Anyone else tune their bass up? (that is higher than E standard tuning)

[Baloney Balderdash]

Anyone else who tune one or more of their bass up, that is higher than E standard tuning (or B standard tuning, if 5 or 6 string bass), perhaps even mainly playing with such tuning?

 

That be whether it is piccolo bass tuning, one octave above, A standard, tenor bass (I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but it the actual technical term for a bass tuned this way. I assume named with the instrument tenor guitar, which is a 4 string higher tuned guitar, since a 4 string electrical bass would resemble this, in mind, rather than the actual tuning of it), tuning, one fourth above,  F#, traditional classical upright bass solo tuning, two half steps above, standard tuning, G standard tuning, three half steps above, or perhaps some entirely different alternative tuning (same, as far as the intervals, goes for above B standard tuning for 5 or 6 string basses of course)?

 

Personally I have grown quite fond of the traditional classical upright bass F# standard solo tuning, 2 half steps above regular 4 string bass E standard tuning.

 

Seems to work really well for my just 28.6" scale Ibanez Mikro Bass, and in my experience F# seems to be just the turning point where it will still very much sound like a bass instrument, whereas as soon as you get to G standard tuning something happens with the character of the instrument that makes it sound more like a 4 string baritone guitar than a bass.

 

With the higher F# tuning i can actually achieve a tone with a bit of that harmonically rich piano like quality, otherwise impossible to obtain with the kind of string gauge needed on such a short scale length for the low E string in regular E standard tuning.

 

For this I personally use coated Elixir Nanoweb, relatively low and approximately balanced tension, guitar strings of the gauges .080 - .062 - .046 - .036 (threaded through the cut off ball ends of old bass strings, to not fall through the string mounting holes in the bridge).

 

Though this is used for songs specifically composed with this tuning, and with playing it in a bass and drums only kind of constellation in mind, as well as for jams with just a drummer.

 

 

Of professional musicians I am aware of that does this kind of thing:

 

I know about Charlie Hunter, who developed a quite unique guitar/bass crossover playing style, where he sort of plays bass and guitar simultaneously, utilizing the 3 top strings like a bass, and the 4 bottom strings like a guitar, of his custom made fanned frets 29" to 25" scale length 7 string guitar/bass, tuned respectively G-C-F, bass side, and C-F-Bb-D on guitar side.

 

And the bass player of Meshuggah has his 5 string bass tuned B - F# - B - E - A, utilizing the B string for hose of their songs written on 7 string guitars, for a B an octave lower than the lowest string of the guitars, but then actually, rather than tuning an octave bellow, for those of their songs written on 8 string guitar, utilizes the F# string, tuned to the same octave as the guitars.

 

Then of course both Victor Wooten, and, to an even larger extend, especially Stanley Clarke, makes frequent use of tenor basses, that is basses in A standard tuning (a fourth above E standard tuning).

 

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Waddo Soqable]

I've frequently put a capo on a bass if that counts... as regards "tenor" I made (butchered) a 4 string tenor guitar from a reg 6 string, and tuned it like a G banjo (minus the little drone string) relatively speaking that is.. I subsequently tried that tuning on a bass (tho you're going down rather than up) as it's a good tuning to play" tunes", it didn't really work well but I may experiment further perhaps with a capo. 

Interesting to fiddle with different tunings, not so common with bass as guitar, good call👍

[Guest]

Early Smiths, Andy Rourke's bass was tuned F# standard.

 

 

A bit later, when he started recording with E standard, he would still tour with a F# bass for the early songs. Details lovingly collected here.

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Ricky Rioli

[Lfalex v1.1]

As per @Waddo Soqable , I use a capo on a 4-string in D standard. Naturally,  it frequently resides at the second fret for E Standard, but has been known to move further up, for "Barbarism begins at home", as an example, or if I need a pedal tone that's further up but out of reach unless I tap.

 

Gives a good compromise that covers a lot of ground.

[thodrik]

I was in an instrumental band who tuned to drop E flat, so essentially the 'drop D' equivalent of being tuned to F standard. Technically I was tuned up and tuned down. 

I actually have one of my five strings tuned to drop C, with the low B string being tuned up to a C and the EADG strings tuned up to GCF and B flat. My other five string is tuned B, F#, B, E, A but I often tune the low B up to C sharp for old school Black Sabbath type stuff which is in C sharp. I used to play downtuned four strings from years and kept the five strings for my E standard stuff. I just decided to try uptuning the five strings when I was bored during the pandemic and was listening to lots of Karnivool where Jon Stockman tunes a six string to an usual drop B tuning rather than B standard. 

 

The benefit is that I now have at least one four string bass in E standard tuning for the first time in about 5-6 years. After years of playing all manner of non-standard tunings it is actually proving to be quite liberating. If I was in a covers or function band I would be using standard tuned five strings or fours, but I am not so I don't. 

[Waddo Soqable]

One thing I did, purely as a hired gun for about half a dozen gigs, required me to tune to a kind of drop C to fit with their existing music (it include synth tracks on a laptop too) this was on a normal 4 string bass, I only do 4 stringers so it was that or nowt.. It worked surprisingly well considering. If I'd been in the band ongoing I'd have probably sorted out some more suitable gauge strings or whatever 

[lidl e]

On 21/01/2023 at 12:29, Ricky Rioli said:

Early Smiths, Andy Rourke's bass was tuned F# standard.

 

 

A bit later, when he started recording with E standard, he would still tour with a F# bass for the early songs. Details lovingly collected here.

 

That's funny you say that, because Andy Rourke plays on one of our tracks, and it starts off on an F# and then had this beautiful feel that i can't quite get and i think its because he is using that F# tuning.

 

When i play it live, i find it would likely be much easier if i tuned to F# . Its always an awkward tune to play for me.

 

You can hear it here. Let me know what you think if he is tuning up or not

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/471386-andy-rourke-plays-on-my-bands-last-single/

 

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by lidl e

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 21/01/2023 at 12:21, Baloney Balderdash said:

Anyone else who tune one or more of their bass up, that is higher than E standard tuning (or B standard tuning, if 5 or 6 string bass), perhaps even mainly playing with such tuning?

 

That be whether it is piccolo bass tuning, one octave above, A standard, tenor bass (I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but it the actual technical term for a bass tuned this way. I assume named with the instrument tenor guitar, which is a 4 string higher tuned guitar, since a 4 string electrical bass would resemble this, in mind, rather than the actual tuning of it), tuning, one fourth above,  F#, traditional classical upright bass solo tuning, two half steps above, standard tuning, G standard tuning, three half steps above, or perhaps some entirely different alternative tuning (same, as far as the intervals, goes for above B standard tuning for 5 or 6 string basses of course)?

 

Personally I have grown quite fond of the traditional classical upright bass F# standard solo tuning, 2 half steps above regular 4 string bass E standard tuning.

 

Seems to work really well for my just 28.6" scale Ibanez Mikro Bass, and in my experience F# seems to be just the turning point where it will still very much sound like a bass instrument, whereas as soon as you get to G standard tuning something happens with the character of the instrument that makes it sound more like a 4 string baritone guitar than a bass.

 

With the higher F# tuning i can actually achieve a tone with a bit of that harmonically rich piano like quality, otherwise impossible to obtain with the kind of string gauge needed on such a short scale length for the low E string in regular E standard tuning.

 

For this I personally use coated Elixir Nanoweb, relatively low and approximately balanced tension, guitar strings of the gauges .080 - .062 - .046 - .036 (threaded through the cut off ball ends of old bass strings, to not fall through the string mounting holes in the bridge).

 

Though this is used for songs specifically composed with this tuning, and with playing it in a bass and drums only kind of constellation in mind, as well as for jams with just a drummer.

 

 

Of professional musicians I am aware of that does this kind of thing:

 

I know about Charlie Hunter, who developed a quite unique guitar/bass crossover playing style, where he sort of plays bass and guitar simultaneously, utilizing the 3 top strings like a bass, and the 4 bottom strings like a guitar, of his custom made fanned frets 29" to 25" scale length 7 string guitar/bass, tuned respectively G-C-F, bass side, and C-F-Bb-D on guitar side.

 

And the bass player of Meshuggah has his 5 string bass tuned B - F# - B - E - A, utilizing the B string for hose of their songs written on 7 string guitars, for a B an octave lower than the lowest string of the guitars, but then actually, rather than tuning an octave bellow, for those of their songs written on 8 string guitar, utilizes the F# string, tuned to the same octave as the guitars.

 

Then of course both Victor Wooten, and, to an even larger extend, especially Stanley Clarke, makes frequent use of tenor basses, that is basses in A standard tuning (a fourth above E standard tuning).

 

 

I decided to string my Ibanez Mikro Bass with Elixir Nanoweb guitar strings, threaded through cut off ball ends of old bass strings to not fall through the bridge string mounting holes, of the gauges .068 - .052 - .038 - .028, and tuned to tenor bass, A standard, tuning, that is as the 4 upper strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning, which as said Stanley Clarke, for one, makes widely use of.

 

And I love it!

 

Obviously useless for filling out a traditional bass role in a band context, but as solo and/or melodic instrument, that is also viable for playing chords, but while actually still sounding good playing regular bass lines on, it is pretty amazing. 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Waddo Soqable]

1 minute ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

I decided to string my Ibanez Mikro Bass with Elixir Nanoweb guitar strings, threated through cut off ball ends of old bass strings to not fall through the bridge string mounting holes, of the gauges .068 - .052 - .038 - .028, and tune it to regular tenor bass tuning, which as said Stanley Clarke makes wide use of, the is A standard tuning, as the 4 upper strings of a regular B standard tuning tuned 5 string bass.

 

And I love it!

 

Obviously useless for filling out a traditional bass role in a band, but as solo or melodic instrument, that is also viable to play chords on, it is pretty amazing, and you can still play regular bass lines on it and sound good. 

 

 

With the "baritone" Vl I'm tuned to what you could  call A standard (but obv have the 2 higher strings in addition)  my lowest is circa .071 btw