I'm not sure. I guess to just switch things up or boredom during quarantine...
The other option would be to tune the E string down to C# but that would put the B string at a G#, haha.
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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out
- Thread starter Korladis
- Start date
I'm not sure. I guess to just switch things up or boredom during quarantine...
The other option would be to tune the E string down to C# but that would put the B string at a G#, haha.
I'd mess with a string tension calculator and then see if there's an existing set of strings that gets me close enough. Otherwise I'd order singles of the appropriate gauge. You can get real close with Chromes (.040/.055/.070/.090 for example) until you get to that C# string. If you go with nickel rounds you could do .040/.050/.070/.095/.125 (that's just looking real quick at D'Addario options on Fretnation). Stringjoy has a set that would probably get you real, real close: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (I haven't tried their strings but at one point they made a custom set for the dude from Bell Witch...so there's that).
Edit: And obviously you'd want to tweak the numbers depending on how much tension you like to feel in your strings.
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Never tried a string tension calculator. May have to look into those if I ever dedicate a single bass to down tuning and don't like the current feel of the strings.
It's easy...though it gets a bit hairy when dealing with multiscale instruments.
I'm not that fancy... Mid-level Ibanez is my jam, and most of my stuff is fairly beginner level.
Are there capos that work on 5 strings? If so that would effectively turn it into a C# std tuning.
I like that tuning better than drop C. Probably my second favorite after Eb, though I do like drop D. I'm not crazy about getting into the .120 and above string sizes. Not against it per se, just not my preference. When I was playing in drop C with a band, I just kept my same strings as E std. I kinda dug the flop and easy bending. But C# was a great compromise.
Side note, I believe Truckfighters play in C# or maybe it was drop C#.
I like that tuning better than drop C. Probably my second favorite after Eb, though I do like drop D. I'm not crazy about getting into the .120 and above string sizes. Not against it per se, just not my preference. When I was playing in drop C with a band, I just kept my same strings as E std. I kinda dug the flop and easy bending. But C# was a great compromise.
Side note, I believe Truckfighters play in C# or maybe it was drop C#.
We had A SUPER last minute gig last weekend (like a week ago or whatever) that no one was really prepared for but we got ourselves through it. I also got to see one of my buddies from another thrash metal project and hang with a few others in SJ stoner rock scene.
We ended up doing a 45 minute instrumental set because our vocalist fired himself/quit... I'm sort on working on vocals but yeah. Singing and playing is tough...
We ended up doing a 45 minute instrumental set because our vocalist fired himself/quit... I'm sort on working on vocals but yeah. Singing and playing is tough...
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Gig went well, we did 5 songs, two were pretty new to me (we just recorded them the week prior to they were ones I was still working on getting down 100%) so a couple small snags with transitions in one song but nothing terrible or that we couldn't fake our way through.
We're probably going to stick with these 5 for our setlist going forward, as it's a good amount of time that works well with the local scene here. I'd like to add one more back into it to being the played time close to an hour but who knows if it'll work playing in the local venues here.
Gear: Its my same ol Fender Rumble head, going into a 210 and a 115.
My "standard" tone for most of these is my Microtubes X, into a preamp with lots of gain and some compression. Our newer stuff has more clean bits and a few more places were I kick on the dod250 to get some extra fur in my tone.
I kinda wish our guitarist brought his triple rectifier out, getting the volume levels dialed was a little bit of a challenge between poor acoustics and me needing to hear both of us so I can stay intonated
Damn, doomin in the streets? That's pretty badass.
we use C# standard quite a lot. I wish we went down to C or B instead. C# is just in no man's land. most gauges are either too tight or too loose.
A scale length other than 34" probably makes life easier if going all in on C# standard.
Just using Stringjoy's default numbers, a .100 string on 34 inch scale tuned to E1 is 36.5 lbs. Same string, same scale length, but tuned to C# and you're looking at 25.9 lbs. Increase the scale length to 35 inches, and the string gauge to .110 (not an exotic string gauge by any means), and you end up with 34.7 lbs tuned to C#. While I was fooling with this, though, I saw that with 34 inch scale and a .115 string tuned to C# you get 36.1 lbs. So a custom string set is probably a whole lot cheaper than a new bass...but it's also a lot less fun.
I'm considered G# C# F# B E tuning. I very rarely use the B string, just for noise mainly, as it is so the G# would mainly be to keep the E (C#) in the same spot and I wouldn't have to relearn anything.
FYI, I tune to A standard on my Dingwall and use a .145 for the A string. Depending on the scale length you're working with you might need a pretty beefy string for that G#. I'm not trying to dissuade you, just giving a heads up in relation to my experience.
Hehehe, the cheapo B-50 I string as BEAD does just great with it. I bought a 5 string set and just ditched the G. After filing out the width of the nut to fit, it's great.
The band I'm in right now has no use for the B string. But if I want to play that bass, the band I'm in right now also has almost no need for the G on my normal bass (I touch it once during an intro at most shows, we have one song where I use it regularly). I could probably get by with a 24 fret 2 string strung with just E and A if I wasn't lazy and didn't want to change positions.
1. Bring that fiver, tuned normally.
2. Tell him every note is there.
3. Stare him down.
Don't practice the music, practice the staring.
Of course, you then produce that capo, giving you the right tool for the job.
