Mark Sandman Stings for Slide on Bass

[aliveinvain]

Turns out I had misremembered the gauges. My brain is shot

It's a .075 for the D (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OR4UFK)

and

a .035 for the A (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OR4UB4)

Amp wise I was pretty much all SWR until recently. SM400 into 410, or Bassic Black combo for smaller rooms. Tweeter off, treble down. I use an Arkham Zephyr pre into a Crown power amp now. Main cab is an SWR SOB (115) loaded with a Kappalite. Honestly, as long as you can control the gank that you get from the slide pretty much any amp will do. If you're going to be a purist, get an SVT. I'm not a purist. In my experience though, the right strings will go a looooong way to get the sound.

A few years ago my band performed the Cure for Pain album. Here's link to a folder with videos from the show: Link Removed sound quality is a bit meh but you get the idea

At the time I was using just a Hofner style pickup in the jazz neck position. The amp is the Bassic Black.

Thanks for all this. I am for sure gonna get the strings. I know that will make a huge difference.

For my set up I was thinking of using my Dark glass preamp: Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 Bass Preamp Pedal with Aux In

Getting a big miff: Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi Bass Fuzz Pedal

Or getting the ampeg plugin for studio recording: IK Multimedia Ampeg SVX 2 Software Suite

Thoughts?

 

[HaphAsSard]

Turns out I had misremembered the gauges. My brain is shot

It's a .075 for the D (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OR4UFK)

and

a .035 for the A (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OR4UB4)

Thanks for all this. I am for sure gonna get the strings.

A word of caution: the .075" works well as a D because ihixulu's is a short-scale bass. Should anyone want to metamorphinise their long-scaler, keep in mind that .075" is really tight tuned to D at 34".

 

[aliveinvain]

A word of caution: the .075" works well as a D because ihixulu's is a short-scale bass. Should anyone want to metamorphinise their long-scaler, keep in mind that .075" is really tight tuned to D at 34".

Very good point. Mine is gonna be a 34" scale.

So...what should I do?

 

[HaphAsSard]

Very good point. Mine is gonna be a 34" scale.

So...what should I do?

On second thoughts...it may be less of a concern if you never fret the string at all!
Try it (if you're "sold" on D'Addario guitar Chromes, at least as an experiment, I'd suggest getting them from the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] I posted on page 1, post #5 above: it would set you back 10.29 bucks total, free shipping CONUS*), and if it's too uncomfortable for the picking hand get the next smaller gauge (.065") instead.


*I'm well outside CONUS myself and have no relation to the seller, other than the fact he's a former TBer.

 

[aliveinvain]

hmm...So just to start out and get a feel. What ones should I get first?

 

[ihixulu]

Thanks for all this. I am for sure gonna get the strings. I know that will make a huge difference.

For my set up I was thinking of using my Dark glass preamp: Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 Bass Preamp Pedal with Aux In

Getting a big miff: Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi Bass Fuzz Pedal

Or getting the ampeg plugin for studio recording: IK Multimedia Ampeg SVX 2 Software Suite

Thoughts?

When I saw Morphine, he had his bass going into a boss tuner and a green big muff. I'd wager the Green Russian reissue would be the closest version. It's a cool pedal anyway.

The Darkglass is good gear from what I hear. As long as it does clean and can tone down the sparkle it should be fine for this purpose.

 

[HaphAsSard]

hmm...So just to start out and get a feel. What ones should I get first?

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and
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are my picks, based on relative tension.

If they're too tight, next time get this
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and this
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instead.

 

[aliveinvain]

Well. Here she is! I cannot wait to play her!

 

[aliveinvain]

Ok, so help me understand the tuning? Do I tune the top string to A then drop it to D?
Then tune the G to an A? its just all dropped.

Help?

 

[HaphAsSard]

Ok, so help me understand the tuning? Do I tune the top string to A then drop it to D?
Then tune the G to an A? its just all dropped.

Help?

The fatter string is tuned to D2 (same D as open D of standard-tuned bass); the thinner to A2 (a perfect 5th above the former pitch).
[Bassists may consider the latter "tuned up" if bought as a single bass G;
also, guitarists recognise the open D+A power chord as typical of guitar "drop D" tuning (=low E tuned down to D), and may call it as such.]

Depending on the song, sometimes both are tuned a whole step below, i.e. C and G respectively.
[In this latter tuning, the larger string could be considered "dropped", if one purchased it as a bass D string.]

^ This is what I know.

 

[aliveinvain]

Thanks for this it really helped!

 

[aliveinvain]

So for anyone following this still here is me playing my Mark Sandman type bass:

 

[Old_Noob]

Thats some trippy poopie. How do you like your Krappy Bass

 

[John Eaton]

Resurrecting this thread in praise of Dan Thompson of Guns & Guitars who build me a Mark Sandman Tribute bass and man is it just perfect. So so much fun to play.