More on the batar

I have been looking a lot of videos of people playing these eight string monstrosities. About 90% of the people who play these things are accomplished jazz musicians who have mastered the instrument to the point where if you listen without watching you would really think that there were two people playing. They are essentially playing chords with their left hand and plucking with their right. The chord includes the bass line, its hard to describe, but even harder to imagine actually being able to do.

Based on other videos of the same people they seem to mostly be guitarists who move over to the 8 string. I am, of course, coming from the other direction - a bass player who can kind of play guitar. I'm excited to try it out, but at the same time realistic that its going to be slow going and I expect to lose patience with the thing more than once.

I got my first shipment of parts this week, including the bridge, tuners, jacks and carbon fiber reinforcing rods.

I now have enough to start working on the neck, despite my best intentions I don't have the blank glued up yet. I'll try and get that done this week or weekend so I can start the build from there. I guess I'm only going to be able to go a certain distance here until I get a truss rod and fretboard. Now that I have the bridge I can work out the neck dimensions. I need to get my brother engaged to get the individual string pieces made.