8-strings??? I've heard of them, where the strings are doubled, but yours are individual strings. What is up with that??

I just felt like expanding the palettes a bit. The 8-strings have a lot of different features than my 7's do. To start with, they are both 3 octave necks which gives me a range of 71 notes, from below the range of a piano to above the range of most guitars. Because of the way I tune them, F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E, I lose a note - oh boy - but that is still a big leap from my 7's (57 notes on my 28 fret 7-strings) and light years from the "normal" 4 string, which gives a usable range of only 39 notes on a 24 fret neck.They have a longer scale length, 35" instead of 34", which I wanted to experiment with. They also have custom Music Man pickups in them, which I had specially made by Seymour Duncan. The electronics are pretty intense too; they have the usual 3-band eq that I like in all my basses, but they also have a fully Parametric Eq band, with Q, cut/boost, and frequency. They have piezo pickups in the bridge that not only give the most excellent representation of an upright that I have ever heard from an electric, they also interface with a synthesizer using the Roland 13-pin standard, courtesy of RMC electronics.

What do you think of the longer scale length?

The verdict - no difference, at least none that I can tell. It's a commonly held belief that the longer scale length will give you a better low B, and lower, and in fact I have heard luthiers make the claim that no 34" bass could have the low B response that their 36" instrument has. Well, I have got to tell you, I have my through-body 7-string (34" scale length) tuned with a low F#, and it is just as articulate and precise as the low F# on my 35" scale length 8 string.

I have compared all my Conklins at various times to many different basses, including those with a 36" scale length, and I haven't found any that could compare, let alone sound better. I think, and Bill Conklin has backed me up on this, that of MUCH greater importance to the performance of the lower notes is how rigid and well constructed the neck is. Bill's necks are all top notch, completely hand carved, and totally rigid. My basses never even go out of tune. Bill makes the best necks I have ever played, and they reflect in the performance of the instrument.I also think that the mass of the instrument has a lot to do with how well the lower notes will sustain. A vibrating string has momentum based upon its mass. A high pitched string's momentum will be negligible compared to the mass of any bass, but the low F# on my basses is .150" wide. When you pick this thing up you can really feel it. When a string that size vibrates on a bass, you better have a rigid neck, a massive bridge, and hopefully an instrument that isn't going to just vibrate along with the string, dampening it. The way to avoid this is with mass, and let me tell you, that's something my basses have (laughs).

What's up with the Duncan pickups? I thought you were really into Lane Poors.

I really am into Lane Poors, I just wanted a change on these basses. The Lane Poor company philosophy, at least as I understand it, was that the pickups should be as clean and flat and uncolored as possible, and I'll tell you what, I think they hit the nail on the head. The pickups in my 7 strings have got the widest, most even response I have ever heard.

So, what do you do with all those strings? I bet you hear that a lot.

(laughs) Actually, I do hear it all the time. I usually tell whoever is asking that most of what I play could be played on a 5 string. Then I say things like "Most guitarists could do most of what they do on a 5 string guitar or less" and "The number of strings ultimately doesn't matter as much as what you do with them"And, if that doesn't work, I finally resort to:

"I like to think that what I play, whether on the 'Original 4' or on the extended range strings has a uniqueness and a style independent of the instrument that helps to define me as a player - I can and do play classical guitar lines, bass lower than a piano, even synthesizer - I can really do whatever I want. The way our music is constructed, the more creative that I am, the more room and creative freedom that is available to everyone else in the band - it's not like 'time for John's solo, everyone sit out the next 8' - they all have to actually deal with what I am doing. It forces everyone to be more creative, and I like it that way. Although I can't say for certain, I think the guys in the band like it that way too."

Sounds like I hit a nerve.

Is it that obvious? I guess I've gotten tired of that particular question. Sorry if I sounded snappy.

John Turner on Bass
8-String Fretted and
Fretless Bass