# Bass guitars with x strings
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bass-guitars-with-x-strings/153403
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 7, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bass-guitars-with-x-strings/153403 "2003-02-07T05:13:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bass-guitars-with-x-strings/153403/1 "2003-02-07T05:13:33Z")
I’ve seen a 7, 8, even a 12-string bass guitar, but are there any examples of bass guitars with even more strings?
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bass-guitars-with-x-strings/153403/2 "2003-02-07T11:48:32Z")
I’ve only seen 4,5,6,7 and 12-string basses. The 12 is really 6-strings doubled. (The guy from Cheap Trick plays one, IIRC.) I’m not sure if it’s set up on octaves and unisons like a 12-string guitar, but you play it as you would a 6-string bass. The most range I’ve seen was a 7-string bass. The 8-string you’ve seen, is that doubled like a 12-string, or are all the strings separately played?
I can’t see any compelling reason to have more strings. I mean, hell, a 4-string Ricky is all you need. Even 5 strings I can understand, but at 6 it gets silly, and 7 is just plain overkill. Learn guitar at that point. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bass-guitars-with-x-strings/153403/3 "2003-02-07T12:32:44Z")
[12 string](http://www.12stringbass.com/quadbass.htm)
[18 string](http://www.12stringbass.com/misc_reviews.htm)