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D-tuner useful?

M

MCT

Apr 11, 2005
196
2
#1
So it helps you tune down to D when you want to, but if you had your self tuned to D the whole time then there wouldn't be a need for it. I just don't see what the point is. The only reason I want one is because I think it looks super cool.




EDIT:

I would just like examples in which it would be useful.
 
#3
If you had a song where you had to switch to D in the middle or something would be a good example.

personally i think i can detune accurate enough myself, they are expensive here in the UK anyway. (i still want one, but its more of a extra than a neccessity).



oh by the way, if you didnt know Billy sheehan has one on all his basses
 
#4
Billy Sheehan has one on every bass, and so do I. Even my acoustic guitar has one. For me, it's that I prefer standard tuning, but since I love four string basses, it makes sense for when I need to go to a low D for part of a song or a whole song and back. Frankly, I play a lot in D and like to use the low D for a drone sometimes.

For me it's a necessity more than anything.
 
#5
I have a de-tuner and love it.
If you're a pro and can have a rodie swap out your bass, feel free not to have the de-tuner.
BUT, if you're a working Joe, then get the darn de-tuner so if you for-get the swap out your bass to the other de-tuned bass you'll be covered. You could do the show with ONE bass, isn't that great!!
 
#6
I don't see what looks cool about them (or uncool either). It's about the music.

I have them on my basses because they do a job and they do it well. I use them to go from B to A on my B strings. You can set them to drop a larger interval but there's such a huge difference in string tension that it doesn't seem practical if you actually want to play the string and not just throm on it when open.

And if you are ALREADY in D you could use it to go down to C.
 
#7
MCT said:
I just don't see what the point is. The only reason I want one is because I think it looks super cool.
Click to expand...
Now that I reread your statement, and see this, I don't think they're right for you. It's not about looks (yes, it's nice to have a fancy piece of hardware nobody can recognize) but frankly, it's about the sound, the bass, the music.
 
#8
If you want to drop to D why not just stay in D and not have the D-tuner?That's what I'm asking.
Just give me some DETAILED examples of when it would come in useful. I understand that maybe you'll need the D, but why not just play in throughout the whole song?:confused:


Don't get me wrong here I'm all about the music, but also think that the D-tuners look super cute on a bass. Kind of like the 4 to 1 headstock on a MM jazz bass.
 
#9
MCT said:
If you want to drop to D why not just stay in D and not have the D-tuner?That's what I'm asking.
Just give me some DETAILED examples of when it would come in useful. I understand that maybe you'll need the D, but why not just play in throughout the whole song?:confused:


Don't get me wrong here I'm all about the music, but also think that the D-tuners look super cute on a bass. Kind of like the 4 to 1 headstock on a MM jazz bass.
Click to expand...

Well, does your band have some songs in E and some songs in D?
 
#10
MCT said:
If you want to drop to D why not just stay in D and not have the D-tuner?That's what I'm asking.
Just give me some DETAILED examples of when it would come in useful. I understand that maybe you'll need the D, but why not just play in throughout the whole song?:confused:


Don't get me wrong here I'm all about the music, but also think that the D-tuners look super cute on a bass. Kind of like the 4 to 1 headstock on a MM jazz bass.
Click to expand...

Because keeping your E string tuned to D while the other strings are in standard tuning will alter all of the fingering patterns you'd usually use. And what if you want an open E for a song? As Tim said, they can go to different intervals as well. I'm having a detuner put on every string on my fretless that's being built.

If you want to see all of the possibilities detuners can give you, watch this Michael Manring video. He has a detuner (Hipshot Xtenders) on each string, as well as a special bridge that allows him to switch between three different tunings.
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#11
Okay MCT - I'll try to be as specific as I can. For example - I've played the song "American Girl" (by Tom Petty) in a couple of bands at one time or another. The song is in the key of D. I start out the song with the E string tuned to E.
In the middle of the tune (2:32 to be exact) I come back in with the E now tuned to a D - and finish the song out. The bass coming back in with the big low D makes, IMO , for a much more dramatic effect than justing dropping to D for the whole tune. When the song is over - flip the lever back and I'm back in standard tuning - no hassle of switching basses, yada, yada, yada....I'll make the switch within certain songs as well - going back and forth between the E/D. I've used the tuner to go down to C as well and found it just as useful and that was with a .110 - .107 E string - no floppiness issues at all. I've got them on both my J-Bass and P-Bass.
 
#14
ERMAL and the rest of you thanks sooo much.


Okay I get it now. There's this song that my band plays that I've been wanting to play a whole octave lower during the bridge to give it a more powerful feeling, but I don't have the notes at all in standard tuning, and I could just drop the tuning btu if I did that I'd have to drop the tuning on all of my strings just to make it playable. AHHH!!! Man it's an epiphany. I need this D-tuner.
 
#16
On my Five- and Six-strings I use it set to low B for some songs, and to low A for others - and sometimes even flip it just for a note or phrase here and there. Also, it allows you to reach different low notes while playing chords on the higher-pitched strings, but you're not stuck with a drop tuning when the music wasn't conceived around it in the first place.
 

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