D Standard Club (DGCF)

[OOD]

So I've been searching for a D Standard Club and all I came up with was a tuned down club that accepted all tunings lower than EADG and the last post was in 2013. If I missed a D Standard Club in my search, please let me know so I can shut this down and join that one.

My goal is for this to be a place for Bass players who play in D Standard to come with their questions and stories that may be helpful to our kind. This is a safe place where D standard is THE standard.

We are all equal here, so there will not be a number system. Anyone wanting to join, just reply to the thread and add "D Standard Club" to your signature or somewhere on you profile.

 

[OOD]

If you like flats, but struggle with finding the right gauge with D standard try a set of Fender 9050 ML (50-100). I have them on my Affinity Jazz and they feel and sound really good. To me they feel like a set of light nickels tuned E standard.

 

[bholder]

Ok, could you start by defining D standard? I guess that means I'm not in. Is there a secret handshake and stuff?

 

[OOD]

Ok, could you start by defining D standard? I guess that means I'm not in. Is there a secret handshake and stuff?

D Standard is when you tune DGCF. There is a secret handshake, but I can't show you if you don't already know it.

 

[michael_t]

If you like flats, but struggle with finding the right gauge with D standard try a set of Fender 9050 ML (50-100). I have them on my Affinity Jazz and they feel and sound really good. To me they feel like a set of light nickels tuned E standard.

Disclaimer: I currently don't have a bass for the D Standard tuning, but am seriously considering having one bass in that tuning when I acquire my next bass in the future. Meanwhile, hope it's okay for me to hang out here from time to time?

I just wanted to comment on the Fender 9050ML...
I love the 9050L set (45-60-80-100) for its overall balance. So, I'm a little disappointed that the 9050ML set does not include a 105. I would love to try 50-65-85-105 for the D standard tuning, but unfortunately, they can't be ordered as singles for a custom set.

 

[OOD]

Disclaimer: I currently don't have a bass for the D Standard tuning, but am seriously considering having one bass in that tuning when I acquire my next bass in the future. Meanwhile, hope it's okay for me to hang out here from time to time?

I just wanted to comment on the Fender 9050ML...
I love the 9050L set (45-60-80-100) for its overall balance. So, I'm a little disappointed that the 9050ML set does not include a 105. I would love to try 50-65-85-105 for the D standard tuning, but unfortunately, they can't be ordered as singles for a custom set.

Of course it's okay for you to hang out here! The only thing i can suggest for the fender 9050 problem you have is to talk to Jason at Bass strings online and see if there is any way he can get his hands on a single 105. But you know if you find you really love the 9050ML set and you just don't like the 100, It's really not that costly to just buy a set with the 105. If you love them they will last for years. I've heard of people using the same set of flats for 10 years or more.

 

[michael_t]

The only thing i can suggest for the fender 9050 problem you have is to talk to Jason at Bass strings online and see if there is any way he can get his hands on a single 105. But you know if you find you really love the 9050ML set and you just don't like the 100, It's really not that costly to just buy a set with the 105. If you love them they will last for years. I've heard of people using the same set of flats for 10 years or more.

Thanks for the suggestion. Definitely something to take into consideration when I do get my third bass.

My other option would be the GHS Pressurewound M7200 (44-62-84-106). I currently have the ML7200 set (44-58-80-102) on my J and absolutely love it! I just wish the medium set came with a heavier G, maybe a 48. Oh well...

 

[RoadRanger]

I've been tuning DGCF exclusively for over a year now . Actually one trio I play with tunes down a half step so I tune Db standard for that (or more recently just use a pitch shifter). There's a couple songs I capo back up to E standard (or Eb standard) as the fingering gets too hard otherwise (or again - more recently just use a pitch shifter).

I play only short scales so it's a bit of a beach to get heavier strings. I have a set of DR High Beam flats bought as singles 45/65/90/125 but haven't tried them yet.

 

[Abner]

Sign me up. Tuned all my basses down to D standard about five or six years ago. Use a variety of strings — mostly flats. If .100 is a little small, try the Ernie Ball Group I flats: .055, .075, .090, .110. Have some on a fretless Roadster, very nice actually. La Bella "Original 1954" are also excellent for D standard. As are GHS flats. Heck, I even have a shortscale AGB-200 with Pyramid flats tuned to D standard. Not the best, but works okay. Been meaning to switch them out for some medium scale GHS flats.

Oh, also have some La Bella black tapes on a fretless Vantage, and some Rotosound flats on something, Sadowsky Black Label, Detroit Bass, I'm sure I have more...

.125 for a shortscale? Sounds intriguing. Let us know how that works out.

-Alex

 

[DuShauh]

So I've been searching for a D Standard Club and all I came up with was a tuned down club that accepted all tunings lower than EADG and the last post was in 2013. If I missed a D Standard Club in my search, please let me know so I can shut this down and join that one.

My goal is for this to be a place for Bass players who play in D Standard to come with their questions and stories that may be helpful to our kind. This is a safe place where D standard is THE standard.

We are all equal here, so there will not be a number system. Anyone wanting to join, just reply to the thread and add "D Standard Club" to your signature or somewhere on you profile.

I like the idea of a D standard Club. Although I may be a tad too radical for the average "D standard player", if there is such a thing. DGCF is a good start...but I favor a B flat as well. D standard is my preferred tuning: I also prefer 5 strings. Every bass that I own is tuned to D standard...

 

[Will_White]

I actually just finished a bass for D standard tuning, I'm using a set of DR NEONS from BSO .125 .090 .065 .050, the plus side of the heavier strings is I can tune down to BEAD with some decent tension still.

 

[RoadRanger]

DGCF is a good start...but I favor a B flat as well. D standard is my preferred tuning: I also prefer 5 strings. Every bass that I own is tuned to D standard...

Wouldn't the "B" string be tuned down to "A" ??

 

[DuShauh]

Wouldn't the "B" string be tuned down to "A" ??

I probably wasn't clear...I tune my fiver's DGCFBb as opposed to EADGC. The only use that I have for a B string these days is to tune it UP to D.

 

[OOD]

I probably wasn't clear...I tune my fiver's DGCFBb as opposed to EADGC. The only use that I have for a B string these days is to tune it UP to D.

That's a very cool tuning. I thought you were saying you tuned down, but I like what you are doing with a five string. I feel there are very few resons to go below D anyways.

 

[old-fashioned]

Nobody using DR DDT Strings here?

 

[dalahorse]

I kept a bass in D standard for a couple years before going BEAD. TI Jazz Flats tuned down a full step had a very nice feel to them.

 

[mysteryclock]

Disclaimer: I currently don't have a bass for the D Standard tuning, but am seriously considering having one bass in that tuning when I acquire my next bass in the future.

For years I kept both fretted and fretless basses in standard EADG, and had to re-tune the fretted one back-and-forth every time I needed something lower. Finally I realized what I needed more than the fretless was for bass #2 to be both fretted and in a lower tuning of some kind (Eb, D, Db, etc) by default. So I sold off my last pair and had a couple of new ones built, one for each tuning regime, so to speak. It is very handy to be able to go between tunings just by quickly swapping instruments.

I'm using 45-65-85-105 DRs on both btw, and I have a NOS old (found in a gig bag) set of Hi Beams on the D-bass at the moment. I usually prefer DR's nickel Lo Riders but these are pretty tight and seem to handle the lower tunings without any difficulty whatsoever! Since they were "free" I'll leave 'em on until they're thuddy.

 

[RoadRanger]

I kept a bass in D standard for a couple years before going BEAD. TI Jazz Flats tuned down a full step had a very nice feel to them.

I found that not having the high "G" string in the BEAD tuning to be limiting - but the high "F" in the DGCF tuning was a fine compromise .

 

[RoadRanger]

That's a very cool tuning. I thought you were saying you tuned down, but I like what you are doing with a five string. I feel there are very few resons to go below D anyways.

The only good reason I've seen to have a low B is so you can avoid all open strings so that you can transpose on-the-fly if you're doing a lot of that. I really prefer using open strings myself - and have recently started using a pitch shifter for the occasional transposing. It doesn't sound perfect but better than me stumbling all over sour notes .

 

[OOD]

I found that not having the high "G" string in the BEAD tuning to be limiting - but the high "F" in the DGCF tuning was a fine compromise .

That's how I feel. With DGCF I can still get that zing in my bass lines and chords.