Detuning....need some experienced opinons.

[screamingdaisy]

I play alot of stuff in E, but also alot of stuff that's detuned down to C#.

I have a 4-string, I don't want a 5, and I can't afford a second bass for an alternate tuning at this time.

For those who've gone through this, would I be be better off tuning to C# F# B E,

or tuning to the bottom 4 of a 5 string, eg. BEAD?

I thinking the first option will allow me to play in-tune* with the rest of the band, but the second option will let me play in standard E without having to transpose anything...I'll just be short one string on top.

Hmmmm....I probably just answered my own question, but I'm still interested in opinons.

* Figuritively, not literally

[DryWater'Bass]

IME, the only time a bass has been tuned to C# F# B E was Jaquo III-X's subcontra bass tuned to C#1 F#1 B#1(bottom string on a 5) and E2(Bottom string on a four) While you could tune to C#2 F#2 B2 E3...That's in 4ths...Your band could do what mine's done before...play everything that's in Standard down one step(EbAbDbGb) and when you have to tune down to C# just drop the Eb one step down to C#...Just my 2cents...I used to only have one bass....But it was a 5...so I don't have that problem...now I've just bought another bass, and had another given to me...so I have 2 5's and 2 4's....
Anyways

DWB

[screamingdaisy]

Originally Posted by DryWater'Bass

IME, the only time a bass has been tuned to C# F# B E was Jaquo III-X's subcontra bass tuned to C#1 F#1 B#1(bottom string on a 5) and E2(Bottom string on a four) While you could tune to C#2 F#2 B2 E3...That's in 4ths...Your band could do what mine's done before...play everything that's in Standard down one step(EbAbDbGb) and when you have to tune down to C# just drop the Eb one step down to C#...Just my 2cents...I used to only have one bass....But it was a 5...so I don't have that problem...now I've just bought another bass, and had another given to me...so I have 2 5's and 2 4's....
Anyways

DWB

C#1 F#1 B1 E2 is what I'm tuned to right now....

B0 E1 A1 D2 is what I'm thinking of switching to....

That way, I can still play E tuned songs no problem, but I can also play C# stuff on the 5th string.

The problem I've run into with the C# tuning is that I like to pedal on the open strings between notes, which I can no longer do if I don't have an open string in the right tuning (and E2 is just to high to pedal on IMO).

Again, I think I already answered my own question, but thanks for the ideas.