String Recommendations Drop Tuning 4 String

Gear
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Apologies if this is already answered elsewhere, I mostly saw this question in regards to 5 sting basses. Anyone have any opinions on strings for drop tuning on a 4 string?

I’ve hit that milestone of the very first pair of strings I ever purchased are now starting to sound a bit dead after 18 months of near daily use. Currently I have GHS Bass Boomer 40-95 Lights because that was what my local shop had on hand the day I went in. They’re fine, just a bit floppy when I play in C/DGCF or C standard.

If this helps my bass is a 34" scale Ibanez with a plastic nut that I’d prefer not to modify. My favorite things to play are doom/metal and 1960s psychedelic (think Green Lung, Ghost, and Cream) and I’m eyeing to start learning slap soon. Wanna stick with round wounds.

Thanks!

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Not much choice except for heavier gauge strings, which might require filing the nut. Another option might be using a drop pedal.

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A standard 45/105 set is fine for Drop D. C standard may be floppy though.

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This kind of stuff is why I keep a 5 string around. I’m working on one atm tuned to C#. It’s easier to just tune that B up than deal with a floppy E string.

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Ernie Ball makes a string set specifically for a 4 string BEAD set up, 130/100/80/65. You will have to open the nut which is easy to do. Dropping to anything lower than D with your current set up will be floppy. I tried it before swapping to the EB strings. Even A works with them if you’re so inclined, Korn as an example.

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You can also just buy any 5-string set and keep a spare G string around :slight_smile:

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I read mixed opinions on doing that vs the EB set due to scale length (35) on a 5 string. So I just went with what seemed easiest.

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I agree with this. I typically like 40/100s for standard tuning (with the exception of 39/96 LaBella DTBs) so 45/105s feel perfect on my D standard bass.

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I like 50 - 105’s. Id prefer a lighter gauge E but it isn’t important enough for me to worry about a custom set. That G sounds much better though.

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I put a set of Payson drop Gs on a fanned fret Spector. The nut is at an angle with the string grooves going straight. I understand not wanting to open the nut grooves up in case you want to go back. Before I mounted the strings, I got a spare nut for that fanned fret setup. Then, I let the nut file fly!

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Could go Full Hooky and use a second lighter D string as the G string. 60-105 is fun :slight_smile:

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Came here just to say every time I see this topic in the list, I see it and think “why is Sting recommending to drop (ie get rid of) tuning 4-string basses”?

Every. Time. :zany_face:

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Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the insight!

@faydout @Krescht and @Tommydogg haha yeah… what I really want next is a fretless 5 string to do silly things with. Then I’d keep my current 4 string as standard tuning. Hence not wanting to mess with the nut.

Thanks @howard @Rob5589 @Professor for the advice on strings! I was a bit overwhelmed on Sweetwater trying to figure out what all the different brands buzzwords actually meant :rofl:

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