Tenor and Piccolo Basses
Question:
I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? Thanks. Thomas
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> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
There’s really nothing special about a tenor, it’s just a standard bass strung A-D-G-C. A piccolo is again, pretty standard. Generally a 30" or 32" scale bass, tuned E-A-D-G, but up an octavce. That is, tuned the same as the bottom four strings on a guitar. You could make a piccilo out of just about any bass AFAIK, it’s just a matter of the strings.
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I made my own tenor bass out of Warmoth parts. It’s strung EADGC. http://www.budlecompte.com/warmothfullshot.jpg Bud
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
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Years ago, I converted one of my acoustic bass guitars to a fretless. It was an 80’s Hohner, with a 34 inch scale length. For about six years, it had nylon tape wound strings. Later I changed to LaBella bronze wound acoustic strings, with the nylon core. Sounded like a bee on steroids. I was often asked how I was getting that sound. When I could afford a better acoustic fretless, I switched the Hohner to Labella nylon core Piccolo strings. Same EADG, but an octave higher. I still have it strung that way, and I guess it serves it’s purpose, but it seems anymore I only pull it out once in a while. While the sound is fine, it seems you end up imitating lead guitar players, ala Brian Bromberg. No, I am not putting Brian down. I have talked with him at clinics and watched him in concert countless times, over the past 16 years. He is one talented man. With the passing of time, he has drifted away from the lower octave, on electric bass, to mainly the regular guitar range. Still talented, but too close to lead guitar players. It is nice to have a piccolo, for times when you need it, but there is more than enough to keep me busy hammering out the low end. Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary. – George
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
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> There’s really nothing special about a tenor, it’s just a standard > bass strung A-D-G-C.
Maybe I’ll turn my fretless five into a tenor, but with the bottom string being E instead of B.
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I’m not really onto the tenor stuff, but I’m playing piccolo bass for 6 years now. It’s bassicaly just putting guitar strings on your bass (when the length is OK, of course). I had a Gibson Les Paul Bass LPB 0, strung with D’Addario guitar strings (heavy set, though). Now, I have a Regal (dobro-like) acoustic bass piccolo and a Washburn Bantam double neck fretted/fretless. I tried the piccolo fretless, but it didn’t feel like something for me. Your mileage may vary. The main bass player use of a piccolo would be to double your bass lines. You can play some chords, too. I personnaly like to play piccolo like a guitar, especially the one with the resonator, with a bottleneck. I’m currently trying to find strings that would go on my Ibanez 6strings, so I can have a Guitar ! — Henry! "Made In Krypton" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
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What strings are available these days for piccolo bass? I believe mine are GHS , it’s been quite a while since I purchased them. NeilN — In the beginning there was a bass. It was a Fender, probably a Precision, but it could have been a Jazz – nobody knows. Anyway, it was very old … definitely pre-C.B.S. http://www.papabear.com/bassbook.html
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
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I have fretted and fretless piccolo. I’ve never shown up at a gig with one, ( imagine doing that ) but I use them all the time at home recording. Unique instrument, where I think you can find a unique sound. I play my fretless piccolo a lot now, very interesting melodic voice, I’ve got some fretless piccolo Ebow tracks that are certainly a little off the beaten path…. NeilN — In the beginning there was a bass. It was a Fender, probably a Precision, but it could have been a Jazz – nobody knows. Anyway, it was very old … definitely pre-C.B.S. http://www.papabear.com/bassbook.html
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas > There’s really nothing special about a tenor, it’s just a standard > bass strung A-D-G-C. > A piccolo is again, pretty standard. Generally a 30" or 32" scale bass, > tuned E-A-D-G, but up an octavce. That is, tuned the same as the bottom > four strings on a guitar. You could make a piccilo out of just about any > bass AFAIK, it’s just a matter of the strings.
Would we just call a piccolo bass a long-scale guitar? Hell, I don’t know. Sounds logical to me.
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D’addario XLs come in a piccolo gauge.. XL280 maybe? _ ‘ ): Ted Partin / http://members.aol.com/dblbassted
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Not knowledgeable about this subject, but what would happen if you simply string the bass with guitar gauge strings??
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> Would we just call a piccolo bass a long-scale guitar? Hell, I don’t > know. Sounds logical to me.
Nope. Or it would be a 4 strings long scale guitar. It could be called this way if it was a 6 strings bass tuned like a guitar, which is what I try to achieve but cannot find the right strings. — Henry! "Made In Krypton"
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > > Thanks. > > Thomas > There’s really nothing special about a tenor, it’s just a standard > bass strung A-D-G-C. > A piccolo is again, pretty standard. Generally a 30" or 32" scale bass, > tuned E-A-D-G, but up an octavce. That is, tuned the same as the bottom > four strings on a guitar. You could make a piccilo out of just about any > bass AFAIK, it’s just a matter of the strings. > Would we just call a piccolo bass a long-scale guitar? Hell, I don’t > know. Sounds logical to me.
Response:
> Not knowledgeable about this subject, but what would happen if you simply > string the bass with guitar gauge strings??
It only works if the guitar strings are long enough to fit a long scale neck. It works on my acoustic piccolo, but not on my Ibanez. — Henry! "Made In Krypton" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Not knowledgeable about this subject, but what would happen if you simply > string the bass with guitar gauge strings??
Response:
I have already done this with a 5-string fretless Fender Jazz Bass. It was strung E-A-D-G-C with Thomastik flatwounds… Its tone was very very amazing, but when I decided to be a "only 4-string bass player", I traded it with a 4-string Warwick. Good luck Cristiano – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There’s really nothing special about a tenor, it’s just a standard > bass strung A-D-G-C. > Maybe I’ll turn my fretless five into a tenor, but with the bottom string > being E instead of B.
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> I have already done this with a 5-string fretless Fender Jazz Bass. It > was strung E-A-D-G-C with Thomastik flatwounds… Its tone was very > very amazing, but when I decided to be a "only 4-string bass player", > I traded it with a 4-string Warwick. > Good luck > Cristiano
Funny, I did almost the exact oppisite. Traded a 5-string Warwick for a 4-string P-Bass… (No, I don’t regret it. The P-Bass has better tone, it’s lighter, and has a more playable neck.)
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I’ve got an old t-bass copy…. 25 inch scale. eh? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I can’t seem to find any info on these. I know Victor Wooten plays a Fodera > tenor and I have read that Elrick makes some, but they are not on the web > site. Any info you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated: > How are they strung? Who makes them? Where can I see pictures/prices? > Does anyone here have one, or maybe played one before? > Thanks. > Thomas
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