Dropping E to D changes tuning of other strings?

[dabigc5]

It happens to me all the time on my 34" basses. It's rarely ever very significant though. And I agree - they should all be going sharp or flat - the fact that your bass isn't is somewhat concerning. But yeah - I guess it's just something you live with.

[ChuckTrucks]

I drop tune my guitar by losening the truss rod!

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by Diogenes

Detuning one string can change the tuning of the other strings but that is dependent on the neck... some necks are stiff/stable enough to not be affected.

This - I have Hipshots on a Gibson T-Bird with a 9 ply neck, a pair of MIA Jazz's with posiflex rods in the necks, and a MIM Deluxe P Bass Special... Although all 4 necks have been quite stable overall, when drop tuned, the A string barely goes sharp on the 'bird and posiflex'd necks - it's slightly more pronounced with the non-reinforced MIM neck... This was verified with a Peterson Strobostomp - but even with the slightly less rigid MIM neck, it isn't anything pronounced enough so that I can hear it - and certainly not in a band mix...

To me, the convenience of flipping a lever to drop tune by far outweighs the issue of the A string going sharp to an imperceptable level... The D and G strings are unaffected by any of this, BTW...


- georgestrings

[bassdude51]

Originally Posted by Kmonk

If you change the tuning, the amount of tension on the neck also changes. It is not uncommon for the other strings to go slightly out of tune. Your intonation can also change.

+1

Probably not enough for the human ear to notice in a live band situation when dropping the E but it does cause the other 3 strings to go a hair sharp.

Bending strings on an electric guitar with a small radius radius causes what is called "fretting out" because the increased tension momentarily changes the relief.

Ever notice when tuning our bass how we have to go over all the strings several times until it's good? Tuning adustments on any string effects the others.

So dropping the E does effect tuning but not enough to be noticeable. Otherewise, none of us would use a drop tuner.

[khutch]

All basses are made from real materials that respond to mechanical stress by bending, compressing, etc so all bass necks will do this to a degree. Some may be stiff enough so that common tuners cannot detect the change but they all do this.

Originally Posted by dabigc5

And I agree - they should all be going sharp or flat - the fact that your bass isn't is somewhat concerning. But yeah - I guess it's just something you live with.

Yeah, I wonder if the neck isn't twisting as well as bending/unbending when the E string is detuned? If you have a bass you love otherwise but it changes more than you can tolerate when detuned then you could try tuning to offsets on each string that are a compromise between the normal and dropped settings. That might get you to within your tolerance zone.

Ken

[Nev375]

Originally Posted by bucephylus

I don't have perfect pitch, but pretty close to it.

Is that like being almost a virgin? or.. a little bit pregnant? One cannot have close to perfect pitch. It is a skill that one either has or does not.

If you can accurately tune a piano with no reference note, no tuner and nothing but a wrench, you have perfect pitch. If you can hear a train whistle and identify the individual notes the same as I can point out the red white and blue on an American flag, you have perfect pitch.

[JTE]

I've used Hipshots since they first came out (early '80s?). It's obvious that reducing the tension on one string will result in changes in the other strings. But I've never seen this change result in noticeable changes. That experimce includes typical Fender-style flat-sawn necks both one piece and laminated, quarter-sawn and reiforced necks, etc.

What's most peculiar is the D string going the opposite direction.

John

[Diogenes]

If drop tuning an E doesn't result in any perceptible change in tuning of the other strings during a live performance or a recording session, then arguing theory or what can be measured by sensitive equipment falls outside of my concern and reason for why I play music.

I have basses that will tolerate drop tuning in the middle of a set and others that won't... plain and simple.

[socialleper]

If you replace one string with one of a higher gauge, then everything will stay more or less the same. If you just detune the E to D it changes the tension balance between the strings and can move the neck ever so slightly. If the neck moves, the pitch of the other strings will change. Some necks move more easily than others, and how tight your truss rod is can be a factor.

[spector_boogie]

I'm sure it does to an extent, but, whenever I'm going between drop C and D standard in our set, I tune all 5 strings (like usual) anyway, so...? It doesn't take that long and sometimes I don't even have to adjust the other strings.

[bucephylus]

Originally Posted by Nev375

Is that like being almost a virgin? or.. a little bit pregnant? One cannot have close to perfect pitch. It is a skill that one either has or does not.

If you can accurately tune a piano with no reference note, no tuner and nothing but a wrench, you have perfect pitch. If you can hear a train whistle and identify the individual notes the same as I can point out the red white and blue on an American flag, you have perfect pitch.

That's sort of an odd post.

OK, more in the TMI department for you to consider, then.

There is an outfit called Johnson O'Connor
http://www.jocrf.org/
and they do aptitude testing. Which, I realize aptitude testing has a bad name; but, these folks are very scientific about it. Anyhow, they measure three aptitudes related to musical performance: pitch discrimination, tonal memory, and rhythmic memory.

You will have to trust me that the tests are cold bloodedly systematic; to the point that they aren't a whole lot of fun. JO'C now has literally decades of statistics; and their data shows pretty clearly that no amount of "training" can change your factors to any significant extent. They really are pretty close to measuring the kit of tools with which you are born.

Way back when, my pitch discrimination was measured at 94%; which means out of 100 people, I have better pitch discrimination that 93 of them. Of course, there are 6 with better discrimination than I have; but it is what it is. I just didn't want to go into that kind of gory detail up above; but that is what I meant by "pretty close;" but closeness may be in the mind of the TB'er. I find my level of that particular aptitude lets me play upright in Orchestra pretty well; and that's all I am really interested in.

As for tuning pianos and all the other stuff about train whistles: don't know, I never really worried about it and never will. Each to their own. You can surely get into fascinating discussions about discriminating millionths or trillionths of a Hz between signals and the differences between the top .00001% of the population in that respect. I'll be busy at the gig. GL

[dalahorse]

Lowering the tension one string allows a small amount of back bend on the neck. That in turn pulls the remaining strings slightly sharp. The stiffer the neck, the less the tuning difference on the other strings. Those of us that enjoy slimmer necks will likely see a bigger issue with tuning. Also, overall intonation will shift. Whether or not an individual musician can hear the change in pitch has no bearing on the fact that pitch has changed.

[Nev375]

Originally Posted by bucephylus

Way back when, my pitch discrimination was measured at 94%; which means out of 100 people, I have better pitch discrimination that 93 of them. Of course, there are 6 with better discrimination than I have; but it is what it is. I just didn't want to go into that kind of gory detail up above; but that is what I meant by "pretty close;" but closeness may be in the mind of the TB'er. I find my level of that particular aptitude lets me play upright in Orchestra pretty well; and that's all I am really interested in.

Really?

[bucephylus]

No, I just made that up. Have a nice day.