Would this work?

I realize they're designed for lighter gauge strings but notice the lines I drew onto this 7 string locking tremolo. It just might work for light gauge strings or perhaps Piccolo bass strings.

Say! You know, I never thought about trying such a thing with a seven-string locking unit. But I think you may be onto something there, Jeff! The spacing looks perfect! And you might have to modify some of the hardware on the trem to accommodate the larger strings, but it might just work as-is with lighter or piccolo strings like you said.

OK...now my head is tingling...looking at how well the spacing works for the trem...now I'm wondering if that toplock couldn't also be modded to handle bass strings! Jeff, you might be onto something really big here!

Entirely possible, but what is the spacing at then? Looks good.

And though there's no actual proof, my guitarist mate reckons I could get a regular bass E string into his floyd rose's saddle.
I reckon a super light set might be just the ticket.

Oooh!

(rubs hands together in devious planning mode)

They don't say much about the bridges here,

http://www.allparts.com/store/guitar-bridges-locking-tremolos,Category.asp


they also have bridges for headless basses.

Darkstrike wrote:

Entirely possible, but what is the spacing at then? Looks good.

And though there's no actual proof, my guitarist mate reckons I could get a regular bass E string into his floyd rose's saddle.
I reckon a super light set might be just the ticket.

I have some proof. I once got a .105 E into a strat trem. I know a floyd is a different beast altogether, but considering that the low B string on a guitar is .58, a .95 E string seems pretty reasonable, but I wouldn't know. could you see if one of your guitarist friends could try it out for you? loan then an E, and tell them to test it out next time they're changing strings on a Floyed equipped guitar.

I really think Mo Beach is on to something here.

Finding the right springs and the right amount would be fun, longer neck with only 4 strings would still have more overall tension than a guitar. I just strung up my Schecter with Piccolo strings and the D seems like it has a ton of tension.

Mo Beach wrote:

I just strung up my Schecter with Piccolo strings and the D seems like it has a ton of tension.

Ya, they generally do on full scale basses. Thats why guys like Les Claypool and Stanley Clark use short or medium scale instruments as piccolo basses.

Man, one of these, on a shorty like a Bronco, be sweet....

I got the long scale Piccolo set, D'Addario XL .020-.032-.042-.052 They sound pretty nice.

Man, I imagine that you'd just eat through the knife edges like nobody's business, though!

Chowderboots wrote:

Man, I imagine that you'd just eat through the knife edges like nobody's business, though!

Not really, how much do guitarists beat on them knife edges?

Even with the extra tension from the bass strings?

Chowderboots wrote:

Even with the extra tension from the bass strings?

I wouldn't worry, isn't the Hipshot bass trem based on a similar form of operation?

Doesn't the Hipshot use horizontal pins to balance on instead of knife edges? And I do think that the added tension of the bass strings will produce more wear on those edges than guitar strings would. To be honest, I am also concerned about the wear and tear that knife edges would take. And John's homespun trem is a knife-edge unit, and I think he's actually worn through the plate a couple of times from the tension.

Mo Beach wrote:

I got the long scale Piccolo set, D'Addario XL .020-.032-.042-.052 They sound pretty nice.

Good idea. They won't be as stiff as other piccolo sets, and are guarenteed to work with the trem.

EricHaven wrote:

Doesn't the Hipshot use horizontal pins to balance on instead of knife edges?

Correct

I realised last night the answer for the Floyd Rose was simple.



Tapered(or exposed) core strings will easily, easily fit in a Floyd, and make intonating it easier.

So who's trying it first?

I'd already have the stuff ordered, but I despize tapered strings, and modding a bass to only take them ain't what I'd call suitable for me.

Soon I'll be able to do some experiments, and I will give the converted-Floyd concept a go.

When I have the extra cash I'll buy a cheap bass body from Warmoth and have it routed for a FR and go from there. I'll probably design it as a Piccolo bass. What were those pickups someone here recently went with? X2N7?

Woah, the X2N-7's would make for sweet picallo sounds!

Yeah, a few of the BTF'ers here are now converts of the DiMarzio X2N-7, and I will also be going to using them full time here soon. Just keep in mind what you are getting with the X2N-7. It is possibly the hottest pickup on the planet right now, and from what everyone tells me, it is one helluva loud and aggressive pickup. For me, that's just what the doctor ordered!

To me a Piccolo bass would be sort of a novelty thing anyway, it would come in handy for recording and would use it very sparingly at gigs. It almost sounds like something a rhythm guitarist should be using. For it to get more use from me I would have to go with the taper core bass strings. Powerful pickups would probably be what I would want.

Then I think you have a great idea there, Jeff. It will be cool to see and hear the results!

If you go the warmoth route, you could take a Baritone neck converter to make a 28 1/2 scale picolo bass?

That would only really work if they made 28 1/2" scale 7 string necks (and they don't). Otherwise, you would either have guitar string spacing or uneven spacing between the strings

Anyway Mo, have you tried the Floyd Rose thing yet?