How often do you tune your bass during gigs

[Kael]

I tune my bass when I take it out of it's case and immediately after getting the stink eye if I hit a bad note on fretless. I mean, wasn't my fault, bass was clearly out of tune....

Upright gets tuned every 6 or 7 songs.

 

[bikeplate]

I check it constantly Sometimes even during a passage in a song where there is no bass

 

[corinpills]

I just tune it when it goes out. I'll plug into a tuner at the beginning of a gig, but once I start playing with other instruments I can certainly hear if one of my strings goes a little flat.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

With my fretted, twice a night, tops. With my fretless, after every song .

 

[Skasteadyb]

once before all 3 sets. and thats just fine. Thats why playing bass rules. Most times my bass is already still in tune when I get there. Guitarists break strings, worry about whether their pedal board will cut out and have to TUNE 6 STRINGS MWAHA HAH HA HA!!!

 

[BassinCT]

I can typically tune once just before we start, then I'll check it about 15 minutes later, after my hands, the bass and the strings are all warmed up.
Then I'll check it again about and hour or so later and it's still just fine until the end of our 2 to 2 1/2 hour gig.

I do this also, and I rarely need to make an adjustment after an 80-90 minute set. After 3 hours, there is very little need for adjustment. I don't yank & pop the strings, and I play with a medium RH touch.

Technique, string material/construction and the age of the string would be the primary culprits. If the nut slots are too tight, sometimes the tension isn't equalized on either side of the nut right away and there can be a little instability, but that is unlikely.

 

[Brisbeard]

I check it at the start of each set we do and its usually okay unless I've bumped into a wall or an audience membe.......and that's playing aggressively with a pick .I have one of those Snark clip on tuners which works fine. I also swapped to hipshot tuners last year and they made a massive difference in tuning stability.

 

[Phalex]

I tune before the first set, and check it immediately after the first set. It usually changes a touch as it warms up.

 

[Lethgar]

I'm part of the "once right before first set and again about three songs in" Club. I do check from time to time, particularly before a ballad or anything that doesn't move along at a pretty good clip. Most of my basses are quite stable though, and any fine tuning can be done mid song of something gets wrenched out of whack with my shenanigans.

 

[tuba_samurai]

I tune when I setup, then check it before I start. After a few songs I check again and usually make super minor adjustments because of the changing temperature of the instrument.

 

[Kmonk]

I check tuning during sound check and then again a few minutes before we start. It's rare that I have to tune them during the show but I am fortunate that I have a good ear and can tell when my bass is even slightly out of tune. I sometimes make a minor adjustment during a song but even when I check tuning between sets, my basses are almost always in tune.

 

[Biggbass]

I let the bass acclimate to the room for a while then check tuning. That's usually it for the night. But I am not a heavy handed player.

 

[quickfix]

What sort of bass are you playing Odin70?

 

[odin70]

Klokker...i use a Sonic Research. I think the problem is that my tuner is way to accurate.

 

[odin70]

Quickfix...homemade pbass body and a Warmoth neck. I actually think the bass is ok.

 

[quickfix]

And the tuners?

 

[Feral Feline]

As often as is necessary.

 

[odin70]

And the tuners?

Schaller. High quality. The only thing i can think of that causes this is that the nut i too tight. I use heavy strings and high action. When the strings goes out of tune they are always a bit sharp.

 

[quickfix]

Schaller. High quality. The only thing i can think of that causes this is that the nut i too tight. I use heavy strings and high action. When the strings goes out of tune they are always a bit sharp.

I think it's worth doing a bit of work on the nut slots. Just be careful that you don't deepen the slots when filing them wider.

 

[odin70]

I think it's worth doing a bit of work on the nut slots. Just be careful that you don't deepen the slots when filing them wider.

Do i need a nutfile for that?