Hard disagree. I like bass chords up the neck. I cannot stand any note lower than drop D on a bass. Different people just have different preferences.Kniferide wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:54 am Seems to be like it is how bass guitars should be tuned. 99% of anything played on the g string above the 7th fret or so is usually super silly. I had a early 60's Silvertone bass that was extremely short scale that I kept in ADGB and I liked that too. Like a baritone guitar. It's weird that people don't get weird with bass tunings more often.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
12Just to update; I strung my Squier P Bass up BEAD (130-65) at the weekend, and I'm loving it. I had to do a little bit of work at the nut to fit the bigger gauges, but not much, and was surprised at how little I had to change at the bridge to get it intonating correctly. Action is unchanged. I've never played a 5 string or a bass tuned down to B before, and it's been a blast. Not missing the G in any way. Yes, the B is a teeny bit floppy, and my amp maybe struggles a little with it (at bedroom vol) but it records well, and if anything, it's making me get out of the "always hanging out on the lowest string" rut. It's also great to get up the neck at a lower pitch.
So far, so really really happy.
So far, so really really happy.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
13I'm with Tom here, I generally don't think bass sounds good tuned below D. Pretty much the only person who is tuned lower than that that I think sounds good (bass parts are still articulate and defined, and they're placed in a way in the mix that they don't become detuned mush with the other instruments) is Ian from Kowloon Walled City.tommy wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:44 amHard disagree. I like bass chords up the neck. I cannot stand any note lower than drop D on a bass. Different people just have different preferences.Kniferide wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:54 am Seems to be like it is how bass guitars should be tuned. 99% of anything played on the g string above the 7th fret or so is usually super silly. I had a early 60's Silvertone bass that was extremely short scale that I kept in ADGB and I liked that too. Like a baritone guitar. It's weird that people don't get weird with bass tunings more often.
The first band I played bass in, probably 50%-70% of what I played was on the D & G above the 7th fret.
Current Bands: High Priors | Maple Stave
Old Bands:
www.bracketsseattle.bandcamp.com
www.burnpermits.bandcamp.com
www.policeteeth.bandcamp.com
Old Bands:
www.bracketsseattle.bandcamp.com
www.burnpermits.bandcamp.com
www.policeteeth.bandcamp.com
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
14I play a Travis Bean tuned AEAD.
GHS Bass Boomers BEAD set, heavy gauge. 70-140.
34" scale length is good. Wouldn't want to do it with 32" unless I had to. Still had to sub out two of the "box" saddles with "barrel" saddles to get the two A strings to line up right (both action and intonation).
Curiously...I don't want a longer scale length. Too boingy. The "guh" of the low A with a little play in it is quite nice and part of the sound.
You can play octaves real easy all up and down the neck when the 1st and 3rd strings are tuned the same. The top octave helps fill out the bottom note. You're not even really hearing the fundamental below low E, per set, through most amps/cab combinations (low A being like 27.5hz and v dependent on harmonic content to signify).
Some things I will tune the E down to A, so it's AAAD. You can play a three-finger phlanx of unison notes that way on the lowest strings--solid low note, clanky low note, and the octave. It's a lot. Clanky note is kind of a special effect to be managed carefully.
You can't easily barre all three on the same fret, so you gotta fret it like an open A chord on a regular guitar.
It's funny...some notes work best with the solid low and octave fretted right behind the fret and the clattery one fretted just behind...and some work better with the octave note fretted farther back than the clattery note.
Anyway. Yeah.
GHS Bass Boomers BEAD set, heavy gauge. 70-140.
34" scale length is good. Wouldn't want to do it with 32" unless I had to. Still had to sub out two of the "box" saddles with "barrel" saddles to get the two A strings to line up right (both action and intonation).
Curiously...I don't want a longer scale length. Too boingy. The "guh" of the low A with a little play in it is quite nice and part of the sound.
You can play octaves real easy all up and down the neck when the 1st and 3rd strings are tuned the same. The top octave helps fill out the bottom note. You're not even really hearing the fundamental below low E, per set, through most amps/cab combinations (low A being like 27.5hz and v dependent on harmonic content to signify).
Some things I will tune the E down to A, so it's AAAD. You can play a three-finger phlanx of unison notes that way on the lowest strings--solid low note, clanky low note, and the octave. It's a lot. Clanky note is kind of a special effect to be managed carefully.
You can't easily barre all three on the same fret, so you gotta fret it like an open A chord on a regular guitar.
It's funny...some notes work best with the solid low and octave fretted right behind the fret and the clattery one fretted just behind...and some work better with the octave note fretted farther back than the clattery note.
Anyway. Yeah.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
15I very much would like to hear recordings featuring this three-string octave thing.eephus wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:10 pm I play a Travis Bean tuned AEAD.
GHS Bass Boomers BEAD set, heavy gauge. 70-140.
34" scale length is good. Wouldn't want to do it with 32" unless I had to. Still had to sub out two of the "box" saddles with "barrel" saddles to get the two A strings to line up right (both action and intonation).
Curiously...I don't want a longer scale length. Too boingy. The "guh" of the low A with a little play in it is quite nice and part of the sound.
You can play octaves real easy all up and down the neck when the 1st and 3rd strings are tuned the same. The top octave helps fill out the bottom note. You're not even really hearing the fundamental below low E, per set, through most amps/cab combinations (low A being like 27.5hz and v dependent on harmonic content to signify).
Some things I will tune the E down to A, so it's AAAD. You can play a three-finger phlanx of unison notes that way on the lowest strings--solid low note, clanky low note, and the octave. It's a lot. Clanky note is kind of a special effect to be managed carefully.
You can't easily barre all three on the same fret, so you gotta fret it like an open A chord on a regular guitar.
It's funny...some notes work best with the solid low and octave fretted right behind the fret and the clattery one fretted just behind...and some work better with the octave note fretted farther back than the clattery note.
Anyway. Yeah.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
16Here ya gobiscuitdough wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:37 pmI very much would like to hear recordings featuring this three-string octave thing.eephus wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:10 pm I play a Travis Bean tuned AEAD.
GHS Bass Boomers BEAD set, heavy gauge. 70-140.
34" scale length is good. Wouldn't want to do it with 32" unless I had to. Still had to sub out two of the "box" saddles with "barrel" saddles to get the two A strings to line up right (both action and intonation).
Curiously...I don't want a longer scale length. Too boingy. The "guh" of the low A with a little play in it is quite nice and part of the sound.
You can play octaves real easy all up and down the neck when the 1st and 3rd strings are tuned the same. The top octave helps fill out the bottom note. You're not even really hearing the fundamental below low E, per set, through most amps/cab combinations (low A being like 27.5hz and v dependent on harmonic content to signify).
Some things I will tune the E down to A, so it's AAAD. You can play a three-finger phlanx of unison notes that way on the lowest strings--solid low note, clanky low note, and the octave. It's a lot. Clanky note is kind of a special effect to be managed carefully.
You can't easily barre all three on the same fret, so you gotta fret it like an open A chord on a regular guitar.
It's funny...some notes work best with the solid low and octave fretted right behind the fret and the clattery one fretted just behind...and some work better with the octave note fretted farther back than the clattery note.
Anyway. Yeah.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
17I have an Epiphone Thunderbird and it's strung BEAD. It works great!Kniferide wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:54 am A friend of mine was looking for a 5 string Thunderbird so he could have a low B. He already has 2 Thunderbird 4 string basses. When I suggested that he just tune to BEAD he looked at me like I split the atom. Seems to be like it is how bass guitars should be tuned. 99% of anything played on the g string above the 7th fret or so is usually super silly. I had a early 60's Silvertone bass that was extremely short scale that I kept in ADGB and I liked that too. Like a baritone guitar. It's weird that people don't get weird with bass tunings more often.
Ross Valory of Journey is known for this tuning. I hope that doesn't ruin it for anyone.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
18If those corn dads from Aerosmith and Motley Crue didn’t ruin playing Bass VIs and old Dano baritones with distortion, Journey didn’t ruin BEAD.
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
19Was I the only one thinking...
Well, you know... That was Peter Steele's tuning for the entirety of Type-O Negative...
Re: 4 string bass tuned to BEAD
20Don’t worry, it won’t make you write the song that gets Agnostic Front in trouble for race baiting and then another one called “Der Untermensch” about so-called welfare queens.numberthirty wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 6:49 pm Was I the only one thinking...
Well, you know... That was Peter Steele's tuning for the entirety of Type-O Negative...