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Tune Once and ...

#21
+1 to tuning before a show and at a break as it is the professional thing to do.
I have 2 cheap Ibanez basses that I gig with and they stay in tune pretty good for being in soft cases and left in the car sometimes.
I have noticed that I am off just a little after about 30 minutes if the bass was cold when I started.
 
#23
Phalex said:
I did a bit of recording a few weeks ago. The sound guy specifically asked me to play my Ric. The last time I'd played my Ric was in church about 3 months ago. I took it out of the case, plugged it into the tuner, and it was spot on!

So, I don't even have to tune my bass every three months or so.........

(I at least check my tuning with harmonics between sets)
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I always check but I pulled out my old P bass that I haven't used in months out of the hardshell case and man, I couldn't believe it was spot on! Like a piano that thing is. LOL
I also check between sets just to be sure. Can't hurt to ensure your fully in tune.
 
#25
Mike151 said:
I always check but I pulled out my old P bass that I haven't used in months out of the hardshell case and man, I couldn't believe it was spot on! Like a piano that thing is.
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My 78 P-Bass is rock-solid that way, too. You literally tune it once at the beginning of the night and it's good to go the rest of the way. My newer Ibanez BTB... not so much. Though I did tighten the hell out of the tuning peg tension on my Ibby and that has helped quite a bit.
 
#27
The only time I tune mid-show is when I have new strings. I'll check it when I have a chance of course, when there's a break between songs or whatnot, and I always check before the show. Usually 10-15 min. before we go on, I'll tune both basses I use and leave them on the stand to acclimate to the temperature on stage (lights are hot). That being said, I rarely have to do anything other than minor adjustments. I left my Dean in the soft case for about 4 months, took it out, and barely touched a peg to get it back to perfect.
 
#30
.... so I'm the exception here. lol. Most nights I tune my bass between every song unless we go straight into another song and I don't have time. It sounds crazy but I play really hard and I'm obsessive compulsive. Did I mention that I play really hard and I'm obsessive compulsive? compulsive? compulsive?
 
#31
SC Bassboy said:
.... so I'm the exception here. lol. Most nights I tune my bass between every song unless we go straight into another song and I don't have time. It sounds crazy but I play really hard and I'm obsessive compulsive. Did I mention that I play really hard and I'm obsessive compulsive? compulsive? compulsive?
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Maybe ritualistic? :) At least your not washing your hands between every song. No offense intended if anyone has this particular OCD.
 
#32
Phalex said:
That reminds me of a band I used to be in that had a sax player. Is it possible to tune a sax?? I could get there on my fretless, but the rest of the band......:scowl:
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Sure you can tune a sax. Or let me rephrase that: Sure, a sax can be tuned. It's a matter of moving the mouth-piece. And there is some amount of wiggle room even without doing that. A bit like making the bass sharp by pressing hard with the fretting hand.
 
#33
+1 to sax can be tuned. Sax player may also be overblowing and that'll toss him out of tune.

I tune before the gig after bass has been out while setting up. I'll check it before next set, but unless the temp changed drastically (or they cranked the a/c) it's rarely off. Close enough that the few times I didn't have time to tune between sets I wasn't too panicked :). I hardly ever tune at home unless i'm learning a new song and it's way out (unless I bump a peg, rare).

And all my basses are under $350 :)
 
#35
Spraeg said:
The only time I tune mid-show is when I have new strings.
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You do know it's not a good idea to put fresh strings on right before a show, don't you? They need a certain amount of time to stretch out and get "settled in". My rule of thumb is 2 days, but if you're really pressed for time you could probably put them on the night before and be OK with a 24-hour window.

We have a guitarist who routinely puts on fresh strings only a few hours before downbeat -- often while the rest of us are setting up the P.A. -- and it drives us all effin nuts cause he's tuning the whole damn night.
 
#36
jaywa said:
You do know it's not a good idea to put fresh strings on right before a show, don't you? They need a certain amount of time to stretch out and get "settled in". My rule of thumb is 2 days, but if you're really pressed for time you could probably put them on the night before and be OK with a 24-hour window.

We have a guitarist who routinely puts on fresh strings only a few hours before downbeat -- often while the rest of us are setting up the P.A. -- and it drives us all effin nuts cause he's tuning the whole damn night.
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Yes, I'm quite well aware of that, and I usually try to re-string at least 3 days before a show if I need to change, but sometimes there just isn't time. Plus I've put new strings on mid-show after breaking one. I've actually changed my guitarist's strings when he left his guitar at my house to get around your same problem (30 min. original set, can't be tuning every song).
 
#37
I change my strings when they break, so tuning is rarely required and I play very aggressively at times.

15 years ago I changed strings monthly....now I look back and laugh or sometimes cringe when hearing my old recorded tone.

I wish that my guitarist had ocd and tuned up a little more. He's probably sick of my "Is that a new jazz chord?" passive reminder.
 
#39
Now me, personally, and this is just in my experience, your mileage may vary, every individual has a different set of circumstances, results are not guaranteed, but for me, I tend to tune my bass guitar when it's out of tune.

But if some tard thinks it only needs to be tuned once per night and that's it, well, I'm sure he's the expert. :rolleyes:

Guess how many times you have to quit a band before all your band-drama disappears? Just once! Yaaaaay!
 

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