Advice please on extending bass range upwards only?

[Maxra]

Having got my acoustic bass ambitions more or less under control, I now have a cunning plan involving a cheap extended range solid fretless bass (probably a Harley Benton 550 or 650). I know 00's of UK/Irish/Euro folk tunes by ear. A lot are in F, C, G , D, F or related keys and modes. It would be good to work out a way to play these tunes or regular guitar style chords at times at the higher end of the bass, while retaining the ability to play regular bass rhythm accompaniment, and maybe work out using one or more low strings as open drones under those.

I have a hunch that tuning a 4 string bass ADGC low to high (ie 'move the strings down one and add a high 1st') might make playing regular bass lines more difficult. I think 5 string basses are commonly tuned BEADG, 6 stringers BEADGC, low to high, and there are a few production 7 stringers about. So, does it work OK using the available extra strings to extend the range upwards only compared to standard 4 string tuning? I mean tuning a 5 string EADGC, or a 6 string EADGCF. That's assuming high F strings are available for 7 string basses - I think Pyramid at least do a wound .022 which I've seen reviewed as 'robust', as part of their 7 string set. I don't envisage doing much slapping and popping (!).

What do you think?

Thanks, Max

 

[J Posega]

Works just fine.

Get a 4 string set and add a .030ish for the C and a .020ish for the F. It's hard to find wound high F strings so you may have to settle for a plain steel string which may not have the same timbre as the wound EADGC strings.

You might get some rattling/buzzing at the nut if you're shifting from BEADG(C) to EADGC(F).

That said, you'll need to have really good intonation to accurately play upper register chords on a fretless bass.

Tuning in fifths could work for you, too: FCGDAE low to high (F same as 1st fret low E), or start a fourth lower from C same as 1st fret low B. Either would give you a low drone that fits the keys you mentioned and easy 1 finger power chords up high. Would have to put together string sets yourself from singles, but it's not that hard.

 

[MrAB4003]

Why not tune a 5 string to DGCFBb? That way, you can play regular bass lines, power chords, and have access to lower notes. I might do this if I get a 5 string in the future (the other alternative is tuning ADGCF like Fieldy of KoRn).

 

[Sharko]

Get a Bass VI and pull out the frets?

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Piccolo bass.

 

[MCS4]

I mean tuning a 5 string EADGC . . . .

This is a perfectly normal 5 string tuning and you can easily find string sets built for it and examples of other people using it. I just bought a set of "High C" 5 string Bass Boomers and set up my 5 string bass in this tuning a couple weeks ago.

 

[MonetBass]

If I wanted to play chords easily on a bass, knowing how to play guitar, I'd get a 6 string bass and tune it EADGBE like a guitar so you could use guitar chord shapes in the 2nd octave. But not a fretless. Have you tried to play anything more than double stops on a fretless in tune? It's very difficult.

 

[Killing Floor]

Not trying to be dumb, but at some point you know you’re well into baritone if not standard guitar territory.
If you have your bass needs met why not get an instrument designed for the job instead of trying to force a bass into the stratosphere? Just a thought.

 

[alexclaber]

So, does it work OK using the available extra strings to extend the range upwards only compared to standard 4 string tuning? I mean tuning a 5 string EADGC, or a 6 string EADGCF.

My acoustic bass is a Harley Benton five which I restrung and tuned EADGC (six string set, just leaving off the low B string). I've also experimented with piccolo bass but the extra high G on that is unwound, which is only a tone higher than that F. But I assume wound high F strings must exist because 7 string basses aren't that rare and unwound strings on a bass just seem weird...

I play guitar a bit and prefer having a bass in fourths even thought I play a lot of chords on bass! The neck width, string spacing and string tension means guitar chords, especially barre chords, don't fall under the hand like they do on a guitar. Obviously if you play a short scale bass with low action and light strings it'll be more like a guitar but my basses aren't like that!

 

[Grinderman]

Not trying to be dumb, but at some point you know you’re well into baritone if not standard guitar territory.
If you have your bass needs met why not get an instrument designed for the job instead of trying to force a bass into the stratosphere? Just a thought.

Because that's where the fun comes from.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

My Kiesel Zeus 6 strings is tuned EADGbe like a guitar. I used a 7 string bass set to do it.

before playing for the first time a 6, I tuned my 5 string EADGC.

why not

 

[ravlin]

Why not tune a 5 string to DGCFBb? That way, you can play regular bass lines, power chords, and have access to lower notes. I might do this if I get a 5 string in the future (the other alternative is tuning ADGCF like Fieldy of KoRn).

This is the way. I had one of my 5 strings set up this way, it will be returning as soon as I get off talkbass and order the strings. 0.035 Bb and a heavy set of your favorite strings work great. Bonus: capo to standard tuning.

 

[logdrum]

Not trying to be dumb, but at some point you know you’re well into baritone if not standard guitar territory.
If you have your bass needs met why not get an instrument designed for the job instead of trying to force a bass into the stratosphere? Just a thought.

This is the answer. Get the longest scale Baritone guitar not 27 but the ones in ~30 scale (mine is 29) and tune to A not B. You can get wound strings all the way or at least to the second highest. I know they make a wound 18. Stringjoy for example all their guitar strings are 36 inch and would clear short scales pretty easy maybe even 34 scales.

 

[sokolasty]

I have a 5 string EADGC and it's great.

 

[SteveCS]

Having got my acoustic bass ambitions more or less under control, I now have a cunning plan involving a cheap extended range solid fretless bass (probably a Harley Benton 550 or 650). I know 00's of UK/Irish/Euro folk tunes by ear. A lot are in F, C, G , D, F or related keys and modes. It would be good to work out a way to play these tunes or regular guitar style chords at times at the higher end of the bass, while retaining the ability to play regular bass rhythm accompaniment, and maybe work out using one or more low strings as open drones under those.

I have a hunch that tuning a 4 string bass ADGC low to high (ie 'move the strings down one and add a high 1st') might make playing regular bass lines more difficult. I think 5 string basses are commonly tuned BEADG, 6 stringers BEADGC, low to high, and there are a few production 7 stringers about. So, does it work OK using the available extra strings to extend the range upwards only compared to standard 4 string tuning? I mean tuning a 5 string EADGC, or a 6 string EADGCF. That's assuming high F strings are available for 7 string basses - I think Pyramid at least do a wound .022 which I've seen reviewed as 'robust', as part of their 7 string set. I don't envisage doing much slapping and popping (!).

What do you think?

Thanks, Max

Have you thought about tuning in 5ths, say E, B, F#, C#, or even F, C, G, D low to high. It adds a tritone (b5 or exactly ½-octave) to the range of a 4-string and can present some fingering challenges to (and rethinking of the mechamics of) some of the more 'traditional' and established idiomatic bass concepts, but it makes 'open' voicings of chords and extensions much less of a stretch, especially once you get to the 'dusty' end...

 

[ole Jason]

Trying to do guitar style voicings up high on a fretless neck isn't going to be worth the trouble unless you plan on investing a lot of time into it IMO. Close voiced double stops or triads would be doable but beyond that things are going to sound pretty dicey.

All that said, yes it will work to bring the bass up a 4th or more with appropriate strings. I mainly play six string but own a seven string. I would recommend a wound F if you're going that high. Unwound F strings at bass scales tend to sound kind of strange and are pretty brittle.

 

[Beej]

I used to keep a five string in DADGC which had a lot of flexibility and worked well playing metal.

 

[dkelley]

I owned and played, for a short while, an 8 string non octave bass. F# B EADG C F

The F was so thin and tight that I found it pretty annoying to play on.

Just my brief personal experience to relay to you. It's not like it was a high end instrument or anything, but regardless, string tension and gauge is what it is, and it was not something I enjoyed. The high C on my 6 string is as thin as I enjoy playing on at 34" scale length, and even then it's pushing my idea of what it should feel like.

I'll be curious to see if you do this, what you think of the feel!

 

[bassbrad]

There are a lot of options for stringing and tuning a 4 or 5 string instrument. As I have too many basses one excuse is to have different string and tuning options. 2 of my 5 string basses are set up for EADGC.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I used to play a 5 string Heartfield strung E A D G B. Easy to comp some guitar chords on the top 3 strings.

BBB