# So I'm converting my bass into a piccolo bass.



## Murder Soul (Jul 5, 2007)

It's a 5 string, I'm going to tune it hopefully ADGBE, like a guitar, without the low e. Whats the smallest string I can use with a 34" scale? Basically she'll be my 5 string, 20 fret (as usual for "vintage basses") Thunderbird (well now a firebird )


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## Naren (Jul 5, 2007)

Can you find strings thin enough and _long_ enough to do that?


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## Murder Soul (Jul 5, 2007)

Thats what I thought, but Durero says normal guitar strings should be long enough. To be honest I never layed guitar strings out to see, so I'm going to buy a pack tomorrow.(well today) and see.


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## Naren (Jul 5, 2007)

Murder Soul said:


> Thats what I thought, but Durero says normal guitar strings should be long enough. To be honest I never layed guitar strings out to see, so I'm going to buy a pack tomorrow.(well today) and see.



Maybe it depends on the brand, but I'll just say that I've had problems in the past for some guitars with some strings...


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## Murder Soul (Jul 5, 2007)

Naren said:


> Maybe it depends on the brand, but I'll just say that I've had problems in the past for some guitars with some strings...



One thing I'm worried about is the added tension. I wonder how piccolo players do it.


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## xwmucradiox (Jul 6, 2007)

I thought piccolo basses were still several steps below a guitar.


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 6, 2007)

i don´t know alot about piccolo basses, but i´m guesing how they do it is thinner strings or shorter scales? 

or just really high tension?


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## eleven59 (Jul 6, 2007)

I'd assume a piccolo bass is more like a baritone guitar, like the tuning you posted, but down an octave, so like the top 3 strings of a 4-string bass, and then some higher.


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## Murder Soul (Jul 7, 2007)

A piccolo bass is usually a 4 string, but in my case a 5, tuned eadg(I want to do eadgb), tuned an octave higher than bass, which is the same octave as guitar.


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## eleven59 (Jul 7, 2007)

Murder Soul said:


> A piccolo bass is usually a 4 string, but in my case a 5, tuned eadg(I want to do eadgb), tuned an octave higher than bass, which is the same octave as guitar.



I don't get the point 

It's just a guitar with only 4 strings (or 5)?

And you'd definitely need special strings. Guitar strings are way too short to fit on a bass. 

For example:
http://zonguitars.stores.yahoo.net/picbasstrin.html


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## Murder Soul (Jul 13, 2007)

eleven59 said:


> I don't get the point
> 
> It's just a guitar with only 4 strings (or 5)?
> 
> ...



It sounds different. Go listen to Les Claypool. Does it sound like he's playing a guitar? No.

I need to find a place that makes piccolo strings for a 5 string, because I can only find them for 4 strings. However, at times it can sound like a guitar:
YouTube - Joey DeMaio Bass Solo


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## eleven59 (Jul 13, 2007)

Murder Soul said:


> It sounds different. Go listen to Les Claypool. Does it sound like he's playing a guitar? No.
> 
> I need to find a place that makes piccolo strings for a 5 string, because I can only find them for 4 strings. However, at times it can sound like a guitar:
> YouTube - Joey DeMaio Bass Solo



Fair enough. I'm a fan of Les Claypool, but haven't heard anything on a piccolo bass yet.


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## Shawn (Jul 13, 2007)

That should be interesting. I didn't know guitar strings would be long enough, that's pretty neat.


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## eleven59 (Jul 13, 2007)

Shawn said:


> That should be interesting. I didn't know guitar strings would be long enough, that's pretty neat.



They wouldn't be.


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 14, 2007)

Piccolo bass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Durero (Jul 14, 2007)

The length of guitar strings varies a bit by brand, but I have used regular guitar strings on my 36" to 32" multi-scale 7-string for the last 5 years.

The tuner layout and distance from nut to tuning post on your particular bass will have an effect for sure, but I'd be surprised if you can't find long enough guitar strings.


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## Luvuvibanez (Jul 14, 2007)

Murder Soul said:


> A piccolo bass is usually a 4 string, but in my case a 5, tuned eadg(I want to do eadgb), tuned an octave higher than bass, which is the same octave as guitar.



A normal bass is tuned two octaves down from a guitar (I believe), as opposed to a piccolo bass which is only tuned on octave down from a regular guitar.

I'd say buy thin bass strings, that are somewhere between the thickness of a regular bass string and guitar string. Good luck.

(Oddly enough I happen to be listening to Brian Bromberg right now.)


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## eleven59 (Jul 15, 2007)

Luvuvibanez said:


> A normal bass is tuned two octaves down from a guitar (I believe), as opposed to a piccolo bass which is only tuned on octave down from a regular guitar.
> 
> I'd say buy thin bass strings, that are somewhere between the thickness of a regular bass string and guitar string. Good luck.
> 
> (Oddly enough I happen to be listening to Brian Bromberg right now.)



You're not even close. A normal bass it tuned one octave down from guitar (I can go double check on my bass and guitar in the next room if you'd like, but I'm pretty sure I remember tuning them all to standard  ) and a piccolo bass is tuned like a guitar.


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 15, 2007)

actually, piccolo bass is tuned like a bass, but the lowest string is the same as the second string on a normal bass, and then it goes out from there... so it´s tuned to A basically, one octave up from a Double bass...


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## eleven59 (Jul 15, 2007)

MF_Kitten said:


> actually, piccolo bass is tuned like a bass, but the lowest string is the same as the second string on a normal bass, and then it goes out from there... so it´s tuned to A basically, one octave up from a Double bass...



So, it's like a 7-string tuned to A? That's what I guessed earlier and was told I was wrong 

And don't say double bass, it'll just confuse people who think that a double bass is the same thing as a bass guitar


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## Son of Magni (Jul 15, 2007)

btw, 4-string electric bass and double bass are tuned exactly the same...

One octave below the EADG of a guitar.


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## eleven59 (Jul 15, 2007)

Son of Magni said:


> btw, 4-string electric bass and double bass are tuned exactly the same...
> 
> One octave below the EADG of a guitar.



Exactly what I thought.

People are throwing around info that isn't true, and it's creating confusion.

We all know how guitars are tuned.

Bass/Double Bass (standup bass) = down 1 octave

Piccolo Bass = ?


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## Durero (Jul 16, 2007)

According to Bass guitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

piccolo bass = E2 A2 D3 G3 = same as lowest four strings of a guitar

tenor bass = A1 D2 G2 C3 = dropping the low E1 of a standard bass and adding a high C string


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## Luvuvibanez (Jul 16, 2007)

Man my bass player must be smoking something, sorry I just passed on what I was told.


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## eleven59 (Jul 16, 2007)

Durero said:


> According to Bass guitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> piccolo bass = E2 A2 D3 G3 = same as lowest four strings of a guitar
> 
> tenor bass = A1 D2 G2 C3 = dropping the low E1 of a standard bass and adding a high C string



That makes more sense. Thanks 

Don't know why I didn't wikipedia it myself, I wikipedia everything


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## GiantBaba (Jul 16, 2007)

And if you're still looking for piccolo bass strings, just google it. I found these as the first result (Piccolo Bass Strings) but it looks like there are more. For a 5-string you may have to separately purchase a .65 or thereabouts


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 17, 2007)

Durero said:


> According to Bass guitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> piccolo bass = E2 A2 D3 G3 = same as lowest four strings of a guitar
> 
> tenor bass = A1 D2 G2 C3 = dropping the low E1 of a standard bass and adding a high C string




aaah, seems i was mistaken, then, and i seem to have mixed up tenor and piccolo bass...


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## angus (Jul 18, 2007)

For what it's worth, I have a 35" 6 string bass tuned to EADGBE, same octave as a guitar, with .047-.006 strings. It's basically a big, long guitar. I don't use guitar strings, because the ball ends are too small for some bridges. You can get small strings like that from Conklin, who gets them made by SIT.


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## Durero (Jul 18, 2007)

That sounds really interesting & cool Angus 

love to hear some clips or see some pics


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## distressed_romeo (Jul 18, 2007)

Durero said:


> That sounds really interesting & cool Angus
> 
> love to hear some clips or see some pics


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## Murder Soul (Jul 18, 2007)

Leo, 
Could you tell me what brand you use that are long enough. For what it's worth, I have a 5 string thunderbird. I believe the ball ends will work with my bridge. The reason I'm doing this is, I don't really care for bass, so I might aswell do something with it.


Angus, 
Do you have any problems with the increased tension?


I guess the only downfall are I will be down a string, and have a slower wider neck, but I guess I can over come it. Now, do I want low e or high e


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## Durero (Jul 19, 2007)

I'm just using the bulk single strings available in the music store I teach at. They're a mix of DR, John Pearse, D'Addario, and SIT's I believe.

If you have a local music store that sells single strings you could take your bass in and try individual strings to make sure they can reach the tuning posts before you buy them.


Personally I really like a wide spacing between my strings - like a classical guitar - so maybe you'll find that your neck is not much slower than a guitar after all.


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