Your choice for downtuning

[smogg]

I use a black G7th Nashville capo. The spring is VERY strong, and the bar is plenty long (kind of overkill for a guitar honestly, it's like it was made for bass). It even works on my 6 string bass no issues. I've had it since 2009 and it still works like I just opened it today

G7th Nashville Spring-Operated Guitar Capo

Do you think this is long enough to fit a 5 string bass?

I misread your post, therefore the stupid question (doh!) I ordered a G7th Nashville and look forward to trying it out. Thanks for the help.

 

[prndltech]

I have a Kyser 12 string guitar capo that I bought off Amazon ($20) to use for setting up my basses and I know it works on a 5 string cuz my only 2 basses are fivers.

 

[smogg]

Apologies if there's a thread on this, and if so please point me to it, but just found out an audition I was already preparing for that the songs will be stepped down, some none, some a whole tone and some a half tone.

Suggestion was to get a Zoom MS70-CDR or EH Pitchfork, and I think there is another popular pedal out there, a red-colored one which I don't recall.

Also I've always wondered about latency with this kind of thing.

No way am I going to relearn these songs in different positions and might have to bite the bullet for yet another pedal and somehow find space for it on the already full board, ideally with suggestions from this community.

So, how did the audition go? Curious minds want to know.

 

[Btbp]

The update is there is no update. Audition has not happened yet and other auditions are the priority along with staying on top of my current band’s growing set list.

From the responses the Digitech is the better pedal, which was the goal of the thread. While this approach has its flaws, it's cheaper than buying an extra bass. I kinda agree with the pay to play comment though, especially for a band I don’t even know I’d want to join.

Turns out all the songs are in different than original keys, some a half-step and others a whole step, and one they changed a week later from a half to a whole step. After I had already worked on it of course.

Another benefit from this thread is I’ve come around to the merit of eventually having a dedicated bass tuned to Eb or BEAD, though would not do that to any of my current basses, I like them just the way they are. A dedicated bass tuned to Eb would be useful as there’s Blues things always happening and some guitarists like downtuning to Eb. I’m not going to rush-buy one for an audition.

As for the misguided attitude reply, had I said that to the prospective band that might be a fair response, except that’s not what I did nor what I said nor have I ever done that nor would - I mentioned it here, only, because this is the kind of place we can discuss these kinds of things.

If these were simple Go Gos songs that would be one thing, I have transposed stuff like that for gigs and bands. But these are complicated songs –Steely Dan and Prog, which I’ve played for years, but never these particular songs, and some are very position-oriented and originally 4-string stuff, so I have to both learn them from scratch then transpose them. Auditioning for 3 bands at once with totally different music, time is limited to where this becomes a low-return effort.

Remember I haven’t even decided if this gig is even worth it to me, if I gel with the other players who I haven’t met yet, or their set list, which I haven’t seen yet, etc. If my goal was to play anything anytime in any key that would be one thing, but I play for enjoyment and have little interest Wedding gig-type situations where I’m not playing music that moves me. So far it hasn’t been an issue with bands I’ve played in or gigs I’ve done, etc.

I still might do the audition though.

 

[Zbysek]

I don't use downtuning pedals. I don't trust them, I don't see a reason for them (musically). My instruments have all the notes which I need.

When someone asks me to play a song in a different key, I play it in a different key. No big deal.

If some of the notes get outside of the range of my 4-strings instrument because of the downtuning, I either (i) use 5-strings instrument, or (i) play some of the notes one octave higher, or (iii) downtune the E string to D.

IME, it would take me more time to get the downtuning pedal and learn how to use it than just to learn the song(s) in a different key. Plus it makes me a better musician if I learn the song in different key. Getting new pedal does not.

To be clear: I enjoy getting new pedals. I just don't think it's the best way to approach OP's situation.

Anyway: good luck with your audition, OP!

 

[Adamixoye]

IME, it would take me more time to get the downtuning pedal and learn how to use it

For something like the Drop the learning curve is literally 5 seconds

 

[Zbysek]

For something like the Drop the learning curve is literally 5 seconds

It might be the case when u consider it separately.

But the whole process of getting the pedal (including discussing it in this thread) takes much longer than learning 4 songs, especially taking into consideration that the OP already knows them (at least their structure, tempo, rhythm etc.) and is able to play them in a different key.

 

[smogg]

The update is there is no update. Audition has not happened yet and other auditions are the priority along with staying on top of my current band’s growing set list.

From the responses the Digitech is the better pedal, which was the goal of the thread. While this approach has its flaws, it's cheaper than buying an extra bass. I kinda agree with the pay to play comment though, especially for a band I don’t even know I’d want to join.

Turns out all the songs are in different than original keys, some a half-step and others a whole step, and one they changed a week later from a half to a whole step. After I had already worked on it of course.

Another benefit from this thread is I’ve come around to the merit of eventually having a dedicated bass tuned to Eb or BEAD, though would not do that to any of my current basses, I like them just the way they are. A dedicated bass tuned to Eb would be useful as there’s Blues things always happening and some guitarists like downtuning to Eb. I’m not going to rush-buy one for an audition.

As for the misguided attitude reply, had I said that to the prospective band that might be a fair response, except that’s not what I did nor what I said nor have I ever done that nor would - I mentioned it here, only, because this is the kind of place we can discuss these kinds of things.

If these were simple Go Gos songs that would be one thing, I have transposed stuff like that for gigs and bands. But these are complicated songs –Steely Dan and Prog, which I’ve played for years, but never these particular songs, and some are very position-oriented and originally 4-string stuff, so I have to both learn them from scratch then transpose them. Auditioning for 3 bands at once with totally different music, time is limited to where this becomes a low-return effort.

Remember I haven’t even decided if this gig is even worth it to me, if I gel with the other players who I haven’t met yet, or their set list, which I haven’t seen yet, etc. If my goal was to play anything anytime in any key that would be one thing, but I play for enjoyment and have little interest Wedding gig-type situations where I’m not playing music that moves me. So far it hasn’t been an issue with bands I’ve played in or gigs I’ve done, etc.

I still might do the audition though.

Thank you for your thoughtful and informative response. This is one of the things I enjoy about TB, it gives me an opportunity to gleam someone else's view(s) from a different prospective than my own. Plus I ended up with a capo and a bag of picks because of this thread. Y'all should have seen the looks on the two guitarists faces when I broke out the capo. Priceless Now they are under the illusion that I might know what I'm doing.

 

[Adamixoye]

It might be the case when u consider it separately.

But the whole process of getting the pedal (including discussing it in this thread) takes much longer than learning 4 songs, especially taking into consideration that the OP already knows them (at least their structure, tempo, rhythm etc.) and is able to play them in a different key.

Just in general I think a lot of people take the view that there is always some objectively best way to achieve certain goals. This is not necessarily the case. Your opinions and reasons for doing things your way are valid, and I would agree that there is value in learning to transpose and be able to play something in any position. But it's not always 100% the correct answer for an individual's specific situation. I do think "it takes a long time to learn the pedal" is, in this case, a little silly and it's a reach to include the time of reading this thread, etc.

 

[J Posega]

There's also the opposite approach: tune lower physical, tune higher digitally.

Your tone gets more an more unnatural the further from your original pitch you get. Maybe there's a happy middle ground to be achieved by tuning to D standard and using a pitch shifter to shift up a half or whole step.

 

[Zbysek]

Just in general I think a lot of people take the view that there is always some objectively best way to achieve certain goals. This is not necessarily the case. Your opinions and reasons for doing things your way are valid, and I would agree that there is value in learning to transpose and be able to play something in any position. But it's not always 100% the correct answer for an individual's specific situation. I do think "it takes a long time to learn the pedal" is, in this case, a little silly and it's a reach to include the time of reading this thread, etc.

I respect your opinion.

I wouldn’t call fellow tallbass member’s argument “silly”. But that’s just me.

Take care.

 

[TTA]

low f#. Might be excessive to get for an audition. :-D

Apologies if there's a thread on this, and if so please point me to it, but just found out an audition I was already preparing for that the songs will be stepped down, some none, some a whole tone and some a half tone.

Suggestion was to get a Zoom MS70-CDR or EH Pitchfork, and I think there is another popular pedal out there, a red-colored one which I don't recall.

Also I've always wondered about latency with this kind of thing.

No way am I going to relearn these songs in different positions and might have to bite the bullet for yet another pedal and somehow find space for it on the already full board, ideally with suggestions from this community.