Hipshot Ex-tender Range

ericw · #1 10-13-2010, 09:37 AM

Trying to find out what tuning the Hipshot Ex-tender could drop an E-string to. Surprisingly (or maybe not) I'm having trouble getting this info.

Here is what I found on bestbassgear: "With a quick flick of the handy thumb lever, the HIPSHOT Bass Extender Key instantly expands your range without leaving position. Tunable to any note from "E" to low "C"."

So are they saying it's adjustable to drop a low "E" to a "C"?

I'm thinking of stringing one of my TRBs E A D G C and adding an ex-tender for some solo stuff...

bassteban · #2 10-13-2010, 09:40 AM

Mine work pretty good for a whole step down- beyond that the string gets pretty floppy. Technically you could go lower, I guess.

JTE · #3 10-13-2010, 09:45 AM

While I did play around (about 25 or more years ago) with dropping my E to C, just to see how it worked, the 105 strings I used were way too floppy for me to actually play dropped that far. But, they were in tune and accurately and reliably came back to E. This was with a pre EB StingRay and a Fender VS '62 P strung with D'Addario XL, XLS (the stainless strings before the Prisms), and GHS Boomers and Brite-Flats.

John

ericw · #4 10-13-2010, 10:14 AM

Hmm.. for the piece I'm working on currently I would use a C# open drone...

I'll try tuning an E-string to C# and see how it sounds. At least now I know the piece is capable of doing what I want.

Thanks guys.