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Who really plays anything over 10 strings!?

#81
B-Mac said:
I love my Dean Edge Hammer!!!!!
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@Gougedeye had one with double rows of pole pieces in the pups but I’ve never seen one in any catalog
Dean Club!!!
I love my Dean Rhapsody 8 string too!
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I have a Carlo Robelli 8 string (doubled strings) and it's a fun bass. It plays just like a 4 string and usually sounds best with a pick. But this is why I don't play it much, because the above 10 string is what I really want! unfortunately discontinued. However I did manage to score one of those 10 string bridges and anchors from Dean before they ran out of them. So one day I plan to convert something to 10 string!

Note that I also have a couple non-doubled 7 string basses (such as a Conklin Bill Dickens). They are a lot of fun too but an entirely different thing. I've found that because I'm not into tapping, 7 strings in a regular non-doubled bass is about the most I can reach without strain.
 
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#82
bassbenj said:
I have a Carlo Robelli 8 string (doubled strings) and it's a fun bass. It plays just like a 4 string and usually sounds best with a pick. But this is why I don't play it much, because the above 10 string is what I really want! unfortunately discontinued. However I did manage to score one of those 10 string bridges and anchors from Dean before they ran out of them. So one day I plan to convert something to 10 string!

Note that I also have a couple non-doubled 7 string basses (such as a Conklin Bill Dickens). They are a lot of fun too but an entirely different thing. I've found that because I'm not into tapping, 7 strings in a regular non-doubled bass is about the most I can reach without strain.
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Did you ever see one like this?
upload_2019-6-22_22-10-30.jpeg

This belonged to @Gougedeye its his picture also
 
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#85
I played a hammer chaparelle 12 string back in 1990 and a few weeks later saw Allen Woody play a solo on an 18 string Modulus. When I met Allen woody in 1996, he said it was a fun bass, but heavy, uncomfortable, and limiting. That was the vibe I got at the time I played the hamer
 
#86
bushy said:
I wonder how this Dean Rhapsody 12 string bass is played, is it by tapping?

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It's a 34", is this considered short scale, sort of?

Although it appears likely playable and not as exaggerated looking as this 10 string bass:

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At least the Dean Rhapsody's strings appears to be a 4 set of 3 strings close with each other. I bet this'll sound great using a bass synth pedal like the Boss SY-300.
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12 string 4x3 isn’t that crazy. Dug P from Kings X was known for playing them for a while. Going back to when I was a child even.

As far as single course I really don’t get taking it to such an extreme. I’ve owned a 7 string and could probably handle a 9 string at most reach wise but I prefer sticking with 4 and 5 string basses and using different tunings.

I would think analog octave and or synth pedals would actually struggle to track 8 and 12 string multi course basses.
 
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#87
OK mark me as a heretic but I don't see/hear anything here that blows me away, that a great 4 or 5 stringer couldn't do (especially as Jimmym says, with a good octave pedal). All sounds pretty gimmicky to me. Maybe I'm missing something but I dont see or hear anything that would make me want to deal with all of that neck real estate.
 
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#88
NO AFFILIATION!!!

Although... it seems that this was "done correctly", with alot of thought put into it. If it were not a 2 hour drive for Me, with My work schedule being what it is... It would be MINE!!!

The ad seems honest, and the MOD looks AMAZING!!!

I'm sure that it's a neat thing.

I do have a Hagstrom HB8. But... it's 32" scale (the D, and G octave strings are tuned in 5th's, to create a chord. Stole the idea from Chris Squire). I'd LOVE a 34"!!!

Hmmmmmmm... maybe... the seller will ship it to Me. Hang on, Boy's and Grrrl's... I'm gonna inquire.

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#89
bherman said:
OK mark me as a heretic but I don't see/hear anything here that blows me away, that a great 4 or 5 stringer couldn't do (especially as Jimmym says, with a good octave pedal). All sounds pretty gimmicky to me. Maybe I'm missing something but I dont see or hear anything that would make me want to deal with all of that neck real estate.
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Double strings make a lot more sense on acoustic guitar.
 
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#90
bholder said:
The coursed 12 strings aren't that hard to play, actually, just like a 4 string except you have to be a bit more careful about fretting all 3 strings properly. I have 3. :D Sounds like the Voice of God!

The 10 and greater string non-coursed ones I think are the ones used by tappers and such. I can't conceive of attempting to play one. (Though I am slowly trying to teach myself to play The Stick, which is kind of similar but really a lot different.)
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Stick Men | Season 6 Episode 22 | On Tour
 
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#95
I tried an 8-string octave bass, and... well, I'm just not good enough of a massively-fingerpadded player to make much more than fret-buzz sounds with it.

Funny thing, I own a 7-string Ibanez BTB7 and quite love it, though I'll need a luthier's love to get the truss rod nuts to respond at some point. It's strictly a creative instrument (e.g. EXH Pitchfork set to 100% wet at 2 octaves UP + IE Polytope at a nice washy chorus + Meris Mercury 7 reverb set to 100% wet & with swell engaged = a sweeeeeeeeet string orchestra sound!!!), and that's totally good by me. I create with it.

As for 12+ in a performance context, I personally lack the wherewithal to make use of that. I just only have the ability to do my bass thing, have fun with the sweet 7-string, and maybe build up to the 8-string one day.

As for everyone else who can rock all the 200 strings, I'll check out that EP. haha
 

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