|  | | 
11-20-2012, 10:50 AM
| | | | My 2 Fivers are an Alembic Essence 5 and Squire Affinity Jazz 5, both sound fine a 1/5 step down. Maybe it is an individual guitar issue? |
11-20-2012, 10:56 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie Player  My 2 Fivers are an Alembic Essence 5 and Squire Affinity Jazz 5, both sound fine a 1/5 step down. Maybe it is an individual guitar issue? | I've heard of a quarter-tone, but a fifth-tone? That's a first. 
__________________
"We're just normal guys trying to make interesting music." -Wayne Coyne, Head Flaming Lip
|
11-20-2012, 11:00 AM
|  | Registered User
Manager, Brubaker Brute Series Basses | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: The Real Jersey Shore | | | Many, I would say nearly most, live bands play tuned down for the same reason and also it gives something extra to the fullness of the live sound. My friends in the Smithereens have been doing this forever.
If you have a 5 string bass, then you can now cover the detune without detuning. Requires you to relearn your fingering, but that is why the 5 strings.
Otherwise, honestly, just go to 4 and detune.
__________________
TOM RICHARDS
F CLEF LLC
Brubaker Brute Club #23
NJ Bassist Club #101.5 |
11-20-2012, 11:04 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Logan,W.V.(not up some holler) | | | Just lighten your attack a little bit. Or, play back towards the bridge a little more. The old saying,"It's all in the hands" actually holds true. |
11-20-2012, 11:08 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Central Illinois, USA | | | I gigged briefly with a "hats & Strats" Stevie Ray Wannabe who insisted in tuning down, despite the fact he also changed keys in most song anyway. None of my basses felt nir sounded right. I almost reset one specifically for that gig, but quit before I did that. I settled on playing in Ab and Eb, using my Hipshot to get the low Eb.
This was also the moron who thought he was tuning down a half step because he tuned so the needle on his tuner was halfway between the left end of its scale and the center in-tune mark. It was a little flat of a quarter step...
John
__________________
JTE
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation matter
"Without space, music is just noise piling up on itself." TRK
"Don't play your instrument, play music." Feral Feline
Lakland Owners' Club #248
|
11-20-2012, 11:14 AM
| | | | My band play 1/2 step down , I just play with a lighter touch and have had no problems , maybe I'm just lucky my bass handles it just fine . |
11-20-2012, 11:16 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Metro-Boston North Showahhh | | | Why downtune if you're playing a 5 string? Ideally you shouldn't be relying on open strings at all.. IMO and all that.. |
11-20-2012, 11:19 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Colorado Springs | | I'm currently experiencing this dilemma.
Except I got a 5 string because I was sick of tuning to drop D for a few songs per set then back up to Eb for the rest.
I'm playing in a country rock type band and need every bit of that B string. Relearning the fingering isn't practical.
Leaning toward the setup option I guess.
I'm not a big believer in strings "making" my tone.
I've done great dialing in between the bass and amp.
Strings are expensive and I don't like to change them very often - although I used to change them every few shows. Quote:
Originally Posted by millsbass5 Just lighten your attack a little bit. Or, play back towards the bridge a little more. The old saying,"It's all in the hands" actually holds true. | I've been trying this approach as well.^.
__________________
72 Les Paul Triumph, 76 Fender P, 76 Fender Jazz
Marshall JCM 800 SuperBass MK II w/4x12, Mesa Boogie M2000 w/2-1x15s
Last edited by oddgrowth : 11-20-2012 at 11:21 AM.
|
11-20-2012, 11:21 AM
| | | http://www.bassstringsonline.com make yourself a custom set. Keep in mind that hex core strings will have more tension than round cores and you should calculate +.5 for every semitone from the string gauge you were using before down tuning. Make sure your neck is flat too. |
11-20-2012, 11:27 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nashville, TN | | | My band also tunes down a half step. It's nothing that a thicker gauge string and a proper setup won't fix. Even if you have to setup 5 basses, it will take significantly less time than transposing 4 hours worth of songs.
__________________
Mike Lull /G&L / Fender / Bergantino / Aguilar
|
11-20-2012, 11:32 AM
| | Registered User
Endorsing artist: Lakland basses | | Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Chicago | | | Well, it worked fine for Hendrix...
Just kidding.
+1 to the move your fret hand or get a proper set up.
__________________ Quote: |
The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind.
| -Thoreau
|
11-20-2012, 11:37 AM
| | | | I have played in several bands that tune down a half step, and find that a combination of heavier gage strings and a set up adjustment solves the problem just fine. Went through that with my Fender American Deluxe 5.
__________________
A bunch of gear
|
11-20-2012, 11:40 AM
| | | | Audition for a new vocalist? |
11-20-2012, 11:41 AM
|  | Registered User
Endorsing Artist: Glockenklang | | Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Indianapolis In | | | Been there with the half step down thing...thicker strings and re setup the action (raising) to take the buzz is great advice and works. If u are not into/don't like the feel of thicker strings(110-50s work great with half step tuning to get required tension for good fingerstyle)....grab some standard 105-45 either roto 66 or labella hex wounds, for they are kinda an old style higher tension string that works fairly well tuned down. Ur favorite brand might not make the 110-50s so u may have to find another brand in that thickness range, or like i stated previously roto swing 66 and labella make some pretty high tension regulars at 105-45. I used to just keep my stage axe n backup set to this tuning and setup and leave em alone and have other basses tuned to concert pitch 440 to practice/figure out songs/learn new techniques. If u don't have this luxury u will have to retune back up to 440 after gigs and play with higher action although some recorded stuff was recorded half step down like say old van halen, some stevie wonder, etc.... |
11-20-2012, 11:43 AM
| | Registered User
Endorsing Artist: Glockenklang | | Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Indianapolis In | | | Also if u transpose ur songs u won't have a "low Eb" and will have to play everything that has E in it an octave up which simply on some songs sounds like **** and the bottom will drop out of the tune.. |
11-20-2012, 11:45 AM
| | | | Unless you absolutely need that low Bb why down tune at all?
As for the rest of the band why not just transpose to a key that your vocalists can handle that's still friendly to the instruments involved? Transposing to meet the needs of the vocalists is normal
__________________
populō panem et circenses da.
Bassists Who Drive Manual, Old Basstards, Extended Range Bass Club, N.Y. Bassists #146
|
11-20-2012, 11:50 AM
|  | mi la ré sol | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Reims, Champagne, France | | | It is normal amongst pop and jazz musicians because they can play and know what a key is.
Not so much in rock. |
11-20-2012, 11:52 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nashville, TN | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jazz Ad It is normal amongst pop and jazz musicians because they can play and know what a key is.
Not so much in rock. | My rock band transposes songs all the time.
__________________
Mike Lull /G&L / Fender / Bergantino / Aguilar
|
11-20-2012, 11:59 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada | | | I'm going to concur with almost everyone else here on two points that fit for what I've done in the same situation.
1) Get a bass with a dedicated set up for Eb
2) If you have a 5 string in your arsenal and you don't need Bb (or a lot of open strings), then just use standard tuning and adjust accordingly
Doing these two things have made the experience of lower tunings rather seamless for me. I played in a band where 90% of the material was in Eb so I dedicated one bass to being used for all those tunes (and had it set up accordingly, etc), and then I've also just used my 5 string for songs done in D (and occasional Eb). |
11-20-2012, 12:05 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: Toronto Canada | | | My band plays half a step down and has since we got this current singer 1 1/2 years ago.
I have two basses that I have set up for that tuning. My RIC and my Pedulla Rapture. The RIC doesn't like it when I tune it up to standard tuning, unless I give it a truus rod tweak. The Pedulla on the other hand handles it quite well, with little to no change in action.
I keep my other basses tuned to standard tuning.
So, when I have to learn a new song, I keep two basses beside me and grab the appropriate bass, based on tuning of the song I am learning. As has been mentioned, many bands tune 1/2 a step down, so I have a bass at hand, ready for me to use.
OP, if your neck can handle the different tension without much movement and you are happy with the action in either tuning, then you have no worries. If however your bass's neck moves to a point that you can't/don't want to play it that way, then I suggest you keep your truss rod tool handy and give the rod a tweak as needed.
Fishheadjoe
__________________
Yamaha Bass club member 157 - BB1100s, BB605, Aria owner, Yorkville/Traynor member 62, Roscoe LG3000, Pedulla Rapture
| | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | |
