Very low tunings...

[Cameronj279]

Long story short after a fairly long time not playing live and having not recorded anything in about 8 years I'll be recording shortly and (hopefully) gigging again soon. 

 

Previously I have been in bands that always played in standard tuning (BEADG for me but not using the B string much) and these bands have always been more on the RHCP side of things so fairly easy to cut through the mix. 

 

This band however tunes in Drop A but with a lower E string below it so I'm tuning in EAEAD. Using a Dingwall NG2 for this so scale length isn't an issue thankfully. Ive got a fairly decent tone for cutting through set up but would love to hear advice from others who have more experience playing in these (quite frankly absurd) tunings! 

 

Should say as well, gear wise I just put everything through a Quad Cortex.

[Russ]

39 minutes ago, Cameronj279 said:

Long story short after a fairly long time not playing live and having not recorded anything in about 8 years I'll be recording shortly and (hopefully) gigging again soon. 

 

Previously I have been in bands that always played in standard tuning (BEADG for me but not using the B string much) and these bands have always been more on the RHCP side of things so fairly easy to cut through the mix. 

 

This band however tunes in Drop A but with a lower E string below it so I'm tuning in EAEAD. Using a Dingwall NG2 for this so scale length isn't an issue thankfully. Ive got a fairly decent tone for cutting through set up but would love to hear advice from others who have more experience playing in these (quite frankly absurd) tunings! 

 

Should say as well, gear wise I just put everything through a Quad Cortex.

Honestly, this sort of tuning only really works through a direct-to-PA solution like running it through a QC or other modeller, as it's the only sort of system that can come close to doing justice to notes that low, and that's only if the PA is running multiple 15s/18s with loads and loads of power. Most regular bass amps, no matter how much power they have and the size of the speakers, tend to roll off below 40HZ (E1) anyway. If you go down to E0 (20Hz) there's no bass amp out there that will come close, unless you're using servo speakers or other such tech. Properly EQ'd, a regular low E will sound fuller and clearer than using a string tuned an octave lower. The exception to this would be if you played the string up around the 12th fret, which gives you the regular E1, but with that thick tubbiness you only get when you play in that position.