# The second multiscale headless 12 string ERB by Prat Basses



## ixlramp (May 11, 2011)

Surely this is the most stunning ERB ever ... ?

Follow the build starting here: Prat Basses work

43 photos here: 12 Padouk and Ebony ebay pictures by pratbasses - Photobucket

Luthier's website: http://www.pratbasses.com/


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## Hollowway (May 11, 2011)

Holy cow, that's awesome!!!
(And quit calling me Shirley.)


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## Hallic (May 11, 2011)

ironingboard with frets.

it looks totallu baddass and compfty to play(as far as possible for such a big range)


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## Bigfan (May 11, 2011)

That sure looks like an amazing tapping/fingerstyle instrument. And a pricey one too.


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## Dayn (May 11, 2011)

Now _that_ is a pickup.


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## Pooluke41 (May 11, 2011)

Hehe, _*Prat*_ Basses...


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## Hollowway (May 11, 2011)

So I pasted this from the build thread. I don't get the tuning, though. Anyone know what octaves the notes are in? Like is that Gb4 on the highest string? That would be insanely hard to not break, even with an O4P string. And then is that B0 or B00?

-12 string headless bass, singlecut
-Multiscale 36" to 31", BEADGCFBbEbAbDbGb
-Macassar Ebony fingerboard (one piece), 24 frets, brass side dots
-7 pieces neck thru, padouk and ebony Gabon 
-3 pieces body wings, ebony Gabon top and back, padouk core
-Villex electronic system
-ETS Headless system
-Octave4plus strings
-Nitro lacquer finish

Well, there are some little modifications from the original. It was 36" to 32". But Gb was a little "delicate" for 32" and Headless system. So my choose is 31", now. 
I choose the lacquer finish because the range of this bass is almost like a piano... so I like the idea to look like a baby grand piano finish...
The string spacing will be 16.5mm side by side at bridge, 6.5mm side by side at nut.


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## Murdstone (May 11, 2011)

It should be
B00 - E0 - A0 - D1 - G1 - C2 - F2 - Bb2 - Eb3 - Ab3 - Db4 - Gb4

So the lowest string is probably 15.44 Hz B00 - that's much too big a string to be B0 on the bottom.

O4P can do A4 440Hz at 30", I don't think Gb4 at 32" would be out of the question.
It even says on the website his main focus was Ab4 at 32", so Gb4 is definitely doable.

I like to use this big chart for frequency and range info, albeit a little dated (ex. it still says C#0 is the lowest note for bass)
http://www.contrabass.com/pages/frequency.html


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## Hollowway (May 12, 2011)

Murdstone said:


> It should be
> B00 - E0 - A0 - D1 - G1 - C2 - F2 - Bb2 - Eb3 - Ab3 - Db4 - Gb4
> 
> So the lowest string is probably 15.44 Hz B00 - that's much too big a string to be B0 on the bottom.
> ...



Cool, thanks. And I was thinking G#, not Gb, so yeah, that's a substantial step down from the A4 that Adam was trying on his crazy 11 string bass. So that is over an octave lower than the C#1 on my 10 string. Holy cow that's low! That's an interesting scale length (36") for that low of a note, but I can see not being able to go longer without a crazy fan, due to the high string.


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## DLG (May 12, 2011)

jesus h


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## Fred the Shred (May 12, 2011)

Looks awesome!


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## ixlramp (May 12, 2011)

Yes it's from B00. Here's my frequency table ...

Octave number follows the convention of 'Scientific pitch notation'.

Frequency (Hz) / octave / note / ERB / ERG

493.88 4 B
466.16 4 A# Bb
440.00 4 A ...................................... A
415.30 4 G# Ab ........ Ab
392.00 4 G
369.99 4 F# Gb
349.23 4 F
329.63 4 E ...................................... E
311.13 4 D# Eb ........ Eb
293.66 4 D
277.18 4 C# Db
261.63 4 C

246.94 3 B ...................................... B
233.08 3 A# Bb ........ Bb
220.00 3 A
207.65 3 G# Ab
196.00 3 G ...................................... G
185.00 3 F# Gb
174.61 3 F ................ F
164.81 3 E
155.56 3 D# Eb
146.83 3 D ...................................... D
138.59 3 C# Db
130.81 3 C ................ C

123.47 2 B
116.54 2 A# Bb
110.00 2 A ...................................... A
103.83 2 G# Ab
098.00 2 G ................ G
092.50 2 F# Gb
087.31 2 F
082.41 2 E ...................................... E
077.78 2 D# Eb
073.42 2 D ................ D
069.30 2 C# Db
065.41 2 C

061.74 1 B ...................................... B
058.27 1 A# Bb
055.00 1 A ................ A
051.91 1 G# Ab
049.00 1 G
046.25 1 F# Gb .............................. F#
043.65 1 F
041.20 1 E ................ E
038.89 1 D# Eb
036.71 1 D
034.65 1 C# Db .............................. C#
032.70 1 C

030.87 0 B ................ B
029.14 0 A# Bb
027.50 0 A
025.96 0 G# Ab .............................. G#
024.50 0 G
023.12 0 F# Gb ........ F#
021.83 0 F
020.60 0 E
019.45 0 D# Eb
018.35 0 D
017.32 0 C# Db ........ C#
016.35 0 C

15.43 00 B
14.57 00 A# Bb
13.75 00 A
12.98 00 G# Ab ........ G#
12.25 00 G
11.56 00 F# Gb
10.91 00 F
10.30 00 E
09.72 00 D# Eb
09.18 00 D
08.66 00 C# Db
08.18 00 C


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## MetalBuddah (May 12, 2011)

That is freakin glorious!


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## velvetkevorkian (May 15, 2011)

That's awesome. The only problem I'm seeing is how the hell do you store it? It won't hang, and I don't fancy propping it up on all those tuners! I guess it would have to live in it's case?


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## Waelstrum (May 15, 2011)

velvetkevorkian said:


> That's awesome. The only problem I'm seeing is how the hell do you store it? It won't hang, and I don't fancy propping it up on all those tuners! I guess it would have to live in it's case?



It would hang perpetually from the shoulders of the owner. Could you put such a thing down?


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## MF_Kitten (May 15, 2011)

I would take a 5 string one any day! Sure, i can't afford one, but fuck me if that isn't some of the coolest shit ever! I love bodyshapes like that one, and i love headless instruments.


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## B-lebs (May 15, 2011)

Prat makes such beautiful basses. I saw a build on TB for a member there, I believe it was a four stringer in similar woods to this, and it was incredible.


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## SD83 (May 16, 2011)

As someone who hates headless instruments... I totally love this thing!


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## darren (May 16, 2011)

And that's all i have to say.

EDIT: Holy crap... i just looked at some of the detail pics. That bottom string has FOUR layers of wrap wire on it.


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## Devyn Eclipse Nav (May 22, 2011)

That is a landing strip neck if I ever saw one. Better make sure not to take it to the local airport. But damn, this is a nice bass. I'd probably never play it (seven is the most strings I'd have in single routes) but it sure as hell is nice. have fun!


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## XEN (May 25, 2011)

That's definitely extreme, but I love it!


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## Hyliannightmare (May 26, 2011)

that is a man sized pickup


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