a question for 5 and more strings owners

[Lycanthropy]

for those of you who play in bands or projects who demand a lower than standard tuning, for example a metal band whom requiers a DGCF tuning, 1 step lower, so as 5 stringers, would you tune your whole bass 1 step lower to make it an ADGCF, or keep it in the standard BEADG tuning and learn to play every single riff and part diffrently from the guitar players? I'm just really having hard time choosing my next bass, if i'm going towards a 5\6 string or staying a 4 stringer right now...as my band tunes for D.

thanks in advance. =)

[David1234]

If the music is riff-heavy and requires a lot of open string notes, you will probably want the same open string tuning as the guitar players. I'd advise sticking to the 4-string and tuning it down.

I have some students doing this and it serves them well. It's rare for a detuned B string not to sound like mush, and at the speed thy're playing they don't want mush, so get some heavy strings and get used to the DGCF tuning. Maybe try a 35" scale bass too.

[Lycanthropy]

Originally Posted by David1234

If the music is riff-heavy and requires a lot of open string notes, you will probably want the same open string tuning as the guitar players. I'd advise sticking to the 4-string and tuning it down.

I have some students doing this and it serves them well. It's rare for a detuned B string not to sound like mush, and at the speed thy're playing they don't want mush, so get some heavy strings and get used to the DGCF tuning. Maybe try a 35" scale bass too.

oh yeah, it requires alot of open string nots and its very riff-heavy, 5 strings would make things much more complicated...

my main concern was if for example I'd be playing in one band that tunes for DGCF and another one that tunes standart EADG, if i'd have a BEADG 5 strings bass i'd be able to play in both bands with the same bass guitar, yet for the down tuned band things would be more complicated...yet if its totally not practicle maybe I'd better stay with a 4 string as you advise, thanks alot by the way. =)

[DudeistMonk]

I bought my main bass (a GT-5) years ago in HS and I was into TOOL a lot at the time. I would just drop tune the E to D (BDADG) like a 4 and ignore the B string. As I grew musically I can now use it more to its potential. The 5th string won't hurt to have even if you choose to use an alternate tuning and not play it. I also became a big fan of the tighter string spacing...makes raking a lot easier.

[tabufx50]

well making the adjustment to a 5 string can be a mental shift if you're used to 4 stringers..however I've played in so many of those metal bands where they tune all weird like that ...and for me....the easiest way was to just leave me 5 string tuned in reg 440 A and learn what they were playing in the weird tuning.

As opposed to tuning your 4 string like them and having to re-tune back up to normal on another song.

Or you could have another bass specifically tuned for those types of songs ..and just have another bass at the gig....

But I've found that it's much easier to stick with the reg tuning on a 5 string and use that as my main rig.

[Traver]

I personally just leave my tuning the same and learn to play it that way. Mostly it confuses the guitarists more than it confuses me.

[EADG mx]

Nothing wrong with using a 5 but I find communication between band members a lot easier and faster if you're all in the same tuning.

[awakefie]

I went from a 4 to a 5 to now a 6. I shifted postiion instead of de-tuning because a detuned B sounds like mud in my book. At first it messed up the guitar players that were used to glancing at my neck when they got lost.

On the up side, they've learned their parts better.

String spacing can throw some folks off too.

[HaVIC5]

Riff-heavy stuff just doesn't sound as good when you're not playing an open string, in my opinion. I would probably just use a four string, or get a real beefy B string and tune it down to A (.135 at least, more likely .140).