^ Yeah good idea to have the perpendicular fret closer to the nut. The width at the bridge allows you to soak up more scale change without an extreme bridge angle. Equalising the nut and bridge angles would shift the perpendicular fret towards the nut. It's worth considering more angle at the bridge than at the nut too.
Do 13 string ERBs exist?
- Thread starter Murdstone
- Start date
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lettsbasses
Well-Known Member
You aint seen nothin yet!This radical fan is only for the 'true' 13 string and the guy I'm working with plays mostly in the middle of the board so the low and high frets are not too much of an issue. The string manufacturer we are working with has advised that the .256 (I'm pretty sure it is .256, and not .254) will only be of any real use at 40"! We have decided that the only scale that will achieve a truly functional G# and high Ab is 40-25.5 which is gonna require a redesign of the body shape.
Obviously alternate tunings or anything 11 strings or below will not need such a mental fan. Thanks. JL
Now you're talking! 
Chuck
Well-Known Member
13 single strings on any guitar-based instrument is just ridiculous IMHO
TolerancEJ
Well-Known Member
If someone has money ready to hand over, I'm sure a builder would gladly accept a challenge of building whatever a person wishes. They're not just going to build one to satisfy someone's curiosity.
lettsbasses
Well-Known Member
No it isn't. Extending the range of any instrument can only be a good thing.lettsbasses
Well-Known Member
Too right, I would never have made a stock bass with more than 6 strings up until 6 months ago. Now I am totally hooked on erb's and if I ever have the time/money I would definitely build one for myself. There has been interest in 13 string basses for sometime. It isn't a new concept really. The problem was always string availability and the tension involved with long scales. You just have to work around the problems and MAKE IT WORK! You could easily have said that about 6 string basses before they existed. Several companies now offer 10/11 string basses as standard options, conklin, bee bass etc and the music that is created on erbs can be incredible and beautiful. A lot of people hate the idea because they dont fully understand the concept unfortunately. Andres Segovia was a guitarist but was involved in the development of extended range guitars (10 strings I think). Was he an idiot? No! This is a forum for 7 string guitarists. Is that a daft idea? No! Do guitarists stop at 7 strings because more strings would be ridiculous? No! Do people always strive for more? YES!
TolerancEJ
Well-Known Member
That is fantastic news. Except, be ready for a superstitious person that may want to skip 13 and go directly to a 14-string (non-coursed ERB).
By the way, I 'Liked' your Facebook page today and had a look through. You have some very interesting designs.
Chuck
Well-Known Member
Not when it becomes so much that it is difficult and cumbersome to play in which is would start to detract from ones musical ability
Chuck
Well-Known Member
You cannot really compare the two, tbh
I don't think anyone who's worried about such an instrument detracting from their musical ability is in the slightest danger of buying or playing one.
Others may take the time to realize that having over 5 octaves of range in one position makes a lot of music easier to play than it might be on an instrument with fewer strings.
You certainly can. One of the primary uses of such ERB's is in keyboard-like solo tapping pieces.
For example:
Haha this is getting extreme
Chuck
Well-Known Member
Okay nevermind, that is really awesome. Maybe if these super extended basses were more aesthetically pleasing I would like them more. They just seem so large are cumbersome to me. But then again a skilled luthier would make it effortless to play.
Thank you for showing me the potential in these instruments man.
Forget what I said back last page
TolerancEJ
Well-Known Member
If/when one becomes available, it is going to cost a significant amount. One-off instruments do not enjoy the economies of scale, of a routine instrument that gets mass produced. It is quite understandable that only a person who had chosen to dedicate themselves to the ERB craft is going to be interested in an instrument of such a magnitude. It's not like an average person will go instrument shopping at their local store one day and accidentally go home with one of these.
The way I've observed ERBs, in addition to practicing the instrument, one also needs to be aware of the "verbal-baggage" that comes with owning any extended range instrument. For example, any bassist that chooses more than 4/5 strings may generally receive the typical comments like, "Get a guitar" or "Jaco only needed 4."
The way I've observed ERBs, in addition to practicing the instrument, one also needs to be aware of the "verbal-baggage" that comes with owning any extended range instrument. For example, any bassist that chooses more than 4/5 strings may generally receive the typical comments like, "Get a guitar" or "Jaco only needed 4."
Scott Fernandez
Well-Known Member
lettsbasses
Well-Known Member
ha ha. You're famous!
Scott Fernandez
Well-Known Member
HANDSOME PARTY!!!!!!!!!
Hollowway
Extended Ranger
Scott's pretty muscular and those basses of his STILL make him look tiny! I'd look like a first grader playing one. 
