For all you players that use a low B string - a trivia question

[klokker]

All I know is that when I play through my Shuttle 6.0 the high pass filter is around 60Hz. The low B sounds great for whatever reason. But maybe this is also the reason why too much B string playing gets really annoying. And super deep low end, at least in my experience, is mud and tone suck. I guess what I'm saying is that if we can't really hear the fundamental of low B it seems to be a really good thing for the sound of the band.

 

[bholder]

One of the questions in the OP that hasn't been touched on is the human range of hearing. That would be 20Hz-20k Hz.

Sensitivity of Human Ear

At least, that's what we start off with. I'm down to less than half that. Still hear low notes just fine though.

 

[southgabass]

Yeah generally as you age the top end begins to wear down quite a bit, I remember watching Brain Games on one of their aging episodes and my hearing jumps me up another 20 years.... sigh.

 

[phillybass101]

I never cared to ask or know. But thanks. Now I know its feels ok not to know

 

[pedroims]

The frequency is the same, the tone is different due to the difference in size of the strings. Make sense?

The frequency is the same, the tone is different due to the difference in size of the strings. Make sense?

And the lenght of the string, tone is not only affected by diameter of the string but by its lenght too.

 

[okcrum]

I'm afraid that speaker cabinets don't act as brick wall filters.

That's right - but they often spec the "response" at the -10 dB points. That's about as valid as specifying amp power in "peak program" watts.

 

[monsterthompson]

what about the frequencies up in the neck? C in the 8 fret of the E string sounds nothing like the third fret of the A string, go upper on the E string and the sound is fuller than the open.

The frequency of the fundamental is the same in both positions. The content of the overtone amplitude is different.

 

[Ric5]

I've not found that tuning very useful. My primary bands play in E standard and B standard, so a BEAD tuned bass is much more useful to me.

I tried BEAD and didn't like it ...

My first choice is BEADG ... second choice is DGCF

 

[Rayjay]

I knew it was 31 Hz but I'm actually surprised how many people did not know that.

I also disagree, it can be useful in practical / gigging situations, when you need to EQ out feedback or boost certain frequencies, you can estimate based on what note its around on the bass. I also know the low E is about 40 Hz, and if we tune to A = 440 (below middle C), then we know the 14th fret G is 220, the 2nd fret G is 110, and open A is 55.

55 divided by 2 = about 27.5 Hz, the lowest note on a piano, 2 notes below the low B

FWIW one of my favorite courses in college was acoustics (physics) and I strongly recommend it to any musician

 

[pedroims]

The frequency of the fundamental is the same in both positions. The content of the overtone amplitude is different.

that make sense , thanks !

 

[darwin-bass]

Plucked strings produce fairly weak fundamental frequencies that rapidly decay leaving 2nd harmonic and beyond. That open E at 41 Hz produces most of its sound at 82 Hz and above. Likewise the low B is mostly 62 Hz and above.

A bass cabinet that has a fairly flat frequency response down to 60-65 Hz will produce good sounding low B notes.

 

[1Drop]

......... A lot of folks also don't realize how few cabs can actually reproduce the fundamental of the low B, and many of the cabs that do use 10" speakers rather than larger ones that many think would be more appropriate.

I believe that, the biggest bottom end I've heard from a bass cabinet was from a GB XB 4x10. I've used 15's and 12's since and nothing has sounded as "low" as that 4x10. That doesn't mean its the best for stage monitoring but when you are home alone playing along to recorded music it sure is fun!!

 

[tekhedd]

It very much disappointed this one pianist I know when he discovered that I matched his lowest note; I detune a whole step, see... "We don't need bass...I can do all that with the left hand" he likes to (pretend is a) joke.

 

[Jay2U]

A few years ago I needed to know frequencies in order to set up a proper string formula. Have fun!
So the low B on a bass is 30.868 Hz.

 

[Kmonk]

According to many articles I've read, a low b string on a bass is 31 Hz.

 

[DavC]

why guess when we have the internet Search .. ?? plus i've played piano since 1963 ...

30.868

then there's only 2 notes lower on the average 88 key piano ... a couple German grand pianos go a little lower .. ( Bosendorfer 97 / 92 notes )

 

[tlc1976]

I prefer a well EQ'd low B with good overtones rather than trying to boom the fundamental through an immense speaker. I always thought of it as the the string "screaming".

 

[Blueinred]

PSYCHOACOUSTICS

Now there is a good band name

There used to be a killer big band in Cincinnati called the Psychoacoustic Orchestra. They were tearing it up in the 90s.