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Please don't throw rocks at me...

#43
Fingerpickingood said:
Please abide by the title of the thread! :) I shall endeavor to make a lengthy story short. I'm in a metal band that plays... Well... Call it up-tempo sludge. I know that seems a bit of an oxymoron, but there you have it. I'm also joining a rock band that plays pretty standard radio-friendly grunge rock. The metal band plays in drop A, and the rock band plays in E standard. Now that I've bored you to tears with my wanton verbosity, allow me to pose my question: Would one of these Squier Vintage Modified Jazz 5ers I've seen so many people rave about be a good choice to play in both of these bands? My thinking is that I can simply drop the low B a step to an A for the metal band, and stick with the EADG strings for the rock band. Furthermore, is the bass in question capable of handling the low A without becoming a floppy, muddy mess? String gauge would be increased, of course... Thanks in advance!
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I have four 34 inch 4 strings. All are tuned BEAD and all have a Hipshot Xtender for Drop-A. Works fine for me with standard strings BUT I use flats which typically have higher tension.
 
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#44
I am also in a metal band that could be labeled "up-tempo sludge". Very "meat and potatoes" expressing groove with old-school crunch and low-register speed riffs, and a dominant, audible bassline. My experience was this: the bridge made the difference. My current weapon is a Schecter w/ a full-contact type of bridge. When I used my older Schecter, same body, that had a traditional bridge with loose saddles that were meant to be held firm by the tension of the string, I had string noise even with the saddle adjusted very high. The other Schecter has saddles that are clamped firm to the bridge and plays very clean. If you can't find a bass you like with the right type of bridge, you may be able to modify your bass with a Babicz bridge or some other brand. Truss rod adjustment can also be a factor.
 
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#45
Luckydog said:
Doesnt matter... unless the PA is up to it, nobody will hear your notes anyway, particularly in a metal band.
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Not always true. I play in a down-tuned metal band, and I run my amp head thru a 6x10 cab and it cuts thru, fully supports the rhythm guitar, and high register fills are audible. Consciously adjusting my eq tone to work with the guitar instead of against it fills in the low end and allows mid-frequency definition without clashing. Yes, it took years of experimenting, but IT CAN BE DONE.
 
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#46
Ellery said:
Not always true. I play in a down-tuned metal band, and I run my amp head thru a 6x10 cab and it cuts thru, fully supports the rhythm guitar, and high register fills are audible. Consciously adjusting my eq tone to work with the guitar instead of against it fills in the low end and allows mid-frequency definition without clashing. Yes, it took years of experimenting, but IT CAN BE DONE.
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I've found that, while there are a ton of really awesome and knowledgable folks here at TB, there exists a small portion of snobby individuals to whom all metal created post-Maiden is absolute dreck. An alarming amount of people have never given metal an honest listen. As such, they simply don't realize that there are scores of metal bands with bassists whose skills rival all of their favorite jazz, blues, and prog players. Bassists who absolutely pull off the difficult task of cutting through when the guitars have crept into their sonic territory. It's highly likely that these individuals turned on some metal, then fled with their hands clapped over their ears, screaming "LOUD NOISES" and whimpering.
 
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#48
Fingerpickingood said:
I've found that, while there are a ton of really awesome and knowledgable folks here at TB, there exists a small portion of snobby individuals to whom all metal created post-Maiden is absolute dreck. An alarming amount of people have never given metal an honest listen. As such, they simply don't realize that there are scores of metal bands with bassists whose skills rival all of their favorite jazz, blues, and prog players. Bassists who absolutely pull off the difficult task of cutting through when the guitars have crept into their sonic territory. It's highly likely that these individuals turned on some metal, then fled with their hands clapped over their ears, screaming "LOUD NOISES" and whimpering.
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Right on man, couldn't have said it better myself!
 
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#49
BTW I'd like to applaud Fingerpickingood's resourceful and practical approach to this problem, finding one bass for multiple uses. Not all of us have the $$$ or even the space to own a bass for every application. I would have 2 or 3 more basses myself w/o this line of thinking.
 
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#50
JimmyM said:
Ya, I wouldn't sweat it too much, either. I've tuned my B down to A many times, and it's a .120 on a 34" scale bass.
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You serious? mine is .135 tuned to B and the buzz on the first fret drives me up the wall!just ordered a bunch of d'addario bass singles, with a .145 for the B. I'm just hoping it's gonna fit in the nut slot of my SR
 
#51
Braden Persch said:
I play in Drop A on a stingray, 135 DR LoRider's. No flop. I've also used Daddario prosteels (145, too tight) and Labella SS 140. I like the DR the best, but because it's a hexcore the tension difference isn't very noticeable. Ernie Ball power slinky's could also work.

Edit: forgot to mention that it sounds great. Personally I EQ out some of the low end.
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I just ordered a bunch of bass singles for my 5 string. got a .145 nickle wound for the B, which has 3 more lbs of tension than the prosteels .145. am I gonna be screwed? lol .135 was never enough for me and .145 is the next thickest
 
#55
markmeloney said:
I just ordered a bunch of bass singles for my 5 string. got a .145 nickle wound for the B, which has 3 more lbs of tension than the prosteels .145. am I gonna be screwed? lol .135 was never enough for me and .145 is the next thickest
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I wouldn't say you're screwed if you don't like fretbuzz. I play death metal so I dig the buzz and clank. Is your a bass 35' scale? Labella makes a 140, or check out some hex core strings like DR DDT's or Lo Riders.
 
#57
Braden Persch said:
I wouldn't say you're screwed if you don't like fretbuzz. I play death metal so I dig the buzz and clank. Is your a bass 35' scale? Labella makes a 140, or check out some hex core strings like DR DDT's or Lo Riders.
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My band fancies themselves to be 'symphonic death metal' but for my personal taste, I hate the buzz. although it seems kind of silly that i'm spending all of this time and effort trying to eliminate it when more than 50% of people prefer the sound of buzz lol.. Thanks for the recommendations. Maybe after this set i'll check those out. crossing my fingers that i'm gonna like it. my .135 doesn't have enough tension for me so maybe all will go well
 

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