Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK, I've got my 4004Cjj set up for BEAD tuning, and well, it's OK, but in my quest for even lower frequencies, I started wondering about dropping the standard tuning an octave and tuning it to E0 A0 D1 G1. Now, as it happens (and is usually the case), I'm not the first one to think of doing this.

It seems that a guy named Yves Carbonne has done a lot of stuff with sub-contra bass, and man, I DO like that sound (PC speakers will NOT do this justice since E0 is 20.6Hz):


Just not sure I'd like that huge neck. So, I got to wondering if a 4004 would work well with this sort of tuning. Turns out these guys actually offer a string set for 33-1/4 to 40 inch scale basses:
http://garrygoodman.com/Bass%20Guitar%20Sets.htm
With E0, A0, D1, G1 in .185, .060, .130, .100 gauges. So, there would be some serious nut cutting and I'm thinking the bridge might not handle these bridge cables all that well either. Maybe my 4003FL would be a better choice...

Anyway, has anyone ever tried this sort of tuning on a Rick bass? Thoughts?

I can't say that I've gone lower than CGCF on my Rick, but I know circle K strings makes some seriously heavy gauges (.200+ at the heaviest, which I think is a sub-octave B, IIRC).

WWW.circlekstrings.com

Yeah, I've heard LaBella also makes some sub-bass string sets too, probably others as well. I just hesitate at hacking the nut and saddles so much for those huge strings if it isn't gonna work...

Why is it that in the video the tops of both both Yves' and his Jerzy Drozd's heads are cut off?

I believe the EH POG 2 can track an E string cleanly all the way down to the open E, try one of those and see what it does for you, CJ.

jps wrote:Why is it that in the video the tops of both both Yves' and his Jerzy Drozd's heads are cut off?

I believe the EH POG 2 can track an E string cleanly all the way down to the open E, try one of those and see what it does for you, CJ.

I was WONDERING what kind of bass that was!!! Man....that neck is WAY wide!!!!! Too wide for me.
Nice to see another lefty!!!!!!

Lefty4003s8





Do not drink from the toilet when taking Lyrica

jps wrote:Why is it that in the video the tops of both both Yves' and his Jerzy Drozd's heads are cut off?

I believe the EH POG 2 can track an E string cleanly all the way down to the open E, try one of those and see what it does for you, CJ.

Well, an octave generator just isn't quite the same thing and actually producing the original tone. Sure, you can take a Rick bass down an octave electronically, but that's just not the same as actually being there...

I know that but what I read about the POG 2 seems different than most octave pedals. I have tuned my Elfins down to B0, granted, the string was a bit floppy but it did sound good through my 2-12 cabinet.

I believe that most cabs and speakers would roll off in dB at these lower fequencies. You may need to find an old 30" EV and put it in it optimal tuned box of 72 cubic feet.

Chris had a 5 string Tobias bass that he tuned normally,except for the low b,which he dropped to a lower A. When it was played live and even on recordings,it seemed to pretty hard to tell what the open a sounded like,as In it didn't make much of an impact. I would think going even lower would be not of much use on a bass guitar.(?) The good thing is you have enough ric's to experiment.