What's the appeal of 6, 7, 8, and 12 string basses?

[Denis]

I know there's lots of attraction to more-than-4-string basses and I get the 5-string bass. Past a 5 string bass, what's the appeal?
Please enlighten me!

[patman]

I played a sixer for a couple of years...

Some creative chordal and harmonic possibilities open up with the high "C" string.

The huge neck used to hurt my hands and wrists, though...

Also, string spacing is so close that any serious slapping is pretty much out of the question, at least for me.

It went back to where it came from (my son)...

Been using a Precision tuned BEAD, and my Longhorn tuned standard for the last month or so. Works better for me, although it takes a little practice at first.

[gweimer]

Once you hit 6 strings, it's no longer a bass.   

[Psycho Bass Guy]

The 12'er is like having a rhythm guitarist who can keep time.

[hieronymous]

I've got an Ibanez 6-string (BEADGC) and my Alembic Stanley Clarke is tuned EADGC. I like having the high C string sometimes, especially for improvisational music - sometimes I want to go way up high! If I were just fulfilling the traditional bass role I probably wouldn't use the high C that much.



I've also got a Fender Bass VI reissue - tuned EADGBE like a bass with two higher strings - that's an odd instrument that I haven't been playing much recently. Again, I personally would probably use it for more lead-style playing, though I am really impressed with Roy Babbington's use of it in Soft Machine - he gets a great sound out of his:



8- and 12-strings are another thing entirely, if you're referring to the ones with octave strings - a different sound entirely, especially with distortion!    http://soundcloud.com/hieronymous-seven/black-walrus-over-the-edge-mix

The 12'er is like having a rhythm guitarist who can keep time.

[Pekka]

I know there's lots of attraction to more-than-4-string basses and I get the 5-string bass. Past a 5 string bass, what's the appeal?
Please enlighten me!

The appeal of 8- and 12-strings (the ones with octave strings) is the sound. You can't get it with any pedal or a simulator. It's not a plug-in-and-play kind of bass 'though, you need some stuff to make it sound good.
Here's a clip I made a few years ago. Waterstone TP-2 12-string bass with pickups onto their own channels:

[Pekka]

I

I've also got a Fender Bass VI reissue - tuned EADGBE like a bass with two higher strings - that's an odd instrument that I haven't been playing much recently. Again, I personally would probably use it for more lead-style playing, though I am really impressed with Roy Babbington's use of it in Soft Machine - he gets a great sound out of his:

I have an Aria SB-700 that's been modded quite a few times and is now an EADGBE tuned 6-string but it of course has a long scale compared to Fender Bass VI and the other original 6-string basses. Very inspiring instrument, the chords sound great with it.


Mike Rutherford used a 6-string (EADGBE again) for a while and played some great and unusual things with it. "Back In NYC" for example.

[nofi]

i saw that version of soft machine way back when. very impressive.

[Dave W]

If you want to hear some more possibilities with a non-octave 8-string, listen to some of Trip Wamsley's 8-string stuff on YT.  Yes, it's more than just a bass. Not just like a guitar though, not with that scale length.



Trip's pretty handy with a four-banger too

[patman]

I really loved Soft Machine during the 2nd/3rd/4th and 5th albums...

[Big_Stu]

What's the appeal ......... ?



None, none whatsoever. But if it floats your boat then on you go!

[Rob]

What's the appeal ......... ?



None, none whatsoever. But if it floats your boat then on you go!

DAYUMMMMM That loks like the flight deck on the Enterprize.

[dadagoboi]

Stumbled across this while doing research this AM.  Strictly 12ers and lots of info.

http://www.12stringbass.net/

[uwe]

If you want to hear some more possibilities with a non-octave 8-string, listen to some of Trip Wamsley's 8-string stuff on YT.  Yes, it's more than just a bass. Not just like a guitar though, not with that scale length.



Trip's pretty handy with a four-banger too

I really like that first vid, very taste- and tuneful, but it's not bass playing, is it? But unquestionably nice.

[uwe]

DAYUMMMMM That loks like the flight deck on the Enterprize.

That otoh is (jazzy) bass playing feeling- and groove-wise, the notes are just higher.