Why have a low c# string?

[D.A.R.K.]

Point me to a piece of music that isn't just a hi fi lab experiment with a rock and roll fusion veneer. I haven't heard anything important musically up to this time. Just because it makes nether regions of the human body let loose or scramble the central nervous system doesn't make it good music..or does it?

Ok, you are just fundamentally being an ass.
Different strokes for different folks-
Good luck in life.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Your bass is the only one I've heard where the low C# string has any tonality to it.

On some basses tuned that low all I hear is the clack of a string against a fretboard, no tonality.

I wouldn't want to tune that low personally because getting the right equipment to faithfully reproduce such low end is difficult. In fact the lowest I like to go is the C# one octave up from that.

Thank you and I put a lot of time into trying to actually capture the low frequencies that I was hearing in my head and yes most recording that I've heard where the bass was extra low just showed that the recording was really not well executed.

And yes it really comes down to personal preference when it comes to tone, I've heard some bass players complain that the standard low E on the bass was to much bass.

 

[BioWeapon]

For what it's worth, I heard the 17hz wave in a pair of samson sr850's. Other than CNBC being on in the background, there was no other noticeable noise. I had to concentrate and look for the vibration. 17hz is only 17 oscillations per second (think of rpm's, and listen for a sound moving very slow, like a bad spot on your tire making a thump as your driving through the neighborhood.)

I would not be able to identify this sound with any appreciable background noise. I however hear the youtube recordings just fine, as I hear all the lovely overtones(octaves) that are created by using a stringed instrument. I then perceive the fundamental in my mind to correlate with the overtones I easily hear. (root note) I do this with headphones. With a properly tuned sub I can way more easily feel the root, but only hear the overtones, not that clean wobble you get from accurate headphones.

Agreed. Harmonics are much more distinguishable in instruments tuned that low than the fundamental is especially if you don't have the equipment (Jauqo obviously does!) that can reproduce it.
For the record, my earbuds that came with my old phone were able to reproduce the 17 hz signal. I heard (i think?) the sine wave, just not very well. It was faint compared to the 34 hz signal, but still distinguishable from small amounts of background noise.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

This is good. A lot of people don't understand that when you play any note, that it's not the only note you hear.

And that is a fact, sometimes that's whats actually making the note.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

ok Low C# does sound good but still too low for my likeing
those.

Thank you and yes it is not for every body.

 

[russpurdy]

I think people were getting upset at Jauqo's "I won't listen to the facts or explain myself when trying to answer a question" argument. I could be wrong though, plus I think I just lost interest.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Jauqo needs no defending, but . . . .

There is equipment that does this. I have used it, and demonstrated it in public. I put out a 5 string bass tuned to G# - one string lower than Jauqo's C# - and presented the ACTUAL fundamental loud and proud at NAMM two or three shows back. Bag End facilitated in spades, and I will show a sub this NAMM that delivers flat to 10 Hz.

If you follow the theory that we don't get true fundamental even at standard low E that's fine. Line feed a bass and that limitation goes away. Listen to an iPod and the listening threshold drops to 20 Hz which gives you license to play 10 Hz. Your home entertainment system will let you hear most of it.

Why the hate?

The bass that Skip is talking about, I had the opportunity to play it and I thought it was awesome, the bass just growled for days and it is that growl that helps the low notes breath and turn into the frequencies that we hear.

The low G# was in fact very audible and it didn't sound like it was struggling at all.

As far as the hate, some people are just made to be haters, instead of just accepting that it may not be their thing they just choose to be negative.

Oh well they can hate all they want because their hate is not my ignorance but definitely theirs.


We should be able to have our differences and even argue in a respectful manner but no sleep will be lost from me.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Jauquo, always a pleasure to listen to your pieces. This post sent me back to hear them again.

Thank you.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Like it or not, there is a lot of truth in this statement. The artist here has built his professional reputation on the myth of the "clarity" of these low tones. Conversations like this are necessary for him to be noticed, not unlike the antics a stunt artist uses to get press. No offense intended, it's just plain old entertainment business tactics, IMO. I'm not clear on what the artists point is, other than being noticed over the thousands of other bassists trying to make a name for themselves.

If you believe that you have issues. I'm a professional musician and that is it, I play standard basses, fretless and multi string basses and I look at them as nothing but tools that I can choose to use to help get the job done and maybe be called back for more gigs.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

17Hz can be identified readily enough - whether it's by it's actual fundamental or it's overtones is immaterial. It has musical applications. Don't see the need in the music you play? Don't use it. It is there for those of us who do and want to.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

I'm not going to rain on your parade, but have you ever read up in the Amps/Cabs forum by people like Greenboy or Bill Fitzmaurice what it takes cab wise to reproduce any fundamental below your B string?

Weren't you also the guy who (in another thread) said you used a .105 for low B as well?

No offence meant.

People can write all day what it takes to get certain low frequencies but I could care less becasue I have to think and make things work for me.


The gauges on my Sub Contra Basses are Low C# (.195), F# (.165), low B (.125), and standard E (.100).

And on my standard tuned basses my low B is .110.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Having a bunch of lab coats get responses from "random" people will give one an average hearing range mathematically. One shouldn't imagine that this is totally "scientific," because all the data is based on humans' perceptions of sound. When one extrapolates and assumes that such studies PROVE that any particular person cannot or can "hear" something… Well, that's just dumb.

f n o r d !

Exactly. Every human hears differently but at talkbass a lot of kats can't seem to understand that.

 

[fnordlyone]

Exactly. Every human hears differently but at talkbass a lot of kats can't seem to understand that.

like your music, by the way
f

 

[JAUQO III-X]

I think people were getting upset at Jauqo's "I won't listen to the facts or explain myself when trying to answer a question" argument. I could be wrong though, plus I think I just lost interest.

People are getting upset because they choose to get upset. I've answered the question(s) many times over.

If they can't hear what some hear then that's on them, they don't have to take cheap shots.

And as far as the facts go, doesn't matter when I'm able to do what I do and I captured it and recorded it.




I hear the low C# at 17hz and it doesn't make me special.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

like your music, by the way
f

Thank you and that's all I'm doing, making music that I like, music that some like and music that some hate


And I'm not complaining at all.

 

[knuckle_head]

Point me to a piece of music that isn't just a hi fi lab experiment with a rock and roll fusion veneer.

Open your mind, and open your ears;

Yves Carbonne - self-made-believer-yves-carbonne

... and he plays a whole step lower than Jauqo

 

[Toolmybass]

And spelling flames are kind of lame, dude.

+1
Especially with auto-correct sneaking in unnoticed once in awhile

 

[Jensby design]

Id like to know the function of the low c# string, since its below human hearing its possible use baffles me, but i'm sure there's some reason.

This question never gets old
I will never say that a certain note is too low. D0, is the lowest I have used, C#0 just has not came up yet and I would need to do some mods or build a new bass to go any lower. I think if I had to draw the line somewhere I would stop at E00 (10.3 hz) that's the lowest I have ever prototyped and I'll admit it was a little unusable but bass is addictive

 

[jmverdugo]

Jeez! God's forbid somebody does something he so doesn't need.... If that is the thinking then maybe all basses should only have 1 string.

 

[Jensby design]

Jeez! God's forbid somebody does something he so doesn't need.... If that is the thinking then maybe all basses should only have 1 string.

Nope, all basses should be keytars
__________________
damn kids and their keytars