• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass tuned an octave down

#21
I don't know the gauge that Reggie is using.you can get the strings,you would just have to get the proper thickness and take it from there.just do a little experimenting with the gauges,Im working on a set of strings with a co.that would be perfect for what your trying to do.the pickups that Bartolini did for me were made to my specs in colabaration with Bill.they have a winding that allows the low response to vibrate more tighter in the lower range than most pickups have.sometimes the more winding the brighter,and the preamp is a little brighter than most preamps.the pickups and electronics that Reggie has on his 10 string bass are EMG and they are not not custom.
as far as pickups go,try a few that are stock and let that be your reference point.one of the keys is not so much the pickups only, but how much power your pushing out,that is where you would get most of your low end non muddy clarity from.I dont use 15's never have.I use 10's and sometimes 12's.I go back and forth between Ashdown amps and cabs and Hartke amps and cabs.for the non believers I even use an Ashdown 5oo wt 2x10 combo.and it works just fine.as far as a string as Low as my C# goes to reproduce a note that clear there is a strong concentration put on the tightness and how many windings are placed on the core wire.and it also has to do with your set up on the instrument,remember proper string vibration can be affected by how low or how high your action may be.if you can take the thickest uprite bass string and get a good clean tone out of it,why not an electric string that is nowhere near the uprites thikness.K99 I will pm you my home #.
 
#27
I know this is an old post, but Conklin strings hooked me up with my strings for my sub octave bass, I got a 195g for the low C I tune to CGCF 1 octave lower than normal dropped C, they go all they way up to 254G string, I have been trying to go 2 octaves lower but most strings you find, and I have looked hardcore, will be hand made strings and a lot looser than you factory store bought strings like elixir (I use) and others, being looser the gauges will get you higher notes at the same tension. My elixirs I get, I use a 105g for the low C and when I talked to the companies that make the lower strings they thought I was crazy using that gauge for a C, but the machine made strings end up tighter, I really wish the brand name companies you make thicker strings for experimental musicians, and also since most metal musicians use elixirs, it wouldn't hurt them at all to appeal to their client base a bit... try Conklin, CircleK and Octave4plus for low and thick gauge strings
 
#28
Side note, now that I read through the whole thread. I play ALL WASHBURNS and they all have Bartolini or Stratus electronics and pickups, you're gonna want that nastiness to help you reproduce the sound, I use very very very durable Bag End cabs and Ampeg heads that can take the beating and push it out heavy and loud. like most people said the post string equipment is the most important factor here, I had to change everything on my bass to do this, but I already had the equip when I started experimenting with the digi whammy pedal and doing 3 octave + 2 octave (POG2) (total 5 octave) down rumbles and noises for the soundscapes my band does between songs... pointing out that it was mostly rumbles, when I made the bass, it wors just as fine if you have the right strings and equip, which I found out the hard way by blowing up my Ampeg cabs and got the Bagends, don't let the Pureist bring you down because they are afraid of experimental musicians, there is more than just Fender and Marshall out there to experiment with and promote this kind of behavior we have hahaha
 
#30
Skip at Link Removed makes a 39.5" scale bass called the Link Removed. His prototype was strung an octave low. I got to play it at a GTG in Seattle, and fell in love with it. I have been wanting one ever since.
 
#31
Kraig99 said:
I had an idea for a four string bass tuned EADG an octave lower than standard. Would this be doable? I would probably use a 36 fret neck to get as many notes as possible and 35 inch scale for tighter strings. Doesn't Reggie Wooten's 10 string have a Low E that is an octave lower than normal? What gauge string does he use for that? Does anybody have any tips for doing this type of thing? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

The bassist for the band Bongripper, who posts here, tunes his bass to low F# standard. He uses a 34.5" scale bass, I believe. His SN is Ron Now, if you want to ask him about it.
 
#33
Bagusys said:
Side note, now that I read through the whole thread. I play ALL WASHBURNS and they all have Bartolini or Stratus electronics and pickups, you're gonna want that nastiness to help you reproduce the sound, I use very very very durable Bag End cabs and Ampeg heads that can take the beating and push it out heavy and loud. like most people said the post string equipment is the most important factor here, I had to change everything on my bass to do this, but I already had the equip when I started experimenting with the digi whammy pedal and doing 3 octave + 2 octave (POG2) (total 5 octave) down rumbles and noises for the soundscapes my band does between songs... pointing out that it was mostly rumbles, when I made the bass, it wors just as fine if you have the right strings and equip, which I found out the hard way by blowing up my Ampeg cabs and got the Bagends, don't let the Pureist bring you down because they are afraid of experimental musicians, there is more than just Fender and Marshall out there to experiment with and promote this kind of behavior we have hahaha
Click to expand...

Just some friendly advice, this would be easier to read if you experimented with periods as well as music. Run on sentences are hard to read.
 
#35
Kraig99 said:
I had an idea for a four string bass tuned EADG an octave lower than standard. Would this be doable? I would probably use a 36 fret neck to get as many notes as possible and 35 inch scale for tighter strings. Doesn't Reggie Wooten's 10 string have a Low E that is an octave lower than normal? What gauge string does he use for that? Does anybody have any tips for doing this type of thing? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Try a 5 string bass and add a powered 18" subwoofer to your rig. That will give you a ton of low end to get under the detuned metal guitarists you are playing with. The sealed 4x12 cabs that metal guitarists use are real efficient in the low mids. So a good powered subwoofer will give you low end at 30hz to 150hz. This will give you a bottom end under the guitarists.

The normal low E is about 41hz the low E an octave below that is around 20hz which is the very bottom of human hearing. I find the low A around 28hz is the begining of hard to distinguish low notes. Also pretty much all subwoofers only reproduce frequencies down to 30hz and a normal bass amp goes down to 40hz.

So add the subwoofer and play a 5 or play a 4 tuned BEAD and you will get the bottom in your band.

I am thinking of adding a powered sub to my bass rig to give it a full round bottom to fill in under the growly mids and distorted highs. I don't play metal and I don't play loud but I like the full sound with a sub.
 
#37
Kraig99 said:
Why not? I play a lot of metal and have a use for super low notes.
Click to expand...

The problem with this is that you really won't hear any of the notes below the F#. Also, the strings needed for this tuning will need to be SUPER beefy. You're looking at like a .150 for the E, a .135 for the A, .110 for the D, and .95 for the G.

You're also not going to hear much, except for the harmonics. You'll need an amp & speaker that can handle frequencies that low...and NO tuner on the market will read that low.

Personally, I play metal and NEVER need anything below a B. I'd suggest getting an octave pedal to overlay that octave down.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back