10 string dream bass

[son_of_magni]

Triple Omega body with point and pistol grip (has this body ever been made?)
Octave strings on the wrong side (towards my thumb)
Burl maple top and bottom, clear finish (or maybe red)
11 lam neck maple with #4 and #8 ebony, #2, 6, 10 are purple heart
fretless, silver side markers
Crown headstock
strung eadgc
Series II electronics

[palembic]

Brother Karl!
 
GREAT idea!!!!!
Maybe a knobby headstock is something to consider. I guess you'll arrange 6 / 4?? It is a common known secret that I am not keen on the cone-shapes but a knobby headstock is just georgeous on multistring basses (see JP Jones).
I also think a balance-point could be an idea to garantee a good balance.
 
Paul TBO

[pookeymp]

This bass should look and sound awesome...I love the specs.  Hey Paul...I agree...the knobby headstock would set this bass off just right.
 
Mikey/

[David Houck]

On a bass with this many tuning machines, the fan headstock might also be a consideration.

[son_of_magni]

Well, you know there are a few options to think about.  I like the crown because it is so classic.  But it would have to be extended a bit.  The knob might be nice but I need to see a drawing of the whole thing to see if I like the way it works with the body.  Of course another way to do it would be to use a crown-5, thread the double strings into each tuner, and add 5 tuners on the other side of the bridge to compensate the octave strings, if you know what I mean.  It could look really cool.
 
I'm really interested in your thoughts on (maybe my original post didn't make this clear) a triple omega with a spike coming out of the 'bridge omega'.  Like the heart omega but with the point coming all the way out.
SoM

[effclef]

SoM - here is what Rickenbacker did to keep a 12-string guitar headstock from being twelve inches long:
 
http://homer.netmar.com/~muscon2/r471hd.jpg
 
I think that was really novel and probably works great. The octave strings are all in the same tuner orientation so you know where to find the right knob.
 
Dunno if Alembic could slot a headstock like that, but it would be a novel way of getting ten tuners in a more or less standard Crown.
 
EffClef

[apdavis]

J. Newstead had a ten string made on the Europa/Elan platform using series 2 electronics.  It was used in one of the earlier brochures Alembic released.  On it the configuration was a cone peghead but it seamed to look less obtrusive than what we are seeing on the Dean or other 8 strings out there.

[trekster]

effclef--I am building an eight-string right now with that idea in mind.  Thing is, on Ric 12's the octave strings are correct on the left side only--on the right side it's reversed, the large string going into the slot-mounted tuning machines.  So, how to do that on a bass?  Fender-ize it!  My headstock is a 4-in-a line Schaller M4's (which only take a 1/2 hole, not a 9/16 like Gotoh-style machines) for the regular strings, with 4 Schaller M6M machines (the mini-mini machines, but the only ones with a long-enough shaft to be able to locate the slot w/o it interferring with the M4's) mounted classical style in-between the regular machine heads.  Believe me, this one is not one for making mistakes--I measure 4 times to make sure it's right.  I cannot tell you how many headstocks I went thru to get the spacing right.
 
It was my intention after finishing this to post pics, because one day when I have the fundage I'm gonna give this bass to Alembic and say make it right!..my amateur building pales and dies compared to Alembic (or maybe they will think I'm a genuis and hire me...hmm.....), plus I have no place here to spray a finish and will resort to oil-finishing my creation.
 
--J