Show us your low F# basses!

topo morto · #1 10-30-2011, 02:04 PM

As all other threads on this subject seem to degenerate into discussions on the limits of this or that or the other, I hoped we could have a thread dedicated to real basses with a living, breathing F# string?

Information on strings would be awesome, as would details of any mods / setup you needed to do.

As I don't have one myself yet, I'll have to start off with the only off-the-shelf one...

Alexander Eddy · #2 10-31-2011, 06:12 PM

A pre-gig shot

The bass on the left is maple/purpleheart and hits the scales at about 14lbs. It has an EMG soapbar of some description (in the extreme bridge spot) and a Circle K .254 set tuned C#F#BEADG. The sustain on that bass is amazing. The bass on the right is a hollowbody made by Thor Bass (son of magni) and was set up with Warwick Dark Lord strings, F#BEADGC. It has a peizo bridge and a bartolini in the extreme neck position which is great for thunderous lows, but lacks the harmonic content to get good pitch recognition down low. It's strung BEADGCF with Labella tapewounds now.

It is quite telling that pitch recognition is much better on the bass with the pickup so close to the bridge. Kinda proves how much the harmonics have to do with things and how little the fundamental does!

Finally there is this (being worked on on my kitchen table...)

It's an 8 string "Galveston" ebay cheapie that I have pimped with a House of Kolor gold-silver transition paint and an aggie opb-3. It's sporting Circle K's tuned F#BEADGCF.

Circle K, all the way!

**LowBstring** · #3 10-31-2011, 07:54 PM

Alex,

What are you using for amp/speakers?

Ron Now · #4 10-31-2011, 08:02 PM

Here's the 78' Gibson RD Artist that I use in Bongripper
(in it's case that won't give up the previous owners cat hair)

Tuned F, A#, D#, G# and strung up with a set of Circle K's

It might not be meant to be tuned like that, but it sure handles it like a champ!

I've switched the bridge for the Hipshot Gibson replacement and picked up another toggle switch cover/cap since this was taken.

Alexander Eddy · #5 10-31-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowBstring

Alex,

What are you using for amp/speakers?

Hi LowBstring,
I either use a pre/power setup (with a Peavey cs1000x for power - 1400wrms @ 4 ohms) or an Acoustic Image Focus (600wrms at 4 ohms). For cabs I use a variety of homebuilt stuff (2x10, folded horns etc) a JBL 2X14 or a stack of cheap Chinese 4x8's. Both amps have a high pass setup, which I set to ~44hz @ 24db/oct.

Josh Pelican · #6 10-31-2011, 09:18 PM

This bass came tuned BEADGC and I immediately set it up for F#BEADG:

Recently I realized F# wasn't low enough so I set it up for Eb/Ab/Db/Gb/Db/Gb (a semitone and a half down from F#).

bassbenj · #7 10-31-2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Pelican

Recently I realized F# wasn't low enough so I set it up for Eb/Ab/Db/Gb/Db/Gb (a semitone and a half down from F#).

Oh wow! Having studied piano before playing bass, I'm certainly not philosophically opposed to low notes, but the several times I've played an F# bass (I play 5, 6, 7 stringers with lo B) I thought the tone of the low string just wasn't doing it for me at all. Seems like Eb would be even worse! Of course it's hard to really get a feel for something just trying it for a few minutes in a store etc.

Josh Pelican · #8 11-01-2011, 08:03 AM

With the right setup, anything is possible. I had O4P strings for F# originally, but after trying Circle K there was no comparison. Even at Eb0 it's punchy and defined. I tried playing though some fuzz pedals and my house imploded.

Roscoe East · #9 11-01-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Eddy

Both amps have a high pass setup, which I set to ~44hz @ 24db/oct.

I presume you mean they're biamped, with the crossover between Hi & Lo at 44Hz?

Otherwise...um...what's the point of tuning to F# (which is something like ~24Hz, no?) if you're then going to hipass at 44Hz? I mean, I realize there aren't many rigs out there that will reproduce the fundamental of even traditionally tuned basses...but it seems odd to pursue extra low notes at the source and then cut them off at the knees, as it were.

T-Bird · #10 11-01-2011, 10:21 AM

Hi.

Photobucket just crashes my browser, again, so no pic ATM, but it's just a Harley Benton HB6000.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roscoe East

what's the point of tuning to F# (which is something like ~24Hz, no?) if you're then going to hipass at 44Hz? I mean, I realize there aren't many rigs out there that will reproduce the fundamental of even traditionally tuned basses...but it seems odd to pursue extra low notes at the source and then cut them off at the knees, as it were.

In sort of laymans terms: assuming Your cabs -3dB point is around 18 Hz and it requires 200W to reproduce, say, 40Hz, it'll require 2000 W to reproduce 20Hz at the same SPL. If the -3dB point is a "normal" 50 ish Hz, it'll take from 3000 w upwards to reproduce 20 Hz at the same SPL. That's why.

If Your vented cabs -3dB point is around the "normal" 50 ish Hz and you try to feed it 50w around 20 Hz, you probably won't have a driver no'mo. That's why as well.

I "solved" the problem with a transformer coupled output section, ie. a normal tube amp, so I don't have to worry about a HPF that much about it, the inadequacies of an iron core transformer takes care of that for me

.

Regards
Sam

KingRazor · #11 11-01-2011, 10:30 AM

Below 40Hz you mostly just feel it, not hear it.

I don't care about feeling the bass nearly as much as hearing the notes I'm playing.

Munjibunga · #12 11-01-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Pelican

Recently I realized F# wasn't low enough so I set it up for Eb/Ab/Db/Gb/Db/Gb (a semitone and a half down from F#).

Wouldn't that be three semitones?

HaMMerHeD · #13 11-01-2011, 10:41 AM

Mine is still a pile of mostly shaped lumber, waiting on tools and hardware.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Below 40Hz you mostly just feel it, not hear it.

I don't care about feeling the bass nearly as much as hearing the notes I'm playing.

But you can hear the harmonics, so you can hear and feel it.

KingRazor · #14 11-01-2011, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaMMerHeD

Mine is still a pile of mostly shaped lumber, waiting on tools and hardware.

But you can hear the harmonics, so you can hear and feel it.

Right, but the harmonics are at higher frequencies.

So even if your rig is high passed, you still hear those harmonics.

Stick_Player · #15 11-01-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Pelican

With the right setup, anything is possible. I had O4P strings for F# originally, but after trying Circle K there was no comparison. Even at Eb0 it's punchy and defined. I tried playing though some fuzz pedals and my house imploded.

Sorry to hear about your house.

I'd be more interested in hearing about your playback system than a fuzz-pedal.

At 19.45 Hz. that Eb would take a lot of everything to reproduce. Speaker cabinet specs? Amount of Power?

"Punch" conjures up attack and overtones (i.e., pick, aggressive pizzacato/pluck).

CORBS · #16 11-01-2011, 11:21 AM

I was able to barely make out Jacquo IIIx's low notes from the samples at his CD baby page, but it WAS audible with my studio monitors straight in to my computer's headphone jack. I could hear the notes being played with distinction between them, it wasn't just mud. I didn't try it with my speakers though, it was late.

johnnydingle · #17 11-01-2011, 12:54 PM

Mine is nothing special. It's just a black Spector Legend Custom with really thick strings on it.

topo morto · #18 11-01-2011, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnydingle

Mine is nothing special. It's just a black Spector Legend Custom with really thick strings on it.

Are those circle K's, SIT, or what?

Pics would still be great - especially pics of the bridge.

topo morto · #19 11-01-2011, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Eddy

The bass on the right is a hollowbody made by Thor Bass (son of magni)

If that sounds half as terrifying as it looks, that must be immense!

Josh Pelican · #20 11-01-2011, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Wouldn't that be three semitones?

Oops! Wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. You are correct, it's three semitones. I was thinking of whole tones and wrote semitones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stick_Player

I'd be more interested in hearing about your playback system than a fuzz-pedal.

At 19.45 Hz. that Eb would take a lot of everything to reproduce. Speaker cabinet specs? Amount of Power?

This is where my problem currently lies. I'm not using a monstrous rig, let alone a rig that properly reproduces the notes. I am currently using an Ampeg SVT-CL and the matching 810. It's not my ideal rig for this by any means, but unfortunately it's all I have at present.

I don't use this bass for gigging so I am okay with the sound/tone I am getting out of it. I put an Audere 4-band preamp in there and it made a world of change.

If I was in a band using this tuning, I would seriously look at getting a second rig. This was merely for fun as it's been something I've wanted to experiment with for ages. I love seeing how low I can go with guitars and basses since there's not many people doing it.