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Playing metal?

J

jeffkuzmanich

Sep 20, 2006
10
1
portland, or.
#1
So i've been playing metal alot recently. i have always played it off and on, but mostly i play jazz and other kinds of rock. i own a fender MIA 5 with a leo quan badass bridge and nordstrands and a musicman SR5. when i play with people in drop C or even drop B flat my basses sound and play like ****. i have power slinky's on both basses and i have raised the action. that made it better but its still doesnt cut it. Are these just not good basses for metal? is there actually a reason why people in metal play esp's and ibanezes, like they work better for tunning down and playing fast. i've always though esp's and ibanez's were basically not very good. any input on this would be much appriciated. thanks
 
#3
any body correct me if m wrong, but drop tuning your bass relieves the neck of tension, and you have to counteract that tension loss with heavier strings and a neck adjustment(tighten the neck up i think)

when the strings are drop tuned it makes the bow more...just wait and you will get better replies than mine from smarter people:hmm:

also check out a website by gary willis, its a setup guide and it helped me alot... Invalid Link Removed
 
#5
I have my P-bass Deluxe tuned CGCF and use it for metal. Use heavier gauge strings(I suggest Lo-Riders or High Beams), tighten the neck( alittle goes a long way) and re intonate it. Use a really good tuner or spend $20-$30 and get it professional set up. The first time i had it in that tuning i had it done at a shop so i didn't do something wrong. Then fine tune it the way you like it with string height. Might want to lower the p-ups alittle if you play aggressively, with less tension it's a good idea.
 
#7
+1 on the bigger strings, I tune to D and use DR LowRider .45-.105, for a 5 string set it would be .45-.125/.130. these help a great deal with the sloppyness of tuning down. if you are changing you tuning on the fly you are going to have to find a happy medium regarding setup.
 
#9
i use ernnie ball power slinky's. they are 55-110. so string size isnt the problem. i think i may just need to adjust the trust rod a bit and lower my pick ups too. i wish more people would just play in standard. basses just sound amazing in standard, but guitar players love to tune down for some reason.
 
#10
jeffkuzmanich said:
i use ernnie ball power slinky's. they are 55-110. so string size isnt the problem. i think i may just need to adjust the trust rod a bit and lower my pick ups too. i wish more people would just play in standard. basses just sound amazing in standard, but guitar players love to tune down for some reason.
Click to expand...

That annoys the piss out of me. If I can't do it with a 5 string, I won't do it. Most guitards could care less how much effort it takes a bassist to get good action and sound changing to tunings for them to get a darker sound.
 
#14
jeffkuzmanich said:
.. is there actually a reason why people in metal play esp's and ibanezes, like they work better for tunning down and playing fast. i've always though esp's and ibanez's were basically not very good.
Click to expand...

Ibanez & ESP(LTD) make cheap, bang for the buck basses that are easy to play. And because in metal the bass is usually pretty absent, the tone isn't that much of an issue = cheaper basses will do. In addition to this, e.g ESP seems to be handing out endorsements pretty easily up here at least.

Thicker strings and a new setup will probably help your Fender & MM, if you have to play in those drop tunings. Otherwise they're probably better instruments than all those ESP and Ibanez models. ;)

I personally don't get excited about ESP/LTD & Ibanez. Good basic basses, but I don't find anything special in them. But I'm a Warwick/Spector guy in my preference, and a bit biased. :p
 
#18
Jazz Ad said:
Or don't bother detuning since you have a 5 stringer that fixes this issue just fine.
Click to expand...

What Jazz Ad said.

You have everything you need for Drop C in standard with your 5's.

Have you tried tuning up to drop C with a set up?

Btw... The EB power slinky .110-.55 would be a 4 string set. :hmm:

I'm a bit confused here, what are you using as a low B then?

And there should be no problem playing in drop Bb with a heavyier set of stings. Ken Smith has some heavyier gauges, as well as many others. A lot of 7 string basses with low F# use .150 and you're definitely higher then that.

Something doesn't seem right here, or just not enough info.

Maybe I'm tired, but I've played in both of those tunings with no problem on 4's as well as 5's.

Peace
-Benny
 
#20
Everything we play is normal tuning 1/2 step flat. Eb. I only play 5-stringers and never really need to go any lower than that.

I use GHS Boomers, 45-130. I used to have a lot of chatter and buzz from the fretboard. But after I had my stage bass properly setup and the nut shimmed with a proper piece of wood instead of business cards, it plays with excellence.

I've got no gripe with Ibanez basses. Last night I was wanking on a MTD that was VERY nice, however, the action was really low and my playing style on it sounded like crap.

In my opinion, any bass can sound and play well if you get it set correctly for the way you play. Whether it has the tone and characteristics you like, that's up to the slab of wood and the craftsmanship. But even a crappy bass can get 90% of the way and be playable.

Take one of your drop-tuned basses to a good guitar tech, and show him how you play. He could recommend thicker strings, he could tweak the truss rod, he could change the action... there's plenty of factors. But the most important one is experience. Let a guitar tech help you out, and you'll definitely get things working right.
 

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