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Quint tuned electric bass, anyone?

#3
That's an interesting idea to use cello tuning on a electric bass. It could be a good alternative to 5 string or downtuning the E string to extend the range of the instrument. It's sometimes used on double bass too. I wonder why I've never heard of anyone doing this on electric.
 
#12
Why exactly would one want to tune an double bass in fifths? Because of a lot things, like extended range, the possibility to play in a different way, another sound to your playing because of this, new ways of thinking and chording, for example.
Haha the only way to make Bach easier is practice, I guess! No tuning's gonna help with that except marginally.
 
#13
Gorn said:
Why exactly would one want to tune an electric bass in fifths? Does it make classical stuff like Bach's prelude for cello easier?
Click to expand...

For me it was a matter of necessity. I played 'cello for several years at my church, and when we were in sudden need of a bass player, I was asked to fill the position. There was no transition period; it was literally playing 'cello one Sunday and then playing bass the next.

It was an interesting transition, needless to say. I had to:
1) learn bass lines to songs right off the cuff;
2) get used to my hands and wrists being in completely new positions;
3) learn how to pluck using my index and middle fingers on my right hand (with 'cello it's just the index); and,
4) lock in with the drummer.

And that's just giving the short list.

In order to have one advantage over the huge learning curve I was facing, I tuned my bass like a 'cello so that I'd at least know where all the notes were on the neck. Thankfully I have a good ear and instincts so it kept me from creating total train wrecks.

That was about 6.5 years ago - I've used 'cello tuning exclusively ever since making the transition.
 
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#14
chapman sticks are tuned in fifths correct? As I understand it they're designed that way to make chords less muddy. I know a guy in a columbus ohio band who plays and teaches violin as well as guitar. I gotta respect people who play instruments where one is tuned in fourths and the other in fifths. I'd get confused for sure.
 
#15
Everyone who plays in drop-D is playing in a mixture of 4ths and 5ths.

You can get almost as much range out of 4 strings in 5ths as you do 6 strings in 4ths.

It's just a tuning.
 
#16
Levin said:
Why exactly would one want to tune an double bass in fifths? Because of a lot things, like extended range, the possibility to play in a different way, another sound to your playing because of this, new ways of thinking and chording, for example.
Haha the only way to make Bach easier is practice, I guess! No tuning's gonna help with that except marginally.
Click to expand...

The whole reason the double bass wasn't tuned in fifths was because of size - it's just not ergonomic to have to stretch so much for scale runs and such. The electric bass is much more manageable in that regard.

morgansterne said:
chapman sticks are tuned in fifths correct? As I understand it they're designed that way to make chords less muddy. I know a guy in a columbus ohio band who plays and teaches violin as well as guitar. I gotta respect people who play instruments where one is tuned in fourths and the other in fifths. I'd get confused for sure.
Click to expand...

If memory serves, the Chapman Stick is tuned in a combination of fifths and fourths (fourths for the bass, fifths for the rest maybe?) to make playing the bass and treble a little easier.
 
#19
You can use the Kalium (Circle K Strings), D'Addario or GHS tension charts to roughly approximate any brand. The Kalium chart is chromatic and extends into very high and very low notes Link Removed
Here's a method for initially choosing gauges:
Retune each string of your bass strings a little until it feels right, and use the chart to discover your ideal tension for each string.
Then use the chart to choose fifths tuning gauges that give you those ideal tensions on each string.
You will then need to perfect the set by feel, trial and error but the above method has always got me within 1 gauge step of perfect.

However, fifths creates lots of range, and higher thinner strings 'feel' tighter for the same tension, and are more playable at a lower tension. So i recommend designing and trying a set that is not quite so 'traditional' (= light bottom, heavy top) but closer to being tension balanced or even has tension falling from low to high, this becomes unavoidable anyway with really thin strings (.025 and smaller) that can't take a high tension.

There is also a rough rule i derived from physics for equal tension strings in fitfhs: the gauges will be in the ratio 3:2.
In the real world this rule creates a slight increase in tension from low to high, especially when going from wound to plain.
Example: 135 90 60 40 for CGDA or whatever.

My 6 string set for AEBF#C#G# was .145 .095 .060 .035 .022w .013p. the top string was 2/3rds the tension of the lowest, this is unavoidable with ERB range because a big bass string needs 30+ pounds and a thin guitar plain can't take much more than 20 pounds.
 
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