strings for 4 string contra-tuning (CF#BE or F#BEA)

[Mr M]

Is it the right word "contra"? Not sure, but I'd like to try to string one of my 4 stringer for a lower tuning. Possibly F#BEA or CF#BE.
The only low C string (.195) that I could find, is from Conklin website and it is very costly. Is there anywhere else that I can order it?

From juststrings.com I could find .145(F#), .125(B), .105(E), .090(A). Do you think those gauges would work?

I can have made a new nut for those strings. And probably I'll need at least a 15" speaker to hear them but I'd like to go lower than B, just for fun and experiment.

[Clay_Bass]

Youll definatley need a sub for the C# F# B E tuning. Jean Baudins C# just sounds like a thud without his sub. PM Jauqo he tunes his low string C# he could probably help you out.

[Fill]

well first you will need a cab that plays down to 17hz for csharp accugroove or bagend can do that i dont think any other cabs will basson sound but i dont recomend them you will be waisting time without that i have to use 21" sub for my low csharp so conklin is probable the only place you can get them unless you have endorsment with sit or labbella

[JAUQO III-X]

Mr M,what type of Bass do you plan to put these strings on and what type of electronics are in this Bass?


and if you do things right you will not have to use a 21"sub.

[Mr M]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Mr M,what type of Bass do you plan to put these string on and what type of electronics are in this Bass?


and if you do things right you will not have to use a 21"sub.

I'll use on my frankenbass I've got a headless Riverhead bass (34") that I make all my evil modifications just to try and experiment for fun. I abuse it freely. If it was an animal, PETA would protest it . I'm just an amateur who tries to do different things on my basses -as you can easily understand, I even wrote the low C# as C .

Now the bass has 2 Basslines passive 4 string bass PU on it, with volume, tone, blend. And I can put on it, STC3p Seymour Duncan circuit for passive PUs as well.

[JAUQO III-X]

Well I would like to respectfully suggest that you try Low F# B E A tuning first,get the strings before you cut the nut and from there you're on your way into a very interesting realm that will make or break your views on Bass guitars low frequency potential.

make sure your amp has more than 350 watts(the more watts you have the better to assist in projecting the low frequency outward).

[Mr M]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Well I would like to respectfully suggest that you try Low F# B E A tuning first,get the strings before you cut the nut and from there you're on your way into a very interesting realm that will make or break your views on Bass guitars low frequency potential.

make sure your amp has more than 350 watts(the more watts you have the better to assist in projecting the low frequency outward).

Thanks for the suggestion Jauqo III-X! May I ask you why you have asked me on which bass I was planning to put those strings? For the scale length? For the PU's and circuits? For the size of the body? Or anything else that doesn't come to my mind now? I know you've tried sub-contra tuning and some criticized, some supported your ideas. After your experineces, could you tell us what is more important on the bass for that lower tunings (letting beside the amp-speaker part)?
Thank you

And one last thing which is not related to the subject but I am damn curious. How do you pronounce your name and what it means? Is it like "Jaco three-axe" that I pronounce or anything else? What does it stand for? I could only think that it can be a name from a science-fiction novel (please excuse me if it's not something like that).

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Mr M

Thanks for the suggestion Jauqo III-X! May I ask you why you have asked me on which bass I was planning to put those strings? For the scale length? For the PU's and circuits? For the size of the body? Or anything else that doesn't come to my mind now? I know you've tried sub-contra tuning and some criticized, some supported your ideas. After your experineces, could you tell us what is more important on the bass for that lower tunings (letting beside the amp-speaker part)?
Thank you

I asked because there are certain factors that need to be considered even before you get to the amp aspect of what you're trying to do.The most important contribution to the concept is that you can't have a Subcontra Bass with out these vital ingredients,the body and neck materials,scale length,the core wire of the low C# string,the proper electronics etc.

Originally Posted by Mr M

And one last thing which is not related to the subject but I am damn curious. How do you pronounce your name and what it means? Is it like "Jaco three-axe" that I pronounce or anything else? What does it stand for? I could only think that it can be a name from a science-fiction novel (please excuse me if it's not something like that).

My first name rhymes with Rocko,in the link below I explain what the III-X means/symbolizes.

http://www.12stringbass.net/master.h....net/Jauqo.htm

[Mr M]

Thanks for the replies Jauqo. I've just read the interview.

If you are not tired of my not-so-much clever questions, would you like to share with us "how much" do the body, scale length etc. are affecting?

Thanks a lot.

[JAUQO III-X]

With out get to technical,I chose a mahogany body core because of how the Lows can still maintains it's clarity(if the proper piece of wood is chosen),maple neck and ebony fingerboard to balance out the clarity of the low end with out causing a mild brittle clash from the mids and highs frequency and the 34"scale because that is what I prefer(I feel that the lows can be pronounced properly with a 34" scale if the luthier know what they're doing).


Feel free to check this out.
http://jauqoiii-x.com/JK_pages/JK_lowc.html

[Steelpulz]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

With out get to technical,I chose a mahogany body core because of how the Lows can still maintains it's clarity(if the proper piece of wood is chosen),maple neck and ebony fingerboard to balance out the clarity of the low end with out causing a mild brittle clash from the mids and highs frequency and the 34"scale because that is what I prefer(I feel that the lows can be pronounced properly with a 34" scale if the luthier know what they're doing).


Feel free to check this out.
http://jauqoiii-x.com/JK_pages/JK_lowc.html

Jauqoiii, I am going to get a Conklin GTBD-7. I wanna tune it F#-C. I have a 1200 watt pwer amp, through a BBE BMAX, solid state, to an Avatar B212 (Delta) and a B410. Will I be able to properly hear/play the F# below the fifth fret?

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Steelpulz

I am going to get a Conklin GTBD-7. I wanna tune it F#-C. I have a 1200 watt pwer amp, through a BBE BMAX, solid state, to an Avatar B212 (Delta) and a B410. Will I be able to properly hear/play the F# below the fifth fret?

Yes and that's a firm yes.The GTBD-7 is a well constructed Bass to begin with and the electronics were made to go down to the Low F# range with no problem(if it still has the original electronics in it).The 1200 watt power amp is perfect and you may find that there's a strong possibility that you will not need the BMAX.Having the two 12's will have a nice amount of balanced lows and the four 10's will balance the mids and highs perfectly and not get in the way of the bottom from the two 12's.The Low F# is and will be a lot clearer that what most people are led to believe on all the frets of that Bass.

[Steelpulz]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Yes and that's a firm yes.The GTBD-7 is a well constructed Bass to begin with and the electronics were made to go down to the Low F# range with no problem(if it still has the original electronics in it).The 1200 watt power amp is perfect and you may find that there's a strong possibility that you will not need the BMAX.Having the two 12's will have a nice amount of balanced lows and the four 10's will balance the mids and highs perfectly and not get in the way of the bottom from the two 12's.The Low F# is and will be a lot clearer that what most people are led to believe on all the frets of that Bass.

Thank you for your response Jaquo III-X, very informative. You mentioned that I might not need the BMAX preamp, how is that? Does the preamp in the GTBD-7 put out enough to get by without a preamp? Also, which strings would you recommend, S.I.T. Power Steels, Snakeskins, or some other string? By the way i met you at NAMM you were at the Phil Jones booth. It was a pleasure.
(Sorry for the post hijack)

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Steelpulz

Thank you for your response Jaquo III-X, very informative. You mentioned that I might not need the BMAX preamp, how is that? Does the preamp in the GTBD-7 put out enough to get by without a preamp? Also, which strings would you recommend, S.I.T. Power Steels, Snakeskins, or some other string? By the way i met you at NAMM you were at the Phil Jones booth. It was a pleasure.
(Sorry for the post hijack)

I thought you were using a BBE sonics Maximizer and if that was the case you would not need the maximizer because you would be pushing 1200 watts(with the BMax pre)with two 12's and four 10's and that along with the electronics in the BD-7 is a killer sound and I use SIT power steels and Rock Brites.

Here's some info on what the BBE sonic Maximizer does.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Mar0...plugin0303.asp

and you're very welcome.

[Garry Goodman]

Originally Posted by Clay_Bass

Youll definatley need a sub for the C# F# B E tuning. Jean Baudins C# just sounds like a thud without his sub. PM Jauqo he tunes his low string C# he could probably help you out.

That is really a sad thing. My C#0 string sound incredible even through a good pair of headphones,