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Looks That Kill was the song that inspired me to tune to D Standard. That bass line is like a surging undertow - when you can hear it. It's almost inaudible in the original song, but there is a Bill McClintock mashup (with Steely Dan) that not only brings it out, but makes it dominant in the mix.
The original:
The mashup:
Don't wish to bore D'ers to tears, but here is another method for gauge selection and comparison that is independent of knowing tension. I picked this up from aforementioned thread that revolves around knowing two variables. Frequency and gauge of a string. Multiplying these two gives a certain number
You can use the F x Gauge = two ways.
1. Make it visually easy to see if gauges in a set are not balanced, fairly balanced or progressive by comparing the number for each open string frequency x gauge.
Here is DGCF based on the D'addario Chromes I use for it. The number in the far right column is the number resulting from F x gauge
DGCF tuning
Chromes
Chromes 050 075 100 132
D1/.132/4.8457
G1/.100/4.9000
C2/.075/4.9057
F2/.050/4.3655
It is apparent that this set is reasonably balanced, but the number for the 050 could be higher for more balance, resulting in
Chromes 055 075 100 132
D1/.132/4.8457
G1/.095/4.9000
C2/.075/4.9057
F2/.055/4.8020
If you felt like going mildly progressive we could tweak thus
Chromes 050 070 095 132
D1/.132 /50.60 lbs 4.8457
G1/.095/49.80 lbs 4.6555
C2/.070/47.80 lbs 4.5787
F2/.050/43.60 lbs 4.3655
2. The second use of F x Gauge = is to choose gauges themselves using the result of the lowest string frequency x gauge = and using that number to choose descending gauges with increasing frequencies
E.g If I know the result of multiplying D1 36.7 (hz) x .132 is 4.8457, I can then use that number as a constant in conjunction with the open string frequencies to derive gauges.
Say we want to get a gauge for G1 using the constant from D1, the equation would be 4.8457÷49 ( frequency of G1) = .099 rounded. So a gauge balanced in tension would be the nearest gauge up ie .100 and if you wanted descending progressive tension you'd opt for the nearest gauge down, ie 095 ( this business of selecting next gauge up or down to achieve balance or progression, is also mentioned in the thread I gave link for)
You can use the F x Gauge = two ways.
1. Make it visually easy to see if gauges in a set are not balanced, fairly balanced or progressive by comparing the number for each open string frequency x gauge.
Here is DGCF based on the D'addario Chromes I use for it. The number in the far right column is the number resulting from F x gauge
DGCF tuning
Chromes
Chromes 050 075 100 132
D1/.132/4.8457
G1/.100/4.9000
C2/.075/4.9057
F2/.050/4.3655
It is apparent that this set is reasonably balanced, but the number for the 050 could be higher for more balance, resulting in
Chromes 055 075 100 132
D1/.132/4.8457
G1/.095/4.9000
C2/.075/4.9057
F2/.055/4.8020
If you felt like going mildly progressive we could tweak thus
Chromes 050 070 095 132
D1/.132 /50.60 lbs 4.8457
G1/.095/49.80 lbs 4.6555
C2/.070/47.80 lbs 4.5787
F2/.050/43.60 lbs 4.3655
2. The second use of F x Gauge = is to choose gauges themselves using the result of the lowest string frequency x gauge = and using that number to choose descending gauges with increasing frequencies
E.g If I know the result of multiplying D1 36.7 (hz) x .132 is 4.8457, I can then use that number as a constant in conjunction with the open string frequencies to derive gauges.
Say we want to get a gauge for G1 using the constant from D1, the equation would be 4.8457÷49 ( frequency of G1) = .099 rounded. So a gauge balanced in tension would be the nearest gauge up ie .100 and if you wanted descending progressive tension you'd opt for the nearest gauge down, ie 095 ( this business of selecting next gauge up or down to achieve balance or progression, is also mentioned in the thread I gave link for)
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I just slapped DR DDTs on a bass, and tuned it to D Standard. Great for learning Gojira, and whatever else I find in D standard
I'm now exclusively tuned to D Standard on all my basses! I restrung my main bass (that was in E standard tuning) to D Standard and today feels like an NBD for me. 
This is the first time in my life as a bassist not having a bass in E Standard. And let me tell you, it's refreshing!
I'm a baritone, so singing in slightly lower keys is easier for me. It worked for Dave Mustaine and Megadeth as he got older, so why can't it work for me?
I hereby also claim the post of the beast here in the D Standard Club! Let them who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast. For it is a human number. It's number is 666.
And now a song in the key of D:
This is the first time in my life as a bassist not having a bass in E Standard. And let me tell you, it's refreshing!I'm a baritone, so singing in slightly lower keys is easier for me. It worked for Dave Mustaine and Megadeth as he got older, so why can't it work for me?
I hereby also claim the post of the beast here in the D Standard Club! Let them who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast. For it is a human number. It's number is 666.
And now a song in the key of D:
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Me too haha! The lyrics are better and there's a lot more D Standard bass!I ended up liking the mashup better than either original. I'm sick like that.
There's a variety of ways of calculating the new tension if you tune a string up or down.
Here's an easy method.
Say you have a 105 string and you know it has a tension tuned to E of 38.08lbf. You want to downtune it to D and want to determine accurately the new tension (you could just rough guess it and think it would lose 5lb per semitone down)
Say the tension was
38.08. Take that number and multiply it by 1.059463^(-4) and bingo, the new tension at your favourite pitch is now 30.22lbf
Why is 4 the power and why negative. You double the number of semitones of descent, in this case 2 semitones. And negative because of descending duh!
If you were tuning up 2 semitones it would be Tension x 1.059463^(4) ie positive. If tuning down 3 semitones or up it would be 1.059463^(-6) or 1.059463^(6) and so on.
Quite a useful equation imho
Here's an easy method.
Say you have a 105 string and you know it has a tension tuned to E of 38.08lbf. You want to downtune it to D and want to determine accurately the new tension (you could just rough guess it and think it would lose 5lb per semitone down)
Say the tension was
38.08. Take that number and multiply it by 1.059463^(-4) and bingo, the new tension at your favourite pitch is now 30.22lbf
Why is 4 the power and why negative. You double the number of semitones of descent, in this case 2 semitones. And negative because of descending duh!
If you were tuning up 2 semitones it would be Tension x 1.059463^(4) ie positive. If tuning down 3 semitones or up it would be 1.059463^(-6) or 1.059463^(6) and so on.
Quite a useful equation imho
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Just strung my main jazz with DDTs tonight and tuned it to D standard. Loving it with these strings, and they have really nice focus/clarity. My band wrote our first batch of songs in standard tuning, and we have some newer material in drop-D. D standard may be the way forward for the next wave of songs...
Follow up 5 days later. Just the feel, sound, and tonal character of dropping that full step across the board has been super inspiring. Now that I've adjust my setup to dial it in a bit more, the feel and response of the strings is a subtle, but very clear, difference. It's changing how I approach my feel in cool ways, and it's resulting in some riff writing that has a different flavor than the stuff I write in E-standard.
Loving it so far and already learning some of our drop-D tunes in D-standard so I can adopt this without having to tune 'up'...
Loving it so far and already learning some of our drop-D tunes in D-standard so I can adopt this without having to tune 'up'...
I'm so glad you're loving D Standard! Since I tuned all my basses (except my piccolo bass because of its string tension) to D Standard, I have been re-learning several songs that I used to play in standard tuning because everything is shifted 2 frets down.
For example, I re-learned "Lone Justice" by Anthrax and it's easier to play in D Standard than in standard tuning for me. The complexity of this bass line and song goes to show how amazing Frank Bello is (regardless of what tuning he was in). What's more is that he was only 17 when he recorded this song - his first ever with Anthrax! He's told this story so many times during interviews and on the Anthrax XL documentary from a few years ago.
I also love that I can play all my originals that I recorded in standard in D Standard. That made the transition much easier for me after almost 15 years of playing in standard tuning.
Sounds similar to what I experienced when I D-tuned my Jazz bass with flats. Opens up new sonic horizons. I think something about the Jazz pickups works well in this tuning - they remain completely articulate sounding to me.
Enjoy!
How exciting! Thanks for sharing the excitement. I’m with you; I first came around to experimenting D-standard a few months ago and it led to a whole cascade of new ideas and questions - levels of understanding and confusion much deeper and richer than I could’ve expected. Where will it lead us? I don’t know! Let’s have fun with it
for some reason i bought a bulk purchase of dadario chrome flats 45 to 100..turns out these strings are way too high tension for standard but absolutely perfect for drop D, so looks like three more of my basses are coming down to this group wether they like it or not...yay!
Really good to know! I play D'Addario nickel rounds in medium (50-105) gauge and they have the perfect tension for D Standard - not too floppy and not too tense.
I'm lost on a bass in E standard. Just can't play it, my fingers keep freakin' out.... 
Maybe it's because I play in D for over 40 years now?
Maybe it's because I play in D for over 40 years now?
Wow, that's a long time to stick to a tuning.I'm lost on a bass in E standard. Just can't play it, my fingers keep freakin' out....
Maybe it's because I play in D for over 40 years now?
Actually I never played E. When I bought my first bass I tuned it by ear without any reference, just to a tone I liked which happened to be D (as I later found out), go figure...
Great storyActually I never played E. When I bought my first bass I tuned it by ear without any reference, just to a tone I liked which happened to be D (as I later found out), go figure...
