Tuning Down Half Step?

[Nate74]

I can't remember the last time I sat in with a band that tuned down half a step, but the last two sub gigs I got the bands tuned down. And both times the bass I had with me played worse, or at least felt worse to me. More fret noise, more prone to buzzing when I really dug in, etc. All remedied when I tuned it back up the E standard.

So I'm curious what others do when you're asked to tune down. Do you have a bass setup for the lower string tention? Do you have a bass with heavier strings on it so their less "floppy" with the lower tension?

Or do I dig my 5-string out and leave it in standard tuning and just play everything one key down?

Sidenote: this is in no way a pressing topic, but about 80% of my coworkers are off today and I'm sooooo bored.

 

[mikezimmerman]

One band I was in played everything a half step down, so I set the bass I used with them to have a little more relief in the neck.

For bands that just do a few songs tuned down, I use the detune effect on my HXFX to drop things a half step, or I use the 5-string.

 

[bassdude51]

In a way, you could continue to play in standard tuning. Ya just can't do an open string Eb.

Is a half step lower so important for the band's songs?

 

[Not yet]

Just tune down one of my Bass's and adjust setup. Works fine. In one band that was up and down just brought two

 

[Nate74]

In a way, you could continue to play in standard tuning. Ya just can't do an open string Eb.

Is a half step lower so important for the band's songs?

In NO WAY did their songs need to be tuned down. I think the guitarist had a bit of the ol' "Stevie Ray did it this way so I will too" syndrome.

But he wasn't even using heavy strings...

 

[Mighty Thumb]

I think it depends on the situation. For years I played in originals bands that were all tuned down 1/2 step. These were grunge & hard rock bands and the 1/2 step down was easier for a lot of singers. I was playing 4 strings primarily at the time. That type of music had a lot of open string stuff and “drop d” , which was also a half step down. So my basses were set up accordingly with a little heavier gauge strings. Now I play mostly 5 strings and different music so just keep one 4 string set up 1/2 step down in case that’s what’s called for and everything else is in standard tunings.

 

[Christophe C]

The pitch shifter from the HX stomp is perfect for this.

 

[Nate74]

The pitch shifter from the HX stomp is perfect for this.

I had no idea such a thing even existed... time to waste some more company time on researching these now.

 

[Christophe C]

I had no idea such a thing even existed... time to waste some more company time on researching these now.

Thé digitech Drop pedal is also ok but less efficient.

 

[michael_t]

So I'm curious what others do when you're asked to tune down. Do you have a bass setup for the lower string tention? Do you have a bass with heavier strings on it so their less "floppy" with the lower tension?

I have one of my J's strung with GHS Pressurewound L7200 (40-96) tuned to EADG, and another J with GHS Pressurewound M7200 (44-106) tuned to DGCF.

PW 40-96 tuned to EADG = 147.2 lbs. in total tension.
PW 44-106 tuned to DGCF = 148.5 lbs. in total tension.

 

[pbass2]

I've done the detuning thing for some work, but man these days for live(and I sub a lot like you), I've gone whole-hog five string and it solves all of those issues. I can see needing to have a bass set up detuned for certain music of course if you really need the tonality of specific open strings, but I almost never encounter that (but some rock stuff certainly warrants it I guess). I'm with you, detuning a standard-tuned bass without adjusting the setup and strings to match just makes it feel and sound crappy. Bonus with the fiver is the more you use it on those kinda gigs you describe, the more comfortable you'll be on it no matter what gets thrown at you.

 

[Element Zero]

…time to waste some more company time…

Union member?

 

[DanAdams]

just put a capo on the 11th fret

 

[MCS4]

After a lifetime of playing in metal bands, it is the ordinary course of business for me to find out what tuning(s) a band primarily uses and set up one or two basses to suit the tuning(s), starting from a set of strings in a gauge that I think will suit best and continuing on through full setup with intonation checking etc.

 

[Nate74]

Union member?

He he he.... one might think so but not on this job.

 

[Lefty Joe]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...monix-pitch-fork-polyphonic-pitch-shift-pedal

problem solved, plus the option to sound like an 8-string if you aren't dropping to E flat

 

[mambo4]

I've never had to detune, I just played in they key of Eb on standard tuning and no one cared
But some riffs require it to sound right
The material determines the importance of detuning

 

[howdydoody13]

I can't remember the last time I sat in with a band that tuned down half a step, but the last two sub gigs I got the bands tuned down. And both times the bass I had with me played worse, or at least felt worse to me. More fret noise, more prone to buzzing when I really dug in, etc. All remedied when I tuned it back up the E standard.

So I'm curious what others do when you're asked to tune down. Do you have a bass setup for the lower string tention? Do you have a bass with heavier strings on it so their less "floppy" with the lower tension?

Or do I dig my 5-string out and leave it in standard tuning and just play everything one key down?

Sidenote: this is in no way a pressing topic, but about 80% of my coworkers are off today and I'm sooooo bored.

What happens when you tune down is that there’s less tension on your neck so your action comes down because the neck straightens out and now you have buzzing… that’s why I always like to know ahead of time and actually set a bass up for a specific tuning….

 

[pbass2]

I've never had to detune, I just played in they key of Eb on standard tuning and no one cared
But some riffs require it to sound right
The material determines the importance of detuning

If you mean on a four-banger, that's fine if the lowest octave of the Eb root you need is up there. Most stuff I encounter in Eb I also need that lower octave of the root, so a five string saves the day. (Plus, on the fiver I can also walk up to that low root note, which is super handy

 

[steveb119]

I use digitec Drop pedal works great for me