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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
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#62
Arx said:
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.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think it will. Yes subs and boomy ness will still be popular, but sound is doing nothing but increasing in quality, and if one end of the spectrum will become clearer, IMHO, the whole will.
 
#64
john turner said:
the issue you guys seem to be forgetting is that every note you play is a harmonic series - a set of frequencies stacked upon one another that defines the note you hear.

you do not necessarily need to have a clear powerful fundamental to have a very definite and distinguishable note at those low frequencies. i use a us$300 pa sub for my instruments and i am satisfied with the results - it is most definitely -not- reproducing the fundamental clearly and loudly, but it is certainly producing distinguishable notes that are not present anywhere else on the instrument. i don't play my music for osciliscopes, so the amount of fundamental in my tone does not really matter to me so much as the tonal color is there the way i want it to be.

you know, if any of you guys are really interested in this topic, there's quite a few folks here at talkbass, other than me, who have been playing low f# equipped instruments for a decade. they'll be glad to answer your questions, if they haven't already (the search function is your friend).

then again, comparing it to a fart in a space "suite" (sic) :rolleyes: isn't going to win you any friends.
Click to expand...

Aren't they called keyboardists?
 
#65
Dave Muscato said:
Mainstream isn't always bad. Try finding a set of replacement strings for your 7-string bass when you're on a tour stop in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Click to expand...

Unless mainstream opens up their mind and allows bassists to be out of the shadow of the lead guitarist or singer, I don't see it happening. I'm much too happy playing fusion and jazz types of music because it's the first time I haven't been bossed around or how to play my instrument (by someone that doesn't know how to play my instrument!!!!:mad:).

As for strings, no worries for me as I'm a bit of a stockpiler. At any given time, I have plenty of beer, ammo, and strings to survive for months without being resupplied. :cool:
 
#67
yeah.... As someone with one, I think that there is application, and that there are ways to make it sound good *Jauqo III-X*. But, I don't see it becoming popular with the mainer stream crowd like lo B's have. I don't think they will ingratiate themselves as there are a couple problems

1: Amplification.... welllllll... yeah, unless you decide the get a whappo grande *or like jauqo, figure out the way to best amplify it, good 4X10 with at least decent 500 watt head was what i believe he told me*

2: Note diversity. I remember first getting my six string and saying, jeez, this b sounds just like this C#.... well.. that hasn't changed much in the 18 months I've had it. I just got my 9 string with the F# and I can barely tell the difference between F# and G#

but you never know, it could boom onto the scene *sorry for the pun* like the low b eventually did in the nineties, or it could be like a low b on electric gu*tars, where some have uses for them, but many don't.
 
#70
I don't understand how you guys say low B has some complaints as being too low. The low B is been around for a long time, there's old double basses with a low B. Almost every orchestra guy in Europe has one, in the U.S., there's mostly C(Also B) extensions, sorry to talk about orchestra in the Electric bass side of the forum ,but that was an example. I can see how some people are ignorant and others don't need/want it in their music ,but those low notes up to B have been around for a while. I personally think low F# would be awesome, but in the music businuess there's always criticism of something.

Me: I think I should move up from 5 to 6 for a bit more range, it might be pretty cool.

Some guy: wHHY Do u NEED dat for, it's useless and absurd.

Something like that is bound too happen, but who cares people are ignorant and can't respect other people ,or their musical choices. I've been in arguements of extra strings, and they are all pretty silly, but there's more idiots than intelligent people in the world.

Play what you want, and don't let and smart ass tell you what is right and what is wrong. It's all "MUSIC," right? We compose by the same rulebook(s) and theory. It's fun experimenting with new things, or else music would be pretty boring if it was all the same...
 
#73
I can't see myself using the low F# in my music and I don't think it will be mainstream like the low B because mainstream music don't go that low. But I can appreciate that some people use low F# in their music ... whatever work for your music. It's your music anyway, so play what you like :bassist: :)
 
#74
Arx said:
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?
Click to expand...

I did not know that. I stand corrected

I'm amazed at how many people responded to this post btw. The responses are very interesting.

Based on responses I think I may have struck a nerve (or a chord he he he)
 
#75
It's really not about whether a string will become mainstream or not. It will become what ever it becomes for those who find a practical use for it and if one waits for such a string to become mainstream before they accept it, that would tell me a lot about the state of people who call them selves musicians.
 
#76
john turner said:
the issue you guys seem to be forgetting is that every note you play is a harmonic series - a set of frequencies stacked upon one another that defines the note you hear.

you do not necessarily need to have a clear powerful fundamental to have a very definite and distinguishable note at those low frequencies. i use a us$300 pa sub for my instruments and i am satisfied with the results - it is most definitely -not- reproducing the fundamental clearly and loudly, but it is certainly producing distinguishable notes that are not present anywhere else on the instrument. i don't play my music for osciliscopes, so the amount of fundamental in my tone does not really matter to me so much as the tonal color is there the way i want it to be.

you know, if any of you guys are really interested in this topic, there's quite a few folks here at talkbass, other than me, who have been playing low f# equipped instruments for a decade. they'll be glad to answer your questions, if they haven't already (the search function is your friend).

then again, comparing it to a fart in a space "suite" (sic) :rolleyes: isn't going to win you any friends.
Click to expand...
Very good points.

When I was researching a new rig five years ago I became a spec geek. I was focused on the -3dB number so often (mis)quoted. To make a long story short, a friend recommended a PJB briefcase. I got it and loved it. Out of curiousity I measured the speaker response. To my ears the -3dB was somewhere around 60Hz. In other words, it wasn't reproducing the fundamental of the low E very well.

What I discovered was that was good tone to *me* meant trusting my ears and the sound I'm searching for in my head.

The harmonic series of a note is what defines the character of an instrument. If all we heard were fundamentals we'd be playing sine wave generators.

I applaud your approach john turner
 
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