Recommendations on 35" scale 5 string being downtuned?

lokikallas · #1 08-14-2010, 11:57 PM

I just go my first 5 string bass after playing four strings all my life. I play in a metal band and we tune 1/2 step down, and drop the e string. C#/G#/C#/F#. No problem with my 4 string 34" scale bass. I play a fretless and I prefer chromes medium gauge flatwounds. The sound is tight, and no flub. I know that some of you jazz or classic rock guys out there might think I'm crazy, but hey, sabbath was tuning just as low in the 60's.
Now my 5 string 35" scale bass came with chromes that range from .045 up to .132 on the B and they are the super longs. The 1/2 step is no problem, but I was thinking about tuning the E to C#, and the B to G# to get the full 5 notes out of my low string. The low C# is a little loose, not too bad, as long as I don't wail on it, but I would love to get a.110 instead of the .100, but the low G# is borderline flubtastic. I was thinking I could pull it off with a slightly heavier gauges. Finding this in flatwound 35" scale is next to impossible it seems. I would use halfrounds, but they only go up to .130. Roundwounds are a bit scary for me. I have a rosewood fingerboard, and I have been told repeatedly to avoid roundwounds if I don't want the dreaded grooves. Please don't make this a flame war on the validity of down tuning, I just was trying to get some opinions on possible string types.

knuckle_head · #2 08-15-2010, 12:49 AM

A .110 at C# would give you roughly 33 pounds of tension. To get something similar at G# you're looking at a .150.

Can't help you with flats.....

lokikallas · #3 08-16-2010, 10:51 AM

Wow, .150 is huge! I was thinking maybe .140 would work, but I can't find anything past .130 in the 35" long scale for flatwounds. .110 should be perfect, but most flats skip from .105 up to .118 or so. I emailed d'addario to see if they make any of these oddball gauges, we'll see what they say.

knuckle_head · #4 08-16-2010, 11:59 AM

Flatwounds will be troublesome - they are expensive to make so they are expensive to buy. Sadly, you won't find many variations off of standard tunings.

Indeed, if you find non-standard gauges, please share your source for them.

billbass75 · #5 08-16-2010, 05:30 PM

DR now makes DDT series that is designed to go low and stay tight. They have a thicker core wire to accomplish this. I have had good luck with these.

ixlramp · #6 08-17-2010, 08:39 PM

http://octave4plus.com/ make flatwounds in .160, should be nice and tight at G#. Expect it to be expensive though!

lokikallas · #7 08-17-2010, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixlramp

http://octave4plus.com/ make flatwounds in .160, should be nice and tight at G#. Expect it to be expensive though!

Thanks for the heads up, maybe I'll ask santa!