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Big-assed strings on a 4-string


viCe
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Hi!

I own a Ibanez srx2ex1, a beautiful bass with great sound.

But for the last year or so, I've been playing in drop B (I bought a 5-string for that purpose), so I think it would be cool to be able to play drop B tuning (B F# B E) on the Ibanez!

I know I have to adjust the nut so it can fit larger strings, but is it really that simple? Or do I have to worry about something else?


Follow-up question:
I'd like to change the humbuckers. Anyone with experience in changing electronics on a Ibanez? (I would like some EMG's, but I'm open to suggestions)


Kthx :)

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We play detuned 2 steps across the board (D G C F) and I use D'Addario "aldude custom set" 120-95-75-55, so they're pretty fat for a 4-stringer. I have also found the truss rod needed loosening up, and the intonation is set so the bridge parts are very very close to the bridge itself, i.e. the strings are almost as long as they can go, to get the intonation right. Apart from that, there aren't any other problems, though I had another bass (Spector I think) which would have needed the nut filing to accommodate such fat strings, though I didn't do it in the end. So, the nut problem varies from bass to bass.

Incidentally the current bass is an Ibanez and the nut is fine.

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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='alhbass' timestamp='1331241375' post='1570297']
More tension, surely?
[/quote]

Agreed, heavier strings have more tension, so a tighter truss rod seems needed. This is balanced by downtuning and in fact I have loosened my truss rod a bit because even though the strings are as fat as I can get, we detune 2 semitones which reduces the tension a lot.

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Thank you all for replying. I actually did the change a while ago, but then forgot to write it here.
It was easier than I thought it would be, probably because I didn't have to adjust the bridge or the nut. I only adjusted the truss rod (yes, more tension).
I used Earnie Ball "Super Slinky" 40 - 125 set.
The sound is amazing, even with standard humbuckers.




[attachment=102357:IMAG0257.jpg]

Edited by viCe
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