| Author | Message | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 677 Registered: 1-2005 |
So, in response to a request in a recent SF-2 thread, here are some shots of the Rickenbacker 8-string I used in this video:   It's a 1993 4003S/8, so only mono output, dot markers instead of shark fins, and no binding. Normally they have the octave string on the bottom, but I had the string order switched. Here it is with its cousin, a 2004 4003:  I have contemplated putting Alembic Activators in a Ric, but I like the sound of Ric pickups too, so haven't made the leap. Best case scenario would be an Alembic 8-string of course!!! | ||
| eligilam
Advanced Member Username: eligilam Post Number: 216 Registered: 2-2006 |
Thanks for the pics... Just curious if both of those Rics came in the "shadow" style of black-on-black (pretty rare, or so I thought) or if you did some nameplate and pickguard switching (like I did once...put my white Ric's black p.g. on my black Ric---but then the white binding on the black Ric looked a little cheesmo, so I switched it back...). Anyway, I digress. Like I've posted before: "In my Guit-army, the Alembic is the general and the Rics are the ground troops." Oh, and one last question: does that Ric 8 neck dive? | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 678 Registered: 1-2005 |
Neither of these is a Shadow, but as far as I know both are original black trim and hardware. The 8-string doesn't have binding since it's an S model, while the 4-string has black binding. The 4-string is interesting, in that it has some interesting features that suggest it may have been specially made for the Japanese market - a 7-screw tailpiece assembly, black trim/hardware after it was discontinued (they stopped making it as an option in '02 I believe, and the bass is from '04), and silver lettering on the truss rod cover, like a 4004. Plus, there was a Japanese version of the catalog in the case! The crazy thing is that I almost bought an all-black 8-string while I lived in Japan - kind of kicking myself now! Wonder if it would have had any interesting features? Oh, and I like your quote about the general and the soldiers! | ||
| crobbins
Senior Member Username: crobbins Post Number: 499 Registered: 6-2004 |
I once owned a Hagstrom 8 string like this one.  | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1443 Registered: 2-2005 |
I still own one.  Keith | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 679 Registered: 1-2005 |
NICE! Cool combination! And what's the thing in the back next to the tables? The Hagstrom 8-string was definitely one of the first 8-strings on my radar due to its legendary use on Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic." | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1444 Registered: 2-2005 |
That thing would be called a radio. It's a Zenith Model 10-S-474 that was my grandparents. It is still functional although some of the bands it picks up are no longer in use. All tube and something I still feel comfortable fixing myself. Oh for the good old days of tubes and hardwired circuits. Keith | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1771 Registered: 10-2003 |
Washburn B20-8, circa 1985...  | ||
| benson_murrensun
Intermediate Member Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 192 Registered: 5-2007 |
Here's my eight. Schecter Stiletto Studio.  | ||
| hb3
Senior Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 441 Registered: 2-2005 |
I'll take one. I almost bought a Pedulla 8 string buzz bass, and still regret it. | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Senior Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 510 Registered: 5-2007 |
Keith, That Zenith Radio is as cool as the Alembic | ||
| bassfingers
Advanced Member Username: bassfingers Post Number: 234 Registered: 11-2005 |
Speaking of 8-strings!!. http://cgi.ebay.com/JOHN-VIII-CUSTOM-8-STRING-BASS-ALEMBIC-COMPONENTS_W0QQitemZ140363786778QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item20ae556a1a | ||
| hb3
Senior Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 442 Registered: 2-2005 |
Here's a Hagstrom: http://cgi.ebay.com/1960s-Hagstrom-H8-8-String-Bass-Case-RARE-Vintage_W0QQitemZ130347731354QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item1e5954899a | ||
| dfung60
Advanced Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 397 Registered: 5-2002 |
I love 8-strings! Here's a few of mine that I had pictures of. I would call this a Series 1.5 - it has Series I electronics, but all the woods/laminates of a Series II. It's from 1983.  You gotta love the knobby headstock. The detail on the old sterling silver logos from the 80's was amazing  This is a very rare Veillette-Citron 8-string bass. It was born as a 4-string, then had a factory conversion to 8-strings. Unfortunately, the signature "barbershop ball" brass knobs got lost along the way.  Cool headstock too (the laminated curly maple version of a Danelectro!):  I've also got an 80's Hamer 8-string, just like the bass Nick Lowe played in Rockpile, and two Modulus 8-strings as well. Don't get me started on 12-string basses... got some "interesting" stuff there too (if you look closely, you'll notice that this is only an 11-string right now)  David Fung | ||
| gregduboc
Advanced Member Username: gregduboc Post Number: 257 Registered: 11-2008 |
Oooooops... Greg (Message edited by gregduboc on December 02, 2009) | ||
| gregduboc
Advanced Member Username: gregduboc Post Number: 258 Registered: 11-2008 |
Ok, I dropped my jaw somewhere... Thank you. Now I have to go and look for it. Did any one see it? Greg (Message edited by gregduboc on December 02, 2009) | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 547 Registered: 5-2009 |
OK , ALRIGHT! Now I want an EIGHT STRING ! Mr. dfung60_____I really like that Alembic "SERIES 1.5" very nice ______ | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 1155 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'd be happy to sell my Warwick custom Dolphin Pro 8, metallic purple w/amber leds and road style case. Pictures to follow when I get a chance. | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 1061 Registered: 4-2005 |
 Dean Rhapsody 8 | ||
| bluplirst
Member Username: bluplirst Post Number: 73 Registered: 12-2004 |
David, I would love to see a pic of your 12 string modulus' body. Thanks, Dan | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 680 Registered: 1-2005 |
Sorry I've been away from this thread for a while - lots of cool 8-strings!!! I have to admit, the knobby headstock looks great on an 8! Bill (tgo) and I still haven't managed to get a pic of his 12 and my doubleneck 4 & 6 - imagine those two with the 8! Here's a shot of my other Rickenbacker 8-string - an '82 4008:   You can see some flame in the neck in the headstock photo. Here's a recording I did soon after I got it: tardis pedals And there's actually some Alembic content - used my F-2B during recording, in stereo no less, one track clean, the other distorted. | ||
| dfung60
Advanced Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 398 Registered: 5-2002 |
Here's the body of my Modulus 12-string bass.  A little off-topic, but here's some history on this instrument - I had this custom-built and it took a number of years for this to get finished. My favorite bass player was Greg Lake. His main instrument in ELP was a Jazz Bass, but he was an endorser of the Gibson Ripper for a while in the 70's. I love the way Rippers feel, and the body's size, shape, and carving are all Ripper-like. If you like 12-string basses, then you have to like Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick. The body has an extra thick curly maple top so the top carving doesn't expose any more the mahogany back - it's about 50/50 maple and mahogany. This is reminiscent of the original Hamer Quadbass that Tom Petersson played which was also a 50/50 body.  This is a through-body instrument. The neck is a Quantum TBX 5 neck which is plenty wide for 12-strings. This is a 35" scale bass, so the octave strings are under a lot of tension and really sound amazing. As is the case with multistring and oddball Modulus instruments, the neck is made with an extra-stiff graphite so it won't bow under the tension of all the strings. I think the stiff graphite sounds better. Electronics are relatively normal - EMG DC pickups, with a BTC tone control for each pickup. THere are two pickup volumes and a master volume control. I had toyed with trying to get a set of Series electronics on this instrument, but the cost was already pretty outlandish. It would have been cheaper to buy a S1 bass and scavenge electronics than have a new set built up. This bass has an unusual Gotoh bridge that has 12 individual saddles. I'm surprised they made such a bridge at all. The octave strings on a 12-string are usually tuned near unison (you want them slightly detuned for the really thick sound), so an 8-string bridge works fine with both octave strings running over one saddle. This isn't the kind of instrument that leaves the house much, but sounds amazing and is suprisingly easy to play. David Fung | ||
| 12stringwilson
Junior Username: 12stringwilson Post Number: 36 Registered: 12-2008 |
WOW!!! What a beauty, David! Ever thought about posting her on 12stringbass.net? I am sure they would be pleased to know Modulus did something like this. I bet she can siiiiing like no other. The graphite neck surely gives extra bite to the sound. | ||
| bassfingers
Advanced Member Username: bassfingers Post Number: 236 Registered: 11-2005 |
I had some work doing quality control for Hamer at their UK distribution place and had plenty of Hamer 8's & 12's pass through.Only once did I get to hear one through a big loud rig but lord,what a sound.In the higher registers it sounded like a malevolent ice-cream truck!. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 681 Registered: 1-2005 |
David, I was totally going to say that it was reminiscent of the Gibson Ripper! That thing is awesome. Interesting tidbit - I always thought that Cheap Trick's "Gonna Raise Hell" was 12-string, but apparently it was played on an Alembic 8-string! | ||
| dfung60
Advanced Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 399 Registered: 5-2002 |
hieronymous - If I remember my Cheap Trick trivia properly, the 12-string basses didn't show up on records until Budokan. The 3 records that were before that were Thunderbird and Jazz basses and an Alembic 8-string. It really sounds very "Alembic" on In Color. The switch to Hamer 12-strings was fully in place on Heaven Tonight. Another interesting Tom Petersson trivia... Modulus made a lot of unusual custom instruments and my 12-string bass isn't even in the top echelon. But I think the most insane instrument they ever built was an 18-string bass. This was tuned like a guitar an octave down x 3 (so low E, instead of low B). Giant flat neck like an aircraft carrier, gazillion tuner headstock, and giant long custom Bartolini pickups. This instrument was built for Tom Petersson and kind of disappeared for more than a decade. It resurfaced out of the storage space from a rehearsal studio in LA, and was ultimately returned to Modulus which had never been fully paid. I had a chance to buy the bass when it came back through Modulus. I went up and tried it out, but just couldn't figure out what I'd every do with it, and regrettably passed. Allan Woody ended up buying it, and used it nightly during his bass solo on one tour with The Allman Brothers. David Fung | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 913 Registered: 6-2002 |
Here's a pic of Tom playing the monster. | ||
| room037
Advanced Member Username: room037 Post Number: 302 Registered: 9-2003 |
Hi, Now the thread is growing up 12 strings basses ! This is my Hamer B12-S. I want to set up with Activator ! By the way, anyone knows "Quad PU" in the market right now ?  Eiji | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 687 Registered: 1-2005 |
Check out this 8-string Persuader on sale in Japan! (BTW, nice 12 string Eiji!) (Message edited by hieronymous on December 12, 2009) | ||
| to_81_0190
Intermediate Member Username: to_81_0190 Post Number: 121 Registered: 5-2006 |
I'm late!  This bass in Show Case | ||
| to_81_0190
Intermediate Member Username: to_81_0190 Post Number: 122 Registered: 5-2006 |
Knobby head close up   | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 688 Registered: 1-2005 |
Toshiaki - glad you made it! Sweet bass - another knobby 8-string! I may actually sell one of my Rickenbacker 8-strings - maybe an Alembic 8-string will fall into my life!!! | ||
| bassfingers
Advanced Member Username: bassfingers Post Number: 263 Registered: 11-2005 |
If I had a Hamer..... |
