Gauges for 3/4 bass tuned in 5ths?

[nonfatmatt]

This is probably a dumb idea but I'm going to do it anyway . Recently I've been playing mandolin and 4 string banjo a lot, and I really love the 5ths tuning. Things tuned in 4ths (especially guitars) sound sort of flat to me. However, obviously 5ths doesn't work really well on bass guitar.

So I'm thinking of getting a 3/4ths bass and tuning it in 5ths like a cello (or even an octave lower, if that's even possible). The goal is to be able to play fun stuff like the Bach cello suites in the original tunings.

Anyhow, is there any advice you can give me on string gauges? Do they even make 5ths tuning string sets for electric bass? If I want to tune it like a cello should I just follow the cello gauges?

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Double bass?

Tomastik-Infeld makes a double bass set tuned in fifths...

[ixlramp]

Not at all a dumb idea! I've been tuning my basses in fifths since 1996. Why do you say 'doesn't work really well on bass guitar', is it because of the need for longer shifts of the hand when playing a scale or certain riffs? Is this why you're considering a short scale bass? An octave below cello is totally possible, the lowest string is then a semitone above a low B string. B strings are often floppy so tuning one up works well. If you want octave down CGDA a 34-35" scale will help the tone of the low C. Also such fat strings are more difficult to find in the right length for short scale bass. At cello pitch CGDA all strings will be thin and so any normal 34-35" scale bass strings will wrap round the posts of a short scale with no problems.

I've designed many fifths sets so i can help you with this. Look at the tension chart for XL nickelplated roundwound here http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf and choose gauges to give you equal tensions in octave down CGDA. The D'Addario chart can be used to approximate the tensions of other brands so you can then build a custom set from single strings of your choice. For example 125 80 55 35 for a light 32-35 pounds tension or 135 90 60 40 for a medium 40-43 pounds tension.
Here's a good place to Build your own string set!

Circle K Strings Circle K Strings - Circle K Strings have designed fifths sets (not yet on the site) and so can provide you with a set with equal tension strings. Here is there tension chart http://circlekstrings.com/CKSIMAGES/...nsionChart.pdf. They have thinner strings too and so can do CGDA at cello pitch (the top 1 or 2 will be plain steel strings).