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Demystifying Metal styles, how to make fingerstyle playing heard in Metal
- Thread starter pablomigraine
- Start date
Im working on a website that will be full of instruction videos for extreme metal techniques. stay tuned.
Hello,
I'm reviving this excellent thread to get some advice on string gauge. So I'm calling on the string experts who have been able to test a number of them. I play exclusively with my fingers using the 3-finger picking technique (RMI) in a death metal band on a 35-inch Spector 5-string bass. I have enough power in my right hand to get the percussive sound I'm looking for. However, we play in standard tuning (BEADG). I've done a few tests tuning to A# (half a step lower) and I like the sound I get, which is like hitting a bag of meat thanks to the reduced tension, a sound I lose when I switch back to standard tuning. My current strings are DR Hi Beams 45-125. Would switching to the light 40-120 version allow me to regain this effect thanks to the lower tension? Won't I lose some low end on the B string? I know that Alex Webster (my favorite bassist) plays 45-125s in both A# and G# tunings (and more recently 45-130s in G#).
I can't afford to buy them to try out because they're expensive where I live, and if they don't suit me, I'll be gutted.
Thanks.
I'm reviving this excellent thread to get some advice on string gauge. So I'm calling on the string experts who have been able to test a number of them. I play exclusively with my fingers using the 3-finger picking technique (RMI) in a death metal band on a 35-inch Spector 5-string bass. I have enough power in my right hand to get the percussive sound I'm looking for. However, we play in standard tuning (BEADG). I've done a few tests tuning to A# (half a step lower) and I like the sound I get, which is like hitting a bag of meat thanks to the reduced tension, a sound I lose when I switch back to standard tuning. My current strings are DR Hi Beams 45-125. Would switching to the light 40-120 version allow me to regain this effect thanks to the lower tension? Won't I lose some low end on the B string? I know that Alex Webster (my favorite bassist) plays 45-125s in both A# and G# tunings (and more recently 45-130s in G#).
I can't afford to buy them to try out because they're expensive where I live, and if they don't suit me, I'll be gutted.
Thanks.
That's what I've been doing for a while. I play in C standard on a 4 string. I can't recall the gauge of strings I use off the top of my head but they are a bit lighter than normal for that pitch. If C standard is normal LOL.
I initially did it because there was a hairline crack in the headstock and I was trying to control the spread. Funny thing is it's been 20 years now.
Downside is that you can unintentionally pull your notes sharp pretty easily. Takes some adjustment.
