5 string Drop C Scale?

[LizerisCnh]

I'm new to bass. As a guitarist, I'm familiar with CGCFAD. What is the case for a 5 string bass?

[bass_player16]

With a 5 string you don't need to drop it like that, becuase you have your 5th string which is tuned to a B. I'm not an expert though so I can't say if I'm right or wrong, but I would see no point in doing that since you have all the add low notes that drop C tuning gives you, I think...

[FrigginChris]

i'd just keep it tuned BEADG for tension reasons. you still get that low C but your strings aren't all floppy. If i were to tune down my 5 string to accomidate a drop C tuned guitar though i'd just take everything down a whole step to ADGCF but if you HAVE that open low C go with GCGCF

[RockFace]

Originally Posted by LizerisCnh

I'm new to bass. As a guitarist, I'm familiar with CGCFAD. What is the case for a 5 string bass?

i have been playing a 5 string for 5 years or so and messed with a bunch of different tunings. based on my own experience, especially with a 5er, i think it is more or less useless to ACTUALLY put the bass into a dropped tuning, even if the guitar is.

to match dropped C on a guitar, i always tuned every string UP a half step, to CFA#D#G#. a lighter gauge string set helps loosen the tension quite a bit if you opt for this. this way, your intervals are still standard, but your lowest string matches the guitars...i.e. you can match them with hammer-on parts. also, keep mr. dirk lance from incubus in mind...almost all of their songs are in dropped d, but he almost always played a 5 string in standard BEADG...

[idoru]

If you really need that low C as an open string, consider ditching the low B for a high C. I have tuned C G C F C in the past and it works a treat.

[LizerisCnh]

Sounds like it's just a matter of preference.