C bass guitar, does it exists?

[Wout Blommers]

C-bass guitar?

It means a bass guitar in the same tuning as a cello.

The four strings are tuned (from low to high) C – G – D – A.
The C string could be a B string (5 string guitar set) tuned up by a half note.
The G is a A string tuned down by a whole note.
The D is a normal D string.
The A is a G string tuned up by a whole note.

What is there to be gained by this?
1 Instead of 3 octaves + a half note it is 3 1/2 octave [C – g’’] (Well, one octave lower)
2 The low D and C are added, nice in most songs.
3 Scales are divided in half, over two strings, which settings are the same, at least the major scale is.
4 Cello players can play it too… And the instrument can play the cello parts, although a normal bass guitar is able to do this too
5 Instead of being a harmonic based instrument it becomes a melodic instrument.
This is the most interesting part of the experiment.
The bass has the same tuning as the guitar, in fourths. The guitar needs this to be able to perform chords. Tuned in fifths this is almost impossible to do.
Also the bass line is based on chords, so are arpeggio’s, the basis in bass playing.
Tuned into fifths pushes the music more into melodic lines than using chord bound notes. It is another attitude towards bass playing.

Does this instrument already exits?

Wout

[Wout Blommers]

Thinking about an easy way to work with scales, the tuning could also be
C - G - c - g.
This is the same way the diatonic mouth organ or the harmonica with the knob is organized. This results in a easier way to find the notes.
It reduces the tonal reach (Is this English?) by a whole note.

Wout

[GovernorSilver]

The closest production instrument I know of that matches this description is the NS Design Bass Cello, now called the Omni Bass:

http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instruments/omnibass.php

It can be ordered with or without frets. I know two guys who bought this instrument. Unfortunately, they both ordered the fretless model, so we cannot compare the sound of fretted vs. fretless. Also, it has 5 rather than 4 strings. It can be played on a stand or strapped on like a bass guitar.

The bassist of the jazz group Oregon plays in the tuning you describe - he uses an upright acoustic bass, however, rather than a bass guitar. You would probably want to get a bass guitar whose neck can withstand the 5ths tuning without warping, and of course have it set up for that tuning (saddle/intonation adjustments, neck adjustment, etc.). A graphite neck or graphite-reinforced wood neck would probably have the necessary strength.

[Wout Blommers]

Just had Steinberger on the phone and I will meet (probably not him) on the Frankfurter Messe.

Wout

[Oskar]

Interesting thoughts, Wout! I don't know whether such an instrument exists, or rather, an instrument specifically designed for those particular tunings you mention. However, that shouldn't stop you from experimenting - I take it you already have a bass guitar or two lying around? If so, try buying single bass strings with gauges that fit those particular tunings -as to what those precise gauges might be, I'm afraid I don't know (but there probably exists several web sites that can point you in the right direction, or maybe someone like Governor Silver or Bill Ruppert - or others - can give you some tips).
My best mate used a Danelectro short scale bass tuned to a mandocello tuning, which is an octave above what you described.
I once jammed with a bass player who played a four string bass guitar fitted with the lower four strings from a five string set, tuning his axe a fourth below "normal" bass tuning; B-E-A-D.
Fernando Saunders, who's played with Lou Reed, Jeff Beck, Marianne Faithfull, Fania All Stars and others, apparently tuned his bass D-A-D-A...
In other words, there shouldn't be any set rules for how you tune your instrument, the only thing that should matter is whether you can actually play the thing.
One more thing, I've been experimenting with an Irish Bouzouki, also known as an octave mandola, for the last three years, and I find its great for chord work and "modal" improvisations, but I find playing scales hard, as you have to either stretch your fingers extremely far, OR you have to change fingering and positions several times over, say, two octaves. Also, I have to place my fingers in a totally different way from what I've gotten used to as a mainly self-taught guitarist.
I hope this doesn't scare you off, as I find having to start from scratch, learning totally new chord shapes and inversions and ways of playing the same old scales is SO refreshing, I'd recommend it to anyone who's not as brave as Carlo, whom I admire immensely for his forays into micro-tonality. Admittedly, whenever I play slide guitar I unintentionally play micro-tonally myself!

[D.Miñoza]

Hi Wout - 5ths are fun. String gauges are important for a good sound..

My 8 string touch guitar has a scale of 34 in. with 24 frets..
I tune the bottom 6 strings in 5ths from a low Bb. (then a 3rd & a 2nd on the top 2 strings)

This tuning is based on R.Fripps "New Standard Tuning" and applied to touch guitar.

Here are the string gauges I generally use:

.128/.085/.065/.035/.016/.012/.010/.009

Hope that info helps & have fun exploring.


~ Dan