Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

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BTL
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Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Tue Mar 21, 2023 5:33 pm

Fender has been developing some interesting, offbeat projects in recent years and has been revisiting and re-imagining some of its iconic and historic designs (thanks in large part to this forum, I believe). Along those lines, I'm curious to know if folks here might be interested in seeing an 8-string Jazz bass using the Electric XII headstock (Fender Elecric VIII).

I ask for purely selfish reasons: I manufacture the only currently available 8-string bass bridge that offers intonation and height adjustment for each individual string. It retrofits a standard/vintage-spec 5-screw bridge without modification, has 2.3" edge-to-edge string spacing and saddles lock from the treble side of the bridge. A patent is currently pending for this design. :)

So, if such a thing existed (especially at all Fender/Squier price points), might you be interested? ;)
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by hobbes » Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:27 am

An 8 strings bass is always a good idea, as there as not enough options on the market right now (beside Hagstrom and expensive customs).

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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:25 am

Thanks! I think it's a little surprising that Fender never built one. I have an email into Fender and I thought I might do a little "market research" in anticipation of any conversation that may follow. Fingers crossed!
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by dinosaurkale-> » Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:55 am

Off topic but i have a custom made 8 string jazzmaster. Using a 12 string bridge. Would love an 8 string guitar bridge that fits the posts like a 6 string guitar bridge

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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:45 am

Understood, and to clarify, I'm discussing a bass guitar with four courses of root-octave pairs, not an extended range guitar.

Kahler makes extended range tremolos, but probably nothing like you're describing.
Last edited by BTL on Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by burpgun » Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:46 am

Seems like a cool idea to me! I'd certainly take a look, because as noted, there's not a lot of 8-string options out there.

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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:37 pm

Thanks...I think it sounds like a lot of fun!
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by efiug » Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:24 pm

i think the electric 12 headstock would look sick on a jazz bass body.

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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:02 am

efiug wrote:
Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:24 pm
i think the electric 12 headstock would look sick on a jazz bass body.
Thanks, I think so, too! 8)
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by Jaguar018 » Thu Mar 23, 2023 6:09 am

Guys guys GUYS. Just had a radical headstock design idea that I whipped up on my Jaguartron018 computer. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER.

Image

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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Thu Mar 23, 2023 6:42 am

Wow. ;)
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by sal paradise » Thu Mar 23, 2023 1:05 pm

Double headed monster?
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?

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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by Tele295 » Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:20 am

If had the hockey stick headstock, octaves, and tuned in 5ths with a low C pair, that would be a wicked mandocellocaster!
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by BTL » Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:58 am

Since we're all fantasizing here, I'd love to see the Bass VIII in 32" scale. Without knowing the dimensions on the Electric XII headstock with certainty, I suspect a 32" scale version would fit in a standard bass case without modification. :)
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Re: Fender Bass VIII Concept - Interest?

Post by Fiddy » Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:39 am

Jaguar018 wrote:
Thu Mar 23, 2023 6:09 am
Guys guys GUYS. Just had a radical headstock design idea that I whipped up on my Jaguartron018 computer. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER.

Image
Looks like a penis with its testicles detached and re-attached to the tip. :wtf:

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