Ashbory Bass Forum

Home Help Search Login Register
Welcome,Guest. Please login or register.
September 09, 2010, 03:08:08 PM
News: Welcome to Large Sound 3.0 -- The forums! Let me know if you see anything odd or wrong. Thanks!   -Brock (frazier@largesound.com)

Pages: [1] 2
Author Topic: Tunings  (Read 6793 times)

Newbie
*

Posts: 6
A Swedish friend plays an Ashbory in a metal outfit and he's tuned the whole thing down to D-G-C-F.
Anyone tried this? Does tuning stability/string life improve?


---------------------------
Postal

...bass players always get the girls....
   

Sr. Member
****

Posts: 378
I've seen some people mention B-E-A-D tuning in the past so I tried it. Yup, works pretty well. Then I tuned back up to E-A-D-G!

The B was quite decent I thought.


---------------------------
A to the S to the H to the B - O - R - Y!
   

Jr. Member
**

Posts: 20
I couldn't tune my E down to a B; now I know why. The E string my Ashbory came with is about three inches shorter than the one in the replacement set I
bought. Now the problem is solved.
   

Newbie
*

Posts: 1
  • Yahoo Instant Messenger - veloopity

haven't got my Ashbory yet so can't try myself ... I'm actually a guitarist using Fripp's tuning and I'd love to play the Ashbory with the same tuning ... that would be, C-G-D-A. Will that be possible, and will the lowest string still have enough tension to sound at all? and is it ok to wind up the high G string to A without a danger of breaking it?

-Michael
www.michaelpeters.de
   
Full Member
***

Posts: 59
Should be OK. I've tuned to C without any problems and accidentally tuned the G near to A. Don't know how long it'll last but I like the idea of CDGA tuning on the Ashbory so I'm going to try it ( but will get some Gs from Mr Tavener first just in case!!)

Alun
   
Jr. Member
**

Posts: 15
Road Toad Music has strings at various guages that might be good to experiment with alternate tunings. 

I've owned an Ashbory fo all of two days, but almost the first thig that struck me was that it would be great to tune in fifths, because of the short scale. I'm not sure I'm likely to learn to play in fifths myself (I finally caved and put my tenor banjo in a fourths tuning), but it would sure work well for someone who played fiddle, mandolin, or cello who wanted a bass instrument.
   

Newbie
*

Posts: 4
I use DEAD.
   

Sr. Member
****

Posts: 378
Welcome back, Wolf! I just say your new "Introduce Yourself" post.

-Brock


---------------------------
A to the S to the H to the B - O - R - Y!
   
Jr. Member
**

Posts: 15
I use DEAD.

Really? Is that a typo for BEAD, or do you tune the bottom strings a tone apart? I'm curious about how it works either way.
   
Jr. Member
**

Posts: 12
As a total newb I can ask the dumb questions :roll:

Does anyone use a 5th tunning like DAEB or GDAE ?


---------------------------
Regards,

Roy
   
Jr. Member
**

Posts: 15
It looks like some have at least tried CGDA tuning - that's probably the best option for fifths because any higher than A and you'd likely break top strings, and I don't know how much lower than C you could go - some go to B, so Bb maybe.
   
Newbie
*

Posts: 3
Dusco Agrees!
As of right now I can't get my Ashbory tuned right but I had the low 3 strings at B, E, and A for a while and I was amazed at how well the B sounded. Just about every 5-string I have ever played has a disgusting low B sound.


---------------------------
proud owner of a frost red ashbory
   

Sr. Member
****

Posts: 378
Just about every 5-string I have ever played has a disgusting low B sound.

I'm picky like that too about 5 strings. The only 5 string bass guitar I've played where I really liked the B was a Dingwall with the B at somewhere in the neighborhood of 38 inches.

I own a G&L L-5000 5 string (34 inch scale) and I bought it to string EADGC, and that's how it sits today.


-Brock


---------------------------
A to the S to the H to the B - O - R - Y!
   
Newbie
*

Posts: 11
CGDA is working for me. Tuning in fifths will feel natural to anyone who has played violin, viola, cello, mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, etc. You end up using each finger for it's own note in the diatonic scale, and the patterns work across all of the strings.

If you're worried about tuning way down to a C, hold the bass out away from your body and play the low C. It feels loose and looks sloppy. But hold the bass against your chest and play it and you'll feel this powerful low vibration coming from the string. This feels very natural, in a way that electric instruments don't. But, you'll need a good, clean amp that can amplify the lows. See my other posting about the Acoustic Image Contra. It sounds  really wonderful .

Down around 30Hz, the lowest notes take more time to develop tone, so keep the fast licks for the upper strings.

I can testify that holding the strings down sharply above the nut adds significant volume and sustain to the C and G strings (in CGDA tuning). I have ordered a string retainer bar to help with this.

Regarding tuning the high G up to an A: I've already broken 3 high strings and have started detuning when not in use. If this doesn't work, I'll search for a bulk source of strings.


   
Newbie
*

Posts: 7
I'm in a metal band and our guitarist plays in drop C tuning (CGCFAD) so the first tuning I tried on my ashbory was CGCF.

Now, my low string is a little short, so I'm experiencing a little trouble on that end, but I must say, a low C on an Ashbory makes my whole house rumble!
   
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »