Is buying an 8 string bass dumb?

#61
callofcthulhu said:
The only "dumb" part of your OP is thinking your bass "broke." Short of going full Pete Townsend/Kurt Cobain on your instrument, there's very little that could have been done to it that can't be repaired for less than $300 - and actually, even if you had, depending how many pieces it splintered into, $300 just might cover the repair at the right shop. (E.g. a lesser known repair guy looking for a chance to show off his chops).

To respond to your question, though, if you just want to buy an 8 string bass because you think it would be fun to play on, go for it. shag the haters.
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Good point, we never found out what broke on his bass. Heck, we might end up saving the OP $300 until he's ready to buy something better later.
 
#63
Caastg said:
I started learning bass last month on my Ibanez gio I got from guitar center. It recently broke (not surprised- it was like $80) and my budget for my new bass is ~300 dollars. There’s a guy selling an 8 string bass for $325.. I looked up reviews for the bass and it looks great, but I can barely even play- is it just plain stupid to get an 8 string? I don’t really have a style or anything yet, so wouldn’t more string just help me keep my options open? The one issue I’ve seen for a lot of people is that the neck is too thick, which shouldn’t be a problem for me, as my hands felt too big for my 4 string. It’s such a good deal but I feel like a dufus having an 8 string and only fingering the E and A strings.. but then this might help me change from that.. ugh.
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If you’re just starting I wouldn’t get one right away. You may have heard of people refer to their different basses as different tools in the toolbox. It’s a unique sound but very few people play 8 string exclusively and I think most people tend to pick one up after they’ve been playing for a few years as another tool in the tool shed kind of thing.
 
#66
Buy the double course, remove guitar strings , and you are left with a 4 string bass. If you ever feel like going wild , add the octave strings.

That being said , I’ve owned an 8 string , double course , which I have never , ever used, since I bought it 5 or 6 years ago.
 
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#68
I'm gonna get flamed for this, but there is nothing you can play on a four string bass that you can't play on an eight. BUT- learning on an eight string bass will take a serious amount of drive and dedication. You have to be driven almost to the point of obsession. Because without that kind of desire at the end of the day not only will you have not learned how to play eight strings, you will also have not learned to play four strings, which is why people are suggesting baby steps. And they have a point. If you are just approaching this casually, you will stand a much better chance of being ready for prime time with a more standard instrument. If you are that kind of OCD, starting out on an eight would eliminate relearning techniques to accomplish that. But how weird would it be to go from an eight to a four the first time? As many have said, only you know what's right for you.

As far as the instrument in question goes, check out this thread from 2012 which references another thread from 2005 in the second post. Your not the first one in this rodeo!

Galveston unpaired 8-string basses
 
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