3 tunings, 2 basses

[dufunk]

I recently bought a new bass (Soundgear SR500) to accommodate the two tunings my band plays in (e flat standard, D#,G#,C#,F#, and dropped "D", as well as dropped D down a whole step, C,G,C,F) But i also play in e standard at school and lessons. I have now set aside my Peavey Grind for C, as we are playing more and more songs in that tuning. It would be the logical choice to use the Sndgr for the D# and E tunings however, i really like the factory (e standard) setup, no fret buzz. When i tuned to D# though, i got fret buzz AND the bridge started making funny noises from any note on the G string. I am considering setting up the bass for D#, and then tuning up to E for school. Will this be ok for the bass? the change would be every other day or so.

Thanks!

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by dufunk

I recently bought a new bass (Soundgear SR500) to accommodate the two tunings my band plays in (e flat standard, D#,G#,C#,F#, and dropped "D", as well as dropped D down a whole step, C,G,C,F) But i also play in e standard at school and lessons. I have now set aside my Peavey Grind for C, as we are playing more and more songs in that tuning. It would be the logical choice to use the Sndgr for the D# and E tunings however, i really like the factory (e standard) setup, no fret buzz. When i tuned to D# though, i got fret buzz AND the bridge started making funny noises from any note on the G string. I am considering setting up the bass for D#, and then tuning up to E for school. Will this be ok for the bass? the change would be every other day or so.
Thanks!

Every time you change the parameters of a bass, it affects many of the other parameters of the instrument. So if you de-tune a bass you will change its optimal setup.

This may or may not be a big deal depending on how fussy you are and how sensitive the bass is. But with regular de-tunings you are adding another element of change to a set of parameters. So you are introducing another area of compromise.

If you know what you will be doing with a bass (styles, tunings, etc.) a good technician can help you realize the optimum compromise. Nothing is perfect. But achieving a good balance of compromise in a changing set of conditions is where experience can be invaluable. That's why I would advise you to seek out an experienced tech.

[Herrlster]

I say go out and buy yourself a 5 string bass. Keep it tuned to standard BEADG. All you gotta do then is relearn the positions for the different tunings and songs.