Downtuneing/uptuneing strings?

afireinside · #1 03-08-2008, 08:53 PM

Ok heres the skinny trying out/practicing for a metal band, I play a douglas wbt 5 string active. I use DR lo-riders in std tuneing and love them. I know being steel and hex core they are very "tight". They want me to down tune to c sharp. I know I can play in std tune w/ a 5er but for consistancy they want me to down tune at least till I get their material down. I can DT one of my fenders but I hate the floppy clacky sound of 1 1/2 steps down.

#1 String recomendations/ advice on a set of tight strings for for a 4 string to DT 1 1/2 with a proper set up

#2 To be diffrent and keep my active douglas get a known "floppy" string brand for the 5 and tune UP 1 step making the B a C sharp and so on.

kevinmoore73 · #2 03-08-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afireinside

I know I can play in std tune w/ a 5er but for consistancy they want me to down tune at least till I get their material down.

I don't understand the issue. You can play their silly downtuned song without changes to your five-string bass, but they want you to downtune anyway? What?

afireinside · #3 03-08-2008, 09:03 PM

they want me in the same fret position lol just trying to make them haapy

WashburnBasser · #4 03-08-2008, 09:11 PM

Argh, my band was like this, when we where playing in D, I downtuned, but they made me tune up, because "if you tune down, we have to also". Nonsense

Tau Zero · #5 03-08-2008, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afireinside

Ok heres the skinny trying out/practicing for a metal band, [SNIP] They want me to down tune to c sharp. [SNIP] for consistancy they want me to down tune at least till I get their material down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WashburnBasser

when we where playing in D, I downtuned, but they made me tune up, because "if you tune down, we have to also". Nonsense

Fire, I have to agree with WB. Makes me wonder if they're insecure in their own musicianhood.

In coming back to my bass after ~15 years away, the first thing I thought was, "I need the D on the bottom, but why screw up the relationships with the other strings? Let's just tune ALL them down a whole step!"

Then again, I think if you were playing with mature musicians, they'd be able to adapt. (Somewhat.)

Cheers, and good luck,

ihateusernames · #6 03-09-2008, 08:55 AM

If you HAVE to adapt to them I like your thinking on option 2, it may require you to perform a complete set up though.

spade2you · #7 03-09-2008, 09:41 AM

I'm not one to mess with a a good low B when it's set right. Playing in C# works very well with a standard tuning 5 string. the minor 3rd is an E and open. Your 7th is B and open! I tend to hate C tuning, but I'm more than up for C# tunings!

I also had problems with bands when I'd leave my 4 strings in dropped D.

Just tell 'em to listen to what you're playing and not look at what you're doing.

knuckle_head · #8 03-09-2008, 10:53 AM

If it's really that big an issue with the new band, get a light gauge 5 string set and use the low 4 strings on one of your Fenders - a .120 or .125 would do you nicely I bet.

afireinside · #9 03-09-2008, 02:05 PM

I think its because I never played with a band before (bedroom player my whole life guitar and bass) and that if I lose my place live I can refrence their positions quickly, I think its more of a safety thing on their part for me. I am going to learn the material on my 5 er and prove to them that this will work w/o B.S. then a win win.

spade2you · #10 03-09-2008, 04:25 PM

At the risk of sounding too preachy, if you're likely to get canned for something such as not using the same exact tuning as the guitarist(s), then there's no real job security there. I tend to avoid gigs like that. I've been in and out of more bands than I can remember until I started looking at gigs and how much the band valued me. If any rookie off the street would do, I steer clear.

ihateusernames · #11 03-09-2008, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afireinside

I think its because I never played with a band before (bedroom player my whole life guitar and bass) and that if I lose my place live I can refrence their positions quickly, I think its more of a safety thing on their part for me. I am going to learn the material on my 5 er and prove to them that this will work w/o B.S. then a win win.

phhht. great idea in theory, not a practical solution in a live setting - virtually impossible.

DavePlaysBass · #12 03-09-2008, 08:27 PM

Bass Player has to hit it on one and own it. Bass players need to practice until they can't get it wrong. The bass player can be a reference for lazy guitared types who don't know the matieral. But the bass player really can't be watching somebody and play the song with a delayed reaction.