"BASS VI" tuning for standard 6s

[benjaminbuisine]

Hello guys,

it's been a while !

I've got a little "conversion" problem ...

I've got a lovely 6s with a 22 frets standard 628mm/24.75" scale length.

All I want is to put a "BASS VI" EADGBe tuning on it.

BASS VI are 30" long, with the following gauge : .024, .034, .044, .056, .072, .084 equals the D'addario EXL156

D'Addario Strings : XL Nickel Round Wound : EXL156 Nickel Wound, Fender Bass VI, 24-84

BUT!

There is a baritone tuning (BEADF#B) made for that kind of scale, the D'addario EXL157 : .014, .018 .026, .044, .056, .062, .068

D'Addario Strings : XL Nickel Round Wound : EXL157 Nickel Wound, Baritone Medium, 14-68

My question is - I hope - Crystal clear and simple :

Should I use that string set (EXL157 - 14-68) on my standard 6s to play on it with the Bass VI tuning (eadgbe an octave below) ?

If not, what gauge do you have to show me?

One Billion thanks by advance guys

 

[stevexc]

No.

The 14-68 set on a 25.5" guitar tuned E-E an octave below Standard will give you between 9 and 12 pounds of tension per string. This is reaaaally low. My understanding is that the set is designed to be used on a baritone scale guitar (around 28").

The Bass VI set will work, but the tension is on the heavy side - somewhat between guitar and bass.

There really isn't a stock set I've seen that'll give you guitar tension an octave down on a 25.5", and if you do a custom set for it you'll likely find it will be very difficult to intonate.

I prefer personally ~15 pounds on the treble strings and just under 20 on the bass strings, for that kind of tension you'd need 16 22 29 46 60 80.

 

[benjaminbuisine]

I prefer personally ~15 pounds on the treble strings and just under 20 on the bass strings, for that kind of tension you'd need 16 22 29 46 60 80.

80 for the low E? I barely use that gauge on the lowest E of my 8s and she's 27" long.

Honestly, I don't really understand that tension equation, that why I'm asking it.

Thank you for that post stevexc

 

[TemjinStrife]

I have an actual VI-style guitar (30" scale) and run a .025-.095 set on it for low E tunings. I'd actually want more tension on the low E with that setup.

But then again, I use it for actual bass duties.

 

[NeglectedField]

This is a bizarre feat, you want bass VI tuning on a 24.75 guitar? I can imagine the thickness of the strings required for adequate tension and the potential routing out of the tuner holes to outweigh the benefits. But that's just me.

 

[Chokey Chicken]

I have a 26.5 inch omen 8 with stock ernie balls. It's got a 74 I think for the thickest string. I tune the whole thing down a whole step, effectively putting it in bass vi territory.

I'm an oddball when it comes to giving a .... about gauges it seems, as I think it plays and sounds fine.

 

[stevexc]

Disregard the gauges I picked - I'm getting different results now, I must have hit 27" scale or something.

Either way, if you can hit an E1 with an 80 on a 27" scale guitar, you're gonna need a MUCH thicker string to hit the same note on a short guitar.

The general rule is to keep consistent tension for the same note on a shorter neck you have to increase the gauge - and vice versa, the longer the neck the thinner the gauge you need.

The issue arises when you don't have enough length to intonate the string, which I think hits at around 0.075 or so on a 25.5" (dependent on the bridge and a few other factors).

 

[Floppystrings]

I have a 25.5" scale guitar tuned to B standard, it's like a 7 string without the high e. The lowest I have gone is G standard, which is when you need a longer scale for clarity, and for the sake of strings that aren't huge.

I think my set is 12 to 74 balanced, and I have a "wound" G. B standard, good tension.

IMO, 30" scale is reserved for F, or E tuning or lower. Sure, some bands had it in standard tuning with light strings, or used it like a bass.

As for 24.75" scale, I only go as low as Drop C. Hopefully some of this helps, you can't make a regular guitar into a bass without HUGE strings, they will be so big the magnets of your pickups would effect resonance and probably kill low notes fast.

 

[ddawson2012]

Don from D'Addario here - we have a new String Tension Calculator that you can use to assist with these types of recommendations - you can check it here - String Tension Pro