Buzz Feiten tuning

[OriginalCrash]

Anybody have a bass with it? I wanna say that MTD's use it. Anyway, I was just wondering if it really made an improvement and if it was something that could be added/retrofitted to your bass (or have your bass converted to it or whatever phrasing you want to use).

Brian

[Melvin7822]

Yeah, I have an MTD Kingston Heir Active 5 with Buzz Feiten. It really is a noticeable improvement. Buzz Feiten is really just another name for the equal-temperament tuning system that piano tuners use. It's nice to have every note in tune up and down the neck. =) And yes it can be retrofitted to any bass.

[OriginalCrash]

Does anyone know what's involved in converting your bass to the Buzz Feiten tuning?

Brian

[saxofunk]

GOOGLE is your friend

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by OriginalCrash

Does anyone know what's involved in converting your bass to the Buzz Feiten tuning?

Brian

I have it on an MTD and don't notice a lot of difference other than tuning is an extra hassle that most don't talk about. Easiest is to buy a tuner that supports the BFTS or get used to tuning to the E note on each string. Also the BFTS is only for standard tuning of instruments, if you use alternate tunings you lose the effect.

Greg Back who co-invented the system with Buzz has done some work on my basses. He says the BFTS mainly help with the intonation of the low end of the bass. Talk to double bass players and most play a hair sharp on the low end to make notes sound right, the tend to play a hair flat over the body. This is the kind of stuff a piano tuner does and why piano tuners are know for their style. At what point do they go sharp or flat and how much. An instrument perfectly in tune by pitch frequencies would sound bad. That is why there is equal temperment. I believe it has to do with how the harmonics of notes interact.

To mod a bass for the BFTS is simple they replace the nut with a BFTS nut. If you look at the raw nut it is kind of a L-shape. It shortens the string length a little. Then the bass needs to be reintonated with a tuner that supports the BFTS.

I keep saying I'm going to try the BFTS on one of my Fenders, but haven't gotten around to it. I did talked to a guy who had it installed on a Fender Marcus Miller 4 and said it helped a lot. Guitar players tend to install the BFTS more than bass players since they play more chords and so they get more benefits from it.

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by OriginalCrash

Anybody have a bass with it? I wanna say that MTD's use it. Anyway, I was just wondering if it really made an improvement and if it was something that could be added/retrofitted to your bass (or have your bass converted to it or whatever phrasing you want to use).

Brian

I read two things on their website that got my attention:

1. $139 for a new nut;

2. They said it works even on instruments that use a zero fret. I can't hep but wonder how this works.

The key question in my mind is whether I would hear a $139 improvement in intonation?

[Bass Mule]

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

The key question in my mind is whether I would hear a $139 improvement in intonation?

I bet professionals who only play in quiet environments, like a recording studio, would benefit greatly from this. Personally, I play in loud environments, so I don't think it'd be worth $139 for me. Usually, I'm the only one who can hear if I'm a little off.

[ehque]

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

2. They said it works even on instruments that use a zero fret. I can't hep but wonder how this works.

this makes me doubt them a lot.

[JimmyM]

I haven't played one yet, but I have played a BFTS guitar before. My feeling was it was too much work to get too little return. A little too much finger pressure renders it moot. I wouldn't kick a bass out of bed because it had one, but I wouldn't actively seek one out.

BTW, why would you need a special tuner set up to work with it? Couldn't you just offset your tuner to whatever you need to tune up to?