I probably ruined it by restringing, but my main bass, with pretty old strings on it went months without needing to be tuned. Like, I'd pull it out of the case, check the tuning, and dead on.
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Is your bass always in tune?
- Thread starter pappabass
- Start date
I took a hiatus 5 years ago. My Grabber when I picked her back up in May was only a smidge out of tune. Amazes me to this day. My Squire Jazz fretless is really good at holding a tune but doesn't leave the house. The G3 can be flaky tho. Always check my basses during a set to be sure tho.
If it doesn't hold tune (within reason) - it gets fixed. Obviously, things like new strings or drastic weather/humidity changes will bring some troubles. I'm contemplating getting a graphite/composite neck since I moved to the coastal South, but I really haven't had that many issues.
I've got a couple of MIM j basses that stay in tune except under extreme conditions, like below 40 degrees and damp. In that situation I set it on a stand on stage for about 15~20 minutes, bring it to pitch and it stays fine all night. The next time I play it in normal air I will again sit it out and bring it to pitch and it's GTG for a while. I run through a stomp box tuner and check it before we start every set, but mostly because I've got the tuner so why not.
I've got a couple Highway one J basses that are about the same. Normal weather and they are fine, real cold and/or damp and they need a minute to settle down then bring to pitch and GTG. They are still relatively new and when I first got them they both needed attention along to stay spot on but as they grow older they get more and more settled.
I've got an early 90's J Plus with a skinny little neck on it which I am afraid to take out into any kind of temp or humidity extreme. It was the only bass I owned for many years of 2~4 nights a week of working, but it was almost always indoors so it was no big deal and it was like a rock, set it and forget it. I had the opportunity to do a series of shows in the N/W Florida panhandle in high summer when daytime temps bump triple digits and night time humidity is so bad it condenses on everything and drips it's so heavy. I was afraid to take my little skinny neck so I bought an MIM J bass for those shows and it was a solid trooper. I had a smallish tarp I'd throw over it after we set up and I'd leave it under that until we got up to play, then wipe it down good and right in the case. I'd take it out and let it sit in the sun occasionally to give it a good drying out and it never once complained.
I've got a couple Highway one J basses that are about the same. Normal weather and they are fine, real cold and/or damp and they need a minute to settle down then bring to pitch and GTG. They are still relatively new and when I first got them they both needed attention along to stay spot on but as they grow older they get more and more settled.
I've got an early 90's J Plus with a skinny little neck on it which I am afraid to take out into any kind of temp or humidity extreme. It was the only bass I owned for many years of 2~4 nights a week of working, but it was almost always indoors so it was no big deal and it was like a rock, set it and forget it. I had the opportunity to do a series of shows in the N/W Florida panhandle in high summer when daytime temps bump triple digits and night time humidity is so bad it condenses on everything and drips it's so heavy. I was afraid to take my little skinny neck so I bought an MIM J bass for those shows and it was a solid trooper. I had a smallish tarp I'd throw over it after we set up and I'd leave it under that until we got up to play, then wipe it down good and right in the case. I'd take it out and let it sit in the sun occasionally to give it a good drying out and it never once complained.
I always check tuning as soon as I get to a gig and recheck before we go on. Old strings have a harder time holding pitch for me. For the most part mine stay in tune reasonably well, enough so that I don't consider that they have a problemishes holding pitch.
I tune, and each of my basses needs it a bit every time I play, for 40+ years, and I tune between sets, when playing live.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
When the inside and outside temperature are close to the same, every bass guitar I own stays pretty well in tune. When it's cold out, the bass is sharp when I first get it out of its case after a ride in the van. Then it goes flat, so I keep retuning until it's stable again.
The upright has gut strings, which means I check tuning almost between every song. Making sure to stay in tune is so easy with all the little gadgets that are available now that there's no excuse for being even an eyelash out anymore.
The upright has gut strings, which means I check tuning almost between every song. Making sure to stay in tune is so easy with all the little gadgets that are available now that there's no excuse for being even an eyelash out anymore.
My MIM Jazz, not all the time, but my new Am Pro P hasn't moved in a week, even with new strings.
I haven't touched my '77 Precision in 4+ months. I bet 3 of 4 strings are in tune. I think humidity affects tuning more than temperature (not by much), so the silica packs help.
Living in the Chicago area with humdity/temp/weather changes abundant, I have to tune my basses every time I pick them up. (All Spector Euro 5LX's). All of them have Hipshot Ultralites on them, so I know they are not garbage tuners. During gigs with hot stage lights, poor air circulation, no heat, and what not, my basses will fall out of tune after a few songs. Granted, it's never anything too drastic and it's a quick fix. But yeah, I RARELY have moments where the bass is perfectly tuned when I pick it up.
This thread could alternatively be entitled "how's the weather?"
Most of the basses I have will go out of tune a touch after sitting in their cases after a bit.
My main players are played every day, and gigged on the weekends. They travel by gig bag to save room in my tiny car, so tuning up at the gig is always going to be a constant. I'm a heavy player and dig in quite a bit, so I almost always have to touch up the tuning each set. The heat of stage lamps, cold rooms in clubs, and changing humidity will move tuning a bit. I've noticed my basses running flats tend to stay in tune a little better, but I'm not as aggressive playing these either.
I have some very nice basses with high quality parts, but I've never had any of them that stay in tune for months at a time, at least not according to my tuners.
My main players are played every day, and gigged on the weekends. They travel by gig bag to save room in my tiny car, so tuning up at the gig is always going to be a constant. I'm a heavy player and dig in quite a bit, so I almost always have to touch up the tuning each set. The heat of stage lamps, cold rooms in clubs, and changing humidity will move tuning a bit. I've noticed my basses running flats tend to stay in tune a little better, but I'm not as aggressive playing these either.
I have some very nice basses with high quality parts, but I've never had any of them that stay in tune for months at a time, at least not according to my tuners.
My Ibanez basses rarely need tuning. The only times I tune them is either for different tunings or if I move the basses and the pegs get accidentally adjusted. It really is surprising to me the times where I pick up one of my ATKs and they are still almost perfectly in tune. When I was on tour last from California to Florida and back even with the humidity/temp differences only my D string would go about a half step. Mostly because when I put it in my gig bag it would knock the peg around.
Exactly. My Modulus never drift no mater what. Other wood necks I think are just a matter of luck. My best necks are on my USA G&Ls, my MIM Fender, Alembic, Ken Smith. For example today (large change in weather) and my G&L fretless just had the tuner needle just a few degrees below center for all strings. Oddly all my cheap basses like SX and Squier have pretty good necks. Maybe not quite as good as say the G&L but not bad. However, I always try to only buy/keep basses with stable necks. The worse bass is my 7 string Conklin. A little weather change and it suddenly becomes unplayable. I mean can't get a note out. That then requires BOTH truss rod adjustment as well as tuning. Just the way it is.
