Up-tuning to F# good idea?

[Slevage]

It is! However... in metal bands it’s often helpful (or even essential) to be able to hit the same open low string as the guitarists. IMO of course

think we’ve covered most options already, but just to say that low F# is achievable with the right strings and setup. Your main issue is pushing enough speaker area to be heard!

Dropping to C# is also a great idea though.

I’m not experienced in metal - it’s an age thing. Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath
We’re the heavy bands when I was practicing in the garage.
Now, the musicians I play with are happy to hear correct notes regardless of how I play them.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Hello, i've been thinking of this for a while now and i'm scared to try it so i'm asking it here first. I've auditioned for a metal band that is pretty heavy. They use 8-string guitars tuned in F#. The problem is that i don't have any way to reach the F#.
If i'd downtune, my strings will be floppy like hell. (Note i only have 4 strings).
So i was wondering, maybe i could tune up to F#.
Is this a good idea?
Will my strings break?
Will my neck suffer?

IMO Tuning down to F# is going to be floppy fart noise even on guitar so it doesn’t really matter if your bass sounds flabby as long as the upper harmonics come through.

Tuning up isn’t the best solution especially when all the notes are already available to you. Your bass can still clank and sound aggressive in drop f#, you just won’t have any fundamental which won’t actually matter.

 

[FunkHead]

Just get some Warwick Strings designed for the Dark Lord Vampyre bass.
I seriously doubt you want to lose your low E and F notes. Rather I believe you are trying to get down to low F#.
Warwick BlackLabel 085-175, 4-string, Dark Lord « Electric Bass Strings
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/warwick-vampyre-bo-dark-lord-bass

 

[Hypocrite]

Set it up to play in F#, it works for Meshuggah

 

[Nev375]

Use a string tension calculator or formula. D'addario and Kalium strings both have them on their websites last I checked.


Tune up or down to whatever but select the appropriate gauge strings. Through Kalium you can even get gigantic strings that would enable you to tune to F# an octave down, but this would require some alteration of your nut by a luthier. Also, I don't know of an amplifier or speaker that can reproduce that fundamental, but there are a handful of djent bassists who do it anyway. I altered a 6 string bass to go F#,B,E,A,D,G once.

 

[MCS4]

Just jumping in to note that the band Torche is a great example of how a bassist can still sound great despite failing to detune to match the guitars. From what I recall, a ton of their material (at least for the first few albums) has the guitars detuned to A, with the bassist tuned standard and generally playing the open-chugged parts on his normal A string. It is a different sound for sure, but it can work.

I will note that the odds are pretty good that the OP's band is going to be playing a type of music that is difficult to play without having an open string that matches the guitar's low string, so from that perspective either tuning up to F# or tuning the whole thing down such that the A string goes to F# would probably be more effective then trying to adjust the parts to suit standard tuning.

 

[Obese Chess]

Hello, i've been thinking of this for a while now and i'm scared to try it so i'm asking it here first. I've auditioned for a metal band that is pretty heavy. They use 8-string guitars tuned in F#. The problem is that i don't have any way to reach the F#.
If i'd downtune, my strings will be floppy like hell. (Note i only have 4 strings).
So i was wondering, maybe i could tune up to F#.
Is this a good idea?
Will my strings break?
Will my neck suffer?

If memory serves, Meshuggah does this exact thing. You'll be fine.

 

[BuckyBass]

Hello, i've been thinking of this for a while now and i'm scared to try it so i'm asking it here first. I've auditioned for a metal band that is pretty heavy. They use 8-string guitars tuned in F#. The problem is that i don't have any way to reach the F#.
If i'd downtune, my strings will be floppy like hell. (Note i only have 4 strings).
So i was wondering, maybe i could tune up to F#.
Is this a good idea?
Will my strings break?
Will my neck suffer?

There's no "wrong" way to tune your instrument, provided you don't damage it in the process.

Overall, this is a solvable problem. After all, the The Smiths tuned to F# all the time, and they managed to play their guitars just fine. But, if you are auditioning for a metal band with 8 string guitars, they will probably not be entirely satisfied with a bass that only goes down to F#. We're not talking Joe Osborne bass lines here. If you want the gig, you probably need a 5 string. Or, you can do as I, and several others on here, do, and restring your instrument to a low B and drop the G string. If your playing up the neck is solid you won't lose much in a band context, and your bandmates might even thank you for staying out of their way. (Mine do.) Just get a 5 string set and lose the G.

If you want to tune that restrung instrument up (say to a C# in the bass, still awfully low vs. human hearing, with an F#, B, and E on top of that), you could probably do it with a light 5 string set. This is entirely at your own risk, but this set would probably work for most restrung and retuned basses:

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-EXL...tring+bass+strings&qid=1616003824&sr=8-4&th=1

You might even be able to get away with one gauge thicker, depending on your instrument. You might have some issues getting your nut notched properly if you decide to keep the tuning, but I never did. You can do it yourself with a file in couple of minutes if you do.

The experiment would cost you about $25. If you don't like it, you can always go back to the set you have.

 

[Ric5]

Hello, i've been thinking of this for a while now and i'm scared to try it so i'm asking it here first. I've auditioned for a metal band that is pretty heavy. They use 8-string guitars tuned in F#. The problem is that i don't have any way to reach the F#.
If i'd downtune, my strings will be floppy like hell. (Note i only have 4 strings).
So i was wondering, maybe i could tune up to F#.
Is this a good idea?
Will my strings break?
Will my neck suffer?

if they use 8 string guitars and you tune up to F3 then your F# and their F# will exactly the same octave. You will have no notes lower then their low notes.

possible solutions are:

1 - get fatter strings and tune F#BEA
2 - tune up F#
3 - leave your bass as is and play the songs
4 - get a 5 string and tune to BEADG, or ADCGF, or F#BEAD
5 - get an octave down pedal

maybe the octave pedal is a good choice

if you want to tune to F# then use light strings .95 will do the trick ...

The problem with a low F# on a bass is it is truly subsonic ... most humans can't hear much below a low A ... but if you use the octave pedal then you can set it for the original note and the octave down ... I normally play BEADG without an octave pedal

 

[iiipopes]

The OP has a good point. It reminds me of when, after a hiatus of a few years, I rejoined my party band. By the time I rejoined, they had expanded the repertoire and a few songs the lead singer started taking down a step. So I had to get a 5-string bass to cover the repertoire, as trying to work around well-known bass lines, especially if taken down a step, just wasn't feasible, even with a Hipshot.

I respectfully suggest the OP is in a similar situation: time to either cut a new nut and get larger diameter strings for the C# tuning suggested above, or go all out with a new bass that can get as low as the band and the OP want to go.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Hello, i've been thinking of this for a while now and i'm scared to try it so i'm asking it here first. I've auditioned for a metal band that is pretty heavy. They use 8-string guitars tuned in F#. The problem is that i don't have any way to reach the F#.
If i'd downtune, my strings will be floppy like hell. (Note i only have 4 strings).
So i was wondering, maybe i could tune up to F#.
Is this a good idea?
Will my strings break?
Will my neck suffer?

Capo

^ This. Seriously. It is the simplest course of action. Try it with a capo and, based on results, correct course if needed (keep capoing EABG, permanent F# standard, C# standard, even capoed BEAD).

 

[dr doofie]

Capos on basses are really sexy, ‘specially in metal...
and the best capo for metal is naturally the next question

 

[dr doofie]

I don't think uptuning two semitones can break a string or damage a neck. If your action gets higher, loosen the truss rod a bit. With a normal, say Fenderish, construction of bass, nothing bad will happen.

However, soundwise, and also from the personal development point of view, you will benefit much more from learning to play your parts in normal tuning. I would try this - you'll learn to transpose two frets higher in no time. Plus, you still have your low E when you need it.

I don't know much about dowtuned guitarists, but I guess they would want you to play as low as possible. You might even consider restringing your bass to B-E-A-D, as on five stringer. Personally, I'd go for lighter gauge strings, I believe you can get more attack that way. But that's another question altogether...

+1 about having the low E available. You want to approach your root from both directions if possible

 

[MattZilla]

If the “floppy” you’re avoiding is the feel under your fingers and you’re wanting to exploit a lot of treble jangle, File the nut for the fattest BEAD string set, and tune it up to C#.

If you’re thinking there’ll be a floppy sound tuning regular strings down- sorta no. But you do have to start with a brand new set of strings.

Tuning medium strings down 1) there’ll be a stronger fundamental and the harmonics are dialed back. 2) you’ll be more inclined to do bends & vibrato and that’ll be the only floppy aspect of your sound... that you suddenly play like you think you’re Stevie Ray Vaughn.

 

[Rayjay]

In the double bass world, tuning up 1 whole step to F#BEA is called Solo Tuning. If you’re using 45s now, I’d switch to 40s. It will require a truss rod tweak just because. Otherwise, I see no issues at all.

 

[Slater]

Andy Rourke of The Smiths tuned up to F# to match (guitarist) Johnny Marr, so it’s been done. If you choose to go with an alternate tuning, you will almost certainly need a new set of strings in the appropriate gauges for that tuning. It can make life easier matching the guitarist’s tuning, especially if there’s an opportunity for playing open strings and pedal-tone riffs.

 

[lucas303]

Instead of tuning your bass one step UP from EADG to F#BEA, how about tuning down one and a half steps to C#F#BE? That way you still have an open F# note available, plus a low open C#, which may come in handy.

I down-tune one of my basses to DGCF with 44-106. You should be able to do C#F#BE with something like 50-110.

This is a fantastic idea.

Also, FWIW, I tried going all the way down to the low F# on my Dingwall and wasn't blown away with the result. I guess I say that just to let you know you're not necessarily missing out on anything life changing by not being able to go that low.

 

[ole Jason]

Notes are notes, do you really specifically need an open F# string? Depends on what type of metal I suppose.

Personally I would play in standard tuning or do C# F# B E low to high. Generally bassists in bands tuning that low will just play the low notes in unison instead of fighting physics and trying to get a good sounding low F# string.

 

[lucas303]

if they use 8 string guitars and you tune up to F3 then your F# and their F# will exactly the same octave. You will have no notes lower then their low notes.

While this is true, the sound of the F# from the guitar won't be the same as the sound of the F# from the bass.

 

[groooooove]

you could easily tune up to F#, but you'll need to check your truss rod.

i doubt that result would be particularly helpful, though. you'll probably want lower notes, not higher notes, to fit that mix.