I still love my BEAD strung Ibby. For this cover I put on zingy roundwounds and tuned down to ADGC.
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Getting very close to joining the club here - I've strung up my Squier Sonic with the BEAD strings from a set of Fender 72505M's, but the nut slots seem just a little cramped - it doesn't tune smoothly.
Is there a simple way to widen up the slots a bit, without needing (to order and wait for) a set of nut files?
Is there a simple way to widen up the slots a bit, without needing (to order and wait for) a set of nut files?
I used the strings themselves as files, then cleaned the nut material off the strings (by the silks). I wouldn’t try that with a metal nut.
Welcome a new Club number! 
#114 @nickpc
I'll be monitoring to add more members as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. There's still a few numbers left for even more members!
And, you can find the entire BEAD Club Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
Huh. How had I never heard of this? I just mated with necessity and we begat invention.
Sounds like that wouldn't be a problem on the synthetic bone nut that Squier uses, though. I'll give that a shot - thank you!
April 11, 2014: Thanks for the membership, I'm honored... ... ...
June 22, 2023:.Hmmm ... what's this!? Oh, yeah! Still MORE new Club numbers!
#61 @Jay2U ... ...
... ... And remember, you can see all the BEAD Club Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
June 22, 2023: So finally I got my membership number. THANKS!
OOPS!!! I am SO sorry, Jay2U, to have demoted you from #2 to #61. I hereby commute your BEAD Membership number back to #2. Please pardon the inconvenience. No disrespect intended! I can only claim Ol' Timers'.
In my never-ending quest for a solid B, I’ve just restrung my Schecter Raiden Special-4 with some new strings. I took off the aging Rotosound RS66 65-130 and installed a set of D’Addario EXL170BT nickels with a tapered 145 B (and of course tossed the G).
So far, so good. Can’t wait to hear it through the church sound system. Will report back.
So far, so good. Can’t wait to hear it through the church sound system. Will report back.
Oh, it's not! The 145 string is a perfect match in terms of tension with the EXL170BT set, with each string being almost exactly 40 lbs. I've still got some setup tweaking to do with the new string set but I'm getting there.
I’m very seriously considering switching my other bass to BEAD. It’s an Ibanez AEB5E acoustic bass. It’s the one I pick up and play most often just around the house.
Right now I’m thinking a D’Addario 120T for the B-string and three strings from an Extra Super Light EXL180 set. I’ll update here if I move forward with it.
Right now I’m thinking a D’Addario 120T for the B-string and three strings from an Extra Super Light EXL180 set. I’ll update here if I move forward with it.
FWIW, I tried that exact move with my AEB5E.
Suffice it to say, it was a fail.
For starters, it was very difficult to get that big, fire-hose-esque B string to anchor at the bridge. Very different bridge on acoustics from electrics. I nearly busted the bridge.
After I figured that out, the B was tough to fit in the nut. The wrap on the tuning peg was no picnic after that.
And then...
I played it.
Very disappointed, especially after all that work. The sound of the B was weak and dull. Far less satisfying to pick it up and play it BEAD vs EADG.
I play BEAD all the time on my P bass...love it. But didn't work at all on my Ibanez AE.
YMMV...but that's what I found.
.
I appreciate your input. I’ve also toyed with the idea of BEAD an octave up. We shall see.
I'm in the process of joining the club now.
Well, nuts to you!
Have you had those nut files for a while or are they new?
Looks like a P Bass neck?
Welcome a new Club number!
#115 @DavidOfChatham
I'll be monitoring to add more members as they post here. If I skipped anyone, please let me know. There's still a few numbers left for even more members!
And, you can find the entire BEAD Club Membership list on the BEAD Club Wiki page.
