# 8 strings guitar = ? strings bass



## lelahel (Apr 30, 2012)

hey please tell me which bass do you use for you 8 strings guitar?
in which tuning?
can you recommend me some brands
thanks


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## Danukenator (Apr 30, 2012)

lelahel said:


> hey please tell me which bass do you use for you 8 strings guitar?
> in which tuning?
> can you recommend me some brands
> thanks



Most people tune to the standard tuning (F#BEADGBe), Drop E (EBEADGBE) or Standard 1/2 step down, for the 'Shuggah chuggah.

The opinion on the string is varied, the simple answer would be grab the D'addario set and replace the .74 with an .80.

The long answer would be to take your scale length and ideal tension profile and throw it into the string tension calculator.

EDIT: The mark...I missed it.


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## Dayn (Apr 30, 2012)

I just use my guitar or get a synth to do it since I don't have one.

But if it helps, I've done a tonne of research and figure I'll either get an Ibanez BTB676, or a six-string Dingwall, whichever I can afford. I think I'm leaning towards the Dingwall since I'll be tuning to drop E.


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## lelahel (Apr 30, 2012)

i mean when you play an 8 strings guitar, which bass instrument do you use for recording?
and which tunning of the bass
and can you recommend me some brands of those basses
(not talking about the strings)


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## Aerospace274 (Apr 30, 2012)

Most just play unison between the 8th string and the bass. So, 4 or 5 string, depending on how much you use the other seven strings... Tuning isn't really critical as long as you can also fret your strings!
If you mean you want the bass an octave lower than the 8th string, it's gonna be beneath human hearing range for most tunings iirc. At least, practical range. It'd be more like a sound you feel, rather than hear. 
For my music, the bass is tuned the same as my 8 string relative to standard. I find it works pretty well usually!
Hope this helps!
EDIT: Warwick used to make a 6 string bass that went an octave below the 8th string but I believe the production ended a long time ago. Might be able to find one online, I think it was called a Vampire or something along those lines!
Here: Vampyre


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## Eric Christian (May 1, 2012)

Far as I can tell the OP wants to know what is the companion instrument to an 8 string guitar. I always kinda wondered about this as well. I suppose you could tune the 8 string to E Standard and then do the same with a regular 4 string bass. Or can you tune a 4 string bass to F#, B, E, A?


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## All_¥our_Bass (May 1, 2012)

Yeah you could tune a 4 string bass to F#.
Bass can be either unison (easiest) or an octave down (awesome but difficult).

I kinda wish more bands would do unison bass in a higher range, like having a seven in B and a bass in F# B E A, playing riffs using the same root notes in the same octave.


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## 8 String Boy (May 1, 2012)

I have been playing with my 8 string for a few years now and have not had any success with my bass tuned down to the same tuning. If you buy the fattest bass string known to man and tune it down to F# or lower it is still too loose to play I think. The best set up for me has been just use a bass at standard tuning and transpose your playing from the 8 string. The bass comes out crisp and sounds far from mud. So when you play an open F# on you 8 string just play the second fret on the E string of your bass. Give it a try anyway. See what you think.


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## Winspear (May 1, 2012)

No need to tune the same but presuming you want to for the use of pedal notes common in metal (I'm the same) then some suggestions:
Of course the bass can be extended with more high strings in these.

8 string EADGCFAD
bass EADG

Means the bass will be in unison rather than an octave down though, which is fine for the low E, even the A to an extent but I'm not sure about any 6 string D riffs with the bass in the same octave..


8 string EADGCFAD
bass AEADG

Same as above but you get to do your A an octave lower..


8 string EAEADGBE
bass AEADG

Now you can do everything an octave lower except low E riffs which would be in unison octave ala Meshuggah


8 string F#BEADGBE
bass BF#BEA

Bass tuned to drop A and then transposed UP. Great! It's like the tuning I posted above but with standard tuning on the guitar. Meshuggah do this but a semitone lower. 

8 string EBEADGBE
bass BEADG

etc...

8 string F#BEADGBE
bass F#BEAD
For the brave. Requires big special strings and good amplification!


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## Konfyouzd (May 1, 2012)

It really depends on how you tune your guitar. I just prefer the way a 5 string bass feels so I would use that and tune it accordingly (or not change tuning at all since I could probably hit just about anything I'd hit on an 8 string guitar with my bass; no need to go an octave lower for me)


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## ixlramp (May 1, 2012)

Bass an octave below is possible with these sets: Circle K Strings - Standard Balanced 6 Strings (4 to 11 string sets available too)
If you tune a 6 string bass to F#BEADG you then also retain the range of standard EADG.


8 String Boy said:


> If you buy the fattest bass string known to man and tune it down to F# or lower it is still too loose to play I think.


A CK .254 or O4P .286 or Thonk's .325 will all be way too tight at octave down F#


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## Santuzzo (May 2, 2012)

Very interesting thread.

Are there any 8-string bands where the bass is actually an octave below the guitars for the low strings?


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## Winspear (May 2, 2012)

Pretty much all bands that go down to G# or G but not so much F# I think. Mnemic is one I can think of, I seem to remember reading After the Burial do on any of their 8 stuff which I think is in F?


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## Santuzzo (May 2, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> Pretty much all bands that go down to G# or G but not so much F# I think. Mnemic is one I can think of, I seem to remember reading After the Burial do on any of their 8 stuff which I think is in F?



Thanks.

Now I'm a bit confused, though.
An 8 string tuned to a low G#, would that mean the whole tuning is a whole step up from standard?

Meshuggah have the bass play in the same octave as the guitars, is that right?


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## Rojne (May 2, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> 8 string EAEADGBE
> bass AEADG
> 
> Now you can do everything an octave lower except low E riffs which would be in unison octave ala Meshuggah



I have my 8 string tuned like that and this is what Im going for when my 5-stringed is finished from modding!


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## ZEBOV (May 2, 2012)

My Carvin XB76 is about to be tuned to F#BEADG and a semitone lower. I pretty much do away with the high C string and add an F# string and tune them all a semitone lower when I want to. I have a Carvin DC800 being built for me, and it will be in pretty much the same tunings.


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## Winspear (May 3, 2012)

Santuzzo said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Now I'm a bit confused, though.
> An 8 string tuned to a low G#, would that mean the whole tuning is a whole step up from standard?
> ...



I was not really concerned with the number of strings - that's irrelevant - it's more about the sound.

What I meant is, a lot of bands tune to G# or G and they always seem to have the bassist tune the same. When it goes lower than that, you start to see a lot of unison like Meshuggah because it gets difficult to get a good bass sound/setup etc.

That's the reason all my suggestions above had the '8 string' (read: below G) riffs to be in unison rather than an octave lower. Apart from the last one I posted. F# can be cool if you use the right strings and set it up right, but it's significantly harder than G#. Most of the time though, it may not really be the sound you are going for (read: most people want to sound like Meshuggah )


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## Santuzzo (May 3, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> I was not really concerned with the number of strings - that's irrelevant - it's more about the sound.
> 
> What I meant is, a lot of bands tune to G# or G and they always seem to have the bassist tune the same. When it goes lower than that, you start to see a lot of unison like Meshuggah because it gets difficult to get a good bass sound/setup etc.
> 
> That's the reason all my suggestions above had the '8 string' (read: below G) riffs to be in unison rather than an octave lower. Apart from the last one I posted. F# can be cool if you use the right strings and set it up right, but it's significantly harder than G#. Most of the time though, it may not really be the sound you are going for (read: most people want to sound like Meshuggah )



Ok, I get it!
Thanks, man !


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