# What tuning should I use for a 6 string bass?



## Beardyman (May 5, 2010)

Okay, so i'm planning on picking up a 6 string bass soon for a band i'm joining. The guitarists are using Drop C# so i'm wondering what in the hell should I tune my bass to?! I'm going to tune one of my guitars to the same tuning i'll use for bass for now, just so I can write out the bass parts.
So, what do you guys think would be the most appropriate/usable tuning?

Cheers!


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## Stabbing Eden (May 5, 2010)

I'm a guitar player, not a bass player, but I'd tune the same as your guitarists. Your chords in the upper registers will make your sound really FAT.


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## Ishan (May 5, 2010)

You can try G#-C#-G#-C#-F#-A# so that way you can choose which G# or which C# to use depending on the context. I do that in the rock band I'm in and tune my 5 string to AEADG so I can choose to play note one or 2 octaves down on the A strings.


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## Winspear (May 5, 2010)

Ishan said:


> You can try G#-C#-G#-C#-F#-A# so that way you can choose which G# or which C# to use depending on the context. I do that in the rock band I'm in and tune my 5 string to AEADG so I can choose to play note one or 2 octaves down on the A strings.



I'd go with this - it works really well


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## distressed_romeo (May 5, 2010)

I'd go either...

G# C# G# C# F# B

or...

C# G# C# F# B E

Either one would be pretty cool. The first one would allow you to add lower inversions of your guitarists' chords, which would sound really fat and heavy, whereas the second one would allow you to play some cool chords and counter-melodies in the higher registers, which is a sound I really love. I'd experiment with both and see which one works better for your new band's style.

Personally, I string my five-string with an extra high string, and then detune the bottom string if I want to go lower.


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## Beardyman (May 5, 2010)

Ishan said:


> You can try G#-C#-G#-C#-F#-A# so that way you can choose which G# or which C# to use depending on the context. I do that in the rock band I'm in and tune my 5 string to AEADG so I can choose to play note one or 2 octaves down on the A strings.


 
Thanks dude! Thats what I was thinking of using too, I think having the choice between two G's and two C's would be really usable.
Tuning like a regular guitar may work well too though. I think the Low G would keep the mix heavy, with tons of chord voicings to choose from, but the regular guitar tuning could work well for melodies..
Our music is in the vein of TBDM, JFAC, VOM, etc. So I think the Low G would be really useful, the guitarists do a lot of melodies, so I feel like I should fill in the lower mix.


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## the unbearable (May 12, 2010)

Ishan said:


> You can try G#-C#-G#-C#-F#-A# so that way you can choose which G# or which C# to use depending on the context. I do that in the rock band I'm in and tune my 5 string to AEADG so I can choose to play note one or 2 octaves down on the A strings.



this


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## Excalibur (Jun 11, 2010)

Just tune E-C.


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## eyebanez333 (Jun 11, 2010)

Ishan said:


> You can try G#-C#-G#-C#-F#-A# so that way you can choose which G# or which C# to use depending on the context. I do that in the rock band I'm in and tune my 5 string to AEADG so I can choose to play note one or 2 octaves down on the A strings.


 
+1


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## knuckle_head (Jun 13, 2010)

Look for a .160-ish string for G# - I just yesterday helped a guy with a set of strings for GCGCF tuning. He has a .166 on bottom.


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## nobu (Jun 13, 2010)

I use the standard 6 string bass tunning (B-E-A-D-G-C)


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## Waelstrum (Jun 14, 2010)

nobu said:


> I use the standard 6 string bass tunning (B-E-A-D-G-C)



To be honest, I'd go with this. Unless you are constantly doubling the guitar parts, and heavily depend on open strings, if you tune to standard (or some similar note ratio) it means you can play bass lines that use scale patterns without using crazy four-note-per-string stretches. However, you're going to mostly be doubling guitar parts and using a ton of open notes then go with one of the drop C# tunings mentioned above.


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## knuckle_head (Jun 14, 2010)

Could go with straight G# tuning - G# C# F# B E A - again, with a .160 or so on bottom.


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## bassbenj (Jul 8, 2010)

Stabbing Eden said:


> I'm a guitar player, not a bass player, but I'd tune the same as your guitarists. Your chords in the upper registers will make your sound really FAT.



I'm a bass player and a guitar player. 

Tuning down a bass will NOT make it sound "fat" the way a guitar does. There are very valid and important reasons of tone and reachability of chords that make tuning down a valid technique on a guitar. As a 6 string bass noob I urge you NOT to get sucked into the idea that "tuning down" makes sense on a bass (unless you have a million patterns memorized that you don't want to relearn) The strings on a bass are just barely able to give you a decent tone when tuned normally (it's why they sell fanned fret and 35" scale basses) so they rapidly turn to crap when tuned down. That nice "fat" tone that comes out of a tuned down guitar won't come out of your bass. Just try it for yourself! 

EADGC. OR if you have an interest in solos and chords on high strings AND play guitar, some tune EADGBE so they can better use their guitar knowledge and scales. HOWEVER, you should note that IF you tune like a guitar, you CANNOT move your patterns and scales around starting on any note which is the main advantage of a 6 string bass. Two octaves right across the neck!


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## Brendan G (Jul 8, 2010)

I'd go with C# G# C# F# B E a low G# is barely on the usable side of the spectrum and as Bassbenj said, it won't really make things sound heavier or fatter. Especially with two guitarists in the band, it will most likely go either unused or muddy things up significantly. Hell, I rarely use my Low A in my band it's one step above a rumbling, I would hate to imagine how bad it could make things sound in a mix or, god forbid, live. And just to clarify I run an Ampeg B2RE with an Ampeg B410HE and I use I think a .130 on a 35 inch scale bass so as far as I know, it's not that my equipment is bad or horribly suited for low frequencies even by a bass's standards.


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## Steve08 (Jul 8, 2010)

drop C# with G# for the B string of course. That's what Periphery's 7 string songs are in.

tuning your B string to C# will cause unnecessary tension and is just weird anyway.


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## Brendan G (Jul 8, 2010)

Steve08 said:


> drop C# with G# for the B string of course. That's what Periphery's 7 string songs are in.
> 
> tuning your B string to C# will cause unnecessary tension and is just weird anyway.


You could just use a .120 or .115 for the C#. Problem solved!


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## josh pelican (Jul 8, 2010)

Excalibur said:


> Just tune E-C.


 


If he has a six-string bass, it would be B-C.


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## knuckle_head (Jul 8, 2010)

bassbenj said:


> I'm a bass player and a guitar player.
> 
> Tuning down a bass will NOT make it sound "fat" the way a guitar does. There are very valid and important reasons of tone and reachability of chords that make tuning down a valid technique on a guitar. As a 6 string bass noob I urge you NOT to get sucked into the idea that "tuning down" makes sense on a bass (unless you have a million patterns memorized that you don't want to relearn) The strings on a bass are just barely able to give you a decent tone when tuned normally (it's why they sell fanned fret and 35" scale basses) so they rapidly turn to crap when tuned down. That nice "fat" tone that comes out of a tuned down guitar won't come out of your bass. Just try it for yourself!
> 
> EADGC. OR if you have an interest in solos and chords on high strings AND play guitar, some tune EADGBE so they can better use their guitar knowledge and scales. HOWEVER, you should note that IF you tune like a guitar, you CANNOT move your patterns and scales around starting on any note which is the main advantage of a 6 string bass. Two octaves right across the neck!





Brendan G said:


> I'd go with C# G# C# F# B E a low G# is barely on the usable side of the spectrum and as Bassbenj said, it won't really make things sound heavier or fatter. Especially with two guitarists in the band, it will most likely go either unused or muddy things up significantly. Hell, I rarely use my Low A in my band it's one step above a rumbling, I would hate to imagine how bad it could make things sound in a mix or, god forbid, live. And just to clarify I run an Ampeg B2RE with an Ampeg B410HE and I use I think a .130 on a 35 inch scale bass so as far as I know, it's not that my equipment is bad or horribly suited for low frequencies even by a bass's standards.



Don't buy any string with the intent of making it do something it can't or wasn't meant to do. By that I mean don't tune a string down - come by a string that is meant to be at the pitch you intend with the right tension. I would suggest that neither of you guys have done this yet.

As well, if you are really plumbing the depths, you can slow down the note count. There is no reason tunings this low will not work and work exceedingly well.

Most bass strings at B and lower are 4 wrap strings. Mine, all the way down to a .182, are a three wrap string. They are more flexible and articulate than most anything else you can buy, and at .140 or thicker there is not a better string to be had. 

.... in my not so humble opinion.


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## Steve08 (Jul 8, 2010)

Brendan G said:


> You could just use a .120 or .115 for the C#. Problem solved!


Actually that's a pretty good idea, and, hmm, since I've been thinking on this for a while...

Tuning lower = requires bigger strings so it's not as floppy, yeah?

Does this mean if you have a smaller string tuned normally it will be appreciably tighter than what would normally be on there? Or what?


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## knuckle_head (Jul 9, 2010)

Steve08 said:


> Actually that's a pretty good idea, and, hmm, since I've been thinking on this for a while...
> 
> Tuning lower = requires bigger strings so it's not as floppy, yeah?
> 
> Does this mean if you have a smaller string tuned normally it will be appreciably tighter than what would normally be on there? Or what?



Tuning lower is best-served with as a balanced a tension spread as you can get. Lows get out of hand real fast if the fat strings are too much looser than your A or E string.

Thin or thick, if they can be played from one string to the next with similar technique you are golden.


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## Steve08 (Jul 9, 2010)

knuckle_head said:


> Tuning lower is best-served with as a balanced a tension spread as you can get. Lows get out of hand real fast if the fat strings are too much looser than your A or E string.
> 
> Thin or thick, if they can be played from one string to the next with similar technique you are golden.


Makes sense, but I mean if you had say like, a .90 on the E string and a .115 on the B would that result in a tighter low if you were just in standard tuning?


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## knuckle_head (Jul 14, 2010)

Steve08 said:


> Makes sense, but I mean if you had say like, a .90 on the E string and a .115 on the B would that result in a tighter low if you were just in standard tuning?



Something that loose would likely minimize upper transients so it might 'sound' lower-pitched, but not by a whole lot.

Something else you do by being that loose is compromise sustain and perhaps suffer pitch dive on resolve. If this is the direction you go be sure to tune to attack and not the sustained note.


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## josh pelican (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm about to order a set of .166 strings from Circle K Strings (knuckle_head) for G#/Ab, which is what several people here said you should tune to (and you could jam on Periphery/Within the Ruins). If you haven't decided/ordered a set of strings by the time I get them, I'll let you know how they sound/feel.


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