Cheap bass recommendation for BEAD tuning

Don't worry about the pickup, just buy the one that you prefer for comfort and condition etc.

I have strung various basses BEAD and never had an issue with the pickup (or the bridge, but I didn't have a 145 on there ).

It is quite possible you won't like the pickups for a number of reasons, but I wouldn't think that the B string would be one of them.

 

My LTD 5 string, the bottom 4 strings are like that

On a serious note though, the one that lasted the longest as BEAD was a Harley Benton PJ active.

 

I had the same idea last summer and found a used blue Peavey Millenium 4, less than $200 in like new condition. Seems blue is the least valuable and amber 3 x more valuable.
Been wanting to try a Millenium for 10 years, am really impressed.
Haven't made a single mod except to set it up for BEAD 65-130 nickel wound.

 

Rondo Music is very low on stock of basses after selling out of several models over the Christmas holiday's. I have been watching the web site for the new stock to arrive (it hasn't as of today 1/30/18) so if anyone not familiar with them goes and looks now keep checking back, they will likely have more soon. They sell only imported instruments and thus it takes a while for them to replace their stock. They must have had a good holiday sales season, almost all of the Douglass line and many of the SX line are OS and have been temporarily removed from the site. This is their standard practice, while out of stock the model gets removed from the web site.

 

I found a used Peavey Grind ($200 on CL) and adapted it to BEAD. I was looking for something that was nominally 35" scale. It was OK strung with a 0.130 B (that's as large as I went). Swapping out the bridge rails for a Hipshot A helped, and swapping out the electronics and pups helped even more (but the new bridge, tuners and the replacement Nordys added ~$400 to the project). After that it did sound pretty good though
I called it "Grond" due to the massive B that could be used to knock down doors, gates of mithril, whatever...

So, I would say that just filing the nut with no other mods made it playable as a BEAD.

Good luck with your project!

 

Did one of my Corts BEAD, works great. Used to do my Steinberger BEAD, that was even nicer. Pickups won’t be a problem. Enjoy it.

 

I bought a used MIM J from a guy who told me it had been set up for a set of DR DDT-55 (115-55) strings and the only thing besides mechanical adjustments the tech did was a little file work on the nut. He never said specifically other than he was using it for alternate turnings but it was tuned to standard and played fine. It was pretty beat but it was also really right on the price so I snagged it up. I tried some 105-45 XL nickel and they didn't really want to work like I wanted so I ordered some DDT-55's and it came alive. The only downside is good luck finding someone who stocks them, you need to carry spares if something happened and you needed to change strings right then. Other than that I love the thing.
Look for a late model used MIM and set it up like you want it. Good used ones are certainly within your budget.

 

How does the B sound on the low cost bass?

 

Maybe look for one of the 35" scale Ibanez btb 4-bangers. That would be a slick BEAD bass.

 

I think you would have better luck with a top-loading bridge (is that the word?) and a tapered .145 B-string.

Something like the Hipshot A.

 

I've seen them on CL for right around $200.

 

You might want to consider a Dean Edge 09. They go for less then $200 and your luthier can set it up with the strings and tuning you want. They weigh about 7lbs and the neck is excellent with good finishing on the fret edges. Mine is very very comfortable to play.

 

Good to hear this; I'm thinking of tuning my own Steinberger that way.