c string ?

[devine]

Hey Janek,

Just wondering how long it took you to get to grips with having a c string on your bass....i suspect you had a b string on there sometime in the past. And as in 'get to grips with' i mean really nailing it...knowing where all the notes/shapes are without a second thought. I only ask as i love the extra range it gives but have been playing pro for the last ten years and after putting a c string on my bass quickly took it off and stuck the old b back on as i'm doing gigs where i can't afford to be droppin any bollocks if ya know what i mean!! Anyhow...just wondering how long you were staring at that fingerboard with a slightly confused look for?

Thanks for ya time man.
Scott.

[janekbass]

Scott,

I remember the time I changed the string very well. I had just got a gig with a sax player on sony records and we were starting to tour a lot. It took me about 2 months to really feel comfortable with it, but I was playing a lot, and putting myself in situations where I had no choice but to play it. I had come from the low B, and definitely missed that aspect of the instrument. So I got a hip shot drop tuner for the E string and set it up so I could have everything I wanted.

You really do have to get stuck in and practice more than you have been to get the familiarity with the new tuning. There just no easy way around it. For me it's been really worth it, and has helped me to start developing my own voice on the instrument and in music in general.

Easy,

Janek

[bobbykokinos]

Just out of curiosity, along the same subject, with the detuner, do you miss having anything below a D (I am assuming thats what they detune to having never dealt with one myself)? With all the situations you play in, do you find that you ever need anything below a D? Like with Nerve, do you miss having the lower notes or are you playing up higher anyway to help with the tracking on some of the effects and synth stuff?

Other than developing your own voice, what other advantages did you notice going to the C? I would think it offer more chordal opportunities, but just curious what else.

I've been toying with the idea of building a E-C bass. Having come from 6 string, the lack of low B has me concerned. But, when I really think about it, I hardly ever using anything lower than the D. Also, I like the idea of going back to 34" (or maybe even 33") scale because I dont have to worry about the tension of a B string.

[jazzcrime]

speaking from experience in my recent changeover from 4 to 6 strings i can recommend doing a lot of sightreading to really get comfortable with just 'knowing' where the new notes are.

[Chad.mundt]

A high C has acertain sound that is much more appropriate for upper range soloing. You only extend your range by a fourth, but, even if you never use the G# or above, the sound is worth it, for me. Listen to Patitucci. His "big guitar" type sound is because of his high C. Good point on the fact that a sixer needs a longer scale, while a tenor five can go shorter.

[Justyn]

I recently strung my bass E-C and really enjoyed the soloing and chordal possibilities it opened up but the combination of the wide string spacing on my bass (18mm) and the feel of the lighter gauge C string just threw me off, which is odd, because it doesn't bother me on my fretless 6. I've got the drop d tuner as well but haven't got the differences nailed yet when I go from E to D so at a recording session yesterday I ended up using my other 5 that's strung with a low B. I might try a slightly heavier gauge C string though I know it's also a matter of just putting in the practice time to get used to the new tuning and the d tuner. Can I ask what gauge strings you're using?

Thanks for you time,
J.

[Liten]

I think thats been answed before??
Custom fender set.. 30-40-60-80-100 I think it was.

[Justyn]

Oops. Yep, you're right...just found that in an older post after some searching. Should have done my homework first

J.