B-E-A-D on a 4 sting bass

[lollington]

Evening folks

So I sold my car last week, and the money is burning a hole in my pocket. I know I'll save 100 dollah a month from not running a vehicle, so money spent on a new bass would be recouped in a few months, right?

I have my eye on a Fender Aerodyne. Problem is, the model I like is a 4 string, and I currently use a Stringray 5 string. Should I buy this bass? Would restringing the bass B-E-A-D have any wonky consequences?

[i]Or....[/i]

Should I change the songs in my set to fit around standard 4 string tuning and leave the bass unmodified?
Buy a different 5 sting instead?
Realise that I don't actually [i]need[/i] another guitar and put the money into my savings account?

Talk some sense into me.

[geoffbyrne]

There are at least two threads on BEAD on a 4 every month. Search function is your friend.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1319322224' post='1412793']
There are at least two threads on BEAD on a 4 every month. Search function is your friend.
[/quote]
Here's a few to get it started:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/155465-thinking-of-doing-the-bead-thing/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/155465-thinking-of-doing-the-bead-thing/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/143512-bead-tuning-on-a-4-string/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/143512-bead-tuning-on-a-4-string/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/136084-change-4-string-from-eadg-to-bead/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/136084-change-4-string-from-eadg-to-bead/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/130845-b-e-a-d/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/130845-b-e-a-d/page__hl__bead__fromsearch__1[/url]

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='lollington' timestamp='1319322085' post='1412792']
Would restringing the bass B-E-A-D have any wonky consequences?
[/quote]
You [u]may[/u] have to file the nut slots, dependent on whether the new strings fit the present slots. This [u]may[/u] mean a new nut when you go back to EADG.

You [u]may[/u] have to tweak the truss rod - the tension of BEAD is commonly slightly lower than EADG.

You [u]may[/u] have to reset the intonation.

[quote name='lollington' timestamp='1319322085' post='1412792']
Should I change the songs in my set to fit around standard 4 string tuning and leave the bass unmodified?
[/quote]
That's what I would do, but you'll have to decide.

[lollington]

Thanks for the links/advice.

Will have to sleep on this one... Search function suggests buy.

[Nodd]

I bought a Bongo specifically to tune to B.E.A.D.
My thinking was that a newer design of bass with active EQ would be more likely to cope and provide a better platform.
I had it professionally set up and tweaked to fit.
The result is a very stable and useful deep er bass, very handy for keys like G, A and B.

The tuning can sound a bit weird if playing more traditional types of music,
perhaps because we are used to the E.A.D.G. range.
I know there have been comments about 'wobbly' B strings,
I haven't suffered that, using EB Slinkys.

Amp-wise, I'm sure most would cope, but you do need a decent speaker or two.
I have a little Aria combo with 2x 6" for small gigs,
it can't really cope on its own, but does when i add a 12" ext.
Through my Walkabout it sounds immense, and goes [u]all[/u] the way down.

Good luck with your choice,
Nodd

[Count Bassie]

just thought I'd chime in... I have a partsed-together Squier P-Bass that I've strung up with an old BEAD set I had on another bass. The Hamer Cruisebass I BEAD'ed was ok, but it has a fairly beefy neck and the big strings seemed ungainly. The Squier seems a more friendly instrument for the purpose with the 'A' type neck on there- it's narrow at the nut and the profile front-to-back is thinner than the Hamer.

I had to widen the nut slots- I think I'll try that using the strings as a file idea... but I used a razor knife to 'open' the slots and it's pretty good. I'm also going to have to remove a spring from the bridge to get the intonation nailed I guess...

But it feels really pretty good. I've been trying to do this for a over a year now, as I play in a band that does some Brazilian 'Creole' and a few modern 'Dance' numbers with low-B in the bass. I haven't been able to get on with a 5-string all that well, though I've tried. They tend to feel big, and I've played a 4-string since 1979, so there's that. I'm trying out an Ibanez I found hanging in a friend's store, that one feels pretty good though I traditionally don't like the Ibanez SR line... I think they're ugly, but I'm sort of ugly too, so it may work out!

Bu I kinda like the BEAD on the Squier. Interesting how the bass can make such a difference in feel, moving from standard to BEAD.

[Wil]

All my basses are 4s and they're all set up for BEAD. For me it's more useful than a 4 strung traditionally, and I don't really miss the G at all. Go for it.

[bigsmokebass]

Never been a fan of B-E-A-D tuning on a four string, yes I had my days of it too .

Always fancied a 5 string and tuning it E-A-D-G-C tuning, I think a certain Mr V Wooten does so???

Hope whatever you do, works best for you

[DanEly]

Why don't you try pick up a OLP 5'er? they seem to be priced at stupidly low prices these days.