Hipshot Drop-D Bass Extenders?

[waveman]

I use them on any bass that hits the stage. And yes, guitars and basses can sometimes go sharp, especially on the A string when you tune the E to D,

Advantage is playing songs as intended, lots of stuff is recorded in drop D, and I don't like playing a 5 string bass to cover everything.

 

[covermego]

I have them on all my 4 strings, too. seriously considering one for my Ibanez 5 string, just because.
Also, they have "Double Drop" extenders, where you can drop down from E to D, then down to C. Pretty fun.
Here's a "Bass Whisperer" video of that:

 

[ctmullins]

Have used them and loved them for 35 years. Muscle memory is a real problem - for about the first ten minutes. Then you're golden.

 

[MikeBass]

All my 4 strings have them.
I think every 4 string should just come with them stock from the get go. lol

I can play in Drop D as easy as I can in regular E. Then again, I've been using them since literally the late 80's!!

Want to really mess with your head, put the Double Stop Lever on it…. Set it to drop D and drop B!!!!

 

[Moving Pictures]

I love them. We do a number of strings in drop D. There are actually a ton of songs in that tuning. I would rather use the Xtender than my 5-string on those tunes. Playing drop D on a 5-string can make for odd shifts or fingering compared to using the Xtender.

 

[jdjk7]

So, I bought a used 4-string bass guitar that has a Hipshot Bass Xtender (Drop-D tuning) installed in it.

I have successfully tuned it properly and flipped it down a few times without a problem.

Not sure how I would use it in actual playing. Any suggestions? Demo videos? Discussions of how best to incorporate it into my playing?

Thanks.

There's nothing particularly mystical about it. Do you need to change the tuning on your bass quickly? Flip the switch. One of my bands has sets where there may be several songs I play in Drop D that are not grouped together for one reason or another. The drop tuner saves a considerable amount of tuning in this case.

The most specialized situation I use it in is doing precisely one cover song... Comfortably Numb. My bassline for the verse is far easier to play in standard, but the prechorus benefits greatly from the low D. So, I flip the switch during the transitions.

 

[Geddaric]

I guess I don't understand adequately understand "Drop-D" use, other than being a whole step lower in tuning for that string.

It seems like it would seriously confuse muscle memory for hitting the right notes properly.

View attachment 7441700

It may take a little getting used to, but you will. I learned several songs in standard tuning and later, with the Detuner, got used to moving my hand for anything played on the E String. Come Together comes to mind when at/near the end of the song i quickly detuned to reach the lower D (gave it a little more growl).
Here`s how John Entwhistle used his:

 

[Thumpin6string]

here's a quick tutorial

That video gives me another reason to never have one.

 

[logdrum]

I have them on 2 4 strings and one has the 2 position which I have set to Eb and D. It is called the Double stop lever and I think you can get it to change a regular one. Gives you 3 tunings. I have been meaning to get one for the other Xtender

 

[HelpImaRock]

I just tune down to D when I need to.

 

[MCS4]

Just do something like this.

 

[Geogio]

I have an electronic tuner in my pedal chain. I can detune the E to D in half a second by ear and about ¼ turn on the tuning machine. I've had a drop D tuner, and it failed, exploding under tension into component pieces on stage during performance.

Then I had to call the company several times to speak with someone who wasn't the village idiot to get a refund.

I just sort of gave up on that idea doweled the slightly enlarged hole that I had to drill in the head stock to accommodate that piece of junk and then put the old faithful tuning machine back on. That bass is long gone , but the lesson was unforgettable.

Gizmo fascination aside. I can detune the E to D in a split second, match it with a quick octave check using the open D... no problemo.

 

[Sufenta]

I have them on all of my basses except for my vintage Fenders. My biggest issue has been always remembering to flip it back up before the next song in standard tuning during gigs. I started writing in big red letters, "Flip Lever Up" on my set lists. Nothing like forgetting and hitting that first E string note and being a whole step off.
But yeah, other than that operator error they're great. Im having a Sandberg built for me and noticed that they use their own brand of tuners. An after purchase swap would have meant new drill holes and a mismatched drop-D, but I was able to have them install one during construction.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

Had one installed on a Stingray5 for years. Rarely used it but that low A worked great. I'd love to have a drop tuner version that could fit for the E string tho' (no room for that as is). Would be much more useful to me.

I knew a guy who had one on the E of a stingray 5 - there was a plywood spacer between the backplate of the tuner and the headstock, which gave enough clearance to flip the lever. An uncommon choice I guess, but it made sense for lines that were written with drop D in mind.

Like a few others have mentioned, I like using it just for the bridge or last chorus of a song to give it some extra heft with a low D or Eb. I have been known to flip it down just for one note and then up again, but that's highly dependent on having space in the line to do so!

 

[FRoss6788]

I have an electronic tuner in my pedal chain. I can detune the E to D in half a second by ear and about ¼ turn on the tuning machine. I've had a drop D tuner, and it failed, exploding under tension into component pieces on stage during performance.

Then I had to call the company several times to speak with someone who wasn't the village idiot to get a refund.

I just sort of gave up on that idea doweled the slightly enlarged hole that I had to drill in the head stock to accommodate that piece of junk and then put the old faithful tuning machine back on. That bass is long gone , but the lesson was unforgettable.

Gizmo fascination aside. I can detune the E to D in a split second, match it with a quick octave check using the open D... no problemo.

Not as fast as a Hipshot, and your experience sounds nothing like the 8 extenders I have, they are well engineered/ constructed products with zero downside.

No way you tune down accurately in half a second.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Like anything, it takes a little practice and awareness, but it's not hard. Need a D or Eb? Flip the lever and access it. Easy.

 

[thrashingbass]

It's useful to have, some songs benefit from it on a 4 string bass, has a usable range (though I only use it for D in standard tuning, I must admit), and a few songs do use it on and off on a 4 string (in which tuning/detuning your bass for each song is then more impractical.) They have been around, and have been used by many great artists. Better to have it and barely use it, than not having it at all.

As of now, all but one of my 8 basses have an Xtender. If you get used to them, they become part of your playing. Highly recommended-and Hipshot support is beyond "great"!

 

[logdrum]

Gizmo fascination aside. I can detune the E to D in a split second, match it with a quick octave check using the open D... no problemo.

On one bass it has been there since 2004 and I use that a lot, -- no issues

Assuming your split of a second is 250 ms or 330 -- I highly doubt you are in tune in that time and if you add your tuner verification 2 seconds is higly optimistic. It's not even that quick with the Xtender, (And yes it also not dead center in tune but I 've lived with it )

 

[thrashingbass]

I have an electronic tuner in my pedal chain. I can detune the E to D in half a second by ear and about ¼ turn on the tuning machine. I've had a drop D tuner, and it failed, exploding under tension into component pieces on stage during performance.

Then I had to call the company several times to speak with someone who wasn't the village idiot to get a refund.

I just sort of gave up on that idea doweled the slightly enlarged hole that I had to drill in the head stock to accommodate that piece of junk and then put the old faithful tuning machine back on. That bass is long gone , but the lesson was unforgettable.

Gizmo fascination aside. I can detune the E to D in a split second, match it with a quick octave check using the open D... no problemo.

As I stated before, though relative rarities, there are songs where the Xtender is part of the song, so if you want to do it as recorded, you would need a Xtender. You could do such songs with the E already tuned to D, but you have to learn it that way, which I suppose is more than doable, but IMHO, not worth it for me as the Xtender exists. IMHO, it makes for more creative ways to play a 4 string bass.

But of course I realize it's a somewhat niche device even if many pros use it, and definitely not meant for everyone. If you are happier without them, then do without them!

(I have 7, and none have exploded on me. They are as solid as they come!)

 

[klattman]

I have been using them for decades and never had one fail. I usually oil when installing, then forget to for a few years at a time.

I also have the graphtech ratio tuners on some of my bases and because they are more precise I can tune much quicker. Not mid song but easily between if needed.

I would still love to have a drop lever on my graphtech EString.