Flatwound, 32'' scale and A-D-G-C tuning

torquil · #1 12-01-2008, 07:05 AM

Hi! I'm going to put bass guitar strings on my cello, and tune it in fourths (B-E-A-D). I think the the most appropriate strings would be strings designed for a 32'' bass guitar, flatwound, for A-D-G-C tuning on the bass. Since the cello scale length is shorter, I should end up with an acceptable string tension when doing this. I have dono some calculations and it seems to be OK.

Ideally, the thickest one should be 0.070 or 0.075, but a set with 0.080 - 0.060 - 0.045 - 0.030 should also be fine, at least for now.

Does anybody know if it is possible to get this as a set, or must I buy individual strings? Any suggestions on where to look first, e.g. which manufacturers that could have these strings? Didn't look to promising on D'Addario's web site, I couldn't even find a high C flatwound for six-string bass there.

Btw, does anyone know who makes bass guitar strings where the winding doesn't start immediately next to the small ball on the end of the string? On my cello there is not enough room to acommodate a string that is wound all the way to the ball, I need about 0.5cm without winding. If I can not find such a string, I will have to bend the metal where the string is connected on the cello (I shouldn't be much of a problem though)

Best regards,
Torquil Sørensen
Norway

Deacon_Blues · #2 12-01-2008, 07:27 AM

I'd be very careful with putting strings made for one instrument onto another one. It might lead to a disaster (a relative once put strings made for steel-string acoustic guitars on an electric guitar and the result was a seriously warped neck). Check at least the tension in the strings before trying.

torquil · #3 12-01-2008, 05:20 PM

Well, I tried the cello with the A-D-G-C strings from my fretless bass guitar (even though it is 34''), but it was no good. The tension was about right, but they were not sensitive enough to the bow. It takes to much force to get them vibrating. I think it is because the bass strings have a higher density than the cello strings (and therefore less area is exposed to the hairs on the bow), and because my bass strings are somewhat smoother than my cello strings.

So I will instead mix and match from different series of cello strings. I will probably take thickest string from a series of "light" strings, the next thickest from a "medium" set, and the two thinnest from a series of "heavy" strings. That should even out the string tensions in my non-standard tuning.

Best regards
Torquil Sørensen

Lokire · #4 12-01-2008, 11:26 PM

Check out Bass Viol De Gamba strings. They're tuned in 4ths (with a major 3rd inbetween the middle strings):

http://www.juststrings.com/violadagamba.html

Lots of different gauge / single string options there. The Bass Viol De Gamba is about the same scale length as a Cello. Around 30", maybe a little longer.

torquil · #5 12-02-2008, 04:56 AM

Good suggestion. I was toying with the idea earlier since the Viola da Gamba is tuned mainly in fourths, but didn't yet check scale lengths and string thicknesses yet. But since they have six strings it is likely that four of them will fit my requirements.

I will consider it after I have tried D#-G#-C#-F# tuning with cello strings, instead of insisting to have the open strings similar to a guitar. That should be a goodd middle ground. The most important thing is to have it in fourths. I could also try this with an extra heavy A-string and a thin C-string.

Best regards,
Torquil Sørensen

torquil · #6 12-02-2008, 03:40 PM

Tuning to D-G-C-F (lowest to highest) worked very well, so I will keep my current cello strings for now. The lowest string is not quite perfect on the lowest notes, and I will probably use a thinner string in the future. But it is working great for my purposes so I am not in a hurry.

Best regards,
Torquil Sørensen
Norway