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Bruce Palmer tuning E,E,E,E??

ThunderLizard

ThunderLizard

Aug 9, 2007
762
9
Edwardsville, IL
#1
Hello-
Was at a jam session yesterday and someone was talking about tuning a bass to E,E,E,E. Said that Bruce Palmer with the Buffalo Springfield did it. Granted, this conversation was taking place after several stout ales, so I could have misunderstood.
For the life of me, I can't think of how this would work and I sure don't hear it when I listen to Buffalo Springfield.
Anyone?
 
#2
you must have misunderstood, unless ive got it wrong, but i see no benefits of tuning all strings to E. perhaps maybe tone wise it would effect the note, but i still see no benefits of doing this.

not to say this guy doesnt do, he might do.

do you know if he tuned each E to the same octave, if each ones an octave higher id imagine his neck is under serious pressure!
 
#4
Steven Stills used a guitar tuning called the "Bruce Palmer Modal Tuning," in which the guitar is tuned E E E E B E. I know that he used it on CSN songs including 4 + 20 and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. I don't know if he ever used it while in Buffalo Springfield.

This tuning makes sense for guitar but I can't see any reason to use it on a bass.
 
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#6
Febs-
Thanks! The guy I was talking to is a guitar player, so he probably associated Palmer's guitar tuning for his bass tuning. He told me I should try the E tuning as it couldn't hurt my playing.
It was Oatmeal stout from a local brewer. The oatmeal goes to you head after the 3rd pint.
 
#8
OK, lets think about it ...
E string - ok.
A string - tune down 5 semitones (very floppy) or up 7 semitones (it would break).
D string - tune down 10 semitones (LOL) or up 2 semitones (tight).
G string - tune down 3 semitones or up 9 semitones (break).
So the only real possibility that leaves 4 unbroken strings is attempting to tune the E and A string to the same note and octave (leaving a VERY floppy A string) and tuning the D string up 2 semitones and G string down 3 semitones - these two tuned one octave up from the other two.
Try it man.
I always wondered how Buffalo Springfield got that radically weird bass sound.


ThunderLizard said:
Hello-
Was at a jam session yesterday and someone was talking about tuning a bass to E,E,E,E. Said that Bruce Palmer with the Buffalo Springfield did it. Granted, this conversation was taking place after several stout ales, so I could have misunderstood.
For the life of me, I can't think of how this would work and I sure don't hear it when I listen to Buffalo Springfield.
Anyone?
Click to expand...
 
#9
I've never heard of his bass being tuned that way either, but when Buffalo Springfield first started everybody in the band looked up to him as the one with the talent.
 
#10
Bassgrinder77 said:
OK, lets think about it ...
E string - ok.
A string - tune down 5 semitones (very floppy) or up 7 semitones (it would break).
D string - tune down 10 semitones (LOL) or up 2 semitones (tight).
G string - tune down 3 semitones or up 9 semitones (break).
So the only real possibility that leaves 4 unbroken strings is attempting to tune the E and A string to the same note and octave (leaving a VERY floppy A string) and tuning the D string up 2 semitones and G string down 3 semitones - these two tuned one octave up from the other two.
Try it man.
I always wondered how Buffalo Springfield got that radically weird bass sound.
Click to expand...

or get 4 E strings xD
 
#17
Actually its called Bruce Palmer modal tunning and i keep one of my classical guitars tuned in this tunning for most of my Crosby,Stills and Nash tunes
everything but the 2nd string tunes to E. The 2nd string stays in B and the 4th string which in standard tunning is a D goes up to the E. ( EEEEBE )
Now whats really cool is if someone is playing with you and they tune down to ( CCCCGC ) Everything down to C and the 2nd string to G. The two accompanied are sweet together
 

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