MARKBAKER
Newbie
- Messages
- 1
I can't believe some of these responses I read in another thread regarding this subject so I thought this may help for those who need more info. No disrespect at all as I'm sure the other people are trying to help but all it was is a bunch of personal opinions not really answering the question just stating what they use. A bass player said he snapped strings by changing his tuning and not one person told him that he has to make sure his bass is set up and intonated first before you slap any string on there to the tuning your band is playing in.
Then the next question that should be asked is "What type of music do you play and what tone are you trying to achieve". Obviously 99% of bassist playing straight rock, jazz, blues, top 40 , country are not playing in Drop C...lol but using a higher gauge string is going to give you a deep warm low end tone, not very bright and with little attack.
I'm endorsed with ESP so when I get a new bass from the factory the first thing I do is get it set up and intonated to Drop C. Now for my tone I have a mix of a low end heavy punch with a high growl. If Justin Chancellor and Doug Pinnik mixed tones then that is the tone I have achieved for my style of playing. I use effects/pedals and like to make the strings scream once in a while as well and I can't do that if I'm playing strings that look like the cables on the golden gate bridge....lol I use GHS Boomers Heavy .50 .70 .95 .115 I have a couple more where I opened up the nut and use .120
I'm reading where some bassist are saying they buy a 5 string set and just throwing away the high string. Wrong..wrong..wrong!! That is tension is messed up on a 4 string bass. Not to mention a .125 will NEVER fit properly in a standard nut that is put on all 4 string basses. If you didn't open it up then you have it just laying on top of the grove...LOL You need to open it up if your going to do that. I also recommend depending on the bass buying a better bridge and tuning pegs " I use Gotoh's" if you are going to increase the tension. Hardware can effect your tone as well.
Anyways, help this helped.
Then the next question that should be asked is "What type of music do you play and what tone are you trying to achieve". Obviously 99% of bassist playing straight rock, jazz, blues, top 40 , country are not playing in Drop C...lol but using a higher gauge string is going to give you a deep warm low end tone, not very bright and with little attack.
I'm endorsed with ESP so when I get a new bass from the factory the first thing I do is get it set up and intonated to Drop C. Now for my tone I have a mix of a low end heavy punch with a high growl. If Justin Chancellor and Doug Pinnik mixed tones then that is the tone I have achieved for my style of playing. I use effects/pedals and like to make the strings scream once in a while as well and I can't do that if I'm playing strings that look like the cables on the golden gate bridge....lol I use GHS Boomers Heavy .50 .70 .95 .115 I have a couple more where I opened up the nut and use .120
I'm reading where some bassist are saying they buy a 5 string set and just throwing away the high string. Wrong..wrong..wrong!! That is tension is messed up on a 4 string bass. Not to mention a .125 will NEVER fit properly in a standard nut that is put on all 4 string basses. If you didn't open it up then you have it just laying on top of the grove...LOL You need to open it up if your going to do that. I also recommend depending on the bass buying a better bridge and tuning pegs " I use Gotoh's" if you are going to increase the tension. Hardware can effect your tone as well.
Anyways, help this helped.
