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.

[BigRedX]

My first band was mostly a recording band. We had two reed organs with different tones and different preset chords, but unfortunately were out of tune enough with each other to not be usable at the same time. We'd tune to whichever one we were using for each song.

 

For my second band which played live we would all (bass, guitar and other synth) tune to our Wasp synth. This then had to be set up for the first song which had an opening filter pulse which was triggered from a drum machine, but the opening time of the filter was set using the repeat function on the envelope generators. Although I had a patch chart showing the positions of the knobs this had to be fine-tuned to the speed of the drum machine which as set by another rotary control. I could take us up to 5 minutes to tune up and the set up the synths and drum machine for the opening song all of which had to be done with the band on stage in front of the audience.

 

In 1983 my next band with was all synths used a test tone at the start of our backing tape for tuning, which again had to be done on stage in front of the audience immediately before we played. After 3 gigs like this I went out and bought a Boss TU12 tuner and have never had to inflict the tuning song on my audience since.

 

Having said that electronic tuners are not without their foibles. At a Terrortones gig our guitarist had managed to set her tuner to something other than A=440. The sound was terrible on stage so the only person who noticed that something was wrong was our drummer who was sandwiched between the guitar and bass amps. He kept telling me us to tune up which we diligently did, each perfectly in tune with ourselves and completely out of tune with the other. It was only at the next practice where we could hear everything properly that we realised what had happened.

[itu]

I have used 

- tuning forks (A, C) 

- records 

- other instruments 

- various electronic (quartz) tuners from a watch to bigger units (KORG Master tuner for double bass, Peterson SAMS at home) 

 

My all time favourite is an inexpensive Ibanez MU40 (tuner metronome). A small, gold coloured package. I have one in a mono single, and another in a mono dual case. 

 

My basses stay well in tune. I don't need (or even like) pedal metronomes. 

[Mykesbass]

Guitar - pitch pipes!

[tauzero]

21 minutes ago, Mykesbass said:

Guitar - pitch pipes!

 

When I were a lad, I found those impossible to tune to. I could probably manage it now.

[BassTool]

Yup, +1 for pitch pipes in the 70's and the head of my bass held against a window pane for resonance/volume along with the guitarist 🤭

[Skybone]

Pitch pipes...until I could afford a quartz tuner. 

[ezbass]

Pitch pipes for me too, although I found them rubbish for ages (they were fine, it was my ears that were at fault). TBH, once I could discern pitch, I tuned to records (E or A usually) and then harmonics from there.

[Rosie C]

4 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

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.

 

 

Same for me - in our high school band I had an 'A' tuning fork in my bag. When we had a keyboard player join the band I got the 'A' from her.

I forget how/whether the guitarist tuned up   

[msb]

Still carry a pitch fork although I haven’t used it in decades.
Very thankful for little clip on tuners.

[joeystrange]

4 hours ago, itu said:

- various electronic (quartz) tuners from a watch to bigger units

Forgive me if I’ve completely misunderstood this, but… a watch?!

[bassbiscuits]

My very first way to tune up was to tune to the floppy plastic 7” record at the back of Jim Gregory and Harvey Vinson’s “electric bass” book which had the four notes followed by some basic progressions. 
 

I have a tuner on my board nowadays but I still often use the old way of putting my palm against the back of the neck and tuning until I can feel the out of phase notes come together. 
 

Come to think of it I’ve still got the Arion tuner I got for Christmas 1986. Still works too. 

[SpondonBassed]

The phases of the Moon were always reliable...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bassbiscuits]

15 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

The phases of the Moon were always reliable...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sometimes use a mandrake 

[casapete]

Initially a tuning fork, and then a small electronic thing that made an ‘A’ note which we all used in the dressing room before going onstage. Following that my then girlfriend bought me a Korg GT6 electronic tuner with a dial and meter, which was a game changer as it also made it easier to set up intonation on guitars and basses. Had to stop using it when I played piano on some songs though, as my vintage beige Wurlitzer EP200 wasn’t quite in concert pitch!

 

[itu]

1 hour ago, joeystrange said:

Forgive me if I’ve completely misunderstood this, but… a watch?!

Yes, including a metronome. There are most likely similar units available today. 

[lowdown]

Back in the early 70's it was a tuning fork at home.

On gigs/shows it was a case of tuning to the keyboard player (back then that could mean a Rhodes Piano, Wurlitzer electric Piano, various Organs, or Uprights & Grands).

If no Keys around, unfortunately you were at the mercy of the Guitarist, or two. That could get very interesting! 

 

In each individual case, it was usually down to, "Give us a 'G', Dave (or whoever)". I would then tune my open G or a G harmonic to the other Instrument and work down from that.

 

 

[Cliff Edge]

When I was a kid we all tuned to the A on one guitar and then tuned our own instruments, in my case using the fifth fret method. We were no doubt well off concert but at least we were all in tune with one another. That all went sour when the soul band was joined by a couple of sax players. But I don’t think anyone noticed. 

[Twigman]

We would tune to the keyboard

[Shaggy]

Much as above; tuning to piano at home (I had to keep asking my piano-playing sister which was the right key), and lucky enough to have keys in my first band.   I trained on violin, so well used to using pitch pipes.

 

For many years I owned a mid-1960's Vox Special Mk.VI teardrop 6 string guitar which had wacky onboard active electronics, including a feature that if you pulled a switch on one of the tone controls you'd hear an audible top E tone to tune to.  British engineering way ahead of its time.....

[Wombat]

I used a tuning fork which, if you put the 'sharp end' between your teeth (bite it lightly), it rings in your head so you can hear over noise! Always used/use harmonics, even with a tuner. As my TC electronics dooby is used for guitar too I leave it on that setting then harmonics seem to work better. 

 

Why do people always leave their clip on on the guitar for the whole gig? I think it makes me look like a complete noob so always take it off. Mostly I'll have something to step on on the floor anyway mind. 

 

Didn't John Entwistle famously have perfect pitch then had to submit to tuning to Pete's harmonica? Must have been hell....

[iainbass]

If in a three piece... the guitarist, anything more then whoever's standing closest to me. Still do as bass pitch is nowhere near as critical as treble  pitch.....I can 'tune up' in a sec just listening the overal din onstage.

[Bassman68]

I started with Pitchpipes, coming from an acoustic guitar background…

When I joined my first band, the guitarist used a tuning fork, so I went out & got one for myself…

Tuning up was a nightmare at rehearsals with everyone making a racket at the same time, whilst everyone tried to tune?
A Boss tuner was out of my reach, funds being tight but I did eventually buy a Seiko chromatic tuner which proved to be a revelation 

only problem being it had no ‘through’ output, so I couldn’t keep it ‘in-line’ & had to unplug to play…

We’re totally spoilt these days with what’s available?