De-tuning

[BassBalls]

I tune my jazz bass down to drop D and down half a step. This makes my low E string (C sharp) very floppy. I currently have warwick reds with a gauge 45-105.

What gauge strings should i use? Any particular brand?

Cheers

[thumbo]

try replacing the 105 with a 110, it'll make all the difference and balance out the feel. I've just switched to using rotosound swingbass on my P-bass which is tuned to CGCF. I use 45-110, I swapped the standard 105 for a 110, works a treat.

[MoJ]

Id say you may want to go a little heavier than that. Bear in mind that your lowest note is only a couple of steps up from the lowest on a 5 string. That in mind, maybe try a 120 guage. That would be a very light string for low B so tuned up a couple of steps would even it out a little.
What I found very useful is if you go to the D'addrio website and go to bass strings, near the bottom of the page is a link to a .pdf on string tensions and guages. Ive recently gone down to B-E-A-D and it was useful to see what guages would approximate the same tension. This is of course if you want your C# to feel like a standard E...
Andy

Here's a direct link to the .pdf [url="http://www.daddariostrings.com/Resources/JDCDAD/images/tension_chart.pdf"]http://www.daddariostrings.com/Resources/J...nsion_chart.pdf[/url]
If you scroll down to about page 10 you see the start of all the types of bass strings like nickel, steel, flatwounds etc. I reckon it still applies to most brands of string IMO...

Edited July 1, 2007 by MoJ

[BassBalls]

Thanks for the help guys,

yeah i want the C to feel like the standard E in tension. At the moment it keeps getting magnetized to the pickups when i rest my hand to play higher notes! lol

Where can i buy single strings?

Cheers

[MoJ]

[quote name='BassBalls' post='25541' date='Jul 1 2007, 10:18 AM']Thanks for the help guys,

yeah i want the C to feel like the standard E in tension. At the moment it keeps getting magnetized to the pickups when i rest my hand to play higher notes! lol

Where can i buy single strings?

Cheers[/quote]

Try these guys, [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/"]Stringsdirect[/url]. Ive been using them for a while now as they do single Elxir strings, so I dont have to keep buying the 4 string set + the 5th and wasting the G string, and singles work out about £3 cheaper too. They do also do a few other single strings too, and though they charge £1 postage its next day delivery if they have your order in stock and you get it in before, I think its 3 in the afternoon (Stringbusters dont charge but they dont do what I require). I usually phone them to order as at least that way I know they have the stock and Im dumb enough to leave things like this till a few days before a gig!
Andy
PS Alternatively you could ring my shop , [url="http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/"]Nevada Music[/url], but we wont be as cheap on singles and we really only keep Rotosounds in singles.

Edited July 1, 2007 by MoJ

[BassBalls]

OK so what i have done for the short term is put one of my old heavy B strings (130) on and its sounds fat. However, its quite tight and im scared that the neck will twist or the intonation may go out, is this true.

I recon a 120 will be about right though.

Cheers

[MoJ]

[quote name='BassBalls' post='26080' date='Jul 2 2007, 03:52 PM']OK so what i have done for the short term is put one of my old heavy B strings (130) on and its sounds fat. However, its quite tight and im scared that the neck will twist or the intonation may go out, is this true.

I recon a 120 will be about right though.

Cheers[/quote]

Without checking the D'addario guide Id say yep, a 120 or 125 is probably about right for a C#.
As for the bass, its not so much a case your intonation wil [i]go[/i] out, more likely from putting a heavier string on and going a lower pitch it will [i]be[/i] out already. You'll probably need to move the saddle back to increase the scale length, if you have room on the bridge to go back that is.
The twist in the neck may happen, depending on the quality of the neck wood etc, but over a fairly long period of time. If you adjust the guage of string so that tension remains equal (to as closer degree as you can) and even tension across the strings as set up for a standard E tuning (and therefore guage) then you shouldnt encounter any problems.
It [i]may[/i] mean having to buy different guages for the other three strings as well just to keep the balance right.
Andy

[BassBalls]

Ahh bugger this sounds like an expensive trip down to the local guitar shop to get it set up to the right tension at my tunings. Got an annoying earthing problem which i cant seem to solve myself too.

Suppose it will be cheaper than buying a new neck in the long run though!

Thanks for the advice.

[MoJ]

[quote name='BassBalls' post='27195' date='Jul 4 2007, 09:45 PM']Ahh bugger this sounds like an expensive trip down to the local guitar shop to get it set up to the right tension at my tunings. Got an annoying earthing problem which i cant seem to solve myself too.

Suppose it will be cheaper than buying a new neck in the long run though!

Thanks for the advice.[/quote]

I t [i]shouldnt[/i] be too expensive. If you know how to adjust your truss rod and intonation, then it'll be as expensive as buying some new strings. Given the tuning you're aiming for, you'll probably find keeping the same standard guage for the first, second and third strings they will feel a little looser as well so Id suggest having a look at going a little heavier on those.
That should in theory balance out any neck issues.

Electrics aint my thing though so maybe if you're going to you guitar repairer anyway....

Andy

[Delberthot]

I really like Ernie Ball Slinkies so when I was detuning to D I went for power slinkies which are really good and they have a cool name