Bass Tune

DTHM33 · #1 08-28-2011, 08:24 PM

So something is really wrong with my bass I haven't been able to tune it with my electric tuner at all

well it's "tuned" according to the tuner

but my E holds a lot of tension on it when"tuned" and I feel its close to snapping

and my G D and A when "tuned" are really really really loose and give off more rattling than actual sound

I've tried new batteries and a different tuner but its the same problem

my friend was able to tune it via piano and it was cool everything was fine but now its out of tune again and i cant tune by ear and the electric tuners don't work

my neck is little curved out just slightly but i don't have the allen wrench to fix that

and besides that I don't know what could be the problem it had been a while since I last tried using my bass, and I'm not that familiar or savvy when it comes to bass set ups so any help would be appreciated

so thoughts?

pocketgroove · #2 08-28-2011, 08:37 PM

The tuner could show you as being in tune, but your actual notes may be in the wrong octave. Your E string may be an octave higher than it should be, or tuned correctly but with tension issues. Your G, D, and A strings almost certainly seem as if they are an octave lower than they should be.

Good luck

bongomania · #3 08-28-2011, 08:39 PM

Rough guess, it sounds like you have tuned the E string an octave higher than you should have. That would bow the neck, make the other strings feel weird, and make the E string seem close to breaking.

low2groove · #4 08-28-2011, 09:08 PM

Either Bongo is correct or you have a bad string! The bad string is not unheard of and I seem to run into this with a couple of clients every year.
The string rattles or just won't tune. We all know that old or dead strings most of the time will just not tune up, but now we're talking a new string that is just a lemon?
I know you've probably never heard of it but try changing the string or as Bongo said, make sure it's tuned to the correct octave.
I'd check the octave thing first.
Good luck.

ffutterman · #5 08-28-2011, 09:28 PM

The 5th fret of any string should sound the same as the open string above it. For instance, if you fret the 5th fret on the E string and play it, then play the A string open (don't fret anything), they should be the same note in the same octave.

That's one good way to tell if the instrument is tuned to itself properly.

DTHM33 · #6 08-29-2011, 04:38 PM

Wrong octave hmm

I will definitely purchase some new strings, and see if I cant get back to the right octave.

Thanks for the advice

Papa Dangerous · #7 08-29-2011, 04:49 PM

I imagine if your next is a bit bowed, it would have to be adjusted so everything can feel clutch again. It could have gotten this way from pressure on the next, or humidity. Never keep your bass near the AC or near the radiator. Read up on adjusts of the truss rod and see if you understand it enough to try and give it a turn. Just remember, always turn just a quarter of an inch. An allen key set should not be very expensive and are just awesome and handy tools in general.

So yeah, check the octaves as suggested. Also, when I get new strings, I like to put a little pressure on, lets say the 18th fret, and then lightly pull on the string with my other hand away from the body. Do this up the next, no set fret is necessary, just stretch it a bit. It seems to release a bit of that new tension that causes new strings to go out of tune so quickly. (Or at least it has in my own experiences).