Anyone else tune their basses as I do?

[awilkie84]

def talking down tuning. so im going to try and put together a video this weekend. all i ask is that you admit you are wrong once you see it

I will admit nothing. There is ZERO possibility of that note being clear & defined using nothing but your bass and a .100 tuned to low A.

 

[sevdog]

Pointing out facts isn't trolling.

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I'm not trying to be condescending - I seriously have no idea why hundreds of years worth of tradition isn't good enough...?

Correction: Hundreds of years of ONE tradition.

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/

 

[I am Soma]

I will admit nothing. There is ZERO possibility of that note being clear & defined using nothing but your bass and a .100 tuned to low A.

so if i take a video of putting 100 gauge strings, show the tuning, and then play you still wont admit you are wrong? what am i missing here?

 

[awilkie84]

so if i take a video of putting 100 gauge strings, show the tuning, and then play you still wont admit you are wrong? what am i missing here?

Go read up on the physics of string tension and you'll understand exactly why what you suggest is completely unbelievable. There is a reason that standard tuning uses the gauges it does. There is also a reason that lower tunings need higher gauge strings.

If what you suggested was possible and practical, suspension bridges wouldn't need anywhere near the gauge of line they do to hold up a bridge.

 

[tfer]

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/

That's a cool link.

The Guitar World one shows the lengths that acoustic strummers have gone to, to not learn their instruments though.

 

[I am Soma]

Go read up on the physics of string tension and you'll understand exactly why what you suggest is completely unbelievable. There is a reason that standard tuning uses the gauges it does. There is also a reason that lower tunings need higher gauge strings.

If what you suggested was possible and practical, suspension bridges wouldn't need anywhere near the gauge of line they do to hold up a bridge.

so basically this conversation goes like this:

me: this is what i do
you: i dont believe it!
me: would you like me to prove it
you: no because i dont believe you.
me: that makes no sense. are you sure you dont want me to prove it?
you: no because i dont believe you.

im honestly dumbfounded

 

[kesslari]

Soma - go for it. Be sure to play the open A (regular A string) and then the downtuned .100 string an octave below that.
It will be instructive.

 

[awilkie84]

so basically this conversation goes like this:

me: this is what i do
you: i dont believe it!
me: would you like me to prove it
you: no because i dont believe you.
me: that makes no sense. are you sure you dont want me to prove it?
you: no because i dont believe you.

im honestly dumbfounded

No it's more like this

You: I'm doing this
Me: That's physically impossible
You: Don't care, I'm doing it
Me: No you're not
You: I can prove it
Me: No you can't because Science.

 

[I am Soma]

No it's more like this

You: I'm doing this
Me: That's physically impossible
You: Don't care, I'm doing it
Me: No you're not
You: I can prove it
Me: No you can't because Science.

anytime im debating something and someone offers to actually prove im wrong i graciously take them up on this so i dont come off like a wanker. guess we are just different.

 

[I am Soma]

Soma - go for it. Be sure to play the open A (regular A string) and then the downtuned .100 string an octave below that.
It will be instructive.

will do! ill post the link once uploaded to youtube hopefully by the end of the weekend

 

[tfer]

anytime im debating something and someone offers to actually prove im wrong i graciously take them up on this so i dont come off like a wanker. guess we are just different.

When I detuned my E string to C#, it was essentially unplayable. As I said, I could probable lift the action high enough to make it work, but that is still a Major 3rd above what you are claiming. I have a hard time believing that it's workable either.

I look forward to be proven wrong, with a clear and sustaining note.

 

[I am Soma]

When I detuned my E string to C#, it was essentially unplayable. As I said, I could probable lift the action high enough to make it work, but that is still a Major 3rd above what you are claiming. I have a hard time believing that it's workable either.

I look forward to be proven wrong, with a clear and sustaining note.

me too man - ill try to quote people so you get an alert once i get a vid

 

[tfer]

me too man - ill try to quote people so you get an alert once i get a vid

Question for you though: why not a 5er with dropped A tuning? Or a 4 string with B E A D dropped to A?

 

[I am Soma]

Question for you though: why not a 5er with dropped A tuning? Or a 4 string with B E A D dropped to A?

purely preference of sound. actually played a 5er like you are referencing and it was still good, but tried on a 4 with the light gauge and was sold. totally unique

 

[bobbybass85]

Chris Wolstenholme uses that tuning, but a half step up for Unnatural Selection.

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[Kragnorak]

I tune mine E A D G because if it was good enough for Mozart, it's probably good enough for me.

Oh, then you should be using Viennese tuning: F-A-D-F#-A. Wolfgang's father Leopold recommended the 5-string violone (bass viol) in this tuning, as opposed to all the 3-string bass viols that were popular up until the last century.

Also, in Mozart's time a lot of double basses copied cello music and needed to be able to hit C1, so you could try my "drop cello" tuning: C-G-D-G (all 5ths except the A to avoid high tension)

 

[ofajen]

On those occasions when I've tuned to fifths (CGDA), I first tried it with a typical 45-105 round wound set and actually quite liked the tone. I also have custom gauge strings (40-65-90-125, IIRC) lurking around in my studio that I also played for a bit, but I actually think I like the percussive quality of that slightly loose C.

The D'Addario tension chart (strings are all XL nickel round wound) indicates a 105 should give about 25.4 lbs on long scale tuned at C, which felt loose, but played OK and sounded cool. A 105 tuned down to A should give 18.0 lbs of tension. I simply never thought to try that because C was low enough for me to tune in fifths.

Otto

 

[Kragnorak]

I tune a 5-string one step down and double drop.

B->G
E->C
A->G
D->C
G->F

And it sucks. It's confusing, and I only do it because i don't like MM SR4 neck shape, so i picked a SR5, and i thought it was a good experiment. It sucks big time.

That's the bottom 5 of my 7-string tuning. I use it for specific songs in one band.

 

[Luke19Boarder]

I'm not trying to be condescending - I seriously have no idea why hundreds of years worth of tradition isn't good enough...?

Your reasons in post #85 made no sense; you don't need an alternate tuning to pedal a different note.

Oh - and I remember well enough where the notes are: I can even read them on manuscript.

1. Not everyone in the world is a traditionalist ... that really seems to be a concept you have a hard time grasping.

2. But it some situations it can certainly make it easier. You ignored the other two points I made.

3. So you admit you wouldn't have to relearn the instrument completely by taking some time off from standard tuning... 1 internet point for me!

 

[Kragnorak]

At some point, most players hit a wall, and improvement stops. That's when learning by yourself ends, and lessons begin. It might only take a handful to put you on the right track again, and you back to off and running.

The first thing any reputable teacher is going to do in this case, is force the OP back into traditional tunings. Basically, the OP will have to relearn how to play the instrument; properly this time.

Michael Manring was mentioned in this thread. Would he get the same advice for utilizing all those wacky Hipshot tuners?

For a more down-to-earth example, I'm sure that the guys in Soundgarden don't play "properly", but they did write a lot of great songs using a lot of variant tunings. I assume that they enjoyed messing with different tunings for inspiration. I know when I cover "Burden in My Hand" I enjoy using the C-G-C-G tuning on a fretless - it really does have a more ringing quality along with that floppy blues feel.