Transition to BEAD

[GillesUnchained]

I would like to experiment with some lower notes but I don't want to get a 5-string, mainly because I don't like the aesthetic. I am considering getting a cheap bass and stringing it BEAD.

I know there are probably many on this board who have tried this, so my question: Is it a big transition? Am I going to have to completely relearn the songs or will I immediately be able to play everything as normal and just work in the low notes as I see fit, which is what I'm hoping?

Also, any general tips for going from standard to BEAD are appreciated. Thanks!

[seanm]

I found the B string very easy to work into songs. I also found that, except for the occasional mistake of the B string for the E string (and A for E on the basses strung EADG). However, any song that uses the G string will have to be rearranged.

I ended up going back to EADG.

[Fat.Mike]

I did this on one of my basses. It has passive electronics, so the low b sounds pretty weak. You will have to file the nut to get the wider strings to fit and possibly raise the action on the bridge to eliminate unwanted fret buzz on the B.
It's not a huge transition, and by that I mean you will get familiar with it rather quickly. I found that I really missed having the G. For higher notes you will have to move your hand or play them an octave down, so get familiar with shifting positions more often. Songs shouldn't be too hard to adjust, hell it's just an extra string!
Of course, I didn't do this to my main electric bass that was played with my last "electric" band. I did it to the bass I started out on (cheap late eighties/early nineties Ibanez EX), so it has been training wheels times 2. For you to buy a cheapie is a very smart idea, cause if you don't like nothing was lost.

[manicbassman]

Originally Posted by seanm

I found the B string very easy to work into songs. I also found that, except for the occasional mistake of the B string for the E string (and A for E on the basses strung EADG). However, any song that uses the G string will have to be rearranged.

why? all you have to do is shift five frets further up the neck...

[seanm]

Originally Posted by manicbassman

why? all you have to do is shift five frets further up the neck...

Off the top of my head I can think of two reasons. If you rely on open strings, going up five frets can mess you up. Also, if you have a pattern at say E on the A string, going up five frets puts you up higher on the fret board than I usually want to go.

Plus, I sometimes rearrange the songs just to make use of the lower string. It's there, why not use it?

[lemur821]

I switched fairly recently and I feel it's the best thing I've done since defretting my bass. I expected to miss the G, but now I feel like I've found the right range for me. I'm not the "no money above the 5th fret" type, but it seems to me that having that G there moves the instrument's normal range up just a bit too much for me to be comfortable, and replacing it with a B puts the notes that want the most playing in the middle, and adds the ability to actually go low.

[Depth_Charge]

Play the G at the lower position and boom through!

[GillesUnchained]

Originally Posted by lemur821

... having that G there moves the instrument's normal range up just a bit too much for me to be comfortable, and replacing it with a B puts the notes that want the most playing in the middle, and adds the ability to actually go low.

That's sort of how I feel about it. I play in a band with two, sometimes three, guitars. And a keyboard. I feel like a need a few more notes where I'm not stepping on anyone else. Besides, when I do play high, which is admittedly pretty often, I do it high up on the neck anyway.