Really low tuned guitars and bass? How do? (clip)

[Loren Littlejohn]

Is the bass doomed to sound really flabby? Honestly I think my bass sounds like shit tuned that low. There really isn't much tone to it either ATM (strings are a little old).

But even with new strings, how do mix/play/tune bass for really low stuff?

Play with the octave the guitar is playing? Kind of sounded stupid when I tried that.

Excuse the sloppy, this was thrown together pretty quick. I didn't even bother to use real amps for this example (so the guitars are pretty sloppy and podfarm at the moment). I knocked 80hz off the guitars. Guitar was a stock Agile septor 8 sting ash.


https://dl.dropbox.com/u/453334/Fucking 8 string nonsense.mp3

Anyhow any ideas are appreciated. Bass was a 5 string, you have to play pretty lightly to get it to sound somewhat in tune. Which is another thing, is this tuneing also doomed as far as intonation goes (bass).

 

[TheWinterSnow]

from my experience when bass sounds flubby and like an unpolishable turd, its a sign that the strings are too old, not high enough of a gauge, or both. Fresh heavier strings will help out a shit ton.

EDIT: After listening, I can say that the low end sounds normal for that tunning. If the strings are going out of tune when you get into them even a little, you need thicker strings.

 

[plague_rider]

Agreed with TheWinterSnow

Sounds like you need new strings bud... having them for a while at a higher tuning then dropping them is gonna sound bad

New set, tuned slowly from 1-2 tones below the tuning you want...

What tuning are you using??

 

[muckypup1]

Agreed with TheWinterSnow

Sounds like you need new strings bud... having them for a while at a higher tuning then dropping them is gonna sound bad

New set, tuned slowly from 1-2 tones below the tuning you want...

What tuning are you using??

I would have thought the tuning on the bass was down to F# if hes playing with a 8 string guitar, but i might be wrong haha

 

[plague_rider]

yeah but how many guys here play 6 strings in B or 7s lower than B...

probably is F#

this shouldnt be a problem with new strings done as above...

 

[Charles J]

Here's a silly thing I wrote on a right-handed LTD 7-string strung for a lefty and tuned down to E (ACACIA STYLEE BABE!!!!!) but also setup and intonated for this tuning. (EMG 81-7)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/786150/EFWP/ESCAPE%20FROM%20WHITE%20PINE%20-%20SLOTH%20-%20MP3.mp3

Bass is pitch-shifted guitar. Amp is TSE X_30 =D. I didn't really do anything out of the ordinary. HP/LP, maybe a couple notches. Don't remember really, haha.

IMO, it's all about proper setup, intonation and string gauge! I'm using a .14 - .68 in this clip. ALSO, you have to adjust your playing style a wee bit. I can't easily explain it, it's more of a feel thing.

Oh, and another thing is all the DI's are going through our Trident S20 which has a way of making DI's sound fucking AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGG.

Get that bass setup correctly and you should be fine!!!

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Yeah the 8 is in standard factory tuning so F#, B, E, A, D, G, B, E

So yeah I dropped the B sting on a 5 down to F#.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I'll look into that.

Honestly I would love to be able to just set the whole bass down a step.

So:

A, D, G, C, F (If I'm thinking correctly lol).

But still have the tension that exists when it's in standard as it is right now.

Then dropping that down to F# wouldn't be quite so butt.

 

[plague_rider]

Dude i had my 5 down to G,C,F,Bb,F with semi-new strings and it was EPIC!!!

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

To be perfectly honest, I find no reason to tune the bass down so that it's an octave below the guitars (which are already in a normal bass' range.)

I'm almost positive that, as an example - Dirk from Meshuggah plays in the same octave as the guitars when they're chuggin on the 8th string (ie a normal bass guitar's range.)

 

[darthjujuu]

To be perfectly honest, I find no reason to tune the bass down so that it's an octave below the guitars (which are already in a normal bass' range.)

I'm almost positive that, as an example - Dirk from Meshuggah plays in the same octave as the guitars when they're chuggin on the 8th string (ie a normal bass guitar's range.)

yep. IMO this'll sound better than going lower than A on bass, but most will argue

 

[John_C]

Meshuggah sound great............but then we all now just how much awesomely heavier it sounds when they DO let the bass and the guitars seperate by an octave. It's like a twice per album occurrence but oh my god it's awesome

 

[beyond dead]

what model of bass are you using loren? I was having the same problem with my peavey millenium 5 string when tuning down to A with .45-.130 strings. I picked up an ibanez btb 5 string with a 35" scale with .040-.125 and it actually holds strong pitch on the low A.

I thought that the same "thicker is better" approach that works on guitar would apply to bass, but I realized when I put 40-125 gauge strings on my 34" scale peavey 5 string, that the neck relaxed a bit, and actually held BETTER pitch then it did with thicker gauges.

If you plan on chugging in the same octave as guitar(which sounds bad assed, messhugah is great, but who gives a fuck what they do) My advice would be to try a bass with a longer scale (assuming your bass has a 34" scale) and dont go too overboard with string gauge. for F#, B, E, A, D i think 45-130 would be just about right.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Just a cheap SX J 5 string. Scale is 32"

 

[colonel kurtz]

Scale is 32"

there's your killer right there, dude

35" scale FTW