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Club Sadowsky!!!

#57,882
In case anyone is looking for a mint NYC Will Lee 4-22 (a 2021), I just bought this one, and have confirmed that I'm definitely a Rosewood guy. So, It's back in the classifieds. Hey, at least I solved my problem of changing the Drop D tuner. :D
2021 Sadowsky WL.jpeg
 
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#57,884
Fuzzbass said:
If all songs are played half-step down and everyone tunes that way, then it's a piece of cake. Everyone detunes, so fingerings remain the same. Communication is no problem because everyone refers to the keys/notes as what they would be if not detuned.

Here's the problem: when a band transposes some songs but not others! One band I subbed with detuned half their tunes, played the rest in standard. I hate having to switch basses at the gig, but I did with that band (to their credit they grouped the standard and detuned songs into large blocks). Then there's my "mini big band" that does classic rock/R&B. They play most tunes in standard, but the Aretha songs are all a full step down (really common; there are few Arethas out there). I just had to learn them that way (and was really grateful for five string bass).



Logistical note: half my bands play in standard, the others play half-step down. So I keep half my basses tuned to standard, and the rest half-step down: I'm not fussy about super-low action; it merely saves me the trouble of detuning/retuning, and there's no worry about shifts as the neck settles in to the new tuning.
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My main band does 2-3 songs per night that are dropped 1/2 step down. Our guitar player switches axes, but I just stomp on my Digitech Drop pedal. I find that in a mix, it is quite passable. :thumbsup:
 
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#57,887
SteveC said:
I pull out my 5.
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I do that on some songs, as well. But the three in question are songs that I've played for years in other bands in standard tuning on 4-strings, so I have a lot of muscle memory built in. And some just play "better" on a 4-banger, IME/IMHO.
 
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#57,888
tombowlus said:
I do that on some songs, as well. But the three in question are songs that I've played for years in other bands in standard tuning on 4-strings, so I have a lot of muscle memory built in. And some just play "better" on a 4-banger, IME/IMHO.
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For sure. When we do "The Middle" I just tune my E to a D and adjust. It's pretty easy for a single tune here and there. Killing in the name plays way better on a detuned 4 than a 5. Many other examples as well.
 
#57,889
SteveC said:
For sure. When we do "The Middle" I just tune my E to a D and adjust. It's pretty easy for a single tune here and there. Killing in the name plays way better on a detuned 4 than a 5. Many other examples as well.
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Yes, The Middle is drop-D, as is Slither and a host of other songs. I use a D-tuner for those songs. However, we also play some songs (like Alone, by Heart) that are not in Drop-D, but which we drop down 1/2 step to make life easier on all the vocals (myself included). For those, I often use the Drop pedal. And for songs with notes extending below a low D (which I am finding is fewer and fewer of the songs this band plays), I used a 5-string.
 
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#57,893
SteveC said:
Yeah, there are only a handful of songs we do they “need” something below ad or for an extended period. I could “almost” be a 4 string/d-tuning guy but just not quite. And I still like having a B string for some things here and there position/finger wide. Nice to have options s.
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We all have to balance options/convenience. I decided to go "all in" on 5 string for a few reasons: saves myself the hassle of switching basses at the gig, and I get the same fretboard and string tuning every song.

Of course the hassle comes in when playing 3rd position B string instead of open low D on tunes like "Killing in the Name Of", "Slither", "The Middle"! I get by OK, but it's extra work for sure.
 
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#57,896
WorktheWood said:
I find that, on songs that are in drop D tuning, I'll typically drop the E string to D on a 5 string because it just sounds a bit better. Some songs it doesn't make much difference, though.
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Same.

Especially because some of the more riff-oriented tunes that were written in drop D become really difficult to navigate on a 5 in standard tuning (I'm specifically thinking of some of the hard rock/metal stuff).
 
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#57,899
Fuzzbass said:
We all have to balance options/convenience. I decided to go "all in" on 5 string for a few reasons: saves myself the hassle of switching basses at the gig, and I get the same fretboard and string tuning every song.

Of course the hassle comes in when playing 3rd position B string instead of open low D on tunes like "Killing in the Name Of", "Slither", "The Middle"! I get by OK, but it's extra work for sure.
Click to expand...

which "Slither"? Opeth?
 

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