You're welcome and stay tuned (literally) and let us know about your progress.
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You're welcome and stay tuned (literally) and let us know about your progress.
Thank you. I will. Might even take pictures of the progress on the MJ-5 remodel project.
I've just had a set of the 50-70-85-110 Swing Bass on my SB-1. Once they were thoroughly broken in (ie about a month old) I thought to try them downtuned. At both Eb Standard and D Standard they sounded good and strong.
This is how I have my 5er set up and I'm in love. I have a Hipshot lever on it for drop C. It's glorious.
Finally took the plunge today and set up my going-to-be-buried-with-me PJ bass in D standard with Rotosound 77 105-45 flatwounds. I think these strings are meant to be used this way because it sounds and feels absolutely fantastic. The super bright period still has to wear off but the bass has EMGs which tend to work really well with flats, as it's always nothing but treble and noise with something like RS66 steel roundwound strings.
I've used BEAD tuning for years now but I've always been frustrated with notes on the B string sounding muddy and undefined, and I think this is a best of both worlds middle ground, as most things I need to play don't go below D, save for some Alice in Chains songs like Down In A Hole which I'll just tune down to C# standard for. I've written off 5 strings for the narrower bridge spacing, although I have yet to try a wide-neck 5 string like a Warwick broadneck or one of the new G&L 2000 750 basses that just came out.
Regardless, I'm going to try out the RS77 110-50 set tuned B standard on my Spector 4 string 35" scale that I've converted to passive with Seymour Duncan NYC soapbars, which will hopefully negate a lot of the muddy sounding B that I've been getting with .130 gauge nickel and steel RW strings.
I've used BEAD tuning for years now but I've always been frustrated with notes on the B string sounding muddy and undefined, and I think this is a best of both worlds middle ground, as most things I need to play don't go below D, save for some Alice in Chains songs like Down In A Hole which I'll just tune down to C# standard for. I've written off 5 strings for the narrower bridge spacing, although I have yet to try a wide-neck 5 string like a Warwick broadneck or one of the new G&L 2000 750 basses that just came out.
Regardless, I'm going to try out the RS77 110-50 set tuned B standard on my Spector 4 string 35" scale that I've converted to passive with Seymour Duncan NYC soapbars, which will hopefully negate a lot of the muddy sounding B that I've been getting with .130 gauge nickel and steel RW strings.
After reading a few pages of this thread, I might try short scale LaBella DTF 49-109 on my Reverend Watt. Should have enough tension for D standard and Drop C. There's no real flatwound option for my Mustang though. Looks like the standard Mustang DTFs are it. That could get a little too floppy.
I “think” I have these on my Mini-P (2021 USA Fender Mustang neck on a Warmoth Mini P body). When I gave the body/neck to my tech to cut the custom neck pocket and get it painted black poly, I seem to recall those were the strings I gave him and asked it to be set up D-Standard. They work OK. I’m a finger player and as long as I can use a gentler touch it’s not too “clacky” Drop C is about pushing the playability to its limit.
As is this, my J-Bass version, however the neck is a 1973 Mustang. I also have a 1978 Mustang neck that will be on a White/Blonde Warmoth P, just like the black one, and once I get the white one with the vintage neck the black one will like be up for sale.
I'm looking to re-align my bass collection tuning wise, and decided to drop my ESP 4 string into a dedicated D Standard and Drop C bass with a hipshot extender. Trouble is, I've been playing flats for about ten years, so I'm a bit out of the roundwound game. Would a set of the DR DDTs, specifically the 55-115 set, work well for this, or would it have too much tension when I have it in D Standard?
115 works well, I like a smaller high C and high F but those gauges are traditional. If you want to stay with flats a .110 set of chromes works good. If you're into bridge cables I've gotten great tone out of a .132 chromes tuned up to D (that was on my p bass with a bass ball bat neck, might not recommend it for a thinner neck.)
So far the DDT 55-115 set is the only set I have tried that is working for me doing D-Standard/Drop C. Have them on a ‘74 P with a solid neck. Trying to get another bass set up for this same tuning and have tried EB Cobalt flats 50-110. They worked ok, but we’re a little stiffer than I prefer, but that could have been cause I (finger) play a bit closer to the bridge than most.
Yes they work well tension wise speaking.
I would recommend Magma flat blacks, Magma Strings I personally love the BE500NB for D, these are nylon wound rounds, that is, they play like flats and sound like rounds. They're nicely priced so well worth a try. You won't have the rough play that round wounds have coming from playing flats.
Excuse my ignorance but may I ask, how easy/difficult is it to switch from standard E to DGCF tuning? Does it require a long period of familiarization?
It depends highly upon your playing style. If you're accustomed to playing open string notes then you will find it more difficult and will take longer to adjust to. Otherwise it shouldn't take too long as it's really one full note lower for all strings so your finger settings are basically the same but a bit higher up the neck. Probably someone who did it coming from E could tell you more about it, I didn't because I started directly on D (without even knowing it at the time).
It's curious though because some riffs are easier played on D when they are played close to the nut.
And btw, no question implies ignorance, and this one most certainly not.
It's curious though because some riffs are easier played on D when they are played close to the nut.
And btw, no question implies ignorance, and this one most certainly not.
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Thanks. Yes, it makes sense, just play everything two frets up the neck. Even the dots seem to line up.
Exactly, and after some time and if you're not too much into chords, you will find that those extra 2 spaces upto the nut are very useful because those notes you normally wouldn't have there and you'd have to play them higher up on a lower string. This changes a bit how you can play certain riffs as you can use other fingers for those notes than you'd normally use.
I think I should try it. It'll also lower the string tension on my high tension flatwound bass.
