I have this bass and its sounds great. Its a 4 string. Was wondering if it okay to tune the strings to B E A D. Thanks
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
Welcome to TalkBass! Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Opinions? of Hohner headless basses by steinberger?
- Thread starter Bass_player009
- Start date
Could you 'Hohner' us, with a pic? Welcome to TB, btw!
I had one years ago in black that I bought for £160 from Howard's Bass Place in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I blew my cash on it when I was meant to be shopping for a present for my girlfriend...
Anyway, it had a great sound from the bridge pickup. It had the EMG Select pickups, which I had heard were hopeless, but I thought it had a good tone. The neck pickup didn't sound so great so I never used it. The hardware was all hard-wearing stuff that had lasted well. It wasn't particularly light for a headless bass. I sold it for more than I paid for it, in the end.
Anyway, it had a great sound from the bridge pickup. It had the EMG Select pickups, which I had heard were hopeless, but I thought it had a good tone. The neck pickup didn't sound so great so I never used it. The hardware was all hard-wearing stuff that had lasted well. It wasn't particularly light for a headless bass. I sold it for more than I paid for it, in the end.
Tuning EADG strings down to BEAD usually results in a floppy mess.
Since the bass has a zero fret you should be able to put the BEAD strings from a BEADG double ball end set on without having to do any permanent changes to the instrument. Just re-intonate and possibly adjust the truss rod.
That was horrible. I bow to your lack of pun shame.
Yeah just string it with BEAD strings and adjust the neck and intonation. You'll be good to go.
You can't just tune EADG strings down that low. But stringing it with BEAD strings will be fine.
Cool Bass! I wouldn't sell it!
Welcome to TalkBass!!!
You can't just tune EADG strings down that low. But stringing it with BEAD strings will be fine.
Cool Bass! I wouldn't sell it!
Welcome to TalkBass!!!
You should definitely sell it. To me.
On a more serious note, one instrument I miss dearly was a Hohner "The Jack" guitar. The truss rod was broken at the top of the headstock - no idea how to repair it (I tried unsuccessfully) so I left it as it was. However, the neck had PERFECT relief with light strings - best darn playing guitar I ever owned! Sounded good too. Had a case for it also... Yeah, I miss it. A lot.
As others have said, using the bottom four strings of a 5 string set is fine - you can make a cheap string retainer by going to Lowes/Home Depot and picking up a four wire grounding strip. It has four holes in it with screws that hold the wires (or your strings) down from the top. Then go over to the fastener isle and pick up four allen set screws that match the threads for it and viola', instant string retainer! Then you can use normal strings (whether they are thicker or not).
Anyway, welcome to TB, enjoy your bass, and don't let anyone convince you to sell it - ever!
(Okay, well, maybe let me do that, and only sell it to me, he he he...)
Eric
On a more serious note, one instrument I miss dearly was a Hohner "The Jack" guitar. The truss rod was broken at the top of the headstock - no idea how to repair it (I tried unsuccessfully) so I left it as it was. However, the neck had PERFECT relief with light strings - best darn playing guitar I ever owned! Sounded good too. Had a case for it also... Yeah, I miss it. A lot.
As others have said, using the bottom four strings of a 5 string set is fine - you can make a cheap string retainer by going to Lowes/Home Depot and picking up a four wire grounding strip. It has four holes in it with screws that hold the wires (or your strings) down from the top. Then go over to the fastener isle and pick up four allen set screws that match the threads for it and viola', instant string retainer! Then you can use normal strings (whether they are thicker or not).
Anyway, welcome to TB, enjoy your bass, and don't let anyone convince you to sell it - ever!
(Okay, well, maybe let me do that, and only sell it to me, he he he...)
Eric
Is it okay to do that on your other bass's? There is your answer.
I just own the Hohner violin bass which is basically my bang around couch bass.
I would love a Steinberger but the smaller body travel version however they are no longer manufactured and the only place I know that rebuilds them says they start at 3k and go up. My Fender P-Bass didn't even cost that much.
My bad. Hofner. It is, not 100% crazy about the way it looks and there isn't many other accessible options so I got that little guy at a local mom and pop shop in the valley. Does the job for what I got it for.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 10,974
- 14,389
- 6,413
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
I would think a new nut would be required to accommodate the low B string, if you were to go that route. A standard 4 string set tuned down a 4th would not work.
I don't know the bridge of the bass already, but you can play what ever you want as long as the hardware will accept it / fit. And the nut may have to be adjusted. Builing back may be possible. But as far as I remember Steinberger, one does not need to work at the nut, only adjust. great instruments.
My experience with the hohner-made Steinberger designs is positive. I've seen half a dozen over years of working at a buy/sell/trade music shop and they were always solid and usually played and sounded good.
As others have said you can just buy a 5-string set and throw the bottom 4 strings on it. Because of the change in tuning, tension, and string diameter you will almost certainly need to tweak intonation and the truss rod. It's not a situation where you can switch back and forth easily. If that's what you want you'll need a second bass.
As others have said you can just buy a 5-string set and throw the bottom 4 strings on it. Because of the change in tuning, tension, and string diameter you will almost certainly need to tweak intonation and the truss rod. It's not a situation where you can switch back and forth easily. If that's what you want you'll need a second bass.