8 String Thunderbird/REV 82 Build

[dadagoboi]

Started with a Warmoth 8 string neck which was drilled for 8 mini bass tuners, decided it needed to be restyled.  I have 3 Korean 8 strings, I like this headstock, nice and compact.  I plugged the holes in the Warmoth and transferred the Robelli headstock holes to it.  The Warmoth neck is super chunky, even for me.  1 3/4" wide at the nut.



Then drilled them out


Veneered the headstock and started playing around with new shape.


I use an out of production 4" x 24" Porter Cable 12 amp belt sander to do body contouring





What bridge to use?

Korean 8 string, same as used by Hamer on their import 12ers.  I was going to send it to Steve to have him machine it down to fit my standard bridge carrier but it still wouldn't be adjustable for individual string heights.


...so then I saw this ABM that looked to fill the bill for adjustability and ordered one from Allparts.

The problem with it is that it is TOO WIDE.

...so Schaller 8 string it is.


I dropped a single pickup to get a feel for the 8 string thing.  It sounds great.  The Warmoth neck is perfectly flat and the action is super low.  Next up is to shave the neck, finalize the headstock shape and decide on the finish.  I've mostly been enjoying playing it for the last few weeks.  Pretty sure I'm going to wire it stereo.

[Bionic-Joe]

NICE.

[dadagoboi]

Thanks, Baz!

[Highlander]

What advantage (perceived) would you get from running in stereo...?

I split mine on an XLR so I can run a stereo or mono lead but haven't bothered with the stereo in more years thank I care to remember...

[drbassman]

Looks nice Carlo. good mods on the neck.  Gonna have to try one of those someday.

[dadagoboi]

What advantage (perceived) would you get from running in stereo...?

I split mine on an XLR so I can run a stereo or mono lead but haven't bothered with the stereo in more years thank I care to remember...

Getting the bridge and neck pups into separate amps should allow more flexibility in tone shaping.  I've noticed a big difference in the one pup just by using the tone pot.  Seems worth a shot using a stack pot for each pup.

Looks nice Carlo. good mods on the neck.  Gonna have to try one of those someday.

Thanks, Bill.  I think I'm going to try one of their 5 string paddle head necks for the next one.  Easier to mod and lighter.  Pretty sure it will take the extra load, Warmoths are really beefy.  Plus the neck heel profile is the same as a 4 string Fender so I can use my standard neck pocket.

[Highlander]

I went for a "clean, straight out" option on the PC by bypassing all the pots and straight to the XLR - if you are considering a pro player and splitting the sound, the player will have to rely on what goes to the desk and what goes out from there - the soundman controls everything when you are at that level...

[dadagoboi]

I went for a "clean, straight out" option on the PC by bypassing all the pots and straight to the XLR - if you are considering a pro player and splitting the sound, the player will have to rely on what goes to the desk and what goes out from there - the soundman controls everything when you are at that level...

Makes sense, but it seems to me in a 3 piece situation (the only one I care to think about with an 8er) there should be enough inputs to assign an extra one to the bass, either mic or DI.  As far as the soundman, you're always at his mercy.  But at some level you have your own.

[Shark]

NICE.

+1. Cool creation!

[godofthunder]

  Looks Great !

[nofi]

i think the headstock length is perfect as is. although that would leave a lot of unused wood at the end.

[gearHed289]

Cool project. Good plan to shave the neck. I had a Warmoth 8 for a while and didn't like it very much. It was beautiful, but too chunky, even for my spider fingers. And the steel rods they inlay under the fingerboard make them heavy. Headstock reduction - looks good!

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I think you should angle the headstock cut in the opposite direction and make it a modified version of your normal headstock, point and all. You'll have to pitch your logo at a downward sloping angle, but I think it would really make it stand out. Just about every 8 or 12'er has some form of paddle headstock, like any artistry in the design had to be sacrificed to the additional strings. Especially since it's a 'Bird, give it a "head."

[dadagoboi]

Cool project. Good plan to shave the neck. I had a Warmoth 8 for a while and didn't like it very much. It was beautiful, but too chunky, even for my spider fingers. And the steel rods they inlay under the fingerboard make them heavy. Headstock reduction - looks good!

The Warmoth fretboards and headstocks are also thicker than they need to be.  Makes a very stable neck but too heavy.  

I think you should angle the headstock cut in the opposite direction and make it a modified version of your normal headstock, point and all. You'll have to pitch your logo at a downward sloping angle, but I think it would really make it stand out. Just about every 8 or 12'er has some form of paddle headstock, like any artistry in the design had to be sacrificed to the additional strings. Especially since it's a 'Bird, give it a "head."

I've played around with that, it makes sense.  That's why I haven't done any trimming yet.  Have to give it some more thought, maybe a 5+3 headstock.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys.

[patman]

maybe have the headstock "echo" the body slant?