Trying to mirror the guitar riff (as in most metal) COULD be near impossible.
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Up-tuning to F# good idea?
- Thread starter ImHereToAsk
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Northlane and Acacia Strain too, in both cases the bassists are on record saying it's just not worth the hassle.
That is what I do, tune in F# standard tuning, 2 half steps above regular 4 string bass E standard tuiningm, on my 4 string Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass that I use in the musical project that currently got my main attention, a bass/vocals and drums duo, where I also utilize an always on octave up effect, to give an effect similar to that of an 8 string bass, with pairs of respective bass and octave strings.
F# standard tuning is also the tuning traditionally used in classical music for upright bass solo pieces.
And the bass player from Meshuggah has his 5 string bass tuned with the low B0 string tuned down to Bb0 for the songs the band wrote in Bb tuning, on 7 string guitars dropped down a half step, and the low E1 string of his 5 string bass tuned up to F1 for the band's songs written in F tuning, on 8 string guitars dropped down a half step, meaning that for the songs written in F his lowest note is the same as the guitars, and his tuning being drop Bb, meaning Bb0 - F1 - A#1 - D#2 - G#2.
Here's a thread about it on another forum : Definitive Meshuggah Bass Tuning for Low F (where it is discussed that contrary to the belief of OP in that thread the bass player from Meshuggah actually tune to F1 an octave higher, same as the guitars, and not an octave lower to low F0)
So should work perfectly well, as long as you remember to get that right gauge strings, thinner gauge than usual, to accommodate the up tuningm which can be calculated and compared here: String Tension Pro
F# standard tuning is also the tuning traditionally used in classical music for upright bass solo pieces.
And the bass player from Meshuggah has his 5 string bass tuned with the low B0 string tuned down to Bb0 for the songs the band wrote in Bb tuning, on 7 string guitars dropped down a half step, and the low E1 string of his 5 string bass tuned up to F1 for the band's songs written in F tuning, on 8 string guitars dropped down a half step, meaning that for the songs written in F his lowest note is the same as the guitars, and his tuning being drop Bb, meaning Bb0 - F1 - A#1 - D#2 - G#2.
Here's a thread about it on another forum : Definitive Meshuggah Bass Tuning for Low F (where it is discussed that contrary to the belief of OP in that thread the bass player from Meshuggah actually tune to F1 an octave higher, same as the guitars, and not an octave lower to low F0)
So should work perfectly well, as long as you remember to get that right gauge strings, thinner gauge than usual, to accommodate the up tuningm which can be calculated and compared here: String Tension Pro
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Other way round, actually. If the action gets higher from tightening the strings then the truss rod must also be tightened to compensate, assuming it is capable of doing so.
Raising this thread from the dead... lol. I just recorded a metal song with an 8 string guitar tuned to F#, and wanted to add bass. Since a lot of the riffs use open strings and pull-offs that I wanted the bass to double, I tuned a four string bass up a whole step to F#. I must report that it sounds freaking great. The added tension works really well for metal. So far the bass doesn't seem adversely affected.
Hey buddy, I get your question about up tuning, and unlike a lot of the snarky comments I am seeing, I have solved this issue on 5 string basses and I can give you an easy and affordable solution.
My guess is you have an 8 string guitarist, or a 7 string tuned starting at low F# and you want to be able to play in unison riffs that require a mix of upper fret-board runs with open pedal tones in-between. VOLA is a good example of this, and Nicolai Morgensen uses the whole step up tuning on 4 strings leaving the low B standard (think drop B tuning).
First thing, decide on a tuning for you 4 string. Do you need the low B or not? Also, I HIGHLY recommend using a 34" scale bass which most 4 strings are. A 35" is going to be a bit more challenging do to various reasons.
If you want to go F#-B-E-A (standard tuning up 1 whole step), you should be OK with a gauge setup of 040-060-075-095. If you do this, you are in luck because you can find this gauge as a set at most stores. You will likely need a truss rod adjustment but you should be OK, no big deal.
If you want to go B-F#-B-E (5-string without the high A), your bass will love you more because only 3 strings are going up to a higher tension. Both D'Addario and Ernie Ball offer a 5-string set that is 040-125 (040-060-075-095-125). The only chaos you might run into is your nut, as the strings may not fit. On the positive side, nuts are cheap and easy to replace/swap out. Or if you plan to stay with that tuning, modifying your nut isn't overly difficult, though I would recommend having a qualified person do the work.
So there you go... You don't need another bass, or a capo, or just modulate, blah-blah-blah... It's as simple and straight forward as what I have listed above.
Rock on!
My guess is you have an 8 string guitarist, or a 7 string tuned starting at low F# and you want to be able to play in unison riffs that require a mix of upper fret-board runs with open pedal tones in-between. VOLA is a good example of this, and Nicolai Morgensen uses the whole step up tuning on 4 strings leaving the low B standard (think drop B tuning).
First thing, decide on a tuning for you 4 string. Do you need the low B or not? Also, I HIGHLY recommend using a 34" scale bass which most 4 strings are. A 35" is going to be a bit more challenging do to various reasons.
If you want to go F#-B-E-A (standard tuning up 1 whole step), you should be OK with a gauge setup of 040-060-075-095. If you do this, you are in luck because you can find this gauge as a set at most stores. You will likely need a truss rod adjustment but you should be OK, no big deal.
If you want to go B-F#-B-E (5-string without the high A), your bass will love you more because only 3 strings are going up to a higher tension. Both D'Addario and Ernie Ball offer a 5-string set that is 040-125 (040-060-075-095-125). The only chaos you might run into is your nut, as the strings may not fit. On the positive side, nuts are cheap and easy to replace/swap out. Or if you plan to stay with that tuning, modifying your nut isn't overly difficult, though I would recommend having a qualified person do the work.
So there you go... You don't need another bass, or a capo, or just modulate, blah-blah-blah... It's as simple and straight forward as what I have listed above.
Rock on!
