bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
with double
course
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
strings normally tuned in octaves, with both strings in a course usually played simultaneously. As on a
12-string guitar
A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in o ...
, this produces a natural chorus effect due to the subtle differences in string timbre.
8-string bass guitars
The eight-string bass guitar was invented by electrical engineer and musician Eric Krackow, who had played with Al Kooper's early band, The Aristo-Cats, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It bothered Eric that 50% of the quartet would be tied up with the guitar doubling the bass line while playing tunes like
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
's " Manic Depression". Eric, finding it too awkward to play the unison octaves himself on complex songs, remembered the 12-string guitar principle and made a prototype eight-string bass from a modified four-string bass. The bass was strung with paired, octaved strings, similar to those of a regular
12-string guitar
A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in o ...
.
In 1967, Eric and business partner Steve Wittels brought it to Sid Hack of Univox, the company that imported
Hagström
Hagström () is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the late 1950s ...
guitars. Hack liked the idea, and ordered a trial run of 500 units. The success of that test run resulted in further production and sales. From 1967 through 1969, Hagstrom made 2,249 eight-string basses.
Standard tuning is usually thus:
*high e, low E,
*high a, low A
*high d, low D
*high g, low G
Chris Squire of
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...
often tuned his Ranney 8-string bass eE-aA-aD-dG, so that notes played on the upper two courses sound as open fifths.
Eight-string basses are usually fretted; however, fretless basses have infrequently been made. Many well-known guitar manufacturers offer eight-string basses, including
Dean Guitars
Dean Guitars, commonly referred to simply as Dean, is an American importer and maker of stringed instruments and musical products with its headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
Its products include solid-body electric guitars, bass guitars, and acous ...
Hamer Guitars
Hamer Guitars was an American manufacturer of electric guitars founded in 1973, in Wilmette, Illinois, by vintage guitar shop owners Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig. The company's early instruments featured guitar designs based on the Gibson Explorer ...
,
Schecter Guitars
Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known simply as Schecter, is an American manufacturing company founded in 1976 by David Schecter, which originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibs ...
,
Washburn Guitars
Washburn Guitars is an American brand and importer of guitars, mandolins, and other string instruments, originally established in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois. The Washburn name is controlled by U.S. Music Corp., a subsidiary of Canadian corporate ...
,
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a range ...
and Hagström. Warmoth Guitars also offers an eight-string "conversion" intended to make a standard bass body into an eight-strung instrument.
Often, the 8-string bass is played with a
plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsic ...
to have a better attack and to increase the 'ringing' of the higher-register strings, but is not essential. Funk players have used finger and
slap and pop
Slapping and popping are ways to produce percussive sounds on a stringed instrument. It is primarily used on the double bass or bass guitar. Slapping on bass guitar involves using the edge of one's knuckle, where it is particularly bony, to ...
techniques with the 8-string bass (such as Victor Wooten).
Guitarist
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
Mark Egan
Mark Egan (born January 14, 1951 in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States) is an American jazz bassist and trumpeter known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group and the Gil Evans Orchestra. He is co-founder of the jazz fusion band, Elem ...
,
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Jeff Ament of
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
,
Paulo Pinto Paulo is a Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, and Italian masculine given name equivalent to English Paul. Notable people with the name include:
*Paulo Jr.
*Paulo Jr. (footballer)
*Paulo Almeida, Brazilian footballer
*Paulo André Cren Benini (born 1983 ...
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician who was the bassist for the rock band The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band's only member ...
of
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
,
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart Lake (10 November 1947 – 7 December 2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP).
Born and b ...
Bent Sæther
Bent Sæther (born 18 February 1969 in Oslo, Norway) is the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the Norwegian psychedelic rock band Motorpsycho from the start in 1989.
Background
Sæther grew up in an apartment complex in Ammerud before movi ...
of
Motorpsycho Motorpsycho may refer to:
* Motorpsycho (band), a Norwegian rock band
* ''Motorpsycho'' (film), a 1965 film by Russ Meyer
* ''Motorpsycho Presents The International Tussler Society'', a 2004 album by The International Tussler Society
* "Motorpsych ...
Butt Trumpet
Butt Trumpet is a Los Angeles-based punk band founded and maintained by Thom Bone. It is known for its crass lyrics and deliberately offensive style. The group features two bassists among its members. They became famous in 1994 when their Chry ...
,
Lemmy
Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he wa ...
of
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
, Baron Blood of
Necromantia
Necromantia was a Greek black metal band that was founded in 1989 in Athens. Alongside Rotting Christ and Varathron, they are considered to be pioneers in establishing the Greek black metal scene in the early 1990s. The band is notable for the co ...
,
Brandon Curtis
Brandon Curtis is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist in the space rock band The Secret Machines. Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, he was friends with members of The Flaming Lips, The Chainsaw Kittens and Tripping Daisy. Brandon and his broth ...
Tom Petersson
Thomas John Peterson, better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known for being the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick.
Career
Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands, including t ...
of
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...
.
10-string bass guitars
10-string basses incorporate a high b and low B string (like that of a regular 5-string bass, but double-stringed).
*high b, low B
*high e, low E
*high a, low A
*high d, low D
*high g, low G
Michael Manring plays a 10-string bass made by
Zon Guitars
Zon Guitars is a United States, US manufacturer of bass guitars founded in 1981 by Joseph Zon. The company is known for its use of non-traditional designs and materials. Zon Guitars is associated with endorser and player Michael Manring, who coll ...
. He uses a variety of tunings, but rarely uses octaves, instead preferring thirds, fourths and fifths. John Paul Jones used a 10-string bass made by Manson guitars at Led Zeppelin's 2007 reunion concert.
See also
*
Extended-range bass
An extended-range bass is an electric bass guitar with a wider frequency range than a standard-tuned four-string bass guitar.
Terminology
One way that a bass can be considered 'extended-range' is to use a tuning machine mechanism that allows fo ...