• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Its taken a while for the low B, how long for lower?

A low F# will become as popular as the low B is today

  • in less than five years

    Votes: 14 3.8%

  • between five and 10 years

    Votes: 19 5.2%

  • greater than ten years

    Votes: 34 9.3%

  • ain't gonna happen

    Votes: 298 81.6%
  • Total voters
    365
Status
Not open for further replies.
#21
i think people probably reacted in a similar way to a low B. the low string on my new ESP is a .125, and i can get it down to G#, i can get the .135 on my peavey to G, that's pretty close to F# iirc:rolleyes:

so, a .135 on my ESP could probably reach F# just fine, and the G# also sounds fine through even a peavey combo amp, or my Nemesis 1x8. i think alot of you guys are exaggerating how extreme this is. plus, alot of metal guitarists are playing with F# these days, why shouldn't the bassists keep up?

in fact, i'm sure there are members on this forum right now using an F#...it's just not that big of a deal.

also, i voted more than 10 years. i think it WILL catch on, at least in heavier sub-genres of metal. in fact it already is catching on, there's no arguing that. it'll just take time to be as widely accepted as a low B. and maybe it won't have all of the P&W bassists backing it like the low B does.
 
#23
pointbass said:
I don't know if it will ever be "popular", far too many players have developed preconceived notions of its impractical nature as witnessed by many of the posts above. But there is a value to some of us ..... ;)
Click to expand...

i'm 100% positive that it WILL be popular. as DS has already posted, Warwick is making one. people talking about the gear required are grossly exaggerating, and i'm sure there were these preconceived notions about the low B too.
 
#24
B.C. said:
Agree completely, but I meant to say that even baseline equipment will improve to the point of being able to reproduce the low frequencies, it is just a matter of time.
Click to expand...

Do you think baseline equipment is improving at the bass end of the spectrum? I think not. More and more is being replaced with Sat/sub systems that are usually boomy as hell with no low end.
 
#26
What about Jaquo, dosnt he play a low C#?????


I have, although only for an hour or so, played in EADG, an octave lower than standard, with my small amp though it didnt sound good, but it did sound enough to hear it.
 
#27
mozarwasagenius said:
and manufacturing (it is difficult to handle the tension of the massive string).
Click to expand...

It's not difficult to handle the tension. Going lower pitched means less tension. The only reason you make the string bigger is to avoid having too little tension.

A B string at .130 is looser than an E at .100. Why would an F# be any different?
 
#28
JEDI BASS said:
Low B--- barely usable in limited applications due to all the reasons already stated. Low F#--- less usable and definitely not reproducable by PAs. I'm a 6 string player since '92 and have zero desire to go lower. I very rarely go below low D, even on my Dingwalls whose 37" B is tight and piano-like. Listeners don't care if you're "breaking new ground" by going super-low. But, they do like AUDIBLE clarity. As you can probly tell, I'm NOT a fan of bands where the guitarists play 7 strings and the bassist is nothing more than a thunder-maker....BORING!!
Click to expand...

Agreed that it's definitely not practical for live shows, where the average volume level is almost invariably set way too high.

It might be good for recording though. Super low bass can be pretty darn cool in the right music, played back on a sufficient stereo or headphones.

I don't expect is will ever become mainstream though, seeing as the market seems to be looking for loud, rather than low, when they're buying speakers.

If you're playing back your music on a pair of 2 ways with a 3 inch "woofer", and running all your bass through an 8 inch "subwoofer", there's not much point in having any content below 80Hz or so.

-Nick
 
#30
Parabolic Box said:
You also cannot compare them to Optima's or TI's. If those companies made the strings in those gauges, the price would be fairly clear.
Click to expand...

He's just saying that they're not prohibitively expensive. The comparison is just to say that if people are willing to buy strings at that price when a cheaper set would likely do, why wouldn't they be willing to spend the same money on a set with a fat bass string.

-Nick
 
#31
Arx said:
Agreed that it's definitely not practical for live shows, where the average volume level is almost invariably set way too high.

It might be good for recording though. Super low bass can be pretty darn cool in the right music, played back on a sufficient stereo or headphones.

I don't expect is will ever become mainstream though, seeing as the market seems to be looking for loud, rather than low, when they're buying speakers.

If you're playing back your music on a pair of 2 ways with a 3 inch "woofer", and running all your bass through an 8 inch "subwoofer", there's not much point in having any content below 80Hz or so.

-Nick
Click to expand...

EXACTLY.
 
#35
JEDI BASS said:
Low B--- barely usable in limited applications due to all the reasons already stated. Low F#--- less usable and definitely not reproducable by PAs. I'm a 6 string player since '92 and have zero desire to go lower. I very rarely go below low D, even on my Dingwalls whose 37" B is tight and piano-like. Listeners don't care if you're "breaking new ground" by going super-low. But, they do like AUDIBLE clarity. As you can probly tell, I'm NOT a fan of bands where the guitarists play 7 strings and the bassist is nothing more than a thunder-maker....BORING!!
Click to expand...

Here is a fairly popular metal band where the guitarist plays seven and even eight string Ibanez guitars on some tracks, and the bassist plays a five string most likely tuned down, you'll probly hate it, but its worth a listen at least.

Link Removed

I'll admit the bass cant really be heard that well, but such is the nature of the genre.
 
#36
I just used an online freq calculator to find freq of f#1=46.2 hZ
yeah let's amp it up i changed my mind i'm down with it, 2k watts and a 30 in woofer with a parametric eq tuned with very narrow band squashing everything under 30-35 hZ.
it will speak..... won't neep p.a. at small to med gigs...............go penguins
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back