So I've been pondering building the Extended Range Guitarist forum for quite some time now for those of us that have the 7+ stringed instruments. (Of course, anyone would be welcome to join )
It'll be a phpBB board like this one most likely hosted off my site, for now.

Anyway, I wanted to get suggestions for forum catagories and such. I want to keep it mostly instrument/equipment/artist based without any "General Discussion" areas. There are plenty of other places on the net for that.

I'll probably start setting up tonight and it should be ready to go by morning.

Thanks in advance.

www.extendedrangeguitar.com

Extended Range Guitars

Extended Range Bass Guitars

Fanned Fret Instruments

Suppliers

Artists using extended range guitars

Extended range music theory


Hrrrm...thats all I can think of right now....

Instrument electronics... not only to discuss pickups and stuff, but the possibilty of onboard crossovers and stuff like that

I wouldn't recommend having "Fanned Fret Instruments" as its own area, because it overlaps with the Guitar and Bass areas.

"Amplification" would be a good one.

"Recording" might also be useful.

"Accessories" for discussing things like effects or strings, etc.

Amplication
Recording
Guitars

i agree with Darren. Those all sound like logical categories that would hit most subjects without much overlap.

Actually, i think Shannon's on the right track, too... except maybe instead of the term "guitars" it should just be "instruments" and lump guitar and bass in there together. We are, after all, talking about extended-range instruments that in many cases cover both.

Word yo.

Yes and no, Darren... While the range definately overlaps, the manner in which they're played is still distinct- I mean, there's a difference between the way Meshuggah uses their 8-strings, even when tuned down into the bass register, and an 8-string bassist would use the instrument, even tuned to the same pitches. In terms of note choice (chords/diads vs. single note lines) tone (clean vs. distorted), picking technique (thumbed vs. picked)... These are some pretty broad generalizations, and you can definaely play a bass like a guitar (i really dig the sound of double stops on the upper strings played through a distorted guitar amp) and a guitar like a bass (slap lines, etc), but the manner in which they're generally played, to my ears, differs.

Doesn't mean I don't agree with you, though. Here at Jemsite, you can post with icons next to the subject line- maybe have an icon for "multi-stringed guitars" and one for "multi-stringed basses," with a third for both? That way, we can have a general forum for all multi-stringed instruments, while still being able to differentiate at a glance whether we're talking about an instrument used as a "guitar" or as a "bass," or as some new entity?

So, let's try this for forum areas:

-General Discussion
-Instruments
-Amplification and Effects
-Recording
-Theory and Technique
-Players and Bands
-For Sale

And maybe an "Multi-Stringed Instruments: an Introduction" board for newcomers? Although, we could probably just stick that into a topic within the Instruments section, and sticky it...

I'm psyched by this idea... If there's anything I can do to help, let me know.

-D

Edit- added a Recording section. Shannon, you're right, these thigns are some of the trickiest instruments to record due tot heir massive range. Good call, bro.

It's a small enough specialty that you don't need any categories. One big forum would do just fine.

Definitely do without the "General Discussion" area. These boards get so clogged with people sharing the latest internet joke sites, posting photos of their cars/bikes/pets/kids, or whining that their wife/girlfriend/mistress/dog just left them. It'd be great to keep the "off-topic" discussion to a minimum.

"Multistringed instruments for beginners"? As far as I can count, 6, as well as 8 is more than 1. :P Hope you get my point.

That's exactly my thoughts.

Some good suggestions coming in.

I'm digging Drew's idea's(minus the general area ) Kind of a nice general blend.
I like the idea of a "Suppliers" section too but until it gets big enough that can be lumped in with "Instruments".

-Instruments
-Amplification and Effects <- Maybe throw Accessories in there.
-Recording
-Theory and Technique
-Players and Bands
-For Sale

I figure that if the forum ever got big enough we could eventually split "Instruments" into seperate guitar and bass catagories.

Hopefully it should be up by tonight. I ran into a snag last night...err...I mean...after practice last night I went out drinking with a buddy. I'm so irresponsible

And yeah, it's not really that big of a 'specialty' yet, but you never know.

Now, to pick the color and the style of the board.

Roland- well, Bucketbot probably would't actually ban anyone with a 6 string, i'd think, ya know... I mean, t's not THEIR fault...

Yeah, good call on the General, Darren/Bucket- I don't actually read it myself, and I just figured everyone else did. Kinda nice to know i was wrong.

Can't wait to see this. If you get it up tonight, i can sign up and start checking it out at work tomorrow. If not, i've got a similar snag for this weekend (going up to my old college withy a good friend of mine, after she interviews in Boston tomorrow- extend the scope of debauchery a little bit (i've got two tentative dates lined up already, bonus points for the one where it's with a girl who's currently got a guy who flew in from romania to see her ), and as much as I'd love to demo the board, I'll probably be keeping a low profile...

Is there going to be an accompanying site with the board (i.e- www.jemsite.com and www.jemsite.com/phpbb www.tabcrawler.com and forums.tabcrawler.com, etc), or just a discussion?

-D

Maybe after a while I'll get a site going for it. I eventually plan on buying it's own domain name. The money is a little tight right now. This being a professional musician crap is starting to suck! And Burger King uniforms are really un-flattering to my figure.