get this glued and cut to shape then figure it out from there - keep in mind that some of this will be routed away to expose the core layer. (edit I just realized the very outside sapele is not oriented correctly, I will orient it the same direction as the grain on the inside pieces)

 

[Jisch]

I had a neck cut off from a previous through body build, and with this being headless and 32" scale the cutoff was plenty big enough for this project. It's maple/walnut/maple. It was too thick though so I made up my next generation router sled and went to work.

I'll make this more permanent, but I wanted to try out a few things. I took two pieces of child gate extensions and clamped them together with ratchet straps with a piece of 2x4 in between (there's a piece of 2x4 underneath as well to put the neck blank closer to the top).

I cut a slot in a piece of masonite and used double stick tape to put two guides underneath. I found the masonite was wandering too much without those guides.

I did three passes and it's just a hair thicker than I want it, which is perfect for right now - there's some discolored maple, but this will be under the fretboard anyway.

The next time around I'm going to fasten the masonite (or maybe some metal) to the base of the router, it wasn't hard to move the masonite as I worked, but having it move with the router would be easier.

Next up is the truss rod channel then I'll cut the sides of the neck. In the meantime I need to decide on the body wood. I was initially thinking about making a hippy sandwich front to back, but now I'm thinking of just using this piece of mahogany I got with a walnut stringer (I think it's mahogany the guy wasn't sure - it feels too heavy to me). I guess I'll get the top cut out and decide after I do that.

I wish I ordered the fretboard a few weeks ago, that might slow me down!

 

[Jisch]

@ctmullins : when you make a 32" scale 4 string double course - what dimensions do you use for the neck? I have used Carvin's measurements in the past for four and five stringers. Their 4 string is 1.53 at the nut and 2.5 at the heel and the 5 is 1.75 at the nut and 3.0 at the heel. I was thinking of splitting the difference (1.625 at the nut and 2.75 at the heel), but then I started thinking about the short scale and whether that would look weird. I'm used to playing fives, so a wide neck doesn't scare me.