Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Dreaming... for now => Topic started by: Bradley Young on December 01, 2008, 07:52:27 PM

Title: Big Darling
Post by: Bradley Young on December 01, 2008, 07:52:27 PM

So,
 
After having my 6 string bass for almost a year, I have a custom guitar idea.
 
Little darling shape
Baritone
Wide string spacing, somewhere between guitar and comfort (bass) spacing
 
Maybe a nice top, and q switches.
 
That's about it.  The idea here is to take the 6 string bass and move it up about an octave.  Make the string spacing wide enough to facilitate pizzicato, but close enough to make chords easier.
 
Am I nuts?  Is there a happy medium on the spacing?

Title: Big Darling
Post by: 3rd_ray on December 02, 2008, 06:39:35 AM

Bradley, I've been thinking about something similar. Mine would have the normal 6-string bass tuning (B - C), but the string spacing would be sort of like you said. I'm thinking 1-7/8 wide at the nut, and maybe 3 or 3-1/4 at the 24th fret. I play mostly fingerstyle, so I don't need a lot of width at the 24th fret, but I also don't want it to feel like a guitar.  
 
For the rest of it, I'm split between the Spoiler body shape and the MK with Omega (not Balance K). I know the MK would be heavy, but that's okay. It would definitely have a nice top, and probably signature electronics.  
 
I wouldn't want to move it up an octave, but tuning it E,A,D,G,C,F would be an option.  
 
The only thing I'm missing now is the money to pay for it! But that will change... some day.
 
Mike

Title: Big Darling
Post by: adriaan on December 02, 2008, 07:18:54 AM

Would it be something like Mike Pisanek's Spoiler 6 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=9846)?
 
Graeme (jacko) commented: it's a six string on a four string neck and the spacing appears to be narrower at the bridge than at the nut. And further down: It's low B -> C Mike. String spacing is ludicrously tight.

Title: Big Darling
Post by: 3rd_ray on December 02, 2008, 10:49:13 AM

Adriaan, a Spoiler with a point... that's cool! I like it, but the string spacing looks a little too tight.  
 
Here are some of the basses I've been looking at...
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/4478.html?1131637728 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8260)
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/6742.html?1070816970 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/6742.html?1070816970 target=_top)
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/12244.html?1187021788 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/12244.html?1187021788 target=_top)
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/33310.html?1163818741 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/33310.html?1163818741 target=_top)
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/8340.html?1078867385 (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/8340.html?1078867385 target=_top)
 
All of these Spoilers look too tight for me. I would like a mix... same as these Spoilers at the nut, and same as the MK's at the bridge. I don't know if that's possible, but a compromise in between would probably work. I'll ask Mica when I have the funds.
 
Mike

Title: Big Darling
Post by: hydrargyrum on December 02, 2008, 05:55:38 PM

Sounds like a cool idea to me.  I still can't get over baritone 12 strings though.

Title: Big Darling
Post by: Bradley Young on December 02, 2008, 11:22:09 PM

Was thinking of maybe going the 12 string route, but I play fingerstyle, and I don't get the feeling that 12's really work all that well that way.
 
I wouldn't want to fight the instrument (hence the wider neck).
 
Bradley

Title: Big Darling
Post by: hieronymous on December 03, 2008, 05:51:11 AM

What scale length would you go for? The baritone portion of my doubleneck is 30 and it seems a bit long if you don't need the low E string. I would think something closer to 28 would make more sense.

Title: Big Darling
Post by: Bradley Young on December 03, 2008, 09:12:40 AM

I'm thinking somewhere around 29, basically a normal baritone.

Title: Big Darling
Post by: pace on January 29, 2009, 10:19:05 AM

mine:
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14252.html?1131486044 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=7027)
 
spacing at the bridge is the 'happy medium' between bass&guitar

Title: Big Darling
Post by: chrisalembic on May 09, 2010, 06:35:18 AM

same idea keeps floating around in my head... baritone with a wider spacing, suitable for fingerstyle and bigger hands.. has something like this ever been build?

Title: Big Darling
Post by: FC Bass on May 09, 2010, 06:41:14 AM

Have you seen this? (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=11635)

Title: Big Darling
Post by: chrisalembic on May 09, 2010, 07:10:58 AM

yeah thats a sweet bass!! must be a joy to play.
 
I was thinking of something like this:  
 
http://alembic.com/info/FC_jack.html (http://alembic.com/info/FC_jack.html)
 
baritone with wider spacing suitable for fingerstyle playing. Probably tuned a fourth lower than a guitar and in straight fourths. So it would be B-C just like a six sting bass but an octave higher (i am a bass player), so there would be no probs with different tunings and new fingerboard. I would love to try something like this.