A Tapping Instrument For Me I Think...

[loneguitarist]

Hey there everyone. I've played guitar for a long time now, and in the past year and a half or so I've really gotten (if that's a word) into two handed tapping (it all started with Joe Satriani's 'Midnight'). I've got 7 guitars and at the moment I've got the Epiphone SG seen in the picture here set up as my tapping instrument, with a roland GK-3 connected to a gr-20, and a dodgy home-made damper thing made of an iron-on trouser patch and a weird capo. It's come to the point now where I am finding 6 strings very restricting, but I can't afford a specialised tapping instrument (p.s. I really hate the term 'tiptar') and my guitar building experience is limited to just bodies. I did a search for a suitable neck to use, and came across various things which I'm sure you're all familiar with such as the charlie hunter 8-string neck and stewmac bass necks etc. but then I found the Carvin website, and on there is a 6-string bass Neck-thru blank which seemed perfect to me. I'm Currently waiting for hipshot to get back to me with some specs of their 8 string guitar bridge to see if it's suitable but if it isnt I'll just make a long wooden saddle and put the strings through the body and over that. I plan to make the body with a Purpleheart back, then a thin ebony pinstripe then some sort of nice figured top like flamed or spalted maple. For the 6 guitar strings I will use Sperzel Trim-loks and then either 2 Bass Trim loks for the other 2 strings or just some other generic bass tuners. I planned all this and made lots of doodles for body shapes, but then I hit a big wall.
Pickups.
Where on earth can I get some 8 string guitar pickups short of getting them custom made? I thought about using standard guitar humbuckers for the guitar strings and then half a split p-bass pickup for the bass strings but I think it would look untidy and spoil the look of the instrument. I've seen in some pictures of 8 string guitars long black soapbar style pickups and I looked on the bartolini website and there was nothing there... Will I have to get them made? Or does anyone here know where I can buy some... Well thanks everyone... And sorry for making this into such a huge encyclopaedia of a post...
Bye For Now

[BrendaEM]

I looked at Carvin and also Warmoth necks too, but the nut is a little narrow for uncross playing.

The tuning buttons for Sperzel bass and guitar tuners are interchangable, so they can be swapped for lightness, but you have to be careful that the head thickness agrees with both types of tuners.

Bartolini's M5 Series should be wide enough for most 8-string instuments with moderate spacing (72mm to 95mm.) I would make sure that the pickups are centered nice, so that the center gap falls between two strings. They make a really large 6-string pickup too.

If you want Bartolini's, I recommend going through Guitarelectrinics.com No one else seemed to want to help me place the order.

From Barotlini's catalog (http://www.bartolini.net/pdf/Catalog_May_2005.pdf) (Check before ordering):
Single Coil:
xxM56M - 6 st. split coil - deeper
xxM56T - 6 st. split coil - brighter

Quad Coil for stereo:
xxM56C - 6 st. quad coil splittable - deeper
xxM56CX - 6 st. quad coil splittable - brighter

(The deep/bright series in the catalog was canceled.)

I ordered a pair of xxM56CX, and they took about 3 months to come in. The price is comparable to 4 guitar humbuckers. They seem well made, potted in epoxy, and a little heavier than i'd like. I am still working on my instrument, so except for a test, I can't say how good they sound. The string pull is lighter than a strat pickup, but greater than a EMG. Such a pickup can be ran passively, or with a buffer amplifier or equalizer.

Bartolini, has a great amount of information on their site, but it's hard to find. I also recommend going through their sitemap. Unfortunataly, they seem almost unreachable.

EMG also makes pickups that size.

You can also use two pickups to span the strings, and stagger them if you like--something like four Texas specials : ) AFAIK, both the Megatar and the Stick use multiple pickups, so you might want to look at them too.

P.S. You can get a roll of grippy web-foam for dampning in the houseware aisle of your local department store.

[rjgoos]

Have you considered a 7-string guitar and set it up for tapping? Just a thought.

Jay

[loneguitarist]

I dont think that only one more string would be enough of a difference to be worth it... and I also want the scale length of a bass... and also the experience of building a full instrument.
About the nut width brenda...
I looked at Carvin and also Warmoth necks too, but the nut is a little narrow for uncross playing.
Would they be wide enough for 8 strings at standard string spacing? Because I'm used to tapping on a standard width guitar neck... And also about the Bartolini pickups, I would really like to use them, i.e. the 6 string bass slim soapbars, but do they have individual polepieces under the cover for 6 string basses, or are they just long bar type ones...
Thanks for all your help

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by BrendaEM


EMG also makes pickups that size.



They sure do. I called emg and had them send me their wides bass pickup, and they sent me one that is 115 mm. Thats pretty wide. You don't have to cram the strings together to fit them to this one. The ten strings i used them on have exactly 10mm string spacing on both ends.
I think it's supposed to be a very good pickup....The first thing i though when i tried it: "Wow, now i know what 'punchy' means..."


http://www.emginc.com/displayproducts.asp?section=Bass&categoryid=29&catalogid=125

[loneguitarist]

Thanks Gary...
Do you know if the inside of the pickup has separate polepeices for the 6 string bass it was intended for or whether its a one-long-pickuppy-thing-deely;)

[BrendaEM]

AFAIK, the Bartolini's use a blade/bar type magnet structure, BUT there is a small gap between in the quad coil pickups. As long as you have an even number of strings, I don't think it will be a problem. If you want 9 or 11 strings, I would avoid the Bartolini quad-coil pickups.

[This is just my take on things but....magnetic pickups partially impart a harmonic where they pull on the string. Because EMG's have their active electronics in the pickup, they can use weaker magnets. I believe that they can have a purer tone, but some people hear that as sounding steril. The pickups I have, have more pull than a EMG, but less than a Strat pickup. AFAIK, Most, if not all Bartolini's can be operated passively, because the preamplifier isn't installed in the pickup. The tradeoff is: if you want a buffer amplifier, you have to add it.]

Pickups are a matter of personal preference.

When doing the math, figuring out if the neck is wide enough, please remember that you need about 5mm or 3/16" inch on each edge.

If you get a premade neck-through for making your own instrument, I would recommend remembering to get an undrilled/unshaped one.

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by loneguitarist
Thanks Gary...
Do you know if the inside of the pickup has separate polepeices for the 6 string bass it was intended for or whether its a one-long-pickuppy-thing-deely;)

Well, these particular types come in several options, but none of them are six poles. Mine is a single coil, and i chose it after thinking really hard for 5 seconds because it was the cheapest one. But the 45p are two coils side by side i think. Then theres a parallell dual coil (45dc, of course), and then thers one just like the dc, but uses both a steel coil and a ceramic one. And the last one is a mix of dc and my version (i think).

Im not sure, but i think the 8 string stick comes with a single coil active pickup from EMG? Or not, maybe?

[traktor]

Originally posted by GaryOpenhill
... Mine is a single coil, and i chose it after thinking really hard for 5 seconds because it was the cheapest one. ... ROFLMAO!

[BigDaddyPoo]

loneguitarist

I am going to try winding my own pickups. There is alot of info on the web on how to do this in great detail, as well as plenty of information on the specs ( number of windings, magnet type, etc. ) of many well known pickups, so you can make an informed decision on how to impart in your pickups the characteristics you would like.

The parts to make your own winding system are relatively cheap, as are the parts to make each pickup. The most expensive thing as far as I can tell is the 42 guage wire that is required. Special wire like this can only be bought on bulk spools ( about 50 - 60 USD ).

I like Brenda will be posting all of my results on this forum. To hopefully help anyone who is also inclined to make homemade pickups.

If I have good enough success I may even offer my services to other luthiers, though since I havn't made any yet, this is pure speculation.