12 string bass.... has anyone played one of these?

[Rod S]

Greetings from the keyboard corner http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

I was flipping through the latest Musician's friend catalog and I came across a 12 string bass. (Hamer CH-12 Chaparral)... has anyone played one of these before? It's basically four sets for triple strings... The description doesn't make a lot of sense, it seems one is tuned to the root and the other two are tuned an octave higher. I've seen (and played) 12 strings guitar with the double strings, but this seemed weird. Oh, and according to the description "Stereo outs"...

 

How does it sound? How is the 'playability'?

 

Thanks,

Rod

[JES]

Hi,

 

I used a 12 string bass for a recording. I found the tone to be absolutely HUGE -- really powerful. But the thing was very heavy, a neckdiver, and difficult to play. The action was pretty high. The studio where I was at just happened to have one. I had to take it home for a couple days to learn how to play it.

 

Best,

--JES

[jeremy c]

I've tried out the Hamer 12 at various NAMM shows and in stores. The two octave strings help match the volume of the octave to the bass note and give a huge sound. Playing on it didn't seem like such a big deal, but you aren't going to be able to play as fast as usual. Using a pick is highly recommended. On the other hand, you could buy an octave pedal and a chorus and simulate the sound (the chorus emulates the inevitable slight out of tuneness you get with three strings supposedly tuned to the same note.) But the real thing does give you an awesome sound and you can listen to some King's X cds to hear it.

 

Jeremy Cohen

 

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http://www.jps.net/jeremy/basspage.html

[Rod S]

Thanks. Not a bass player myself but a curious musician overall. I'll think I'll try to do that with some bass tracks and see the effect. Good suggestion for the octave + chorus.

 

Rod