The Modified BEAD 4 String Bass Club

[Jeff Elkins]

All of your options should sound good. I have switched to BEAD on all but one of my 4 string basses including a J a P and a Stingray as well as a Spectorcore fretless. Flats generally will give you higher tension vs rounds so you get a nice tight B string if you use Chromes or just about any flats except Thomastiks which sound great but are rather floppy.

I just went BEAD on my jazz. The P really sees all the action, but I needed a 5-er for an upcoming theater gig. That bass didn't work out; I've just gone to 4s, and I can't go back.

Anyway, I put the bottom 4 from a TI flats 5 set, and I'm REALLY disappointed with the B. Not just floppy--I don't play with a pick much, and I like the TI tension (and feel)--but there's just NO definition.

They weren't great on the 5 (I moved them) either, but I thought it was that bass. Need to find a better flat set...

 

[hintz]

Wow, just found this here, had no idea that many people do this...

anyways,, I'm gonna try Dr drop down for a low b, well see how this goes(its a 115)...

 

[RBS_Johnson]

.115 seems really light. IIRC, the set I tried had a .125 B, and it was too floppy for me(and I use 40-95 in standard rounds for E-G tuning). Let us know how it works for you!

 

[LowEndWooly]

I got some singles on the Chromes. .132 on the B, which is just about perfect, I think. I balanced the set as close as I could.. I think I got .132, .95, .75, and .55. The tension is similar to the extra light on the standard 4 string set. As you can see, string to string tension was similar on the higher 3 strings going up incrementally .2 until the B, which went up almost twice as much as the other increments.

 

[hintz]

.115 seems really light. IIRC, the set I tried had a .125 B, and it was too floppy for me(and I use 40-95 in standard rounds for E-G tuning). Let us know how it works for you!

after 2 days of adjusting the truss rod/bridge I'm happy It worked, its kinda buzzy, but its manageable with the 115 as a low B, I even checked the intonation and its spot on with my Marcus miller 4, so the DR drop strings are a winner!!

I might try a slightly heavier B string down the road, but for now it'll be fine....its not perfect, but this particular 115 handles the low B like a champ

 

[RBS_Johnson]

Cool, I`m glad you like it. If I recall, those strings are supposed to be stiffer than other ones.

Wooly, how would you compare the feel of those to say, light gauge roundwounds? I am thinking chromes will be stringing my next adventure into the lower register(since I`ve come to appreciate flats).

 

[LowEndWooly]

It feels the same, mostly, but with a more even tension on the A and D especially. It feels better, but not by miles. It's worth it, since you can get a set of singles (4) for about the same as a 5 string set

 

[RBS_Johnson]

Sounds pretty good to me. Last time my B was way too floppy for me. Had to set the action stupid high to be playable. Thanks!

 

[hintz]

Day three, the neck settled so no further adjustments needed, I think the strings are broken in now.... I ended up first adjusting trussrod, the 2nd day I heightened the "b" string and ended up straightening the neck back to almost where it was...

buzz isn't too noticeable thru amp with dirt, and its consistent throughout the fret board... Despite higher action, its pretty even up and comfy up and down neck, no buzz on open strings unless I dig in super hard... So I found a winner

 

[bassist4dalord]

Been giving this a lot of thought. I have a 5 but it's got 19mm spacing and I don't love the tone.

I'm thinking about getting D'Addario ProSteels for my Schecter Raiden Special 4.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Well folks, I bit the bullet- just ordered a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 45-130 (for BEAD) for my Schecter. Amazon says they've been shipped (ordered this morning). Can't wait to join the club!! I'll post impressions and pics when they are installed.

 

[Doner Designs]

Well I sold my only bass that was in standard EADG tuing this week. To help me with practice when reading tabs, I put some masking tape on the neck of one bass between the 5th and 12th frets and marked them 0-7 to designate the standard tuning equivalents. I'm going to try to get buy without having any in standard tuning...I think that will help it to become second nature. Hopefully the training wheels will not become a crutch.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Back in the early 90's I started thinking about a 5 string bass,
just to get that extra low B string.

I've alway been a hold the bottom, drive with the kick type player especially playing in a 5 piece group where holding down the bottom was important.

Then I went shopping and just didn't fall in love with any 5 string at any price point. My fingers are short and the necks just felt too wide.

So, after a bit of pondering, I decided to modify my '79 USA Custom Shop Schecter PJ just enough to run the low 4 strings of a 5 string set.

A simple, easily reversible mod, plus resetting intonation.

That's the way the bass remains today.

What I liked beyond retaining the slimmer 60's neck width,
was that the change in attack angle on the relocated E & A strings gave the E & A more punch and I didn't miss the G nearly as much as I thought I might.

Since then, other players have picked up on this idea saving them the cost of a new bass, while still getting the lows they were after.

Reversing the mod is as simple as replacing the nut and setting the bass back up for traditional 4 string operation.

Just wondered how many of you have tried this.

I've had a 5 string set up f#bead, and am really wanting to get my hands on an 8 string and have it set up for bbeeaadd like the lower strings of a 10 string 5x2. At one point I had my fretless Jazz set up aadg (using a 5 string set without the e string) which felt a little weird but made it much easier to play low octaves in tune.

But I don't really have an issue with 5 string necks. Many of mine have had small necks. And I think for a lot of people just don't try a lot of 5s. For example my stingray neck is skinny at the nut its probably smaller than my old fender p neck. But the string spacing is still playable because the neck is tapered so the string spacing is about twice as wide at the bridge as it is at the nut. A lot of 5 strings have necks with little to no taper and those are the ones most folks complain about and I can definetly understand that with some basses.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Count me in! I installed my Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats on my Schecter Diamond Series Raiden Special-4 today (BEAD, of course.)

So far, I'm a fan! I have a 5er with La Bella DTF but it has an aircraft carrier deck for a fretboard and it's tone is sub-par.

The only thing that has thrown me off so far is feeling the 0.65" string where my left hand fingers are expecting a .040" string.

Look in the various threads dedicated to the EB Cobalt Flats later this week for a detailed review of the strings. I'll say this- I'm glad I tried them! Thanks for the inspiration folks!

 

[Doner Designs]

So far, I'm a fan! I have a 5er with La Bella DTF but it has an aircraft carrier deck for a fretboard and it's tone is sub-par.

You mean like this?

 

[Doner Designs]

Do others in this group have both EADG and BEAD or do you try to stick with one or the other?

My hands can get confused going back and forth, but I still struggle reading tablature in BEAD (when doing so I put my index finger on the 5th fret). Works fine until I get to open string notes. Maybe it just takes practice but I'm debating whether or not to keep one strung EADG.

Either way, I think my 5 string will be going up for sale some time this year.

 

[bassist4dalord]

You mean like this?

View attachment 612396

Haha no, not quite. It's a Squier Standard Precision V with two Jazz pickups. The string spacing is 19mm and the neck is just very, very wide. I've had it for almost 5 years and I can play it just fine, but so far I'm having a lot more fun and enjoying the 4-string neck BEAD than the Squier.

Do others in this group have both EADG and BEAD or do you try to stick with one or the other?

My hands can get confused going back and forth, but I still struggle reading tablature in BEAD (when doing so I put my index finger on the 5th fret). Works fine until I get to open string notes. Maybe it just takes practice but I'm debating whether or not to keep one strung EADG.

Either way, I think my 5 string will be going up for sale some time this year.

I've got an Ibanez acoustic EADG, my Schecter BEAD and a Squier BEADG. I haven't played the other two since I converted my Schecter. I don't think it will be too difficult seeing that I've played a 5er as long as I have, but we'll see!

 

[FunkHead]

I am coming to this way late in the game. I have played in about 10 gigging bands. I have used mostly 5 strings with great success. Musicman, G&L, Sadowsky and even an Ibanez passive 5 string. All great experiences. Then I found myself with just a Fender Power Jazz Special 4 string(Great Bass) and needing a low B. So I did the BEAD Tuning. It was the only bad experience I ever had as a bass player. I dearly missed the high notes. The bass was about 1/2 as great as tuned standard. It really just made the bass horrible. I will never ever try BEAD again. It's just too dang easy to get a decent 5 string these days. Fortunately my current band has no need for anything lower than Drop D. JM2C

Edit: I would have probably had better results if I found the "right" strings and perfected the setup. I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from trying BEAD. For me my bass needs to be "perfect" to have a great Gig. I certainly enjoyed it at home but had a few rough shows using it.

 

[bassist4dalord]

I am coming to this way late in the game. I have played in about 10 gigging bands. I have used mostly 5 strings with great success. Musicman, G&L, Sadowsky and even an Ibanez passive 5 string. All great experiences. Then I found myself with just a Fender Power Jazz Special 4 string(Great Bass) and needing a low B. So I did the BEAD Tuning. It was the only bad experience I ever had as a bass player. I dearly missed the high notes. The bass was about 1/2 as great as tuned standard. It really just made the bass horrible. I will never ever try BEAD again. It's just too dang easy to get a decent 5 string these days. Fortunately my current band has no need for anything lower than Drop D. JM2C

Nothin' wrong with that. The beauty of musical expression is the ability to choose. Rock those 5-strings until the cows come home!

 

[FunkHead]

Nothin' wrong with that. The beauty of musical expression is the ability to choose. Rock those 5-strings until the cows come home!

Thanks man. I am not downing anyone who uses BEAD. I just could not embrace it. Songs like "The Real Me" by The Who require the entire range of a typical 4 strings fretboard. In fact 1/2 the songs that I play need that extra range. If you are truly staying below it then it's all good.