Downtuning....

[moopants]

If you were to intonate your bass for standard tuning, and you dropped your E string to a D or whatever, wouldn't every note you play on the "D" string be flat?

[Rumblestiltzkin]

Maybe, maybe not. Depends how far down you're tuning. Drop D isn't much of a change, you'd probably not be able to tell that the intonation was off. If you did a full step or more, you might start to notice.

[K_Shizzle]

Originally Posted by moopants

If you were to intonate your bass for standard tuning, and you dropped your E string to a D or whatever, wouldn't every note you play on the "D" string be flat?

You'd have to configure your fingers according to the adjustment. For example, to play an F, on the E string it's one finger. But in drop D, you'd have to use your third finger.

[moopants]

Originally Posted by K_Shizzle

You'd have to configure your fingers according to the adjustment. For example, to play an F, on the E string it's one finger. But in drop D, you'd have to use your third finger.

I'm not talking about that. I mean, since you're dropping your string's tuning, the notes on the frets would be off, right? Like, if you were to down tune, the F on the "D" string would be flat, because the frets are intonated for a string tuned to E, not D.

[K_Shizzle]

Originally Posted by moopants

I'm not talking about that. I mean, since you're dropping your string's tuning, the notes on the frets would be off, right? Like, if you were to down tune, the F on the "D" string would be flat, because the frets are intonated for a string tuned to E, not D.

I see where you're coming from now. I play mostly fretless, but I guess that might make them flat. Just by a miniscule amount though.

[moopants]

Yeah, I play a lot of fretless, too. I just don't down-tune for that reason. I was wondering if it was actually a noticeable change in intonation, which still applies playing fretless.

[905]

I don't know about fretless, but I can tell you that there's very little difference.

If you were dropping the E to a B or an A, it's a different situation.

[tplyons]

Technically, yes. But it's hardly noticable.

I play with a Hipshot detuner. I play mostly in E but switch to drop D a lot and have never had anyone notice my intonation being out.

[moopants]

I know some people switch from standard tuning to some really crazy tunings, like drop C (C-G-C-F) and others. Would these tunings sound terrible if, say a piano was with the group?

[TeeMartin]

Theres a chance that they intonate their guitars to CGCF