#1956987 - 06/12/08 05:43 PM
Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
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Griffinator
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I'm really struggling with this one.
I'm about to reform an old band, only I'll be moving to bass this time 'round, as the old bassist is no longer interested in the project, and we'll be bringing a new guitarist on board.
It's prog metal, but a large amount of our material was written in dropped D.
I tried playing some of the lines with my 5-string in standard. The problem is, there's so many quick riffs that require heavy use of the "open" D intermingled with other notes, I question whether anyone short of Vic Wooten himself could execute them in standard tuning without breaking something (a string, the neck, your ulnar....)
So is it totally wrong of me to want to "cop out" and keep a 4-string on stage run dropped D just for those songs?
Or do I need to go ahead and hire a slavedriver to whip me into shape and play this radius-breaking stuff in standard while my guitarist smiles and jams his open-string power chords?
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#1956990 - 06/12/08 05:49 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Griffinator]
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b5pilot
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Not at all. If all the big Shots can have multiple guitars and basses with all their multi tunings and stuff on stage, why not the rest of us?
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#1956995 - 06/12/08 05:56 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: b5pilot]
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cassius
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A lot of times you need the open D to pedal off of. Honestly I don't see why anyone would judge you for making that choice. It's what I would do (and no one ever judges me!).
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#1956996 - 06/12/08 05:58 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: cassius]
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jeremy c
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That's a perfectly normal thing to do.
And besides, it looks cool to have lots of extra instruments on stage.
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#1956997 - 06/12/08 05:59 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: jeremy c]
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Griffinator
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The only reason I ask is because I recall a teacher saying something to the effect of "no one detunes bass!"
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#1957027 - 06/12/08 06:51 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Griffinator]
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Paul K
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Proper tools for the job. And like J.C. says, it looks cool.
And I figured I'd be the first to post "Don't tell Micheal Manring that no one detunes bass."
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#1957030 - 06/12/08 06:58 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Paul K]
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Ross Brown
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Do it
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#1957035 - 06/12/08 07:07 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Paul K]
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jeremy c
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And I figured I'd be the first to post "Don't tell Michael Manring that no one detunes bass."
+1!
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#1957057 - 06/12/08 07:42 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: jeremy c]
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Picker
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Or, you could get a Hipshot E tuner that lets you drop your E string down to a D and then raise it back up to an E by flipping a lever. If anyone calls that a cop-out, tell 'em to go find another band to go "wow" at...
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#1957087 - 06/12/08 08:28 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Griffinator]
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Paul K
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Little experience with the Hip Shot detuner thing; mine broke four months after I bought it many moons ago. But I see no reason why you couldn't put two of them on the bass. Be an innovator.
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#1957168 - 06/13/08 03:22 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Paul K]
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Brocko777
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I've had my Hipshot on my Ibanez for YEARS now with no problem.
Have the d-tuned bass there, group those songs together for quick switch over and RAWK OUT(tm).
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#1957174 - 06/13/08 03:57 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Brocko777]
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jar546
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I had the same problem with some of our songs that are in drop-D. They are just too difficult and don't make sense to play them with the 5 string so I ended up drop-D tuning my 4 string and using both basses.
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#1957180 - 06/13/08 04:39 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: jar546]
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Big Daddy from Motown
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You could capo your five string, than you would be just like a folk singer.
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#1957228 - 06/13/08 06:41 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Big Daddy from Motown]
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mattulator
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There is nothing wrong with detuning and like Jeremy said, 2 basses on stage is very cool. You might even get noticed.
Personally, I would try to play the 5 in standard tuning. Take it as a challenge.
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#1957234 - 06/13/08 06:52 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: mattulator]
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Tenstrum
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My current band:
I have a 5 String tuned to standard and a 4 string tuned drop D plus an additional half step across all strings.
Not a cop out. Just handy.
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#1957276 - 06/13/08 07:57 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Tenstrum]
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yourlord
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I use 3 basses on stage.. A standard tuned fretless 5, a standard tuned fretless 4, and a drop-D fretted 4.
It's not a cop-out.. If the song was written for that tuning you're just using the correct tool for the job..
That being said, I hate drop tuning..
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#1957379 - 06/13/08 11:51 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Griffinator]
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NUTT
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Yeah... go with the drop tuned bass. There is no shame in it.
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#1957421 - 06/13/08 01:20 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: NUTT]
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The Pot
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Alot of famous bass players do, and not just for detuning. There was an interview in BP not too long ago were Les Claypool talked about having multiple basses on hand not just for detuning but also for tonal differences. It's all about doing what sounds good and being creative.
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#1957480 - 06/13/08 02:34 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: The Pot]
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Tom Capasso
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We request that our guitarists do it. Takes less time to plug in than to re-tune.
The only other idea is that capo idea. Tune to D and capo 2. If most of your tunes are in std tuning this is not a hot idea.
Go with two basses. I use a 4 and a 5, but try very hard to change between sets - if at all.
As to the person who said that you shouldn't be de-tuning, I don't buy it. Many things work fine on a 5, but let's try not to be so dogmatic.
Tom
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#1957505 - 06/13/08 03:34 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: Tom Capasso]
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WCriley
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Do I have my nomenclature cunfused? I always thought that Dropped D tuning invloved lowering just the low E string and keeping the other strings at standard, as opposed to dropping all the strings a whole step. Or does the term "drop D" apply to both tunings?
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#1957637 - 06/14/08 03:33 AM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on stage?
[Re: WCriley]
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Griffinator
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That's all it normally entails, WCriley, however if you have a 5 string bass (with low B as opposed to high C) then it's a natural endeavor to drop the B to an A as well.
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#1958203 - 06/15/08 09:08 PM
Re: Is it a cop-out to detune one and leave the other on sta
[Re: Griffinator]
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Bottomgottem
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The only reason I ask is because I recall a teacher saying something to the effect of "no one detunes bass!"
Bulls#!t.
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