CONVERTING 4-STRING TO B-E-A-D

[SHARK669]

I HAVE BEEN A 4-STRING PLAYER MY ENTIRE MUSICAL LIFE. I WOULD LIKE TO SET UP ONE OF MY BASSES WITH THE LOW 4 STRINGS (B-E-A-D) FROM A 5-STRING SET. I KNOW IT WOULD PROBABLY BE EASIER TO JUST GET A 5-STRING, BUT THERE'S A FEW PROBLEMS WITH THAT. MY MAIN GRIPE IS THAT ONLY THE EXPENSIVE 5-STRINGS HAVE DECENT TONE AND TENSION ON THE B-STRING. ALSO, MY FINANCIAL MANAGER (AKA MY WIFE) HAS INFORMED ME THAT IF I BUY ANOTHER BASS, I WILL FIND MYSELF (AND MY BASSES) HOMELESS. OF COURSE, ALL MY BASSES ARE 34" SCALE. WHAT WOULD I NEED TO ADJUST TO GET A 4-STRING TO KEEP DECENT TENSION ON THE LOW B-STRING? ANY ADVICE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

[Nev375]

Originally Posted by SHARK669

I HAVE BEEN A 4-STRING PLAYER MY ENTIRE MUSICAL LIFE. I WOULD LIKE TO SET UP ONE OF MY BASSES WITH THE LOW 4 STRINGS (B-E-A-D) FROM A 5-STRING SET. I KNOW IT WOULD PROBABLY BE EASIER TO JUST GET A 5-STRING, BUT THERE'S A FEW PROBLEMS WITH THAT. MY MAIN GRIPE IS THAT ONLY THE EXPENSIVE 5-STRINGS HAVE DECENT TONE AND TENSION ON THE B-STRING. ALSO, MY FINANCIAL MANAGER (AKA MY WIFE) HAS INFORMED ME THAT IF I BUY ANOTHER BASS, I WILL FIND MYSELF (AND MY BASSES) HOMELESS. OF COURSE, ALL MY BASSES ARE 34" SCALE. WHAT WOULD I NEED TO ADJUST TO GET A 4-STRING TO KEEP DECENT TENSION ON THE LOW B-STRING? ANY ADVICE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

you will need about a .135 B string for decent tension IMO. and you will need to file the slots in your nut and possibly your bridge to compensate. You will also be moving your saddles back to re-intonate.

[salman]

It's been my experience that the string tension has more to do with the brand and gauge of the strings you use than with the bass itself. 34" from the nut to the saddle is 34" on every bass, whether it cost $100 or $5000. There are some who claim that a string-through the body type bridge offers more tension, but I have my doubts about that...the spacing from the nut to the saddle is still the same. I would try some DR Lo Riders with a .130 gauge on the B.

[christw]

Filing the nut followed by a good setup should be enough. I've done it on several basses myself. Rotosound makes 4 string sets intended for BEAD and F#BEA called Drop Zones. The RS66LH have been great when I used them.

[BobOnBass]

I've done some experimenting with BEAD on P-basses. Not sure what kind of bass you're gonna use but if it has a Fender style bridge I would change that if experimenting with strings doesn't do the trick. I would love to hear from someone with a technical background why this might be but I've noticed quite significant improvement in tone, especially on the B, when I changed the standard bridge to a Badass II. My main reason for doing this was to create some more space behind the saddle on the B string. I still had the Badass laying around and noticed how it was longer (meaning in the same direction as the strings) than the standard bridge and would therefor give me more room to set intonation. Well, I needed that room for sure and still ended up with enough space to keep the angle behind the saddle reasonable (not so steep). That was the biggest improvement imo, Elixer strings also worked great for me.

Good luck and hope to hear what you'll end up doing! Bob.

[Sartori]

My first bass is now strung BEAD, and has been for a while. No issues besides needing the nut slots filed and appropriate filings on the bridge saddles, and a set up.

If I'm not mistaken, the total tension for a bass strung BEAD with the bottom four strings of a five string set probably would actually be lower than the tension strung EADG as normal.

[tobiasaurusrex]

No matter the maker of any component, string tension is strictly related to the factors of:

vibrating length - from bridge saddle to nut (in this case 34", longer vibrating length requires more tension for the same note; 35" scale offers more tension);

string thickness - a thicker string requires more tension when tuned (a thicker string will be at higher tension to produce the same pitch as a thinner string);

actual pitch - you may call it a "B" string, but if you're detuned to Bb or A, then you will have a lower tension. (If you do detune, you're best off with a 35" scale bass, or you will hear more rattle than note.)


Quick/cheap/easy solution: get the thickest strings you can, but you may have to tighten your truss rod, in addition to opening up the nut grooves and adjusting bridge saddle position (and perhaps height).

[mech]

Originally Posted by tobiasaurusrex

No matter the maker of any component, string tension is strictly related to the factors of:

vibrating length - from bridge saddle to nut (in this case 34", longer vibrating length requires more tension for the same note; 35" scale offers more tension);

This is true but there is a little more to it....it is true that a longer vibrating length requires higher tension to achieve the same pitch as a shorter vibrating length, but, the overall length of the string, from tuner to anchor, also affects the feel of a string when tightened to a particular tension. The length of string between the tuner/nut and the saddle/anchor point can and will give when force is applied to the vibrating length of the string between the nut and saddle. The longer the overall length of the string the "floppier" it'll feel, with all other conditions being equal.

mech

[Dan Horboychuk]

i have done it on probably a half dozen different basses with minimal effort and great results, as was said earlier filing the nut and a setup and i was up and running in no time.