How do you tune your basses (AT GIGS) with low E/B?

[okcrum]

Apparently your mileage varies

Consider for a second just how loud the ambient sound level has to be to produce a similar vibration in the headstock to a vibrating string in order to confuse the tuner. I'd bet you'd be at or near the threshold of pain, and even when the jukebox (with sub and thumper) has been painfully loud on my gigs, I've had no issues tuning.

Some tuners work better than others. If it's not a TC or Peterson, I'd suspect the tuner.

 

[wesonbass]

Guitar player and me use the same pedal tuner (his )on his pedal board. I've watched him and other guitar players tune to see where they "read "each string and try to match that. Peoples eyes can be just as different as their ears. My basses tend to stay in tune the whole set. I recheck between sets. I keep my intellitouch clip on in my pocket just in case I hear a problem.

 

[modbass]

I thought headstock tuners looked lame and did a bad job of tuning. Then I bought the Petersen clip on tuner and it hasn't left my headstock. I even intonated with it in a pinch. Sure it looks terrible to me(us), but i'm sure i'm the one of the few that knows what i'm looking at, and its so convenient that I'm buying a second one.

 

[Mili]

So....question. If you already have the tuner out and plugged in, why not just tune all the strings?

When i tune the G string with tuner, it turns to my reference so other strings will be tuned relative to each other. (I think tuners work more accurate in higher pitches)

 

[guy n. cognito]

. (I think tuners work more accurate in higher pitches)

They don’t. Some cheap tuners can’t track a B string, which is the topic partially discussed here.

 

[Jon Moody]

I used to use headstock tuners pretty regularly, but with the issue of finding a decent place to put the tuner on the headstock of a 5/6 string bass (which results in tuning issues), I just use a pedal now.

As for people using headstock tuners onstage, whatever. I don't care how it looks.

 

[Skokiaan]

Headstock tuners are the best piece of equipment that has come around in recent years. I never leave them clipped to my headstock when I'm done tuning. I absolutely hate that look.

 

[njfrese]

Here's a weird question: what do you do if you are running a wireless rig?

 

[Stan Haldane]

A tuner pedal won't add much weight to your commute. Rig it onto a lanyard. Stuff it into a gig bag. Velcro it to the top of your amp. Get a side car. Strap it to a ball cap. Wear it as a wristwatch. Put a pretty basket on your bike. Buy two and wear them as earmuffs. Throw it into your guitarist's bag-o-crap. Make the drummer carry it, then fire said drummer. Buy some cargo pants. Replace a bike pedal with a tuner pedal. Put little wheels on it and pull it as a li'l trailer. Stow it where the water bottle goes. ANYTHING but a headstock tuner.

Oh yes indeed.

 

[Troberts 98]

I use the tuner in my Zoom B3N. Tune both basses before set 1 and check between each set. My Yamaha Bb1025 just never seems to go out of tune. Pull it out of the case and play.

 

[Paul Robinson]

Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-300. Reliable and accurate (handles the low B just fine). Fits in your case/gig bag.

View attachment 3091748

This is what I use. Works like a charm, tracks B no prob.

 

[Paul Robinson]

Boss TU-2 for EBG and inbuilt tuner on my Fishman preamp stompbox for upright. Not sure where to clip one of those headstock thingies on the upright....

The bridge?

 

[Fuzzbass]

Some cheap tuners can’t track a B string, which is the topic partially discussed here.

I've run into some tuners that couldn't track a low B fundamental. I haven't yet run into a tuner that couldn't track the 2nd harmonic (12th fret harmonic) on the low B.

12th fret harmonic works fine. Fretting the same note would be problematic if intonation were off.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I love clip-on tuners. I have one in almost all my gig bags. The good ones work really well, even on low B. Snarks are OK, but Korg and TC clip-ons have performed the best for me.

I sometimes leave clip-ons attached during the gig, because who cares? I'd hate to be so fussy that an insignificant thing like that would bother me.

 

[Dalmasn]

Those clip-ons are just a hassle IMHO. I'm playing in drop A and you don't want any hassle when on stage. I've used both the TC Polytunes and the Digitech polyphonic tuner HT-6's successfully. Never really bothered about the actual polytune feature though since its more of a hassle than an advantage. Both of these tunes very good and the digitech also have guitar or bass mode so it detects my low A without hesitation. Nowadays I use the Shure GLXD6/1 wireless combo which has a built in tuner though, also works flawlessly. I'll probably never go wired again. Just get a good tuner pedal (that mutes while engaged) and don't look back! =)

 

[dave_bass5]

Headstock tuners- The Crocs of the band world.

what does that mean?
I know what Crocs are, but can’t see the connection to tuners.

 

[paujones]

Someone makes a tuner that fits as a volume or tone knob on the instrument... think I saw it st NAMM or in a Bass player magazine.

My Line 6 wireless has a tuner built in that activates when I hold down the main foot switch button. But I also use a Korg Pitch Black tuner off the B output so it is active all the time that I am playing. The Line 6 tuner is not great at getting the low B, but the Korg gets it just fine. And the advantage of having it on all the time - is you can just look at your pedal as you playing a song and see if you are hitting the notes most of the time.

I have found that outdoor gigs that are 90+ degrees require much more frequent tuning... especially for the guitarists.

 

[The Schu]

I hate headstock tuners too. Whenever I've tried 'em they F... Up! For gig play, foot pedal tuners for me only. Most of the time I use a Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner Pedal, but of late I've been using (in the studio, but gigs soon) my new Peterson VSS-C Stomp Classic Strobotuner Pedal Tuner. As advertised, "the Peterson VSS-C StroboStomp Classic Tuner pedal with DI is THE ONLY true bypass, active DI-equipped tuning pedal with computer connectivity. All of this is housed in a small package that is an apt heir to the throne of the now world-famous Conn ST-11 analog tuner!" As a Strobotuner, the Peterson VSS-C reminds me of the old Peterson Model 450, and the even older Conn St8 Strobotuner (which we still have in our studio, and works perfectly) only the Peterson VSS-C StroboStomp pedal is considerably more compact. Like any pedal, the Peterson VSS-C StroboStomp pedal can be tossed into a gig bag for easy transport via wheel barrel, bicycle, motorbike, car, van, bus and or plane.

 

[Kragnorak]

I am not a big fan of headstock tuners but I see EVERYONE using them. Maybe I haven't tried the right one but they never seem to track my B string amongst house music and other musicians checking levels. I have one of the old black Korg tuners about the size of a tape cassette. I think pedals are the best but I don't really use effects and I bike to gigs so I'm obsessed with how much weight I carry. I'm curious to see how the talkbass community tunes at gigs.

I don't trust tuners, especially at loud gigs. I use a Snark before the gig to set up my tunings, but I finetune by ear real quick.

I'll also finetune by ear during a song. For example, when I pedal an E, I want it to sound huge. If it doesn't, it's usually because the note is not sitting perfectly with the guitars. So I'll make adjustments while playing the part.

 

[delta7fred]

For gigs I use an inline tuner on top of my amp driven from the "Tuner" jack for both E and B basses.

At home I have a few headstock tuners but find they can struggle with the E string (never tried them with a B). On my DB I
have one permanently clipped to the bridge, it handles the E string better than on a bass guitar.

Another NO vote for guitarists who leave them clipped on all the time (as our's does).