E-A-D-G to B-E-A-D

[FretlessinGaza]

I have two cheap basses; a Hohner P copy and Yamaha J copy, both fretted 4-string. I am keen to try changing the strings of one from EADG to BEAD i.e. the bottom four of a five-string set. Obviously this will require some work on the nut first. I would be interested to hear views on this, especially from those who have done this. Which instrument is likely to yield the best results - P or J?

[deftonesfn]

I was actually interested in tuning lower also. I just started playing bass a few months ago. I figured that it's not safe to just put on thicker strings and tune them lower. So what's the process for that?

[labgnat]

i've put BEAD on my 4 string ibanez prestige many times. didn't need to file the nut any. i think i was using light gauge strings tho. mmm u'll probably need to adjust your trussrod a bit to accomodate the extra tension that thick ole B string is gonna put on your neck. and adjust the action if needed. make sure your intonation is still good at the 12th fret. unless the neck on your bass is just crap this shouldn't be much of a problem.

[12bass]

Going to BEAD will usually lower the overall tension on the neck. Those low strings are bigger, but have less tension because they are tuned lower. Apart from some nut and bridge adjustments, you may have to loosen the truss rod slightly.

[bgavin]

I added a column to my spread sheet in the STRINGS section that calculates B-E-A-D tension from string sets that have a low B.