The Modified BEAD 4 String Bass Club

[pacojas]

So Far in no particular chronological order of adoption we have.

#1 FFTT
#2 Jay2U
#3 pacojas
#4 Stormchaser

cool,... i'll take #0003!

ps: am i the only one that has his "ink"?!!

 

[FFTT]

I didn't really feel comfortable giving myself #1 because I kinda feel it should go by who adopted the idea the earliest.

Glad to see people contribute and happy to see lots of reads too.

 

[ExaltBass]

I've had several... but this one is the keeper. ASP neck, Babicz bridge, Lollar P-J set (10% overwound J pickup) and Sadowsky flats and knobs.

 

[pacojas]

you started this club, so you are #1 by default!

 

[mr.black]

GREAT CLUB! i've kept 1 or 2 four stings stung this way since 1992!!

 

[FFTT]

Welcome Aboard!

I guess you might say we have friends in low places

#1 FFTT
#2 Jay2U
#3 pacojas
#4 Stormchaser
#5 rydin4lifebass
#6 Exalt Bass
#7 mr. black
#8 Rocken 17
#9 DannyBob

 

[Rocken17]

I bought a Squier Standard Precision with a PJ pickup config with the intention of making it my "project" bass. One of the projects was to file the nut to accept BEAD tuning and now it is a regular in my stable. I really like having that low B and still having the 4-string P with a Jazz neck.

 

[Jay2U]

I wonder why stores and manufacturers seldomly offer the BEAD option. In Germany I've seen a few basses on display in BEAD tuning, but they still are a rare breed. If it comes to strings, one has to buy 5 string sets or singles. Why don't D'addario, Dunlop, Labella, Ernie Ball and all the others offer BEAD sets?

 

[FFTT]

In Germany, the saying goes " what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat."

Same goes for why Fender doesn't put flats on their basses standard any more. If they save 1 or 2 dollars on the bass over
50,000 basses, it keeps the bean counters happy.

 

[DannyBob]

My Ibanez SR300 is strung with Ernie Ball Slinky's .130 to .065 and it sounds killer! I think that on a 4 string tuned BEAD, active basses are almost essential, and I don't think passive could really support it fully. Also, I was wondering, would flatwounds sound better than roundwound on a 4 string BEAD tuned, or is it just preference?

Thanks

 

[Jay2U]

In Germany, the saying goes " what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat."

Same goes for why Fender doesn't put flats on their basses standard any more. If they save 1 or 2 dollars on the bass over
50,000 basses, it keeps the bean counters happy.

This saying goes exactly the same here in The Netherlands
Unfortunately bean counters rule the world, don't they?

 

[Jay2U]

My Ibanez SR300 is strung with Ernie Ball Slinky's .130 to .065 and it sounds killer! I think that on a 4 string tuned BEAD, active basses are almost essential, and I don't think passive could really support it fully. Also, I was wondering, would flatwounds sound better than roundwound on a 4 string BEAD tuned, or is it just preference?

Thanks

I just like the feel and the extra tension of flatwounds. This extra tension is very welcome for the B string. Soundwise pickups and pedals do the rest. Here's another link to my YT channel. Everything recorded with the black Ibby is in BEAD with these EB flatwounds on. Lost in Stereo - All Time Low

In my experience passive isn't a problem at all.

 

[FFTT]

My Ibanez SR300 is strung with Ernie Ball Slinky's .130 to .065 and it sounds killer! I think that on a 4 string tuned BEAD, active basses are almost essential, and I don't think passive could really support it fully. Also, I was wondering, would flatwounds sound better than roundwound on a 4 string BEAD tuned, or is it just preference?

Thanks

I learned the hard way on the clock in the studio, flats is where its at, unless you have an expert, even attack or you're going through an amp mic'd up.

Going D/I, the way I play with a percussive attack, rounds were too middy and produced way too much string & neck clack.

Like Seinfeld Bass.

 

[gadget10k]

My '06 Corvette is passive and is pretty much a beast strung BEAD... I am looking to get another fiver at some point soon however. A friend if mine has a SX Jazz with the old headstock that he has modded pretty extensively. I hope to pick it up from him soon... Musicman humbuckers, Pensa preamp, etc

 

[ExaltBass]

My BEAD is also passive... and sounds massive

 

[TheOxRocks]

I thought at one point of filing the nut on one of my four-strings and going BEAD, but I use the G a lot for accents and octaves and thought I'd miss it. Got a 5-string with narrow spacing. Love the hell out of it.

 

[FFTT]

My BEAD is also passive... and sounds massive

I can get all the meat I need out of my passive basses, plus there's no way an internal preamp on an active bass can be near the quality of going straight up into an analog console or high end outboard preamp.

What works for a live performance bass may not necessarily be the best set-up for a recording bass.

 

[ctmullins]

The OctoBird is tuned bBeEaAdD. Fundamental strings are a Circle K balanced .142 set (.059 .079 .106 .142), and octaves are a balanced .073 set (.028 .039 .055 .073). 33" scale.

 

[acebase62]

I posted a photo of mine in other threads but here it is again.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Clippage, just a quick demo posted here when I first got my Reeves.

Looks great.

 

[FFTT]

The OctoBird is tuned bBeEaAdD. Fundamental strings are a Circle K balanced .142 set (.059 .079 .106 .142), and octaves are a balanced .073 set (.028 .039 .055 .073). 33" scale.

I thought .130 was pretty heavy duty

.142 is more like residential service entrance cable


Outstanding neck through!

And it goes to 11

#1 FFTT
#2 Jay2U
#3 pacojas
#4 Stormchaser
#5 rydin4lifebass
#6 Exalt Bass
#7 mr. black
#8 Rocken 17
#9 DannyBob
#10 gadget10k
#11 ctmullins