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What the heck? 14 strings

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I have only one comment about this, and for that matter, many of the "extreme" ERBs (and this is coming from someone who plays a 7):

Is it still a bass?...even if it has more treble strings than bass strings?

Hmmm.

Damien Hirst, the artist, was once asked what it was that made his latest piece 'art'. He replied "It is art because I am an artist, and I made it".

If I make an instrument with 14 strings and intend it to be a 14-string guitar, it is a guitar. If I intend it to be a bass, then it is a bass.

If we try and work out what instruments are based on their range, we will just face a bit of an epic fail when it comes to instruments like this. It's down to how the individual defines it.

You could have a band with two people, each playing a 14-string hybrid, one of them playing a bassline and the other soloing over the top through a distorted amp. Which one would be the guitar and which one would be the bass? Or would they both be both?
 
Damien Hirst, the artist, was once asked what it was that made his latest piece 'art'. He replied "It is art because I am an artist, and I made it".

If I make an instrument with 14 strings and intend it to be a 14-string guitar, it is a guitar. If I intend it to be a bass, then it is a bass.

If we try and work out what instruments are based on their range, we will just face a bit of an epic fail when it comes to instruments like this. It's down to how the individual defines it.

You could have a band with two people, each playing a 14-string hybrid, one of them playing a bassline and the other soloing over the top through a distorted amp. Which one would be the guitar and which one would be the bass? Or would they both be both?

that's a damn good point. i've been told many times that i play my bass more like a guitar than a bass. alot of people will flame me for it here, but it's what i enjoy, so i will continue to do so. play what you want how you want, don't worry about what other people think.

btw, does anyone know what's up with dusty:confused:
 
that's a damn good point. i've been told many times that i play my bass more like a guitar than a bass. alot of people will flame me for it here, but it's what i enjoy, so i will continue to do so. play what you want how you want, don't worry about what other people think.

btw, does anyone know what's up with dusty:confused:

It is a guitar. It's a bass guitar. Playing bass lines is a function of your role in music, but just as with a piano, you can play anything you like on the low keys!

I've said it a zillion times on this forum... sticking to only learning to play bass parts is very limiting, especially if you have any aspirations to being able to solo. But even if you just like holding down the bottom, the fastest way to learn about music is to learn a lot of stuff from other instruments. Bass parts can be simplistic, so you might not get much exposure to different intervals and scales and stuff just playing other people's bass lines.

But I've been told the same thing, usually by lame guitarists, that I don't (always) play like a bass player. But they were just upset because I could play circles around them. You know how fragile egos can be. :smug:

I always say it's good to learn guitar also. The two instruments are tuned the same, and scales and chords are the same, and it's a good way to learn chords and harmony that can benefit your basslines.

Many of the great bass players started out on guitar first (Joe Osborn, Carol Kaye, Paul McCarney, Ray Shulman). They made an impact because they played more guitar like, i.e., melodic.

My take is a 14-string instrument like this is not really a bass, in as much as a Chapman Stick, or a keyboard synth is not a bass, but you can play bass parts on it.

I think these things need a new category.
 
It is

My take is a 14-string instrument like this is not really a bass, in as much as a Chapman Stick, or a keyboard synth is not a bass, but you can play bass parts on it.

I think these things need a new category.

i agree with you 100%. different tuning, different playing style, different capabilities. but Link Removed just doesnt have the same ring as talkbass.com
 
It is a guitar. It's a bass guitar. Playing bass lines is a function of your role in music, but just as with a piano, you can play anything you like on the low keys!

I've said it a zillion times on this forum... sticking to only learning to play bass parts is very limiting, especially if you have any aspirations to being able to solo. But even if you just like holding down the bottom, the fastest way to learn about music is to learn a lot of stuff from other instruments. Bass parts can be simplistic, so you might not get much exposure to different intervals and scales and stuff just playing other people's bass lines.

But I've been told the same thing, usually by lame guitarists, that I don't (always) play like a bass player. But they were just upset because I could play circles around them. You know how fragile egos can be. :smug:

I always say it's good to learn guitar also. The two instruments are tuned the same, and scales and chords are the same, and it's a good way to learn chords and harmony that can benefit your basslines.

Many of the great bass players started out on guitar first (Joe Osborn, Carol Kaye, Paul McCarney, Ray Shulman). They made an impact because they played more guitar like, i.e., melodic.

My take is a 14-string instrument like this is not really a bass, in as much as a Chapman Stick, or a keyboard synth is not a bass, but you can play bass parts on it.

I think these things need a new category.

some excellent points here:)
 
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