Down-Tuned Bassists Club

[klejst]

I play tuned DGCF.

 

[rockstarbassist]

drop B is hectic man, what genre is your band??? mine is metalcore

It's just a 1/2 step down from C. What do you mean by "hectic"?

I probably will use my Euro 4 for the drop B stuff. Otherwise I'd run my NS-5 G#BF#BE

We actually play pretty standard radio rock style tunes with a few covers, but even though we tune down that low we don't EQ all scooped and chugga chugga.

 

[jabsys]

I swap between E, Eb and drop D with drop D being used most often.

Also, if it helps, I've never met a musician that down-tunes and refers to the actual note*. For example, if the entire band tunes down a whole step, the third fret will often still be called "C", just for simplicity.

Maybe because I often use different tuning to the guitarists, I always refer to the actual notes otherwise it gets confusing.

 

[rockstarbassist]

I swap between E, Eb and drop D with drop D being used most often.



Maybe because I often use different tuning to the guitarists, I always refer to the actual notes otherwise it gets confusing.

Same here.
Even in drop C, if it's 5th fret, E string, I still call it an "A" for ease of everyone figuring out wat teh hell is going on lol.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I swap between E, Eb and drop D with drop D being used most often.



Maybe because I often use different tuning to the guitarists, I always refer to the actual notes otherwise it gets confusing.

How is that, tuning differently from the guitarist? I only do it on occasion with drop D stuff (where the guitarist drops, but I don't).

 

[jabsys]

How is that, tuning differently from the guitarist? I only do it on occasion with drop D stuff (where the guitarist drops, but I don't).

I only play covers so it's not a big problem since everybody already knows their parts, I could see it being a bigger problem trying to write originals with everybody it different tunings.

 

[Seb Peters]

crack-boom: #25
Phormlyss: #26
bassmastan: #27
Lunatic_Pandora: #28
klejst: #29
jabsys: #30

Some really interesting comments coming outta you guys, especially FunkMetalBass. I find that everything sounds a bit more 'familiar', if you will, when I'm in 'E'. I just find that things feel slightly more exotic when I'm down-tuned.

 

[PhantomApex]

Can I get a number? I play in Drop D almost all the time.

 

[Gringo Starr]

I tune to C# G# C# F# for my stoner rock band.

 

[El-Bob]

I use standard, Drop D, Drop C, D standard, C standard, Drop A... whatever is necessary.

 

[bigchiefbc]

My four string is always tuned CGCG, and my 5er is usually in ADADG

 

[rubendlr]

Now that I have a new short scale for standard tuning, I've decided to permanently tune my old Precision to BEAD. I've been jamming Slipknot and other metal stuff and I feel like I have TWO NEW instruments now. I haven't had this much fun in years and I've been playing bass for almost 25 years.

 

[khutch]

If BEAD counts then I would suppose that CGDA counts too. I've been tuned that way for about 3 months now and I don't see myself going back to anything else. My fiver is going up for sale soon....

Ken

 

[judeix808]

ADGCF on the bass I use with my metal band. Standard E on my other.

 

[EtoG]

I find it interesting that some find drop tunings easier, while for me they're completely confusing and inconvenient. Speaks to the variety in different players' styles.

+1. Interesting, isn't it? I just can't do dropped tunings. I have no issue playing a lower standard tuning though. As long as it's still in fourths.

 

[CamiloDíaz]

I started tuning BEAD some two month ago and it opened a whole new universe! My now only bass (working dad saving for house down payment) is about to get a new BEAD bone nut pretty soon to install a proper .130-.105-.85-.65 set on it. Currently, I cope with DR DDT's .115 tuned down to B. It works, but the set has a .55 "first string" that now tunes to D, and is a little buzzy for my taste.

In regards to tuning differently from the guitar for writing originals, my former band did only originals, I was in Drop D, guitarist on some weird arabic like D type of tuning, for some songs, and in standard B (while I remainded in Drop D). It made some interesting tonal textures and timbres just cause I wasn't always playing octave-down guitar parts.

Anyways, I'd love a number

 

[Temezki]

I play in D standard and Drop C.

 

[mdalamond]

Drop D for me.

 

[Wallace320]

I play in D standard and Drop C.

+1
I use Hipshot bass extenders on each and every bass of mine, models dependin' on machineheads shapin'

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[Ajak]

I have a Hipshot d'tuner to go from e standard to drop-d (which I use a lot). My next bass will be tuned d standard again with a d'tuner for drop-c tuning. After that I'm probably going for a C# standard bass and so on...