penningtron wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:31 am

tommy wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:25 am Weirdly, all of the production 8-strings have the middle two doubled. So maybe try one of those?

https://www.sweetwater.com/c602--Acoust ... lsrc=aw.ds

Yeah, that makes more sense from a lateral tension standpoint. Most of them are baritones though, which I can't really make work with my smallish hands (unless I play more bass-like parts).

Here's the Ibanez with the courses on the B/E strings. Looks like it is out of production though...

https://www.zzounds.com/item--IBAAEL108TD

numberthirty wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:42 pm

penningtron wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:31 am

tommy wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:25 am Weirdly, all of the production 8-strings have the middle two doubled. So maybe try one of those?

https://www.sweetwater.com/c602--Acoust ... lsrc=aw.ds

Yeah, that makes more sense from a lateral tension standpoint. Most of them are baritones though, which I can't really make work with my smallish hands (unless I play more bass-like parts).

Here's the Ibanez with the courses on the B/E strings. Looks like it is out of production though...

https://www.zzounds.com/item--IBAAEL108TD

The way the tuning pegs on that are configured is very standard, though. You could take any 8 string guitar and cut a new nut to double up whichever string you choose.

Not that I *agree* with the string angles coming out of that nut, but still....

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 6:22 am

The way the tuning pegs on that are configured is very standard, though. You could take any 8 string guitar and cut a new nut to double up whichever string you choose.

Not that I *agree* with the string angles coming out of that nut, but still....

I was thinking the same, but what about the bridge pegs, which aren't as easily relocated?

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 6:22 am Not that I *agree* with the string angles coming out of that nut, but still....

Yeah, just one tell-tale sign that Ibanez is, unfortunately, most likely junk. A 3x5 headstock wouldn't look 'classic' but would have made a lot more sense there.

To get even more dumb with this, I thought about just playing any 12 string for a bit, and if some of the doubled low strings are muddying things up to come up with a way to dampen just those strings. Would need to be a tight fit: heat shrink tubing near the bridge perhaps? (as if re-stringing a 12 wasn't fun enough..) Wouldn't ease up the attack or feel of the guitar, just the sustain of the higher-lower strings.. hopefully.

(of course: one could just try not using those strings and hope nothing gets wonky..)

twelvepoint wrote: I was thinking the same, but what about the bridge pegs, which aren't as easily relocated?

Drilling additional bridge holes probably wouldn't be too hard for a luthier. The bigger question is if the guitar is built to handle the tension in another area.

Sorry for this highly theoretical tangent..

re: 12 and 8 strings
I have a 9 string weirdo guitar that I absolutely love. Its a converted Epiphone 12 string. It has single strings on the E Aand D and doubles on G B and E. I had it set up so that all the doubles are unison instead of having an octave on the G. I wanted any melody bits I play on those strings to be unison.
Its never the first guitar I reach for but it gets studio use all the time and I love it.

You can see it here -

twelvepoint wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 7:03 am

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 6:22 am

The way the tuning pegs on that are configured is very standard, though. You could take any 8 string guitar and cut a new nut to double up whichever string you choose.

Not that I *agree* with the string angles coming out of that nut, but still....

I was thinking the same, but what about the bridge pegs, which aren't as easily relocated?

Didnt event think about that. But yeah reaming some new holes wouldnt be awful. I suppose in all of this the answer might just be get a 12 string and remove the strings you dont want. The remaining strings wont be perfectly centered but it'd allow you to experiment and find out what configuration you like, then you could cut a proper nut to suit that.

OR.....just say fuck it and buy yourself a BC Rich Bich 10 because, c'mon you deserve it.

^^^^^^ OH HELL YES. Look at that thing.

https://reverb.com/item/2116297-electri ... m-9-string

This guy popped up again a couple years ago as part of the Wilco Shop sale and I will always kick myself for not pulling the trigger.

Bubber wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 3:47 pm Did this M160 ever come into your life, mdc?

Oops.

I was dead set on an M160 but got an AEA N22 at the last minute. The N22 is a great mic, but you know I still think about that damn M160

There was a pair on Reverb for $1000 that went rather quickly. They’re not getting any cheaper