[BrianCarroll]

Going shorter than 28" for an 8-string with a low F# is pointless - even with huge strings (i mean .085 or .090) intonation would be a nightmare and such a big string would be quite disturbing for most of us...
28 5/8" seems to be interesting but 30" is probably the best.
I'm not afraid of long scales - my hands are very large

[Desecrated]

I think it looks sweet, and the specs are fine, if this is cheaper then the halo I will buy it, beacuse the halo is one of the ugliest guitars I´ve ever seen.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BrianCarroll

Going shorter than 28" for an 8-string with a low F# is pointless - even with huge strings (i mean .085 or .090) intonation would be a nightmare and such a big string would be quite disturbing for most of us...
28 5/8" seems to be interesting but 30" is probably the best.
I'm not afraid of long scales - my hands are very large

The people who are complaining about the scale length such as me are referring to th scale being too long for a high A, but I agree with you that it would be a good scale length if everyone was to tune to a low F#, but I personally wouldnt want anything lower than the low B, and as someone else said you almost have the range of a piano with a high A which appeals to me.

[darren]

As has already been stated, strings DO exist that will allow you to tune to high A on long scale lengths.

I'm puzzled why guys who are concerned about scale lengths longer than 27" aren't also concerned about a neck that's over 2" wide at the nut. If your hands are small, an 8 might be out of the question anyway.

My thinking was to offer something different. The Halo 8 will be 27" scale with a Kahler trem. This guitar will offer a different scale length and will be a hardtail with a different aesthetic. Choice is a good thing. I don't think these two models should compete with each other. Each will offer something different and each will have its fans.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by darren

Each will offer something different and each will have its fans.

I thought neither of them was going to have fanned frets?

nyuck nyuck nyuck...

[Nik]

Originally Posted by darren

I'm puzzled why guys who are concerned about scale lengths longer than 27" aren't also concerned about a neck that's over 2" wide at the nut. If your hands are small, an 8 might be out of the question anyway.

I've played 6-string basses before, so I know my hands can cope with the width. However, I don't like the feel of bass guitars, this is why I play guitar and not bass. If anything comes out of this Rondo run idea, I don't want a Brice bass with 8-strings and a slightly shorter scale--I want a guitar.

In any case, I'm just citing my opinion, I don't care quite that much. All I'm saying is that if the scale is over 27", I'm not buying one, and I'll just stick to 7s, and I'm sure there are many others who feel the same way. No hard feelings or anything, but the scale length is inversely proportional to the sales numbers, IMO

[darren]

Heh. I'd love for it to have fanned frets, but i'm concerned that it would inflate the price out of the range that would encourage people to give an 8-string a try. If the choice is fanned frets or an instrument that most people will actually be able to afford, i'd choose the latter.

Originally Posted by Nik

In any case, I'm just citing my opinion, I don't care quite that much. All I'm saying is that if the scale is over 27", I'm not buying one, and I'll just stick to 7s, and I'm sure there are many others who feel the same way. No hard feelings or anything, but the scale length is inversely proportional to the sales numbers, IMO

There's probably an equal number of guys who feel that 27" is only barely acceptable for an 8-string, and would prefer a longer scale.

Kurt is very aware that this needs to be a playable instrument. Hopefully this will move forward into the prototyping stage, and issues like scale length can be worked out.

[Metal Ken]

Originally Posted by Nik

I've played 6-string basses before, so I know my hands can cope with the width. However, I don't like the feel of bass guitars, this is why I play guitar and not bass. If anything comes out of this Rondo run idea, I don't want a Brice bass with 8-strings and a slightly shorter scale--I want a guitar.

thats a bit of a difference. most 6 string basses are 34-35" scale. Thats a BIG difference between 28.6", almost half a foot, dude.

[b3n]

Darren that's just cool. I've been curious about 8s for a while now so if this does happen at a reasonable price I'm definately interested in it. At either scale.

[kurtzentmaier]

To comment on the quested Specs:

Brice Defiant8 concept

Proposed Specifications:

• Body
  • Alder body, bubinga top
  
  Kurt> Alder or Mahagony - no problem either way. Tops should be no problem
  
• Neck
  • 5 piece maple/rosewood laminate
  • Bubinga laminate on headstock face
  
  Kurt> Do-able
  
• Fretboard
  • Ebony, 16" radius
  • 2 1/16" at the nut
  • No face inlays (side dots only)
  
  Kurt> No chance - not in the target price range (<$600) - getting a good quality ebony board that's wide enought for an 8 string is going to cost much more - price of guitar would be more like $999 I think rosewood or maple should be possible.
  
  
• Scale length
  • 28 5/8"
  
  Kurt> 27" or 28 +- is no problem
  
• Frets
  • Jumbo
  
  Kurt> No problem - but fanned could add at least $100+ to the price ($75 for the license alone)
  
• Electronics
  • Active humbuckers neck/bridge (EMG 45DC or similar)
  • Three-way toggle
  • Master volume, concentric treble/bass EQ (active)
• Hardware
  • Hipshot 8-string fixed
  • 
    
    Kurt> EMGs would probobly be too expensive.
    
    Strings through body
  • Sealed 18:1 tuners
  • GraphTech nut
• Strings
  • .009 to .070 (based on low F# tuning)

Kurt> Getting a bridge for an 8 string is another problem - we would probobly use individual saddle tuners like we use on the Prestige Z bass. Or possibly use a combination of a guitar bridge on the guitar strings and individual bass saddles on the bass strings. If we did not use fanned fets, some kind of compensated nut or multi-nut system would probobly need to be used to keep intonation correct between the 1st and 8th strings.


Kurt