# Prat Basses 18 string 6x3 for Scott Fernandez



## ixlramp (Jan 16, 2013)




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## MaxOfMetal (Jan 16, 2013)

Stoked to see what Scott does with this.


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## jeleopard (Jan 16, 2013)

wat.


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## jephjacques (Jan 17, 2013)

it only takes 36 hours to tune


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## in-pursuit (Jan 17, 2013)

now, look here. if people don't stop posting these awesome Prat basses, I'm going to end up buying one. And my wife won't be happy about that. Also pretty keen to hear some audio of this beast in action!


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## Nag (Jan 17, 2013)

my question is... we've all seen 12-string guitars and maube even 8-string basses where each string was doubled. but why tripled ? I'd be really interested in what kind of sound that will produce.

maybe it'll send you to the warp zone ?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jan 17, 2013)

Nagash said:


> my question is... we've all seen 12-string guitars and maube even 8-string basses where each string was doubled. but why tripled ? I'd be really interested in what kind of sound that will produce.
> 
> maybe it'll send you to the warp zone ?



Triple course basses have been around since the 80's. Look up the Hamer 12. You should be able to find some artists and get a feel for the sound they produce.


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## russtolium (Jan 17, 2013)

There are videos of them on Youtube:



I've heard that the third string is usually tuned unison with the higher string to give it a bigger sound, though you could certainly set it up to be an easy chord machine.


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## ILuvPillows (Jan 17, 2013)

Now I know how bassists feel whenever they hear someone talking about how their 8 string has replaced the bass ....i'll pack my bags.


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## knuckle_head (Jan 18, 2013)

I get to see this critter in a few days - and hear Scott play it. I'm jazzed . . . .


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## knuckle_head (Jan 18, 2013)

russtolium said:


> There are videos of them on Youtube:
> 
> 
> 
> I've heard that the third string is usually tuned unison with the higher string to give it a bigger sound, though you could certainly set it up to be an easy chord machine.




FWIW having two thin strings is advantageous because there is more mass in the larger strings and having two to cover the octave up gives the high register near-parity.

Scott and I are talking about restringing this - when it needs it - as a three octave set. I need to see the bass before I know whether or not it is possible.


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## Nag (Jan 18, 2013)

sounds nice 

never heard of that before


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## ixlramp (Jan 18, 2013)

Plus the 2 octave up strings, being always very slightly out of tune with each other (the strength and beauty of a guitar), create a natural chorus effect which is richer and more 'organic' than an effects unit would be. You can choose the amount of chorusing by deliberately tuning one octave up string slightly higher than the low string, and the other octave up string slightly higher than the low string, their average tuning therefore remains in tune with the low string.


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## Scott Fernandez (Jan 24, 2013)

HEY!! That's my bass =)


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## TolerancEJ (Jan 24, 2013)

Ok, so here goes...
Jauqo III-X - Prat 15-string (5X3)
Scott Fernandez - Prat 18-string (6X3)

I guess the next logical step would be for Bill Dickens to follow suit and triple course his 7-string to 21 (7X3)


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## russtolium (Jan 24, 2013)

TolerancEJ said:


> Ok, so here goes...
> Jauqo III-X - Prat 15-string (5X3)
> Scott Fernandez - Prat 18-string (6X3)
> 
> I guess the next logical step would be for Bill Dickens to follow suit and triple course his 7-string to 21 (7X3)



Why stop there? I want a 1 string bass with 12 courses. Also, I am a lobster.


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## Swyse (Jan 24, 2013)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Triple course basses have been around since the 80's. Look up the Hamer 12. You should be able to find some artists and get a feel for the sound they produce.


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## GenghisCoyne (Jan 24, 2013)

Swyse said:


>



imagine how much easier those chords would be on an instrument with a proper bottom horn.


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## TolerancEJ (Jan 25, 2013)

russtolium said:


> Why stop there? I want a 1 string bass with 12 courses. Also, *I am a lobster*.


 
A Rock Lobster?


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## Scott Fernandez (Jan 25, 2013)

You can go lower but it's a struggle to go higher than my 6x3. My smallest strings are .007s


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## Scott Fernandez (Jan 26, 2013)

Also, here's some video of here being played....[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gWDxIgLX0&list=UU_HY_STXQt01JJgxycNMqgw&index=1"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gWDxIgLX0&list=UU_HY_STXQt01JJgxycNMqgw&index=1[/URL]


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## ToMurderAMachine (Jan 26, 2013)

^ Scott, On your way back from namm just grab that giant blue 11 string prat and put it in your backpack. Mail it to my place. I'll give you my dog in return. (or something of equal value, like a shoe or a roll of paper towels.)


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## knuckle_head (Jan 29, 2013)

Awesome bass - too cool to hear him play it


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## Scott Fernandez (Mar 26, 2013)

Hope you guys enjoy it....

Scott Fernandez - "How Can I Have Sex With You, I'm Not Even Mad At You?" - YouTube


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## Hollowway (Mar 26, 2013)

Very cool. 
Now I have a question that will get me laughed at like when they first started talking about razors with 3 blades, but hear me out (especially since they have razors with 5 blades now):

Has anyone made an 18 string guitar?
Has anyone done a quadruple course instrument? 

I'm not sure of what the hell you'd do with a quadruple course instrument, but Scott, don't even tell me that thought hasn't crossed your mind!


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## MF_Kitten (Mar 26, 2013)

quad course would probably be with unison low strings as well?


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## Scott Fernandez (Mar 26, 2013)

Hollowway said:


> Very cool.
> Now I have a question that will get me laughed at like when they first started talking about razors with 3 blades, but hear me out (especially since they have razors with 5 blades now):
> 
> Has anyone made an 18 string guitar?
> ...






I 
LOVE
IT!!!!

As far as an 18 string guitar, I don't think so. Probably because guitar players' precious "fingies" and how they don't want to hurt the, =)

As far as quadruple... OF COURSE I have thought about it BUT I don't think anyone has tried it yet. I can tell you one thing though... If I'm not the one who goes first I better at least get to borrow the damn thing =)


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## Scott Fernandez (Mar 26, 2013)

MF_Kitten said:


> quad course would probably be with unison low strings as well?



Definitely!! I just have to see it done!!!


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## Scott Fernandez (Mar 26, 2013)

ToMurderAMachine said:


> ^ Scott, On your way back from namm just grab that giant blue 11 string prat and put it in your backpack. Mail it to my place. I'll give you my dog in return. (or something of equal value, like a shoe or a roll of paper towels.)



You're going to have to fight Dean for that thing BUT he's got MY FAVORITE Prat at his house, as well. The 12 String Prat from their site. It's the first Extended Range Bass I ever got to play and I want it SOOOOO BAD!!! I hope he gives it to me....


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## Hollowway (Mar 27, 2013)

You guys this is a technical question, but how close can you get the strings on multifluted instruments before they start banging into each other? Is there some accepted measurement for that? I'm thinking that if you have a bass string and an octave you'd need them farther apart than, say, two plain strings.


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## Scott Fernandez (Mar 27, 2013)

Hollowway said:


> You guys this is a technical question, but how close can you get the strings on multifluted instruments before they start banging into each other? Is there some accepted measurement for that? I'm thinking that if you have a bass string and an octave you'd need them farther apart than, say, two plain strings.



I believe that my strings are PUSHING it at 12mm between them. Especially in the lower register. 

The trickiest part to playing these instruments is to press down in a uniform way so as NOT to bend the strings too far out of pitch. It's a natural inclination to press down at a point and pull the other strings into that point BUT to play it well you have to kind of flatten out a smidge.


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## ixlramp (Mar 27, 2013)

Could string a 4 string with a single course of 4 strings E1 E1 E2 E2 haha, good one for bassists who just use the E string.
I was just thinking if the strings of a course occasionally hit each other it would make a good sound, it would really make the high harmonics fizz ...


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## Hollowway (Mar 28, 2013)

ixlramp said:


> Could string a 4 string with a single course of 4 strings E1 E1 E2 E2 haha, good one for bassists who just use the E string.
> I was just thinking if the strings of a course occasionally hit each other it would make a good sound, it would really make the high harmonics fizz ...



Yeah, you could get some really cool sounds if it worked well!


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## Jauqo III-X (Mar 29, 2013)

Hollowway said:


> Has anyone made an 18 string guitar?






In the early 80's Modulus made a 18 string bass for Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick but Alan Woody ended up with it.

18-String Bass Guitar | Guitars 101 - Your Guitar Bible


Vox Humana also made a 18 string bass.


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## Jauqo III-X (Mar 29, 2013)

Here I am live playing a 15 string bass.


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## Hollowway (Mar 30, 2013)

Scott Fernandez said:


> I believe that my strings are PUSHING it at 12mm between them. Especially in the lower register.



Yeah, but how about with in a course? Like, for the grouping of three strings I see in the photos Jauqo linked to that the thickest string has a little more space between in and the middle string than does the middle to thinnest string. So how do the luthiers know how close to put these strings to each other within a course? Is there an established measurement? The closer the better for plauingc but probably the farther the better for sounding.


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## ixlramp (Apr 24, 2013)

Amazing composition and tone, good stuff Scott.


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## Winspear (Apr 24, 2013)

Hollowway said:


> So how do the luthiers know how close to put these strings to each other within a course? Is there an established measurement? The closer the better for_* plauingc*_ but probably the farther the better for sounding.




Yeah I had to experiment with a few different spacings when doing my microtonal nut+bridge slotting - what looked like it would be perfectly okay still resulted in a fair amount of buzzing when playing pretty hard like I intended to. It did sound cool, kind of sitar like, but I wanted it to be entirely solid.



ixlramp said:


> Amazing composition and tone, good stuff Scott.




Absolutely mindblowing man


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