Tuning up — back in the day

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

For all the oldies like me who were playing before electronic tuners were widespread, how did you used to tune your bass and ensure all the band were in tune?

 

I used to use an A440 tuning fork; I'd whack it in my knee and hold it over the pickup so it comes through the amp, and play a 12th fret harmonic on the A string, listening for the 'beats' to stop as I turned the A string's machine head. Then once the A string was tuned I'd play the 5th fret harmonic on the E string and the 7th fret harmonic of the A string and similarly listen for the beating to stop as I turned the E string's machine head. Then I tune the D & G strings similarly with 5th and 7th fret harmonics. Then I'd give the guitarist an E or A 12th fret harmonic for him to tune in a similar way. When there was a keyboard player it was even worse.

 

It was a hassle, sometimes took a long time, and often a bit hit & miss — especially when changing strings. My modern tuners (TC Unitune & Boss TU-3W) make it a lot easier and quicker and it is easy to forget that classic 60s & 70s records were probably recorded with the instruments tuned like this.

 

The rolling stones (or their road crew) used to use a Conn tube strobe unit to tune up backstage - which is currently for sale on reverb.

 

[Lozz196]

For me it was by ear to my fave album - get the G in tune then match the rest. I found it easier with the G than the lower notes back then.

[tauzero]

When I started, I'd tune to the piano in the house. In a band, we'd take somebody's guitar as the reference and tune to it (can't remember how the reference was established) or, if we were rehearsing in a rehearsal room at school, tune to the piano. Then electronic tuners came in at consumer prices when I was in my early 20s (the ones with a real meter at first) and I never looked back.