5 string tuning

chridall · #1 12-05-2005, 10:53 AM

I am looking into buying my first 5er in the next couple of months (been playing the trusty 4 for about 6 years now), and was wondering if anyone had ever used EADGB as opposed to the standard BEADG on a five. If so, how did it work out, and how hard were the adjustments, and finally would you recommend it.

fretlessrock · #2 12-05-2005, 11:40 AM

Maybe you mean EADGC? That is straight fourths, not uncommon.

I use it on my primary bass, it works great, I recommend it in that it won't leave you blind or anything. The hard part is getting a set of strings that work for you. I have used regular 4 string sets and then bought single C strings, and I have bought six string sets and left the low-B unused.

You shouldn't need to do much adjusting if the bass has a good setup to begin with. Maybe a truss tweak. You could end up needing some work on the nut, and you might want to go over the whole setup. You could also get lucky and the bass plays great with no adjustments. Having a nut properly fitted is a good idea but not necessary in all cases.

WillBuckingham · #3 12-05-2005, 12:00 PM

Some serious bassists do use EADGB. I use EADGC, and I think it's great. I highly recommend, if you want steel roundwounds, Routosounds. I buy the standard gague four-string set and special order a .035 C string. Any music store would probably be willing to do this for you.

Chasarms · #4 12-05-2005, 03:10 PM

I've never had a five tuned high, but with both fretted sixers I owned, I tuned them BEADGB. I preferred that they be tuned as a guitar is tuned for chording.

i_got_a_mohawk · #5 12-05-2005, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasarms

I've never had a five tuned high, but with both fretted sixers I owned, I tuned them BEADGB. I preferred that they be tuned as a guitar is tuned for chording.

I do the same, its confusing adding an open C if you play guitar aswell

chridall · #6 12-06-2005, 10:49 AM

I think I'll try out all the suggestions to see how they feel to me. Like I said, it'll be a couple of months before I get the new bass, so I'll probably have more questions then.

Thanks guys.

7flat5 · #7 12-06-2005, 11:30 AM

I am probably stating the obvious, but you do understand you can't use a "standard" 5-string set of strings, which usually include the low B not the high C.

WillBuckingham · #8 12-07-2005, 09:42 AM

Don't play guitar very much, but it seems to me if you guys just try to think/play more intervallically you shouldn't have too much trouble playing with high C. I'm not saying that high-B tuning doesn't have it's advantages, and I'm sure it works better for some players, but using it because you get confused with high C tuning doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Michael Henson · #9 12-07-2005, 09:47 AM

I tune my five string with a high C and really like it. I tried it with the low B for about a year and a half but with my style of playing I rarely used it. I like the sound a lot better now.

Chasarms · #10 12-07-2005, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillBuckingham

Don't play guitar very much, but it seems to me if you guys just try to think/play more intervallically you shouldn't have too much trouble playing with high C. I'm not saying that high-B tuning doesn't have it's advantages, and I'm sure it works better for some players, but using it because you get confused with high C tuning doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I do it more to standardize chord fingerings than to avoid confusion. Also, certain chords forms are difficult if not impossible to finger with a straight fourths tuning, otherwise a guitar would be tuned that way.