piccollo bass?

[bigBbass451]

I was reading an article in my bass player magazine and it said something about stringing a bass like a piccollo bass. what is that? how do u do it? how does it sound?

 

[5stringDNA]

I was reading an article in my bass player magazine and it said something about stringing a bass like a piccollo bass. what is that? how do u do it? how does it sound?

Well, a tenor bass is tuned A-D-G-C. If my memory serves me right, a piccolo bass is tuned an octave up from a standard bass- E-A-D-G, except one octave higher. I don't really get it myself... why is it called a bass if it is essentially a four string guitar? The pick-up configuration maybe...

 

[LowEndLobster]

It is a bass that is tuned e-a-d-g (an octave above normal EADG tuning of a regular bass). It's basically the bottom four strings of a guitar with bass spacing and scale.

 

[tplyons]

There are a few piccolo players here (like me) and they're certainly fun, but rather interesting. It's no longer the typical role of a bassist, but still a familiar feel.

 

[Crazy_Fingers27]

would i need special strings to do this? who makes picollo strings?

 

[tplyons]

LaBella, D'Addario, Ken Smith, etc.

 

[Crazy_Fingers27]

thanks, i think i might pick up an SX jazz, and make it a piccolo bass. it would be a nice little change.

 

[Avezzano]

1) "Piccolo" is the right spelling
2) For your project, it might be interesting the use of a 32" 0r even 30" scale bass, as a Mustang, Musicmaster or other: since the "non bass" use, it will definitely result in a more confortable instrument; better "string bending" capability, too.
3) if you want to see a good example of a "piccolo electric bass" in use, get the "Miles Davis in Paris" DVD, where you will find Foley Mc Creary on a weird whammy bar equipped instrument (34" standard scale). Uh: Benny Rietveld on REAL bass, btw!

Miles DVD at Amazon

 

[keb]

For those of you wanting to experiment with a piccolo tuning, be aware that you may have to cut a new nut. I tried just slapping a piccolo string set on my Rickenbacker, but the E and G strings sat too low and laid across the first fret unless I raised the action uncomfortably high. But, your mileage may vary and all that. Musician's Friend has the D'Addario set for $15 or thereabouts.

 

[andrewd]

i bet a dano would make a cool piccolo

 

[cgworkman]

I don't really get it myself... why is it called a bass if it is essentially a four string guitar?

Because were not guitar players!

 

[Bard2dbone]

Try it with a shorter scale hollow-body like a beatle bass or a Rivoli or something like that. A friend of mine had one several years back, and it led to a lot of smiles at jam sessions.