Agile 10 String. Why? Because F**k You! That's Why!

[Hollowway]

Originally Posted by RV350ALSCYTHE

I've tried this before but never at such low tunings so I still have a concern about damaging a guitar amp when using standard or lower bass tunings on an ERG.

Are you using something to prevent the low frequencies from reaching the guitar amp, while still allowing the signal to reach the bass amp?

Will the guitar amp be fine if the lows are EQ'd down?

Should be fine with the low frequencies EQ'd down. The reason it's a concern is that guitar speakers generally have less (like 25%) of the excursion of bass speakers, so a really low frequency (which moves the cone more) will force the guitar speaker to move beyond what it can, and...well, you know the rest.

But plenty of people have played bass through guitar cabs regularly with no problems. And as I said in my earlier post, ERGs are generally not designed with bass strings and bass string tensions, and therefore are not going to sound those uber low fundamentals, so it's typically not an issue. Consider how low an 8 string guitar is, and how much of the bass guitar register it duplicates, but everyone plays them through traditional guitar amps. If you were going to tune this 10 string to G#0 and C#1, then it's more of a consideration because there's going to be more low frequencies, but it's still not anything that can't be dealt with pretty easily. IMO if you're playing an ERG you're going to use strings and EQ to get more mids and highs, since the bass is already there based on the note. But on an ERB you're going to do the opposite, even for the extra high strings, just to get it to sound more like a bass.

[shawnperolis]

There is a B Stock 10 string available now for only 800 bucks...

Agile Septor Pro 1030 EB CA Green Flame B Stock - RondoMusic.com

I'd buy it right now but I just don't think I can handle a 10 string. haha

edit: Sold in less than a day!

[BrianUV777BK]

Best thread title ever.

[jon66]

There's something about those headstocks... The more strings they have, the tastier they look!!!

[yellow]

do you think there will be an 11 string guitar coming out soon?

[urklvt]

Originally Posted by yellow

do you think there will be an 11 string guitar coming out soon?

I've had a request for one with a Kahler, but tooling the new trem alone would cost more than that Agile 10.

[Cremated]

Originally Posted by yellow

do you think there will be an 11 string guitar coming out soon?

I used to have a 12 string.

[crg123]

so who bought it??? kurt said its sold now when i asked to see pictures of the damage

[ixlramp]

Originally Posted by urklvt

On the XENs I'm sticking with a 27-30" fan, tuned BEADGCFADG.

XEN STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
OMG i've just discovered your site .. the designs are amazing .. and you offer a 7 in fifths that is so cool
Certainly some of the most impressive ERG designs i have seen.

[urklvt]

Originally Posted by ixlramp

XEN STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
OMG i've just discovered your site .. the designs are amazing .. and you offer a 7 in fifths that is so cool
Certainly some of the most impressive ERG designs i have seen.

Thanks man! Good things are happening.

[yellow]

so an 11 string is not probable then? or cuz its kahler? what if it was hard tail/string thru?

[Hollowway]

Originally Posted by yellow

so an 11 string is not probable then? or cuz its kahler? what if it was hard tail/string thru?

11 string is possible. Adam on here made one. For standard tuning (i.e. 4ths) the limit seems to be 12 strings, as there are a number of threads on a few sites indicating no one has successfully done a 13 string due to the requirement of string tension, string thickness and fanning having to be pretty extreme to pull that off.

(Not sure if you were seriously asking the question about that or being tongue-in-cheek, but I figured I'd answer just in case.)

[Thags]

Hi Guys, my first ever SS post.

I am the mysterious purchaser of the B stock 10 string, its currently on its way to oz and should be with me in about 2 weeks. Will post more information on it once it arrives. I will be using this instrument almost exclusively for two handed tapping and will probably keep it in the factory tuning (or potentially tune the 'Bass' strings down to BEAD, strings permitting). I was waiting on the next round of Agile customs to get the same guitar with a 27"-30" fan but this one was just cheap enough to beat customs duties and therefore save me a whole bunch on top of what I saved from it being B stock. I'm absolutely stoked, look forward to talking to you guys more in the future.

Rock

[yellow]

11 string is possible. Adam on here made one. For standard tuning (i.e. 4ths) the limit seems to be 12 strings, as there are a number of threads on a few sites indicating no one has successfully done a 13 string due to the requirement of string tension, string thickness and fanning having to be pretty extreme to pull that off.

thats kinda what i wanted to know. so 12 string is the limit then? do you think then, agile willl make 11 and 12 string guitars? or will they rest at 10? im curious to see what u think as far as where or how far the erg string count or number might go .

[urklvt]

Originally Posted by yellow

thats kinda what i wanted to know. so 12 string is the limit then? do you think then, agile willl make 11 and 12 string guitars? or will they rest at 10? im curious to see what u think as far as where or how far the erg string count or number might go .

10 is probably the limit for Agile, but for customs 11 is feasible, and, depending on the tuning, 12+ is also possible.

[yellow]

12+? i thought the post said 13 was a problem because of consturction, tnesion, fanning? how high could they possibly go? whats the limit?

[EtherealEntity]

I don't know shit about building but I can't see why tension would be a problem. Look at chapman sticks. As long as the neck is reinforced.

If talking about playable string tension with relation to tuning then I can understand. That said people like Yves Carbonne (12) are using strings all the way from 008 to 270! So..

Fanning I don't know but I'd imagine about 5-6 inches or more would be comfortable on a 13 string. Many (myself included) would say that neither the high or low would be ideal with such a small fan for a huge pitch range, but then again there's people like Yves going from F# above guitar high E, to I believe G# 2 octaves below bass low B, and sounding absolutely great on a single scale length.

[MaxOfMetal]

If there is one thing Agile has shown us, it's that if someone is willing to pay for it, they'll do just about anything, including adding more strings than there are stars in the sky. While I don't see them doing a 10, 11, or 12 string (un-coursed of course ) on a production basis anytime soon, going off of how lukewarm the sales on the 9-strings were/are, but it'll probably come up on the order forms for the customs as long as people still show a certain amount of interest. Since they're already making their own pickups and hardware, the two biggest ERG/ERB barriers, anything is possible.

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

Yves going from F# above guitar high E, to I believe G# 2 octaves below bass low B, and sounding absolutely great on a single scale length.

Keep in mind, most of Yves "Big Basses" are fretless, has custom strings made (not just gauges, but the string construction itself), and plays in a certain musical context.

Through that, he overcomes many of the obstacles that a single scale creates for certain music. He's tailored every part of the equation very specifically.

[Hollowway]

Yeah I didn't mean that string tension was a problem in terms of the force it generates on the neck. More that you need a certain minimum tension to be able to play an instrument, and currently there aren't options for stuff up at .300, .400, etc. So in theory if you could get someone to make you a super fat flexible string you could tune down as far as you want. So 12 isn't the limit. Just the practical limit for the available strings and reasonable fans.

[MaxOfMetal]

Originally Posted by Hollowway

Yeah I didn't mean that string tension was a problem in terms of the force it generates on the neck. More that you need a certain minimum tension to be able to play an instrument, and currently there aren't options for stuff up at .300, .400, etc. So in theory if you could get someone to make you a super fat flexible string you could tune down as far as you want. So 12 isn't the limit. Just the practical limit for the available strings and reasonable fans.

Though, what about a "stepped" multi-scale?

The same concept as the Kubicki Factor basses, and more recently the Strandberg "Baritone Hybrid" construction.

I know Hugh Manson built a 15 string in 92' with that concept. The instrument (a flying V none the less ) was a 6-string bass, 6-string guitar, and then additional high A, D, and G strings. The lowest string has it's own scale, the next four had their own, the next seven had their own, the next two had their own scale, and finally the highest string had it's own scale. The strings has individual headless bridge pieces, and the fretboard just terminated at the end of each scale.

For the life of me I can't find a picture of the thing, but I'll keep looking. I know I have a picture in a book I own, so if I can't find a pic on the web I'll just scan it.

EDIT: Found a shitty, small pic, but will still keep looking.

[The Uncreator]

Small but its the only one I know

[Konfyouzd]

Originally Posted by yellow

so an 11 string is not probable then? or cuz its kahler? what if it was hard tail/string thru?

EDIT: Nvm

[MaxOfMetal]

BAM!



Cuz I you guys.

This was in the book "The Illustrated Directory of Guitars" by Barnes and Noble Books, edited by Ray Bonds. It's a small, very informative read. The later sections are pretty out of date at this point, and it's far from overly comprehensive, but it's great for those looking for info on the REALLY early (1300's) days of the guitar, even leading through to the 30's and 40's.

[Konfyouzd]

Those talking ab string tension needs on 10+ strings, what kind of tunings are we talking ab? I feel like w that many strings you can do some interesting stuff w/o having to go super low or super high.

[EtherealEntity]

^ Very ....ing awesome. However, I can't imagine how damn confusing that would be to play. The Standberg concept of open dropped / fretted standard is enough to grasp for me