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Bass Problem When Downtuning

Alister Malcolm

Alister Malcolm

Guest
May 18, 2015
6
0
#1
Hi there,

I have a problem when I downtune to Drop C / Standard D. Whenever I downtune roughly the first four frets are basically unplayable as they have no note to them whatsoever and just have a very sudden buzz noise, anyone experienced this problem before and know an easy solution to save me having to pay lots of money to get my bass setup again when it's only been a few months since it last was?
 
#2
You probably need to loosen your truss rod. The neck is too straight. Down tuning releases some of the tension that strings put on the neck which will cause it to straighten up.

If you don't know how to do this, it's pretty simple. Watch some YouTube vids on how to do it and always adjust slowly. If you aren't comfortable trying it after watching some instructional vids, take it to a qualified tech.
 
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#3
Double Agent said:
You probably need to loosen your truss rod. The neck is too straight. Down tuning releases some of the tension that strings put on the neck which will cause it to straighten up.

If you don't know how to do this, it's pretty simple. Watch some YouTube vids on how to do it and always adjust slowly. If you aren't comfortable trying it after watching some instructional vids, take it to a qualified tech.
Click to expand...

Cheers man i'll check it out !
 
#4
Sorry , there is no easy solution to your problem. Your bass needs to be set up for the lowest tuning that you use. Any release of tension on the strings will lower your action and also lower your relief on the instrument. Bringing the bass back up to standard tuning will raise your action and also raise your relief. That's just the way it works.
Two of my bands tune to Eb and the other one is in standard tuning. I have two basses so that I don''t have to keep resetting the action and relief on them.
The amount of how much the action goes up from tuning from drop C back to D will hardly be noticeable.
There are stickies in the hardware, set up sections of this forum that will tell you how to do all this yourself. It's really not that hard to do .
 
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#7
Mathematics tells us that when you downtune a whole step, you lose about 11% in total string tension. When you then downtune the bass string by yet another whole step, that string has 21% less tension than when tuned to E, which shouldn't be surprising, it's only a half step away from B in a 5-string. Ideally, then, you should be using much heavier strings. I feel like a standard set of light bass strings would be something like 45-60-80-100. If you're used to that, then for standard D, you should be using 50-70-90-110 to have about the same tension. Ideally, a drop C set would then be 50-70-90-120. However, if you're not always in drop C, you might find 120 a little too stiff when tuned to D (and especially to E). A 115 would split the difference, so you might look at 50-70-90-115, or if you like a slightly slinkier feel, 50-70-85-110 or something like that. Websites like Circle K or JustStrings will let you buy single strings to do exactly that.

Keep in mind, once you're set up with heavier strings, tuning up to Standard E will make the strings feel quite stiff, that's why 50-70-85-110 might be a good idea so that you kind of strike a balance that works well for everything.
 
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#8
jamro217 said:
Remember, as a rule the heavier the string guage the more tension, so lower tuning will still have enough to keep the neck fairly straight. The only problem is when you tune it to concert pitch (or higher) you run the risk of turning your bass neck into a longbow. Hope you like archery.
Click to expand...
If you set up the neck truss rod to be perfectly straight in Drop C, tuning up to E is 78% more tension. While this sounds like a lot, it would probably give you probably not even as much relief as a lot of necks you see at Guitar Center...
 
#10
megafiddle said:
You lose about 21 percent when you downtune a whole step.

Pitch and tension are not directly proportional. Pitch is related to the square root of the tension, and tension is related to pitch squared.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, my bad. I was getting mixed up with the fact that pitch and unit weight (and therefore gauge) are inversely proportional to each other to keep tension equal. Therefore, that bit is incorrect, but my conclusions regarding the gauges is correct.
 
#11
A lot of great suggestions here. One thing I might try before changing your strings/set-up would be playing with a very light touch, with both your fretting and plucking hand. If you're used to really nailing your strings and/or fretting with a death grip, you may find that lightening up a bit always your bass to speak more clearly.
 
#12
giantbaba said:
A lot of great suggestions here. One thing I might try before changing your strings/set-up would be playing with a very light touch, with both your fretting and plucking hand. If you're used to really nailing your strings and/or fretting with a death grip, you may find that lightening up a bit always your bass to speak more clearly.
Click to expand...
Another thing is that I've always found that playing with a really light pick allows for a more even sound with less buzzing. I'm talking 0.7mm or even lighter, I prefer 0.6mm. Turn up the amp if you need more volume, play light at the bass.

Plus, that gives you the option of really digging in when you need something extra, instead of always playing as hard as possible, which leaves you with nowhere to go.
 
#13
honeyiscool said:
Mathematics tells us that when you downtune a whole step, you lose about 11% in total string tension. When you then downtune the bass string by yet another whole step, that string has 21% less tension than when tuned to E, which shouldn't be surprising, it's only a half step away from B in a 5-string. Ideally, then, you should be using much heavier strings. I feel like a standard set of light bass strings would be something like 45-60-80-100. If you're used to that, then for standard D, you should be using 50-70-90-110 to have about the same tension. Ideally, a drop C set would then be 50-70-90-120. However, if you're not always in drop C, you might find 120 a little too stiff when tuned to D (and especially to E). A 115 would split the difference, so you might look at 50-70-90-115, or if you like a slightly slinkier feel, 50-70-85-110 or something like that. Websites like Circle K or JustStrings will let you buy single strings to do exactly that.

Keep in mind, once you're set up with heavier strings, tuning up to Standard E will make the strings feel quite stiff, that's why 50-70-85-110 might be a good idea so that you kind of strike a balance that works well for everything.
Click to expand...
Thank you for a technical explanation that defines the tension drop in calculated measurements rather than my generalized version. Very helpful information. It would still be better to have a dedicated instrument set up for lower than standard tuning equipped with crane cables for strings. That way the bass won't be stressed with the occasional demand for a return to concert pitch tuning. The other factor is that once set up, an instrument tends to be much more stable when it is left one way. Adjusting for temperature changes wreaks enough havoc on them without adding in pulling and pushing on the neck to accommodate a half an octave's worth of re-tuning. That would be a great name for the band: Re-tune to Forever.
 
#18
The suggestions for heavier strings and a proper setup are right on. I play in a lot of different tunings and learning to adjust the truss rod and do a setup on the bass has helped tremendously. Once you learn what to do it doesn't even take a lot of time. It's a bit daunting at first with all the adjustments, but the reward is that you get an instrument that always feels consistent. Playing with string gauges is also important for that feel to me. I like having similar-ish tension between the different tunings so learning what gauges feel right at which tunings took me a bit of experimentation.
 
#19
Watchootognbout said:
Then we're getting into the realm of F# frequencies.And we all now there's so much controversy over whether it can be used,heard and reproduced.
How low do you want to,need to go?
Click to expand...
I play an E0 (20.6 hz) tuned EADGC Knuckle Quake fretless, so yeah, I consider that "low enough". No, I have not yet found an ideal amplification scheme for it. "Whether it can be used" comes down to personal preference and taste. I really like it for playing in the (normal low E at 41.2 hz) E1 range, but "up the neck" in the middle positions to get that gorgeous "mwah" fingered tone on the normal "low" notes.
 
#20
Watchootognbout said:
What's the solution?
Five string bass.
It makes detuning unnecessary.
Click to expand...

I disagree, I completely dislike the feeling of a 5 string neck, I would never be able to play one properly. Also, the way a downtuned string resonates is completely different from the same note played on a B string. Not saying it sounds better, obviously, just different and there will be some who prefer it (me, for example :D ).

For the OP: just bring your bass to a good shop and have it set up for your tuning. Drop C will require higher action, bigger strings and a neck adjustment: just one of these, or maybe a bit of all three, will likely solve the issue.
 

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