The Modified BEAD 4 String Bass Club

[Prodigus Filius]

I'm still waiting on some heavier flats to give BEAD a whirl on a 34 incher. So what the heck, I just tuned the 45-105's on it to BEAD. No suprise to me or anyone else that B is like a piece of spaghetti. At least I can get a jump start on familiarising my head and fingers with what goes where, until the strings I want finally turn up. I think a 132 could be on the doorstep tomorrow. A start

 

[G-Dog]

I'm still waiting on some heavier flats to give BEAD a whirl on a 34 incher. So what the heck, I just tuned the 45-105's on it to BEAD. No suprise to me or anyone else that B is like a piece of spaghetti. At least I can get a jump start on familiarising my head and fingers with what goes where, until the strings I want finally turn up. I think a 132 could be on the doorstep tomorrow. A start

Welcome a new Club number! ​

#92 @Prodigus Filius

I'll be monitoring to add more as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. But there's still a few numbers left for more members!

And, you can find the entire BEAD Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
.

 

[lomo]

I'm still waiting on some heavier flats to give BEAD a whirl on a 34 incher. So what the heck, I just tuned the 45-105's on it to BEAD. No suprise to me or anyone else that B is like a piece of spaghetti. At least I can get a jump start on familiarising my head and fingers with what goes where, until the strings I want finally turn up. I think a 132 could be on the doorstep tomorrow. A start

Before going to a 130 B, which would require a nut filing to be optimal, I suggest La Bella low tension flats 5 string set...the light ones with the 118B.....they sound and feel amazing and fit the nuts on my standard 4 bangers (all BEAD) perfectly.
For rounds I use Rotosound Swing Bass light (the 120B set), which also fit perfectly.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Before going to a 130 B, which would require a nut filing to be optimal, I suggest La Bella low tension flats 5 string set...the light ones with the 118B.....they sound and feel amazing and fit the nuts on my standard 4 bangers (all BEAD) perfectly.
For rounds I use Rotosound Swing Bass light (the 120B set), which also fit perfectly.

I have a .132 Chrome on my Mikro for D standard. Enlarging the E slot a bit was no hassle. I also had a back up nut on which I have enlarged the A slot to accommodate a .132, as I am thinking of trying out 2 string slide bass on my Mikro tuned D1 A1 after learning about Mark Sandman. Have it all prepped via saddle swaps and enlarging holes on bridge. Gonna stick with Chromes for BEAD on the long scale because I have ordered a .132 .100 .075 and .055 for a balanced set. Cheers

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Welcome a new Club number! ​

#92 @Prodigus Filius

I'll be monitoring to add more as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. But there's still a few numbers left for more members!

And, you can find the entire BEAD Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
.

Thanks for putting me on list mate

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I finally got a 132 to whack on a long scale for low B. I had to open the E slot a tad. No drama. Needed to open up the bridge hole too for that fat 132 Chrome to get through. And then I ran into a problem. The portion of the fatter, silked ball end part of the string was too fat for the saddle slot. The string slots on the saddles of the bass I am BEADing are machined really nice, and to be honest, I didn't wanna mess around with them. So I will chop off the thicker ball end section of string that doesn't fit in the slot, and replace the ball on the slightly shortened string with glob of nasty glue/ bicarb. Let it cure up, and put the string on. Quite adept at doing this to to thick long scale strings to use on my Mikro.
So now I await 100, 75 and 55 Chromes for EAD. Will soldier on with the 132 flatwound and 3 crappy round wounds till they arrive.

 

[lomo]

The Rotosound Swing Bass RS665LB set works perfectly with a standard 4 string nut, and so do light La Bella Low Tension flats.....but I am looking for cheaper alternatives. Has anyone tried the D'Addario EXLBT160BT 4 string set? The gauges look friendly to BEAD tuning (50, 67,90,120)???? I emailed D'Addario asking them as well....

 

[Yahboy]

The Rotosound Swing Bass RS665LB set works perfectly with a standard 4 string nut, and so do light La Bella Low Tension flats.....but I am looking for cheaper alternatives. Has anyone tried the D'Addario EXLBT160BT 4 string set? The gauges look friendly to BEAD tuning (50, 67,90,120)???? I emailed D'Addario asking them as well....

I play Ti flat, LTF4A and EB 2814, all are light tension without floppy issues on my hand.

I have B STD tune mod on my PJ bass, I order a set of Sadowsky black nickel 40,60,80,100,125T. I do believe the black nickel has enough tension especially the 125T for my personal low action setup.
Meanwhile the tapered B work better on Gotoh 4 string bridge which has smaller ball end hole than fender vintage bridge.

I been play few bass with 132 chrome B, Ti flat 136B, Labella low tension 118B and both EB flat 139 B string. Only la Bella and EB flat B has nice string to string tonal balance with their EADG, But wanna try roundwound this time. Hope the Sadowsky black nickel B string do well on 34 scale B std tune PJ bass.

 

[James_027]

I have tried the BEAD tuning, without the changing string. a bit floppy but works for me. My question if will there be a problem if I tune it back and forth between BEAD and EADG on a monthly basis?

 

[lomo]

I have tried the BEAD tuning, without the changing string. a bit floppy but works for me. My question if will there be a problem if I tune it back and forth between BEAD and EADG on a monthly basis?

My guess is your strings will die quicker and get floppier. Also, I suspect your playing experience with BEAD will be much more satisfying with proper, heavier gauge strings, especially if like your action fairly low, but even if you like it unusually high.

 

[Tpi]

My question if will there be a problem if I tune it back and forth between BEAD and EADG on a monthly basis?

Way back when I would do that now and again, but not monthly. That's a lot of string stretching and fatigue, but I'd say no.long term damages. The neck may be angry about being adjusted so often -if you are bothering at all. If it's set for 4 string tension, the Bead should be a relief. But no, no 'damage'. Wait for others to chime in too.

 

[G-Dog]

I have tried the BEAD tuning, without the changing string. a bit floppy but works for me. My question if will there be a problem if I tune it back and forth between BEAD and EADG on a monthly basis?

Welcome a new Club number! ​

#93 @James_027

I'll be monitoring to add more as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. But there's still a few numbers left for more members!

And, you can find the entire BEAD Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
.

 

[Yahboy]

Back to the club again, this time i strung the Sadwosky Black nickel 45-125T on my Squier Vintage Modified PJ bass with reverse neck P pup.

The bass has stock 13K overwound neck P pup, and i swap the stock bridge pup with Model J. Sound better bite now.

Those EAD string sound nice like NYXL but with better hefty tone. The 125T B string sound focus and tight on this 34 scale bass too, usable tone up to 13th fret. Better than Elixir 130T nickel on my previous MIK Ibanez SR705.

Also impressive with it string to string stiffness balance. No floopy thing happen on 125T string.

Photo will upload once my custom pickguard install.

 

[G-Dog]

Back to the club again, this time i strung the Sadwosky Black nickel 45-125T on my Squier Vintage Modified PJ bass with reverse neck P pup.

The bass has stock 13K overwound neck P pup, and i swap the stock bridge pup with Model J. Sound better bite now.

Those EAD string sound nice like NYXL but with better hefty tone. The 125T B string sound focus and tight on this 34 scale bass too, usable tone up to 13th fret. Better than Elixir 130T nickel on my previous MIK Ibanez SR705.

Also impressive with it string to string stiffness balance. No floopy thing happen on 125T string.

Photo will upload once my custom pickguard install.

Welcome a new Club number! ​

#94 @Yahboy

I'll be monitoring to add more as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. But there's still a few numbers left for more members!

And, you can find the entire BEAD Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
.

 

[Gadgetman6754]

Good eavening fellow BEAD’rs…. I had been thinking about doing this for a while because I love the low end, and even though I’ve got a 5 string, the spacing and wide neck has alway brought me back to the 4 string.

I was fortunate enough to find a Schecter Stiletto Studio 4 on eBay for under $300, and even though the hardware is in rough shape (tuners and bridge rusted like they’ve been soaking in saltwater), the pickups are in great shape as is the neck through body… but I digress…

I pulled the trigger and modified the nut to accommodate the BEAD tuning and love it! Now I’m considering doing this for my Fender Jazz.

Glad to have found this group and would be cool to join.

 

[G-Dog]

Good eavening fellow BEAD’rs…. I had been thinking about doing this for a while because I love the low end, and even though I’ve got a 5 string, the spacing and wide neck has alway brought me back to the 4 string.

I was fortunate enough to find a Schecter Stiletto Studio 4 on eBay for under $300, and even though the hardware is in rough shape (tuners and bridge rusted like they’ve been soaking in saltwater), the pickups are in great shape as is the neck through body… but I digress…

I pulled the trigger and modified the nut to accommodate the BEAD tuning and love it! Now I’m considering doing this for my Fender Jazz.

Glad to have found this group and would be cool to join.

Welcome a new Club number! ​

#95 @Gadgetman6754

I'll be monitoring to add more as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. But there's still a few numbers left for more members!

And, you can find the entire BEAD Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
.

 

[Gadgetman6754]

Fabulous - thanks G-Dog!

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I'm waiting a 5iver set of La Bella 0760M's to be delivered.
I've been continuing to mess around with BEAD on a 34" scale bass, using some other Chromes I got for EAD. But it kind of hasn't really blasted off because I find the 132 Chrome slings around too much with not enough tension. The string only feels and sounds good tuned up to D. Hence the original 54's, which I am hoping the different stiffness makes the 128T string feel ok as B. If it does, I plan to use the 95 73 and 52 of the set for EAD. Has anyone done this for BEAD. I ended up using 90, 70 and 50 Chromes to replace the rounds I was using. If the 132 was ok, I'd just keep the Chromes on

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Still waiting patiently for La Bella 54's. 2 days to get from the U.S to Sydney, and then stuck in the system there for over 10 days now. The bass I want to put them on is in the process of swapping out some hardware and wiring changes and waiting on parts for that too. So no biggy about the string delay.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Whilst I wait, my mind turns to other high tension stiff strings like the Rotosound Jazz 77 flats. I was thinking of keeping overall tension low though, by using the 130 85 065 045. Pretty much what I plan on trying with the La Bella 54's with 128 93 73 52, in both cases not using the string normally associated with E.
The tensions on a 34"
B0 -.130 /41.13 lbs
E1 - .085 /30
A1 - .065 /32.92
D2 - .045 /32.23
TT = 136.28 lbs
The overall tension is about what the BEAD strings would be using bottom 4 of the TI 5iver set, but I would expect the Roto77 feel stiffer.
Anyone done this?