Piccolo Bass

[Azrabella]

This might sound a bit lame but what is the difference between a piccolo bass (apparently tuned up an octave) and an ordinary guitar with heavy gauge strings - leaving aside the number of strings? I have been looking and listening to a bit of Jeff Schmidt and it sounds all the world as if he's playing just that - a normal scale (at least for a guitar) with heavy strings.
Any of you guys give me a heads up on this one, please.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Longer scale length and more pointless (IMHO)

[skankdelvar]

what is the difference between a piccolo bass (apparently tuned up an octave) and an ordinary guitar with heavy gauge strings - leaving aside the number of strings?

Your question is by no means lame and - furthermore - you have put your finger on the crux of a sensitive matter.

Piccolo bass is to guitar as leeks are to onions. Y'see, if you play modest little tunes on a piccolo bass then a world of fan-boy bass-tards will gather round your door, chanting "He's the Messiah!".

Normal people think "That's quite good guitar playing - for a bassist".

[The Burpster]

In squeeky voice.........

"ees not the messiah, ees a very naughty boy!"

[Lfalex v1.1]

And I hate leeks, but love onions!
Does this mean I should buy one or not?

[Low End Bee]

So what's a tenor guitar then?

[skankdelvar]

And I hate leeks, but love onions! Does this mean I should buy one or not?

It means whatever you want it to mean. Look deep into your onions and the answer will be there.

[Soliloquy]

Have a listen to Joe 'Foley' Mcreary on the Miles Davis album 'Live at Montreux'.

[franzbassist]

It's a short scale, acoustic piccolo bass tuned CGDA. Also known as the '4-string Cumbrian Box Banjo' in folkie circles

Tenor guitars were originally created to aid the transition of banjo players to guitar in the early C20th. Also, they're tuned in fifths, not fourths like a bass, so quite a different beast. While CGDA is common, GDAE or GDAD are also popular.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Tenor guitars were originally created to aid the transition of banjo players to guitar in the early C20th. Also, they're tuned in fifths, not fourths like a bass, so quite a different beast. While CGDA is common, GDAE or GDAD are also popular.

So... More of a Cello hybrid with frets, then?
Guitello? Celluar?
And where does Baritone (Guitar) figure in all this?

Am I right in thinking (in general terms) that it goes; soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass

[sprocketflup]

Bugger it - was gonna write a reply to this subject but my brain just exploded

[Azrabella]

Ummmm... so if I string a short scale (26" or thereabouts) with extra heavy strings, then what do I have? If not a bass of sorts (ie, tuned lower than a guitar) then what. I understand that travel basses and SX bases have very short scale lengths - so are these true bases or what?
Man, this is a bit of a minefield.

[skankdelvar]

Ummmm... so if I string a short scale (26" or thereabouts) with extra heavy strings, then what do I have?

Depending on string gauge and number of tuners you could have:

* A long-scale conventional guitar ideal for downtuned doom riffs or...

* A Jedson Tele bass



As it happens, the time might be ripe for a 'weirdly tuned Jedson' craze. Quick and easy way into high register bass playing...

[BigRedX]

IMO it depends on both the overall design of the instrument and the strings used.

I own both - a Fernades Pie-Zo Travel Bass and a Manne Piccolo Bass.

Both have a 25½" scale length, however the Fernandes also has a narrower string spacing (16mm) to match and has a bridge and nut designed for Bass strings. The Manne is built much more like a guitar but retains a more typical bass string spacing of 19mm. With a re-cut nut the Manne could be fitted with bass strings, but the fret size and pickups are more attuned to use with guitar-ish gauge strings.

Maybe in the end it's all down to the intent of the player?