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Drop Tuning constantly

Dr3thepooner

Dr3thepooner

Nov 5, 2009
266
37
Glorious Canada
#1
Hello People,

I have 2 regular "main" basses (one in drop D , and one in standard E tuning), but usually for practices only use one, since too lazy to carry the other with me.

Having only one bass ofc prompts me to constantly switch between Drop D and Reg E tuning...
I have concidered hip-shot tuner peg (I believe they make one for Music Man), but its a bit out of my budget now.

Question is ... just from mechanical point of view - how bad is it for tuner peg to be constantly returned? Is it damaging at all?
 
#3
Dr3thepooner said:
Hello People,

I have 2 regular "main" basses (one in drop D , and one in standard E tuning), but usually for practices only use one, since too lazy to carry the other with me.

Having only one bass ofc prompts me to constantly switch between Drop D and Reg E tuning...
I have concidered hip-shot tuner peg (I believe they make one for Music Man), but its a bit out of my budget now.

Question is ... just from mechanical point of view - how bad is it for tuner peg to be constantly returned? Is it damaging at all?
Click to expand...


Its not horrible for it. But it will wear the wheel out more/faster than just tuning when you need to. Its not like it will take years off the tuner, but it will give it some extra wear. I would think it would be a little harder on the neck/truss rod. But again, IME/IMO, I dont think its relevant enough to really take notice. But I also agree with tangent above, just bring your other bass! Get one of those double gig bags/cases.
 
#6
BioWeapon said:
Bring just the Drop D bass, learn all the E standard songs by moving everything on the E string up two frets. Bam, problem solved.
Click to expand...
Very good point... I actually already had, but the thing is some songs just ... flow better with Original tuning in mind, i.e - Breed by Nirvana... where verse bass riff ends up on pull off to open E... with D- you end up sliding back and forth like crazy : )
 
#7
I agree, you can't get around the drop-down tuning for some songs, even if it's possible to play normally. I have a fiver, and a four-stringer that I keep in drop-D, just for one particular song that requires the open D while there is some upper-register movement at the same time.
 
#8
I'm gonna vote for the Hipshot Drop-D tuner. I have one on four of my basses and they're convenient as all Hell.

Save ten or fifteen bucks every paycheck. If you can get shipping from The States, keep an eye out for 15%-off sales by Guitar Center or Musician's Friend. That's how I get mine…new, but discounted.

As far as wear-and-tear goes, I haven't seen any, but then again, I don't play that bass everyday. However, in the three years since I got my first, I've never heard anyone say "It destroyed my neck!".
 
#10
We're talking at practice only, right?
Not worth the cost of a D-tuner.

You will NEVER notice an increase in wear by moving between D and E a few times per practice.
And if your neck can't deal, it's got bigger problems than what you're trying to do.

A complete non-issue.
Take one bass to practice and tune it all you need, and relax.

I'm in the same situation, but with a few more than two basses. I just get to liking one and want to use it all night, practice AND shows.
Even have a D-tuner on the "new" one, and while it saves a little time you still need to tune the whole bass when changing to and from drop-D if you want to be perfect. (Unless you have a thick neck. All of my thin necks need at least the A string retuned).
 
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