Anyone here experiment with nonstandard tunings? After trying out a couple five strings I haven't really found a neck that I enjoyed as much as a four string, but I do really like the added low end of the B string.
I've considered BEAD tuning, but I've also heard DCGF (whole step down) is a great compromise as you don't have the issue of the lowest D being really high, but you don't "lose" the sound of the G string because you don't have to go too much higher up in string gauge.
Any advice/anecdotes?
When I was gigging bass guitar weekly from 2017-2020 I did a lot of experiments like the BEAD tuning. In my experience it's great on paper but that's about it.
Here's what I found.
Pros of BEAD: you get a low B without needing to get a 5 string bass
Cons of BEAD:
1. Giving up the G string may not affect the basslines you play at performance time, but it makes the instrument a heck of a lot less fun overall. The G string is the only avenue you have to do melodies that are audible... whether this is at home, or jamming, or noodling between songs. Even if you don't play a melody during a song, it can be SUPER useful to communicate a melody to your fellow musicians during practice and the G string is crucial in this process. Also, slap/pop technique absolutely relies on the G string - you can't really pop on the A, and only popping on the D string is pretty limiting. The G string has a zing that's just really nice to have available.
2. You may have to widen your nut slots and then if/when you change back to EADG you can get some rattle in your slots.
3. B string doesn't get used very often for a couple of reasons. It can be tricky to find a B string that matches your EAD strings in timbre. You get woofy overtones, weird tension, and other unforeseen nonsense. I finally got a good B string but it took several rounds of trying different strings. Also, the B string is just not terribly musical. Sure it's cool to go down there, but as a bassist I lived primarily on the E and A string and only reached down to the B string maybe a few times per song... and some of those times were to do it just for the sake of doing it.
Quite frankly, the best answer is to get a 5 string bass. Go play a bunch and find a neck that feels good. They're out there, and they're MADE to make the low B sound good. With a 5 string bass you get the B for the few times you need it, and you don't lose the massive musicality that you get from the G string. I grabbed an Ibanez SR something or other with a thin neck and it feels great, not too big, and certainly fine for multi hour sessions.
