How long does your bass stay in tune?

[Ray Matthews]

Hi everybody
So how long would you expect your bass to go without having to tune up again?
Does it need fine-tuning again after every song?
Does if go out quicker if your slapping and popping?

 

[Ajapses]

I have 3 that all require a little touch up whenever the environment changes - primarily temperature. After that, they are very stable.

 

[shawshank72]

I have two basses.
Puting it in the car and going to practice- oh yes it has to be tuned.
Sitting in my room on a stand getting played everyday- I can go almost the whole week.
But depending on the season, that changes things.

 

[chris_b]

I don't slap but I tune my bass before every set and check at least once during the set.

 

[Gorn]

Never. It just gets more and more flat as time passes. My band compensates.

I kid, I kid. Once a week or so.

 

[Geri O]

I check them before every playing event, but after that check, I can't tell you the last time I had to touch up the tuning during the event.

And I try to change strings at the beginning of the week before I play, or at least 48 hours before a show. With a good bit of wood-shedding to get the strings settled in.

Precision, Stingray, and Fretless Jazz. All five-strings.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

Temperature changes, humidity changes, season changes all affect tuning.
Just tune the dang thing. If you're worried it's out of tune: tune it!
Before your first set: tune it!
If the singer is rambling on and on telling a crappy story to an audience that doesn't care and you need to kill time before the next song: tune it!

If I see one more post about someone who doesn't feel the need to tune for weeks on end, i'mma slap somebody.

Unless you're At The Drive In, tune it!!

Tuning is like zipping up your fly: takes 2 seconds, makes the world a better place.

/rant

 

[Timmah]

Mine needs a tuning after extreme environment changes or being knocked over, but other than that, I'll go weeks without problems.

 

[jwj1701]

If yours I going out of tune more often you may need to look at your overall set up. Or something as simple as the way you restring your bass.

 

[kcole4001]

That's the only issue I have with my two cheaper basses: they don't stay in tune as welll from when I put them away until when I pick them up again.
My Ricks all stay in tune unless I bump the tuners.

 

[okcrum]

It could be your bass moves around in tuning because you are actually using it. A little bit off tune after hard playing is not abnormal.

Check that the locking screws on your tuners are tight enough, if you have them.

 

[Muttleybass]

Usually when I get to the gig it's a tad sharp. Temperature to and from the gig, I guess. I check between sets, but it's rarely out of tune the whole night.

 

[Ray Matthews]

Cheers guys,
I know stringing correctly is very important. Im always amazed when I see a bass with the strings sticking out all over the place. Isnt that just lazy?
I do play very aggressively so that probably has something to do with it. Can't just be my present bass as I've always had to adjust slightly after about 30 mins no matter what I'm slinging. I did once have a vintage Icon fretless that wouldn't go out if tune if I drove the car over it.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

Amendment: if your bass is going out of tune while you're playing, then maybe you need new tuners.
Mine stays in tune perfectly fine, but I tune at random just to stay safe.

 

[Ray Matthews]

I'll keep an eye on it. I'm considering getting some Hipshots anyway!

 

[hopsbb]

Depends on how much I practice/gig but I'd say atleast once every couple of days just mainly out of habit.

 

[Pilgrim]

Mine changes tune slightly with temperature change as the strings expand and contract. It doesn't usually change much while I'm playing, but since my hands warm up the strings it may go slightly flat while I'm playing. I normally can't hear the difference but it might be visible on an electronic tuner.

The best way to tune is always to tune UP to pitch. That reduces the chance that the string will loosen while you're playing.

 

[Biggbass]

My Sadowsky NYC P will hold it's tuning for an entire gig, then a week later come out of the case
still in tune.

 

[Pilgrim]

My '63 Fender P doesn't change more than a half-step from week to week, but the strings are 40 years old and they long since stopped stretching. They only respond to temperature change.

 

[Ray Matthews]

I'm playing a mim Jazz. The tuners move nice and smoothly, but perhaps that's the problem as other Squires and Fenders I've had always seem to have a gritty, scratchy movement.
There's a saying here in England that goes "This is the only country where you get all four seasons in one day!" So all that temp change is going to have an affect!