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Which bass would you tune to BEAD?
- Thread starter Msegbass
- Start date
I have 3 of those Squier VM Jags with the passive stacked knobs...yeah they are fantastic basses!
To the OP, I vote for the PJ...I keep one of my Spector NS-2A's tuned BEAD and it kills! If you want more b@lls from that Fender Jazz Special and don't mind modding it, I'd say definitely shoot for some EMG Geezers, or Dimarzios...or EMGx PJ's if ya wanna go active
What music you are playing matters. None of those are particularly good for that unless you are playing in a doom\stoner band.
Find a Dunable. They are always 35" scale.
Any one of them will work great for BEAD tuning. I play AEAD as my standard tuning. The Rickenbacker bridge pickup sounds great with a low b, though the slightly shorter scale will give you a looser feeling b string. For any of the basses you choose I recommend a set of balanced tension strings, Something like 130-95-75-55 or 145-105-80-60 depending on your preference for tension. In my experience standard 5 string sets are way off in terms of feel and output.
New member of several days, but have been tuned BEAD for 25yrs+.
If I'm learning a new song off youtube or reading tabs, I do need an EADG to learn before transposing down, but for me the benefits outweigh the losses.
As I say in my signature, a 24 fret BEAD is a 19fret neck EADG with 5 bonus notes. If you are already at a 19 fret, then you are simply swapping the highest 5 notes for 5 new low notes while reducing your neck travel by about half, if my math is right
As to which bass to do it to, tune them all down. If you have high action, they will be looser than you are used to, but will give you a very good idea of what it will sound like overall. If you are low action already, you will get very slappy, but still get an idea of the possibilities.
Med/Heavy EADG strings are close to light gauge BEADs. That said, your B note doesn't "need" to have a B string under it. Obviously, heavier gauge will give you a heavier B.
If you like what you hear and want to keep it, then after a few days noodling around, raise your bridge, maybe hit the truss rod if you're comfortable doing so. If not and you do like, take it for a proper set up. If you don't like any of them, just tune back up, no harm done.
Apparently a new BEAD wiki page was made from my post in the BEAD thread yesterday elaborating on bene's/losses to tuning. I hope it will be expounded upon as there must be more on both sides of the equation.
If I'm learning a new song off youtube or reading tabs, I do need an EADG to learn before transposing down, but for me the benefits outweigh the losses.
As I say in my signature, a 24 fret BEAD is a 19fret neck EADG with 5 bonus notes. If you are already at a 19 fret, then you are simply swapping the highest 5 notes for 5 new low notes while reducing your neck travel by about half, if my math is right
As to which bass to do it to, tune them all down. If you have high action, they will be looser than you are used to, but will give you a very good idea of what it will sound like overall. If you are low action already, you will get very slappy, but still get an idea of the possibilities.
Med/Heavy EADG strings are close to light gauge BEADs. That said, your B note doesn't "need" to have a B string under it. Obviously, heavier gauge will give you a heavier B.
If you like what you hear and want to keep it, then after a few days noodling around, raise your bridge, maybe hit the truss rod if you're comfortable doing so. If not and you do like, take it for a proper set up. If you don't like any of them, just tune back up, no harm done.
Apparently a new BEAD wiki page was made from my post in the BEAD thread yesterday elaborating on bene's/losses to tuning. I hope it will be expounded upon as there must be more on both sides of the equation.
Of these choices I would take the Jazz Bass Special.
Ian Hill (Judas Priest) plays BEAD on some of his EMG/Tonepump Equipped Spectors, so if you don't love the stock electronics you can always go for something similar.
If you end up needing a new nut (likely), brass would be a great choice.
Ian Hill (Judas Priest) plays BEAD on some of his EMG/Tonepump Equipped Spectors, so if you don't love the stock electronics you can always go for something similar.
If you end up needing a new nut (likely), brass would be a great choice.
the PJ, I like the bridge pickup on the low B string.
the two rest with the bridge pickups are:
1. a bit shorter scale
2. the one you'd like to keep as is
please also note that BEAD won't increase string tension, as typically the B string has notably less tension than the G one. like 10lbs off.
the two rest with the bridge pickups are:
1. a bit shorter scale
2. the one you'd like to keep as is
please also note that BEAD won't increase string tension, as typically the B string has notably less tension than the G one. like 10lbs off.
Not particularly to my ears. They each retain their model's subtle qualities, but I've not heard one be more offensive than the other to where I don't like it.
Id' say the big benefit is less neck travel. Going from something like any 7 fret down to E1 is now any 12 to B6, comparatively saving about a full third the physical distance in that case. It *can* make you faster once you've got the new patterns down, which is to say there can be less rush getting from note to note. It's not like speed is the be all and end all. BEAD is convenience that has speed as one side benefit for when it's needed.
