V8 project

[JIO]

I like it! I was wondering about this bass the other day.
I was browsing weird and wonderful bass shaped objects on aliexpress - stuff you know is going to need work

Yah, I went into it specifically as a platform for redefining and figured that it would need a lot of work to make it not only look good, but play and sound good. It's fun to take something brand new and mess with it!

 

[Indiedog]

JIO! You have outdone yourself! What a great result! You can be proud of this.

 

[JIO]

JIO! You have outdone yourself! What a great result! You can be proud of this.

Thanks! I've been playing it and found one more functional thing to 'adjust'. My strap-peg extension (which works really well to eliminate 'neck-dive') needed a platform riser so my thumb fit between it and the neck. I made one that added 5/16". I have big 'mitts' and my thumb 'just' fits, so I figure anyone else wouldn't have an issue. I don't end up in the nose-bleed section often, but I design my basses for all players - not just me.

As you can see if you study this pic, I have it going through an Electro-Harmonics micro POG [Polyphonic Octave Generator] Wait... you have an 8-string octave bass going through a (micro) POG? you might ask... it does seem redundant, but there's magic when you octivize an octave bass. The bass actually sounds 'just ok' w/o it.

You can also note my gloved left hand. It's one of those copper-threaded gloves to aid... something. I am recovering from Carpal Tunnel surgery and it supposedly helps. I really can't tell - but it's easy enough to wear and it can't hurt. When I started this project, I couldn't even comfortably play this bass. The fact that I can play it now (abet with some targeted modifications to aid comfortable playing) - is a good sign.

 

[BAG]

As you can see if you study this pic, I have it going through an Electro-Harmonics micro POG [Polyphonic Octave Generator] Wait... you have an 8-string octave bass going through a (micro) POG? you might ask... it does seem redundant, but there's magic when you octivize an octave bass. The bass actually sounds 'just ok' w/o it.

I've done something similar before as well. Playing the 8 string through an octave up effect with a tiny little bit of chorus....... for the right song it sounds amazing.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I've done something similar before as well. Playing the 8 string through an octave up effect with a tiny little bit of chorus....... for the right song it sounds amazing.

Hmmm...That sounds like a Double Octave Bass. The root note plus one octave up and two octaves up.

I've had a crazy idea of building a 9-string Double Octave bass. Three triplets of strings, tuned EAD. Each triplet would be a standard root in the middle, an octave down on the left, and an octave up on the right. The E triplet would be E1-E2-E3. The E1 string would be one of those low F# strings tuned down to E1. The low A string would be a common B tuned down to A. Etc.

I think that could be a really cool bass. I'll probably never get around to building one, but I hope someone else will take the idea and try it.

 

[Will_White]

Hmmm...That sounds like a Double Octave Bass. The root note plus one octave up and two octaves up.

I've had a crazy idea of building a 9-string Double Octave bass. Three triplets of strings, tuned EAD. Each triplet would be a standard root in the middle, an octave down on the left, and an octave up on the right. The E triplet would be E1-E2-E3. The E1 string would be one of those low F# strings tuned down to E1. The low A string would be a common B tuned down to A. Etc.

I think that could be a really cool bass. I'll probably never get around to building one, but I hope someone else will take the idea and try it.

As someone who hangs out down at G0 that sounds like it would be a fantastic wall of sound. The high strings could get tricky with the extended scale needed for E0 and playing it with the difference between the .180 and the .045 of high and low strings could be tricky but if you do make one make a video too.

 

[JIO]

Even before dealing with my left hand Carpal Tunnel issues - these coupled-stringed basses (8-12) are not something I'd normally gravitate to. Now that I can start playing this bass and can hear how it is a unique bass voice (which I like) - I still feel it's limitations - a cool sound for a specific song/style of music... but that's it - something to pull out when appropriate. I'm know there are players who made playing one part of their signature sound - so I'm not saying they are 'one-trick-ponies'.., but playing a coupled-string bass is obviously not for every style of music. In like manor, a 12-string guitar sounds cool - but it's not for most music. More of a specific/specialty voice.

 

[Indiedog]

Even before dealing with my left hand Carpal Tunnel issues - these coupled-stringed basses (8-12) are not something I'd normally gravitate to. Now that I can start playing this bass and can hear how it is a unique bass voice (which I like) - I still feel it's limitations - a cool sound for a specific song/style of music... but that's it - something to pull out when appropriate. I'm know there are players who made playing one part of their signature sound - so I'm not saying they are 'one-trick-ponies'.., but playing a coupled-string bass is obviously not for every style of music. In like manor, a 12-string guitar sounds cool - but it's not for most music. More of a specific/specialty voice.

I too see the whole thing in a complex way. I love the idea of multiple stings because of my experience with 12-string guitars, mandolins, mandalas, and octave mandolins. I love my 8-string bass. It makes me play in a way that is very different from any other bass. But I am not skilled enough to really understand just how multi-string masters make 8’s and 12-string basses sound so perfect in a song. They are very talented to be able to switch, or if they do, play Multis ALL the time.

 

[JIO]

I too see the whole thing in a complex way. I love the idea of multiple stings because of my experience with 12-string guitars, mandolins, mandalas, and octave mandolins. I love my 8-string bass. It makes me play in a way that is very different from any other bass. But I am not skilled enough to really understand just how multi-string masters make 8’s and 12-string basses sound so perfect in a song. They are very talented to be able to switch, or if they do, play Multis ALL the time.

I'll like to take it to my next Fri night jam session, but I have a feeling I would want to play a standard 4-string after a couple jams. The micro POG has a bypass so you can use it back & forth in the same song/jam. The effect pedals I use for my bands (tremolo/chorus/fuzz/distortion) are mostly used as accents - not for the whole song or set. For Skyfall I add the fuzz for the verses and clean for the chorus. The only song I leave an effect pedal on the whole song is my chorus on "Insane Asylum". And it's unlike playing a 5'r or even a six-string (which I've never played) as they are not an octave bass.

 

[JIO]

More work on the V8 - the original bridge pu as you can see in the pic on the right, is too narrow for the string spacing resulting in weak output. Probably just used a generic bridge pu for an SG/EB-3 type 4-string bass. (you can buy them all day from China on eBay for cheap) But with a wider fb to accommodate 8 strings, the E & G strings are at the edge of the pu, just missing the magnets. So a J bridge pu to the rescue from my parts bin. I think it's the bridge pu from my '93 American Standard J. I also ordered a D'Addario 8-string set. Broke a few of the cheap crappy strings that came on the bass while re-tuning.

I've been enjoying playing it now that my wrist is recovering. It's a specialty sound but I've already found a few songs Bond Girl so learning where it works well. I send it through a micro POG which sounds overkill (octaviz-ing an octave bass!) but it sounds great!

 

[Flamingo21]

I like how you made the J pickup not look like a J pickup.

 

[JIO]

I like how you made the J pickup not look like a J pickup.

I cut the surround out of a thin textured plastic sheet but may cut something else. I didn't want to use the same material as the pg because I thought it would be overkill visually.

 

[Flamingo21]

I can see why you would want to revisit that surround. There are some fine lines to be walked here.

 

[JIO]

I can see why you would want to revisit that surround. There are some fine lines to be walked here.

Fine white lines to be exact!

 

[JIO]

New strings arrived and are on the bass. Not that I'm surprised but the bass sounds much better. But due to all the harmonics of an octave bass, it tends to have surge notes when playing. Use of a filter like my BBE Sonic Stomp should tame that along with targeted pu height adjustments. The strings that were on it might have been a bit heavier too - these 'chime' more.