I had no idea where to post this, so...

Kabbage · #1 06-25-2006, 07:55 PM

I just joined a new band that plays in drop C/C#. Naturally, I stubbornly tried to figure everything out on my Stingray-5. That turned out to be quite the project, so when I brought my bass in for a setup I had it strung GCGCF. After a bit of playing with the band and seeing how Im going to be playing, I'm not going to have much use at all for that low G. So I was thinking about tuning up to CGCFA#. Does anyone here play in that? Would tuning up that much ruin my neck? What guage strings would I use? Any help with that one is very much appreciated.

Freaky Fender · #2 06-25-2006, 08:23 PM

I think in order to minimize your stress on the neck, buy a 6 string pack. Use the B string, tune that up to C (a short tune up like that won't hurt the neck).

Use the A string for the low G
Use the D string for the C string
Use the G from the F string
And the C for the Bb string (just nit-pickin here)

And hey, you have an extra E string!

Kabbage · #3 06-25-2006, 10:52 PM

Fantastic. Thank you very much. I asked around at a bunch of other forum and got nothing but elitist 'PLAY IN STANDARD!' replys

Thanks!

Freaky Fender · #4 06-26-2006, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kabbage

Fantastic. Thank you very much. I asked around at a bunch of other forum and got nothing but elitist 'PLAY IN STANDARD!' replys

Thanks!

Pffft. I keep an extra guitar I have in C-G-D-G-B-B tuning. I know what you go through.

Microbass · #5 06-26-2006, 04:15 AM

While you are learning the new tunes, you could always tune their way until you know what notes you are playing.

then when you get home, note it all out, and tune to standard, then relearn the song

I say to tune their way in rehersal, as it will save you time...

Hookus · #6 06-26-2006, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

I've played in a band with lots of C, C#, D and you name it.

I left my 5 in standard BEAD tuning. At first they insisted I re-tune every song so it'd appear my hands were at the "proper" place, but I refused as I didn't think it necessary or that it'd help my ear development to have notes in different places from one song & band to the next.

Worked out great, and it's good practice to figure out your own fingerings and transpose (if tuned to C for example, they'd still call the open low note an E, the low string 5th fret an A, etc., when communicating the changes).

+1, at the risk of sounding like another "play in standard" response, this is the best long term solution. If you know your instrument well enough, you should be able to play just fine in a standard tuning. If you are having trouble with that, then re-tuning your bass to fit, is only a short term solution, and will only hinder your musicianship.

Kabbage · #7 06-26-2006, 07:13 AM

Well thats the thing, I had already learned most of the material in standard, albeit some parts becoming a massive strain on my hands. Not to sound like I'm taking the easy way out or anything, but everything is much easier to play in C/C# and I want to at least be able to put on SOME kind of stage show.