wtf? 8-string bass?

[Anfontan]

I saw that two years ago (they opened for Alice Cooper), and it's no exaggeration. Rick literally played a different guitar for every song. It was kinda sick, really. The amber lucite Mockingbird was the weirdest of them, IMO.

Yep, I caught that tour as well. I was impressed that Robin Zander still hit those high notes as well! Rick has a huge guitar collection, imagine what incredible guitars are hidden away in his guitar vault

 

[heroics321]

Jeff's actually playing a 12-string in that song.

To the O.P.- if you're impressed by an eight-string like that, try an eight string like this:

Hmm, I have been lied to! Where does he pull out the 8-string on the album?

 

[rayc]

On Altered Beast Matthew Sweet plays 4, 8 & 12 string basses. When quizzed he said he wanted a fat, muddy bottom end. It doesn't sound so bad on the album.
I saw Cheap Trick in their heyday & wasn't impressed by the bass playing or the off stage synths. They've improved as the Live at Selina's DVD demonstrates.
There's some sense in a bass with octave strings played in unison with the trad 4 but I really can't get a mental grip of a bass player, other than a outright soloing maniac (& that's not the type of bass playing I'm interested in as a listener or player), wanting more than 4 strings. That's the guitar players' domain and moving up the fret board is the way to higher notes for a bass player.
I know other people have other tastes, likes etc but when I see one of those non octave 4+ string basses my mind always, & quite unfairly I'll admit, forms the word wanker.
I suppose I could accept a 5 string that had a extra low string - bottom B maybe.
I'm just old & crabby I guess.

 

[lbanks]

The real benefit of ERBs is the verticle aspect rather than the horitzontal: playing everything in one position rather than zooming up and down the neck. Once you learning the floating thumb trick, the neck's not to bad. However, they weigh a ton! I had one of these... shouldn't have traded it.

 

[ggunn]

I know other people have other tastes, likes etc but when I see one of those non octave 4+ string basses my mind always, & quite unfairly I'll admit, forms the word wanker.

I agree totally. With the "unfairly" part, I mean. ;^)