{"items": [{"author": "Hollis", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=414773655262190", "anchor": "fb-414773655262190", "service": "fb", "text": "Played a tenor guitar? Pitch might be too high for you, though.", "timestamp": "1353547111"}, {"author": "John", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=414791495260406", "anchor": "fb-414791495260406", "service": "fb", "text": "The various kinds of cittern or bouzouki might be what you're looking for. A bouzouki usually has 4 double strings, though the name is used in Ireland for a similar instrument with 5. Citterns have been made with 3 to 6 double strings, sometimes with the lowest string not doubled; 5 pairs seems to be the most common number. There's also the term \"octave mandolin\", but I'm not clear on how that's different from a bouzouki or cittern. There are a number of people in the Boston area that play bouzoukis.", "timestamp": "1353551223"}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/112938759017605010116", "anchor": "gp-1353551342790", "service": "gp", "text": "Hey, you could just play normal guitar using percussive muting \nand\n no barre chords :-)\n
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\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MTiXDunjEU", "timestamp": 1353551342}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=414802305259325", "anchor": "fb-414802305259325", "service": "fb", "text": "@Hollis: I'd actually rather something with a longer scale length than a guitar, not shorter. I already play mandolin, and I'd want this partly for times when I'm a primary rhythm instrument (as opposed to mandolin where I'm secondary).", "timestamp": "1353553914"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1353553976130", "service": "gp", "text": "@Chris\n\u00a0Percussive muting without barring isn't something I've ever figured out how to do well.", "timestamp": 1353553976}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=414803305259225", "anchor": "fb-414803305259225", "service": "fb", "text": "@John: it looks like bouzoukis tend to be around 25\", similar to guitars. I want something more like an electric bass, in the 34\" range.", "timestamp": "1353554159"}, {"author": "Hollis", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=414813261924896", "anchor": "fb-414813261924896", "service": "fb", "text": "What about an acoustic bass guitar? Nut width might be a problem, though. A baritone guitar is likely to have the same width issues, plus the tuning is in the wrong part of the octave.
Know any friends who are guitar luthiers? It sounds like what you're looking for is something between a four-string bass-heavy guitar and a narrow-neck acoustic bass. It could be a fun project. Failing that, get yourself an electric bass and a nut blank and make yourself a bass where the strings are all toward the treble side of the fretboard. With a standard saddle setup you'd get some string spacing issues toward the bridge but it might still be okay. You could call it the Frankenbass or whatever!", "timestamp": "1353556754"}, {"author": "Scott", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=414857595253796", "anchor": "fb-414857595253796", "service": "fb", "text": "Look up the Presidents of the United States of America - basitar and guitbass", "timestamp": "1353569884"}, {"author": "Bob", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/115791434545476057138", "anchor": "gp-1353604450300", "service": "gp", "text": "this is actually pretty well-explored territory. the best suggestion is Chris's. you won't actually get the same sound as in your video from any other solution.\n
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\nhowever, there are also many bouzouki/cittern/octavemandolin-like instruments. this is what i'm currently having made after decades of playing octave mandolin:\u00a0\nhttp://silkwoodmusic.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/the-nordic-mandola-its-not-a-banjo/\n
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\nthere's also finding a bajo sexto and just using less strings, as you're now doing with guitar. Taylor also makes a couple of nice baritone guitars.\n
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\nthere's also the Roger Tallroth tuning, which i'm now using on both 6-string and 12: adadad from the bottom up, the bottom string is the same pitch as a bass guitar, and uses the 10th string from a 10-string classical guitar set. LaBella and Savarez make cheap 10-string sets and you can buy singles from stringsbymail and other sources. believe it or not, no matter the rest of your guitar strings, this bottom A needs to be silver wound on nylon, or it will sound like crap.\n
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\nwarning: with anything lower than a guitar bottom string, doubling the courses leads to a lot of mud, no matter the tuning, which is one reason most of the instruments that use 2-string courses and go low tend toward octave pairs; it also becomes physically difficult to keep the strings close enough together to finger easily but prevent string excursion from causing them to buzz together. finally and most importantly, for good physical and psycho-acoustic reasons, it actually sounds Deeper to have an octave pairing.\n
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\nbut, echoing Chris once again: if you want to play in a style anything like the video, you already have the correct instrument. moving to deeper strings means slower response of the strings, regardless of what You do, and i'm personally doubtful you'll like the outcome.", "timestamp": 1353604450}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/414773138595575?comment_id=415162935223262", "anchor": "fb-415162935223262", "service": "fb", "text": "@Scott: yes; this sounds like it's a lot like a \"guitbass\".", "timestamp": "1353637349"}]}