Have the bass properly intonated and the action set up by a professional luthier (or yourself if you are capable).
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A bass that's great for metal?
- Thread starter Koncept17
- Start date
Have the bass properly intonated and the action set up by a professional luthier (or yourself if you are capable).
I'm only 5'6" and have pretty small hands. Most of my basses are 35" scale, which include a wide 5 and a medium spaced 6 string. Playing a 35" scale isn't difficult, but good form and technique are a must.
everybody is giving you excellent advice......
Generally for a 4 string to hold a low tuning well, you need to go with heavier strings and play something with a minimum of a 35" inch scale....
or go to a 5 string......
Generally for a 4 string to hold a low tuning well, you need to go with heavier strings and play something with a minimum of a 35" inch scale....
or go to a 5 string......
Any bass should get you where you want to be. It's all in the trussrod & bridge
adjustments. The trussrod is there to provide an equal & opposite pull on the
neck to that of the strings. Bridge adjustments get the action up or (hopefully)
down to a point where there is no fret buzz. So, If you're gonna tune down, you
will releive tension on the strings & therefore will need to loosen the trussrod too.
Once you get the neck settled out & happy with your tuning (takes a few days to
want to stay put) then you can adjust the action. Don't forget the intonation
while you're at it.
The 5 string idea, presented above, is to avoid all this adjustment stuff & just get
busy bangin.
adjustments. The trussrod is there to provide an equal & opposite pull on the
neck to that of the strings. Bridge adjustments get the action up or (hopefully)
down to a point where there is no fret buzz. So, If you're gonna tune down, you
will releive tension on the strings & therefore will need to loosen the trussrod too.
Once you get the neck settled out & happy with your tuning (takes a few days to
want to stay put) then you can adjust the action. Don't forget the intonation
while you're at it.
The 5 string idea, presented above, is to avoid all this adjustment stuff & just get
busy bangin.
For drop C, I would go with the 5 string set minus the top string as previously stated, however, this probably wont work to tune up to standard. You probably need 2 basses for the different tunings. Good luck.
for the price
Spector legend 5
Schecter something 5
both are 35'' scales, good for detuning
If you can afford a warwick, they are very very tight for 34''
Spector legend 5
Schecter something 5
both are 35'' scales, good for detuning
If you can afford a warwick, they are very very tight for 34''
I have to disagree with that statement as Metallica is baby food compared to many of the heavy metal bands out there. They shouldn't even be classified as metal anymore IMO as they to me sound more like hard rock. My 55-02 sounds good playing Metallica but when I player heavier things like Lamb of God, Dimmu Borger, At the Gates, etc, it just doesn't sound right to me. Granted a 55-02 isnt a Sadowsky, but it is tonally equivalent to the 55-94. Which is up there with Sadowsky as far as tonality goes.
But mostly just because a sadowsky is good enough for them doesn't mean its good enough for me. IIRC Jason was primarily an Alembic player for most of the duration with Metallica.
Not to mention he has 2 major advantages over your average everyday metal player. One being, a small fortune in cash and the other endorsement deals.
He has the ability to buy or have these basses made with preamps/pickups, body woods, etc that the average person cannot afford or have access too. Hence he could make the bass perfect for the particular band he's in at the moment.
Originally Posted by Koncept17 View Post
And I forgot to say I've got average sized fingers so I'm not sure if I'd dig a 35" scale.
There are some good options on the market for 34" scale length basses to accommodate smaller hands.
3 basses that instantly come to my mind with comfortable playing necks regardless of how small your hands are. As mine are small too.
Ibanez Soundgears and SRX series
Fender Jazz basses have very user friendly necks IMO/IME
The Spector though 35" scale also has a very comfortable neck that isn't difficult to play.
I have a Yamaha RBX765A that can handle tuning down to F. I bought it for about $350 (used, but there were no scratches or dents). I recently recorded an EP with a technical deathcore band that tunes to G. I used to play a cheap Peavey Millenium (four-string) that I used to play in a band with it tuned C G C F. I bought it brand new for $200 (give or take).
You can really use anything you feel comfortable using. All you have to do is make sure it has a proper setup. If there's still fret buzz after that, check the electronics, check your amp, check your chords. I'm sure somewhere in there you'll find your problem.
If you want a really great bass (that's good for almost anything), get a Spector Euro 5LX (in black/blue burst). HELLO, ALEX WEBSTER.
You can really use anything you feel comfortable using. All you have to do is make sure it has a proper setup. If there's still fret buzz after that, check the electronics, check your amp, check your chords. I'm sure somewhere in there you'll find your problem.
If you want a really great bass (that's good for almost anything), get a Spector Euro 5LX (in black/blue burst). HELLO, ALEX WEBSTER.
