[OzoneJunkie]

Was wondering about the feasibility of having an 8-string, with a Floyd or other type of vibrato/floating bridge for 6 strings (E through E), but have the low B and F# strings use a fixed bridge (string through or otherwise). Get around tuning issues, perhaps?

Anyone tried this? Wasn't sure if the low 2 strings would be obstructed by the floating bridge - guess depends on where the fixed part of the bridge would be...

[Neil]

I doubt its possible because (on the lo pro at least) the tremolo extends far past the outside strings, so there is no where to put a fixed bridge, the pivot posts are in the way.

[OzoneJunkie]

Yeah. But what about: putting 2 posts just past the bridge pickup - and having the low F# and B strings bend (at the post points) away from the bridge. The actual anchor point for those 2 strings would then be north of the bridge, enough to clear the bridge...

[Kronpox]

then you'd have to have the frets on the low strings in a completely different spot than the rest to fix the intonation.

I don't think this is possible

[OzoneJunkie]

hmmm... good point. Of course, though, putting the frets in a different spot I guess is possible, like on the true temperament guitar necks... assuming that the string lengths don't vary that much between the fixed and floating system...

[Abhorred]

Conklin has actually done just such a thing, although I can't for the life of me find the info about it on their new site. I'll update if I can find it.

[drezdin]

i build a 7 string with a 6 string floating bridge and a fixed 7th string.
i've seen several luthiers do it.
it can be done

[whisper]

Originally Posted by Abhorred

Conklin has actually done just such a thing, although I can't for the life of me find the info about it on their new site. I'll update if I can find it.

I've seen this too. I think it was something wacky like the middle 4 strings were floating and the others fixed, or something like that.

[GazPots]

I remember seeing a red/browney sort of ibanez (possibly a la custom job) which was a 7 but had a fender style bridge.


It was as if they had sliced off the trems low b saddle and made just that one saddle a fixed bridge. The rest was just a standard 6 string trem.


I'll try to find pics of it but i cannot remember the last time i saw it.

[OzoneJunkie]

Nice. Seriously considering a Sherman Custom... although I see he's doing an 8 with a Kahler... but I'm leaning more towards the 6-floating/2-fixed...

[vansinn]

Last year, I asked Tremking (tremking.com) about a 7-string whammy.
Sheldon replied they have the TK2 version, which is their 6-string whammy with a fixed 7th string.

We didn't discuss 8-stringers. I haven't heard from him in several month, but also haven't written myself, so I can't tell about their status on the ongoing work on 7-string whammies.
His comment then was that they were working on a few issues with an upcoming 7-string version.

I don't find it inconceivable they might be able to add a fixed 8th string saddle next to the 7th, as already mentioned.

[sworth9411]

This is a sick Idea, and could end up being really awesome expanding a whole range of possibilities.....

I am really curious to check out someone whos done this and see some pics....

[OzoneJunkie]

Yeah. I'm thinking about the idea of having a single guitar (to rule them all). Something like:

8 string, 27" scale, 6-string floating/2-string fixed bridge, with a neck PUP good for leads (maybe one that only handles 7 strings - EVO7), and something with clarity, but brutal in the bridge.

If it worked well for leads and rhythms, I'd likely sell my JP7 and my sixes...

... hence the consideration of the Sherman custom...

[Andrew_B]

Big Flea

[Ze Kink]

Yeah, I've seen the Conklin too, I think it was fanned too? Pretty weird looking bridge too. I don't think it can be done with a Floyd though, but a vintage style bridge might very well work.

Now that I think about it, I think I've seen a JEM that was owned by Vai, which had two trem bars, and the floating bridge was somehow split from the middle, so the other bar could bend the 3 lower strings, and the other the 3 higher strings...

I think it's a cool idea, as I've never liked trems on 7-strings. The B-string somehow goes out of tune so easily.

Ha, found it! http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitarpages/guitar108.html

[auxioluck]

If you put the 2 low strings fixed behind the post on the Floyd to extend the scale....worth a shot, I'd say.

[TomAwesome]

Originally Posted by auxioluck

If you put the 2 low strings fixed behind the post on the Floyd to extend the scale....worth a shot, I'd say.

That would only work if he split the fretboard into two sets of partial frets for the different scale lengths.

[whisper]

Originally Posted by Andrew_B

Big Flea

that's the one!

[troyguitar]

I've decided today that I'm going to attempt to build an 8-string like auxioluck and OzoneJunkie have described...

Neck-thru 8-string with modded OFR-6 on first 6 strings at 25.5" scale. Fixed bridge at 27" scale for the 7th and 6th strings.

I'm going to make a cheapo experimental prototype this month and see how it goes.

If it goes well, I might also pull a Uli Roth and make it 36 frets with the neck pickup underneath the fretboard.

[OzoneJunkie]

wow, cool - looking forward to hearing about your progress.

[troyguitar]

Originally Posted by OzoneJunkie

wow, cool - looking forward to hearing about your progress.

Well, I changed plans somewhat. I still intend to make the one I talked about, but the first prototype is going to be a bolt-on. I'm modding the body of my beater Jackson RR-EX and making a new neck for it. I started a little bit tonight.

(This is a hack job - I want to get it done and playable as fast as possible)

Here's the bridge(s?):

[vansinn]

Without a separate scale and frets for the two low strings, it'll never intonate with the saddles this far back.

You could build kindof an arch structure, stretching from in front of the whammy post to behind (where your current 2-string mount is).
However, this would limit the dive range, and maybe not be sturdy enough tone/sustain wise.

Building it as a slight reverse V-shape would allow more dive, but in both cases I guess it'll be difficult setting the saddles low enough, unless you can accept the two low strings having a somewhat higher action as a tradeoff.

Maybe it's possible to cut off the part of the whammy base saying "Jack", leaving enough (the "son's" part) to support it against the post/mount.
It might make it possible aligning the two extra fixed saddled correctly.

[troyguitar]

Originally Posted by vansinn

Without a separate scale and frets for the two low strings, it'll never intonate with the saddles this far back.

That's the plan!

[Andrew_B]

or you could stop and think about what you are doing

to make things work, 60% of the time you need to sacrifice.
in this case, you have to decide if this is truely what you want to attempt...
if you are going to attempt something you should do it properly,
you have to weigh up options...
you need to think... you need to look at it... you need to go slow.
you rush and you will waste time in the long run...

you will be sacrificing your bridge to attempt this properly....

well... this is my opinion... and im no pro... im just a guy with way too much time on my hands and i mind that thrives on new ideas and building shit.... lol

so that being said....



i think that would be more suited...
losing a bit of the top edge of the bridge shouldnt affect anything...
since its gonna be an 8, it will be tuned down , so there should be less tension to some degree?.
should be a ledge under that section you cut off, scuff up the faces and glue a bit of wood on it so the new saddles have some wood to bit into when you screw them down...
only other thing to think about is the string spacing....

well thats what i would do, if i had the money...


gonna look mighty wierd when you rout the new neck pocket... lol

[OzoneJunkie]

Originally Posted by vansinn

You could build kindof an arch structure, stretching from in front of the whammy post to behind (where your current 2-string mount is).

This is what I had in mind when I mentioned having "posts". But the thought was that instead of an arch structure, with the string distance-to-body varying, have this instead (see attached). Hoping to get the post points close to the bridge, so that string length to post would be similar to string length to bridge, attempting to preserve intonation.


Silver posts would be cylindrical, but have a slot/groove on the side, for the string.

Might necessitate moving the bridge PUP forward a bit...