Tenor tuning and tension question

[vashts80]

Hey guys,

My 34" scale 5-string SX fretless bass still has the floppy B syndrome even after replacing the bridge and getting a set of SS Lo-Riders with the .130 B.

I'm thinking about tuning it tenor, but I'm not sure what strings to get. I like the sound and feel of SS Lo-Riders, but I'm not sure whether I want to get a 6-string Lo-Rider set and use the low B on my other bass (will talk about in a min) or if I want to get some other 6-string set, maybe go back to Roto swings or maybe try D'Addario XLs?

I'm a big fan of Steve DiGiorgio's fretless "clack" tone that he has now, due to stringing his 5-string fretless tenor without replacing the nut (so the strings are even closer to the board) and with the lowest action possible, so I want to try and get a similar effect on my fretless.

Now, as for my other bass: It's an Ibanez GSR200 that I have currently tuned BEAD (or well, AEAD) and the B, when tuned to A, actually seems tighter than the B (tuned to B) on my SX, even with a Schaller roller-style bridge on the SX. I'm using my old set of Rotosound swing strings on the Ibanez, however I could have sworn that the Roto .130 was less tension than the .130 Lo-Rider. What's the deal?

[vashts80]

Bump?

[ebe9]

Have you maybe considered tuning it to a high C?

On the Tenor front, I imagine that you will need to adjust the truss rod after re-stringing tenor, otherwise there should not be too great an issue.

[vashts80]

Bump.

Looking for string recommendations and an answer to my question about the tension on my GSR200

[fretless Bob]

dont know about the tension thing, i'd have to see the bass to tell you for sure, (maybe go see a tech for a set up)

regarding the strings, i'd say get the DRs, they are some of the best strings ive tried, but i think that you will need to adjust the trussrod after re-stringing.

keep us posted


Dave

The SX fretless is the low B flop champion of the world, that I'm aware of, and I've never figured it out either. Thus, I do the exact same thing, ala Steve Digiorgio tuning on my SX fretless. Try www.stevedigiorgio.com/equipment to check out what he uses. ESP's generally use EMG pickups last to my knowledge (I could be way off, but quite a bit of ESP's substance is in the pickups), so you may want to swap the pups with the EMGs. That and technique should get you roughly close to Steve's sound.

Also, the SX fretless five string tends to work great with tenor tuning. I probably need not tell you this, but if you're playing with bands who tune to double-drop Z, it's still possible to stand out with the bass in that tuning, though it'll take creativity. FWIW, I'm actually working on a solo project in the death metal vein using that aformentioned SX to record all "fretless guitar" and bass parts.