How do you tune your bass?

[Greenman72]

Think about your favorite instrument--the one you play with most of all. (No, not that one. The other one.) How is it tuned?

 

[Killing Floor]

By turning the silver turny things.

 

[Greenman72]

(Sorry. I put DGCF twice.)

 

[FrenchBassQC]

I would have needed more than one option to select... The Jaco way, four strings are for sissies and the high-five.

 

[ebo]

I thought this was a thread about which order you tune your strings and wondered why my choice wasn’t an option in the pole. I go GDAE.

 

[ravlin]

(Sorry. I put DGCF twice.)

Yes but with 2 different perspectives

 

[Killing Floor]

I would have needed more than one option to select... The Jaco way, four strings are for sissies and the high-five.

The Stig Pedersen quote! “I play 2 strings because 4 strings are for ——“

 

[poppunk]

EADG with occassional drop D.

And then I use the pitch shift in my HX Stomp to go up or down a full step off those tunings.

 

[Geri O]

I would have left off the comments after the tuning that seems to indicate distaste for those that don’t agree with that choice.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Like all 6ers, B E A D G C.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Think about your favorite instrument--the one you play with most of all. (No, not that one. The other one.) How is it tuned?

E-A-D-G

 

[Deleted member 389437]

I play 3 main basses. Two 4 strings and one 5 strings. But my tunings do get a little wacky sometimes.

Both the 4 strings are tuned to standard E, A, D, G but both have Hipshot double stop drop tuners installed on the E string. I have them set at one stop down to D and the next down to C.

My 5 string is tuned E, A, D, G, C (High C) but with the double stop on the E as stated above.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I tune BEADG but I strenuously object to calling people who play 4 strings "sissies" I played 4 string basses most of my life. You wanna make something out of it, buddy?

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Well, I usually just turn the tuner keys till everything feels right, then I check it against an accurate electronic tuning device such as a Peterson Strobostomp, etc. It's usually within a few cents, if not dead on.

As for pitches, [{B-(E-A-D-G)}-C], but I have Hipshot Xtenders on many basses, and a double-shot on one (C-A-D-G), and sometimes I go a full step down to D-G-C-F.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I tried BEAD. Tried DGCF. Have settled on C#F#BE. Mostly for gauge/tension/stiffiness feel reasons

 

[matty1039]

Better than I tuna-fish! I'll see myself out.

 

[bucephylus]

4’s: EADG w/d HipShot drop D
5’s: BEADG
6: BEADGC

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Think about your favorite instrument--the one you play with most of all. (No, not that one. The other one.) How is it tuned?

Standard tuning, but I always keep at least two basses (four strings) tuned down a half step because they do that on certain gigs. Five string is kept in standard tuning. 3 of my basses have Hipshot bass Xtenders so I can drop the low E to D, one of those basses is tuned down a half step.

 

[wango55]

I D-G-A-F

I mean, I do. I go EADG

 

[bigjames]

Standard tuning on my 5ers and 6ers...BEADG and BEADGC respectively. I have never tuned down or tried alternate tunings...I transpose as needed by moving my fretting hand around the fretboard.