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Best bass for Drop A tuning

J

Jay Collier

Apr 29, 2019
1
0
#1
I’m a current Warwick user (thumb, corvette $$) and happy with my thumb set up with 135, 110, 95, 85 for drop A tuning.

I’ve found I’m not as happy with the corvette $$ tone vs the thumb and looking to sell it and buy a new bass well suited to drop A tuning.

Dingwall combustion is an option but they have a very distinctive sound which I’m not sure will suit me as it’s very prog and percussive sounding rather than having a huge rumbling tone.

What basses do others here recommend that will handle drop A
 
#2
Jay Collier said:
I’m a current Warwick user (thumb, corvette $$) and happy with my thumb set up with 135, 110, 95, 85 for drop A tuning.

I’ve found I’m not as happy with the corvette $$ tone vs the thumb and looking to sell it and buy a new bass well suited to drop A tuning.

Dingwall combustion is an option but they have a very distinctive sound which I’m not sure will suit me as it’s very prog and percussive sounding rather than having a huge rumbling tone.

What basses do others here recommend that will handle drop A
Click to expand...
I’d say to make sure it is at least 35” scale. Any Ibanez BTB basses would probably sound great based on how good their low B sounds. Dropping to A should not be an issue.
 
#3
The Warwick RockBass Corvette Taranis is 35" scale and uses EMG's, but it just came out and $1100 is a bit much for a bass made in China.

But then again, the Dingwall Combustion is over $2k+ and is also made in China.

The LTD B-1004 multi-scale is $1400, which seems like a much better deal than the Dingwall. They are all very different basses.
 
#4
Any bass and one of these. Best $199 you’ll ever spend if you play drop tunings and you never have to touch your tuners.

43B62326-59F5-48FC-8048-24AC384BB5A9.jpeg
 
#5
FWIW, I tune my 5 to A standard, but have used a 4 tuned to ADGC in a pinch. Preferred tone is slightly scooped, bassy and clangy. Not Fieldy levels, but slightly in that direction. Not denying that 35" may be better for many(have not tried), but I've had good results from 34" scale basses. I like a 135 low string, have used 130. I don't need high tension on the strings.

An old Platinum Series BC Rich Warlock worked surprisingly well, while an EPI EB-0 worked..barely but allowed me to practice until My 5 was repaired. My good 5 strings have been a Tobias Killer B which was excellent and a Ristola which is even better. Both had Bartolini pickups, Ristola has an Aguilar pre. I also have a Steinberger Spirit 5 as a backup/travel bass. The stock pickups were too "honky" sounding for me, replaced them with 80's Gibson pickups. They were the best I had that would fit with little alteration. An improvement, but still needs drastic EQ adjustment from the amp.
 
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#8
Jay Collier said:
135, 110, 95, 85 for drop A tuning.
Click to expand...
ADGC? 'drop A' means AEAD.
Those gauges are insanely top-heavy for ADGC.
A drop pedal is unnecessary for A as A is so easy to acheive. Pedals sound synthetic, it would be far more expensive than using slightly larger gauges.
35" isn't necessary for A, but it helps of course, there aren't many 35" scale 4 strings around.
Make sure the bass has a top-load bridge to cope with large gauges, and plenty of intonation adjustment travel.
 

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