A Fast way to Tune to BEAD without Changing The Nut?

[lz4005]

If you want it back to EADG in the future, put a new nut in (cheap).

Not necessary. You can use a .100 gauge string in a nut slot cut for .130 with no issue.

I've been switching back and forth between EADGC and BEADG on the same 5 with the stock nut for over 15 years with no problems. I also have a short scale bass with slots cut for .110 strung with .050 piccolo strings. Works perfectly.

Hello. What's the fastest and easiest way to tune a 4er to BEAD without the need to change the nut?

BEAD is only 7 frets up from EADG. Just play higher in the same tuning.

 

[swink]

You are missing the G string which is an integral part of many dance music bass lines.

 

[QweziRider]

ou are missing the G string which is an integral part of many dance music bass lines.

Fortunately, that's not what I play, so I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[ole Jason]

There is no reason you can't put an E string in a nut slot cut wide enough for a B string. The difference isn't that much.

 

[Manticore]

Either take an extended range bass or take two with different tunings.

 

[2F/2F]

Install a BEAD nut. You can use it for BEAD strings and regular strings.

Note that widening each EADG nut slot right down the middle of each slot will give you slightly awkward feeling string spacing, too bunched up on the lower strings, and with the B string closer to the edge of the board than the D string. The ideal is to have a new nut fabricated specifically for BEAD. Putting EADG strings on the center lines of the BEAD slots will not result in the proper spacing either, but IME it feels more tolerable than going the other way.

 

[mcnach]

Not necessary. You can use a .100 gauge string in a nut slot cut for .130 with no issue.

I've been switching back and forth between EADGC and BEADG on the same 5 with the stock nut for over 15 years with no problems. I also have a short scale bass with slots cut for .110 strung with .050 piccolo strings. Works perfectly.



BEAD is only 7 frets up from EADG. Just play higher in the same tuning.

good points

 

[chris_b]

Ok I think I got you guys confused here. I'm trying to ask that is it possible for me to go back and forth between EADG and BEAD tunings on the same bass within a short amount of time, like 10 mins so I don't need to bring two basses to a gig. Thanks!

If you want to play a song in standard tuning and one in low B tuning, in the same set, and with the same bass, you can. This is a requirement that was resolved many years ago.

Unfortunately 4 string basses are not flexible enough for what you want to do. As soon as you stop thinking that a 4 string bass is your starting point, the problem is fixed. If you are trying to play 5 string music on a 4 string bass you'll have to make some compromises on the material you can play, or the way you can play it. There is no compromise when playing a 5 string bass. Which is why the guys who play the way you want to play made that switch. You will have to expand your technique, but more technique is never a bad thing.

 

[chris_b]

Looking at that photo of Billy. . . . . . . . He`s looking really creepy there!

That's because he's straining to pose for the photo with a boat anchor around his neck with his back, hips and shoulder screaming put it down!!

 

[ejaggers]

My original sandbox bass used for my mod experiments is a medium scale,
and I recently tried BEAD on it with no nut adjustment whatsoever.

Some of you may be tired of hearing that I didn’t know it was MS for years,
because it was really my grandson’s who won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

I accidentally broke the original PUP and ended up putting a Seymour Duncan SPB-2 Hot in,
since I'd been GASN’ for a MS, and realized I had one all along.

I shimmed the neck, set it up, plugged it in, and it blew the hair from my eyelashes.
Then I said to myself, self, how much hair can I blow away with BEAD?

So, I strung it, lowered the action some more, and blew my shorts off with some Fender rounds!!!
(and I’m a flats kindda guy)

So OP, the moral of this story is you need a 5 string, which sounds weird coming from me.

And I apologize for jumping on all the 5ers, in the weekly 5er VS 4 string posts,
As I stand here hairless and no shorts!!!

This ole dog is ready to learn a new trick that I've been fighting for years,
So be kind when you see my,What 5er Should I Buy Post...Coming Soon.....057912

057912

 

[ejaggers]

If you want to play a song in standard tuning and one in low B tuning, in the same set, and with the same bass, you can. This is a requirement that was resolved many years ago.

Unfortunately 4 string basses are not flexible enough for what you want to do. As soon as you stop thinking that a 4 string bass is your starting point, the problem is fixed. If you are trying to play 5 string music on a 4 string bass you'll have to make some compromises on the material you can play, or the way you can play it. There is no compromise when playing a 5 string bass. Which is why the guys who play the way you want to play made that switch. You will have to expand your technique, but more technique is never a bad thing.

Chris,
What in the world are you doing up this time of morning?

I'm an insomniac, I took a sleeping pill at 2AM CST,
It is now 4:51AM and I'm still running on 1/2 tank.

Sunday I didn't sleep at all, just laid there until the sun came up Monday,
Then I got up to see what he was doing.

I'm recently retired and my hole biological world is turned upside down.
i.e. breakfast at 4PM and dinner a 2AM sometimes.
How do I get off the marry-go-round, back to normal???

Sorry Op for derailing your post, but you should be asleep....057912

EDIT: 5:18 AM, Sleep finally hit Meeeeeeeeeeeeee.......057912222222

 

[CatOnTheBass]

Using a capo on bass seems odd to me.

I could kind of get it if you needed open-string pedal notes in an awkward key like C or F, but for playing “standard” tuning songs on a BEAD tuned bass - why bother?

Watch out for the "I play standard tuning so everybody should play standard tuning" fallacy that is rampant on TalkBass.

Capos are simply drop tunings in reverse: you are raising the pitch of the open strings instead of lowering the pitch of the open strings. Think of a capo as opening up alternate tuning possibilities, that would otherwise risk the strings breaking from too much tension.

I'll leave you with a specific example: I love using 5th-fret capo BEAD tuning for Beatles songs that Paul played on the short-scale Hofner. Tonally, it sounds different to me than it would sound without the capo.