Last night I received an offer to join some friends of mine in a band. This band relies very heavily on the B string. Over the last couple years I've trimmed all the fat on my bass collection down to just a single 4-string jazz bass. Thus far its worked for everything I do and gets my ideal tone and has my ideal playability.

Currently I can't afford to run out and buy a 5-string to accomodate the need for a B string (I could have about a month ago but I had to go and drop $1,800 on a new mountain bike :rolleyes: ). My current thought is that I could do one of three things:

1. Restring my jazz bass to BEAD. My concerns here are that I would end up missing my G string as I tend to do a lot of upper register work on the G string. I'm also in several other bands/projects that do not require BEAD tuning so I have a hunch I'd be performing string changes pretty frequently if I went to BEAD for this project.

2. Leave my bass in EADG and just adjust the parts below E an octave up. The band isn't playing death metal or anything that absolutely requires the lower octave darkness. Its actually a funk band, so I don't think the octave shift would be horrible.... the parts just sound SOOOOOOOO good an octave down I'd like to keep that if at all possible.

3. Tune my bass in fifths starting from C (CGDA). That would get me one note away from a B string and would certainly cover the vast majority of the below-E tones that I want. I've never played a bass tuned like this, so I can't say if I'd like it, how quickly I'd adjust from a bass tuned in fourths (i.e. conventional/standard/traditional).

Essentially everything's a compromise. Option 1 leaves me wondering if I'd miss my G string. Option 2 makes me think that I'd like the parts less without the dark lower octave tones. Option 3 doesn't quite fill the need for a B string and would require me to become proficient very quickly as they have a lot of great gigs lined up already.

Before anyone asks, I will NOT sell my jazz bass to fund a 5-string that would cover all my needs. That jazz simply has too much mojo to get rid of it :p

What do you think TB?

I wouldn't try tuning in 5ths unless you want to completely relearn your fingerboard. I mean, you can probably do it if you put your mind to it, but that method also requires a completely different set of strings to make up for the different tension. Anyways, it would probably take about the amount of time that you'd spend saving up for another bass.

I'd buy a cheap 4 string bass and restring it BEAD if I were in your situation, which I almost was about a year ago. You probably won't miss your g string after a while. Also, if your other bands aren't nearly as active right now as this one is, you could restring the Jazz with a B string while saving money for the new bass.

Aren't there companies that make octave pedals? You can hit the switch and go to BEAD, DADG, or what have you...Tim Commerford has started using those alot lately....

I'd recommend trying fifths tuning. It's easier than you think.

Cheap-ish 4(BEAD) or 5ver until you can afford an excellent second bass...

Even buying a cheap bass at this point isn't an option. Shortly after I bought the mountain bike I referenced earlier I got hit with some pretty drastic unseen expenses. Without going into too much detail I'll be shelling out an additional $300 a month on top of my normal cost of living to handle this expense.

I'm practicing with them tonight, and won't have time after work to go and pick up a 5-string set of strings, so I'll be forced to try the EADG route. I'll see how it goes octaving up some of the parts....

dont ruin your j-bass

Sell the mountain bike it won't make you money. Sell the mountain bike, buy a used bike and 5-string. It's all good!

Sell the mountain bike it won't make you money. Sell the mountain bike, buy a used bike and 5-string. It's all good!

This WAS a used mountain bike that I bought :crying:

When I said "new" I meant "new to me". How could I pass up on a bike that would cost $4,000 to build for $1,800? The answer is that I couldn't :p

BEAD, buy a cheap 5 string when you get the chance.

This WAS a used mountain bike that I bought :crying:

When I said "new" I meant "new to me". How could I pass up on a bike that would cost $4,000 to build for $1,800? The answer is that I couldn't :p

do you actually need it? If not then try and sell it for a profit...

do you actually need it? If not then try and sell it for a profit...
+1, or BEAD. keep it in fourths.

Sell the mountain bike on ebay. I think you'll be able to get 2500 for it. Then you can buy an octave pedal, a more used bike, and pay off some of your expenses.

I say option 2.

Play in standard tuning, and just play the right notes.

The bike is NOT going. No chance of that at all. To me selling the bike would be like selling that one piece of your bass rig that you'd always dreamed of and finally picked up. It is THE bike for me at this point, so it is definitely staying. I ride almost as much as I play music, so its definitely a big deal for me.

Jammed with them last night and stayed in EADG. It was definitely something that would be passable in a live environment, and I could just switch it out for studio stuff as needed... we'll see how it progresses.

Hipshot extender! Make that E into a D temporarily, rock out, flick it back to an E when you're done.

Who buys a bike for $4000? Seriously. They don't use adamantium on those things.

Who buys a bike for $4000? Seriously.

The same people who buy obsolete tube technology amps for $2000?

:hiding:

The same people who buy obsolete tube technology amps for $2000?

:hiding:

oooooohsheeeeitttnohediiiiideent :bassist:




jk;) im an all solid state guy haha but to eat his own

whatever you do, don't string in 5ths, you'll have to relearn the fingerboard and the stretch will be much more.
If you want to tune in 5ths, get a fretted electric mando-cello.

Just do the EADG, maybe get a heavier E for drop tuning.

If you really need a low B, sell the jazz, get a bit more money and buy a nice used 5.

Who buys a bike for $4000? Seriously. They don't use adamantium on those things.

That's not a lot of money once you start using carbon fibre in the build. Even a light aluminum bike with good components starts around $2k.

I know you said even a cheap bass is out of the question, but even if it's THIS cheap?
Check out the Essex Mega-thread and this
SX
http://www.rondomusic.net/spb6241.html

Some of you guys not understand how nice it is to ride a 5000 dollar bike, it rivals playing a 5000 dollar bass, almost.

Buy a sixer and you will never have to think again

If you're not willing to sell your J-bass (understandable) or bike (also understandable) for a 5, then you'll have to sacrifice the low notes. You can fake it with an octave pedal, but it won't quite be the same. I had to do it in a show where my low B broke, and I had to borrow someone else's four string. Just click the pedal on to hit the desired notes, and cut it off when the notes are done.

Ditto the Hipshot on your Jazz bass suggestion for a quick drop of the E string down to a D note. You can go as low as a low C, I've heard (I think Will Lee does/did it). I LOVE mine but it does add a *little* weight to your headstock. That doesn't bother me much but might bother some.

I hear you with the mountain bike GAS, which is every bit as lethal as bass GAS for some. Getting out there on the trails on your bike keeps you in shape and gives you inspiration to play better music, although DocBoc is right - you're not likely to make any money with it (unless you sell it). Maybe you can sell it, buy a 5-er, put ALL the money you make with your 5-er into a bike fund and ride your old hard-tail, rigid-fork for awhile. You might not be able to bomb down the hills as fast but think about how much easier those climbs will be without full-suspension. I've been eying expensive mountain bikes for years but, short of hitting the Lottery, I don't think that's going to happen for some time. :crying:

Buy a pedal for under $100 that gives you an octave or 2 below the note you are playing.

Talk about FUNKY!!

Get rid of the band, they are to expensive. :D

Play it an octave up for now, and put a slice of your gig money in a jar. When theres enough money in the jar to buy a 5 string, then the project has proved that its worth spending some money on. Until you/they can make do.

ian