Anyone tune their 6 string F#, B, E, A, D, G?

[Thomas Kievit]

It comes down to the texture of the strings tonal output and ones touch.

Most players would never use strings as light as I do on my standard tuned basses to go as low as I go, they feel that the strings has to be very heavy to give good solid deepness.

The down tuning you use must be very low.

I know Drop A ain't light either, but Drop A# and Drop Ab can't be so much in difference.. Or is it?

 

[JAUQO III-X]

The down tuning you use must be very low.

I know Drop A ain't light either, but Drop A# and Drop Ab can't be so much in difference.. Or is it?

It is low and it sounds low but instead of the strings having heavy gauges as most would assume, the gauges are very light.

Standard E dropped to C# = .080 gauge.

Standard A dropped to F# = .060 gauqe.


Very light gauges where most players would have much heavier gauges to go down so low.

And you wanting to drop down to A# and or Ab would not be a problem at all.

 

[GODSBASSMAN]

Jauqo,
Interesting to use .080 for C#.
I on the other hand am using 120 - 130 for low B and 175 for low F#. This (if I get your post right) is an octave below your tunings.

PS: I have used nylon tape wounds and tuned down a complete 4th which generates very deep growl and mwah characteristics.
BEADG becomes F#BEAD being a 4th below a standard tuned 5 string bass. A very playable low tension but articulate in note definitions.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Jauqo,
Interesting to use .080 for C#.
I on the other hand am using 120 - 130 for low B and 175 for low F#. This (if I get your post right) is an octave below your tunings

The bass I'm holding in the pic is a standard tuned 4 string, the gauges are E .080, A .060, D .040, .030 when I want to drop the E and A strings down to C# and F# with the flip of one lever I use the system pictured in the second pic, a Hipshot double D- tuner.


The fretless that I'm holding in the next post is my Adler sub contra tuned C# F# B E and those gauges are 195, 165, 125 .100. This is the bass that I used on the recordings posted earlier in this thread.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Fretless sub contra bass used on the albums The Low C# Theory and Trioplicity.

 

[Solarmist]

Most players would never use strings as light as I do on my standard tuned basses to go as low as I go, they feel that the strings has to be very heavy to give good solid deepness.

I'm one of those guys, and I won't go any smaller than .130 for B (34" scale). I don't understand how your basses are even playable with those small of gauges, and tuning that low.

Have you read any of the posts by Bill Fitzmaurice or Greenboy on cab design, and power requirements regarding the reproduction of notes below 30 Hz?

 

[JAUQO III-X]

I'm one of those guys, and I won't go any smaller than .130 for B (34" scale). I don't understand how your basses are even playable with those small of gauges, and tuning that low.

Have you read any of the posts by Bill Fitzmaurice or Greenboy on cab design, and power requirements regarding the reproduction of notes below 30 Hz?

My B string on my none sub contra basses at 34" scale is a .110.

The audience has no clue that my strings are that light and they dig the lows.

As far as reading what Bill or Greenboy has to say on the subject, with all due respect they do what they do and I do what I do.


Again it's all in the texture of the notes and the touch of the player.

 

[Error]

I myself use a .118 on my BEAD tuned bass, I get the sound I want from it.

 

[Epitaph04]

I use a .125 B. Thinking of going even lighter...who knows.

 

[Thomas Kievit]

I use a .125 B. Thinking of going even lighter...who knows.

.140 for me Might try a .145 in the future

 

[5stringfunk123]

Tune standard and install a hipshot on the B string. Flip it down when you need to and just think of it as an A string then. Easier to remember the notes because you already know them.

That is very good, I tried that work well until you run a Gospel run with speed, Lol