Anyone have experience with a 9-string?

[eegor]

So I've been talking to Sebastian about a custom 8-string guitar, and while I was thinking about it today, I realized something about the tuning I'm going to have. I was planning on using standard tuning down a whole step, or in other words E A D G C F A D. I realized that the lowest string is going to be the same as the low string on a bass. That got me thinking. What if I were to add yet another string to basically combine bass and guitar; aka why don't a get a 9-string? I could use it as a bass and a guitar, thus saving me that whole process of buying a bass.

My question(s) is(are): is this a good, or at least viable idea? And what if I were to get a 10-string to add an extra high G string for teh soloage?

Thanks in advance for any input you guys have.

 

[jrf8]

So I've been talking to Sebastian about a custom 8-string guitar, and while I was thinking about it today, I realized something about the tuning I'm going to have. I was planning on using standard tuning down a whole step, or in other words E A D G C F A D. I realized that the lowest string is going to be the same as the low string on a bass. That got me thinking. What if I were to add yet another string to basically combine bass and guitar; aka why don't a get a 9-string? I could use it as a bass and a guitar, thus saving me that whole process of buying a bass.

My question(s) is(are): is this a good, or at least viable idea? And what if I were to get a 10-string to add an extra high G string for teh soloage?

Thanks in advance for any input you guys have.

this thread is kind of a broad question, buy a halo 9 string and hope to god it arrives with all the parts on the guitar? fanned, standard, scvale length? you need to be more specific

 

[bs_tritonus]

I like having the full range of both a guitar and a bass. But I would keep the tuning in fourths instead of doing E A D (G) - E A D G B E. I have just ordered a Roter 8 string and toyed around with the idea of a 9 or 10 string tuned C# F# B E A D G B E or with an additional lower G#.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

You could do all perfect fourths...
B E A D G C F Bb Eb

Or if you like that minor third between your 2nd highest and 3rd highest strings...
B E A D G C F A D

Me? I'm nuts!! Plus I never could get a low B to sound quite right for me. (assuming 32" scale)
E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab

 

[bs_tritonus]

major third

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Oops. I meant major.

 

[bs_tritonus]

yeah...right....

 

[Vairocarnal]

forget tunings, for now that's arbitrary. If I were you, I would attempt to install some kind of bass pickup with a separate/mixed output for clarity on those lower notes.

...and to answer your question: Yeah, that sounds like an awesome idea. I wish I could make it work but I'm not giving up my sustainer...although I could try and install some type of peizo system...ooooooooooh...

 

[damigu]

i think it depends on what type of music you're playing.

if you're playing metal, i'm not so sure it would suit. since you'd probably be using that low string for chug, having the "bass" playing the same note wouldn't necessarily add the power that generally comes from a bass (maybe if you added bass pickup to the low strings, as was mentioned above).

if you're playing like pat methany fingerstyle, or tapped style, then it does make sense to have both ranges on a single instrument.

 

[FredGrass]

since you'd probably be using that low string for chug, having the "bass" playing the same note wouldn't necessarily add the power that generally comes from a bass (maybe if you added bass pickup to the low strings, as was mentioned above).

That's not really the case. If you listen to an E1 on a dropped 2228 for example, and an E1 on a bass guitar, you will hear two very different things. The sounds tonally complement each other by emphasizing different frequency ranges, instrument technology (strings, pickups, scale, etc.), and amplification setups. It's more focused on or near the fundamental tones being developed. The guitar will chug and the bass will boom. Of course you could also drop the bass an octave, too.

Also another note... An 8-string with the F# dropped a step covers the complete range of a standard electric bass and a standard electric guitar. You don't need a 9th string... I'm actually going to be working on an 8-string project soon so I can achieve that very result. Gonna try EBEADGbe and EADadgbe, and straight fourths, and anything else I can think of.

 

[damigu]

That's not really the case. If you listen to an E1 on a dropped 2228 for example, and an E1 on a bass guitar, you will hear two very different things.

that's because a bass has thicker strings and at higher tension due to the longer scale (bass strings are generally at twice the tension of guitar strings).

if he set up the 9 strings to something like EAD EADGBE, with actual bass strings on the low, and independent pickup outputs for the bass vs. the other strings (even if the others are downtuned to the same E), then he could still get a real bass sound out of it.

otherwise (without such a split tuning) it would be like playing a distorted 2228 and making a bass track with a clean 2228--it just wouldn't have the right pass power/tightness to back up the chug. and if he used bass strings for the low strings then it would be the chug that suffers.


that's actually why i brought up pat metheny in the other post. sometimes he throws bass strings for the E and A so he can play bass and melody simultaneously (but it wouldn't work right if it wasn't actual bass strings). like in this vid:

 

[Apophis]

nice vid

 

[distressed_romeo]

that's because a bass has thicker strings and at higher tension due to the longer scale (bass strings are generally at twice the tension of guitar strings).

if he set up the 9 strings to something like EAD EADGBE, with actual bass strings on the low, and independent pickup outputs for the bass vs. the other strings (even if the others are downtuned to the same E), then he could still get a real bass sound out of it.

otherwise (without such a split tuning) it would be like playing a distorted 2228 and making a bass track with a clean 2228--it just wouldn't have the right pass power/tightness to back up the chug. and if he used bass strings for the low strings then it would be the chug that suffers.


that's actually why i brought up pat metheny in the other post. sometimes he throws bass strings for the E and A so he can play bass and melody simultaneously (but it wouldn't work right if it wasn't actual bass strings). like in this vid:

That video was fucking awesome!

 

[eegor]

Well, thanks guys for all your input, but I've decided against it. It was more wishful thinking than something I would actually get.

 

[muffgoat]

My other guitarist and fellow member durero (leo) has and plays a 9 string in our band. The top string is in F and it is all tuned in 4ths, fuckin wicked and the motherfucker knows how to play it damn well too :jealous:

 

[Durero]

Aw shucks dude...

Yeah I've got an Ergo 9 which I'm using until I can get my own multi-scale design built.

eegor I think your idea is totally viable but would require some careful planning. The first question that comes to my mind is wether you'd be looking for a traditional bass tone (which would affect your string gage, scale, and pickup choices) or something closer to to a normal guitar tone but extended into the bass range.

 

[tkajr7]

That's not really the case. If you listen to an E1 on a dropped 2228 for example, and an E1 on a bass guitar, you will hear two very different things. The sounds tonally complement each other by emphasizing different frequency ranges, instrument technology (strings, pickups, scale, etc.), and amplification setups. It's more focused on or near the fundamental tones being developed. The guitar will chug and the bass will boom. Of course you could also drop the bass an octave, too.

Also another note... An 8-string with the F# dropped a step covers the complete range of a standard electric bass and a standard electric guitar. You don't need a 9th string... I'm actually going to be working on an 8-string project soon so I can achieve that very result. Gonna try EBEADGbe and EADadgbe, and straight fourths, and anything else I can think of.

i was also thinking about trying EADadgbe as well

 

[Ishan]

You guys are making a lot of assumption about how an 8 string guitar wouldn't work as a bass guitar in term of tone. I use my 8 string every week for 2 hours with my classic rock cover band, I tune EADGCFAD and with good EQing and compression it passes for very well for a bass ( a snappy one, but it sounds great that way)
I've toyed a lot with the idea of having a fanned 9 string made, tuned BEADGCFAD, but my 8 string is already the limit for my left hand. Maybe it could work if I could try different design but no luthiers are doing 9 string here...

 

[JakeRI]

this might be what you wnat

Novax Guitars: Instrument Models: Charlie Hunter Solidbody 8-string