
This need to tune the bass will diminish over time, and it`s a normal part of switching to a new tuning. As a result, you might need to tune your bass more often than you are used to.

With a set intended for E standard, the strings will be too sloppy and tensionless to play. Switch strings – While a 5-string bass can handle drop B decently well without a string change, a 4-string bass will need a new set.Here are the steps you need to take to set up your bass for Drop B: If you get someone else to set up your bass, I recommend reading my article on the average cost of a bass setup.
#Bass space drop professional#
Alternatively, you can opt to pay a professional luthier to do it for you. The great news is that all these steps are easy to perform at home. Skipping these steps will negatively impact both the playability and tone of your instrument. When tuning down your bass more than a half-step or two, it is crucial to set the bass up for the new tuning. Bassits that play a 4-string bass in a band with 7-string guitar players, thus often opt to tune to either Drop B or B standard to match the deep range of the guitar players.

Some examples include metalcore, symphonic metal, and nu-metal. Modern Hard Rock Sound – Drop B is used in various genres of heavy music.As Drop B is deeper than the most common alternate bass tunings, it is a great tuning for sounding noticeably heavy in the current landscape of music. This is because when bands tune down they commonly tune to Drop C, Drop D, or to Eb standard. To sound noticeably heavier – Tuning to Drop B makes it possible to sound heavier than most bands out there.In B standard, the strings are tuned B-E-A-D, and these tunings thus only have the deep B string in common.īassists choose to tune to Drop B for several reasons. Of other tunings, Drop B is most resemblant of C# standard as they share an F#, B, and E string.

The name comes from it being “dropped down” an additional whole step. “Drop” means that the deepest string is tuned a perfect 5th apart from the next string, rather than a perfect 4th. The “B” in Drop B refers to what pitch the deepest string is tuned to. The strings can however be tuned up to B-F#-B-E-A to tune achieve a Drop B tuning. 5-string basses are less commonly tuned to Drop B as it requires the bass to be tuned up from B standard. In Drop B, a 4-string bass is tuned B-F#-B-E. You will also learn what the pros and cons of this tuning are, and when it is a good idea to choose it over other options. I have also made a tuner so that you can easily tune to Drop B once you have done this. I`ve written this guide to showcase what you need to do to get a resonant and heavy tone while keeping your instrument easy to play. Luckily, you won`t have to make the same mistakes I made back then. As a result, I couldn`t understand why my bass sounded clicky and weak, and why it was so hard to play. When I tuned my bass down for the first time over a decade ago I wasn`t aware of this. Switching to this low of a tuning requires your bass to be set up for it properly, at least if you want it to sound good. Tuning a bass down to Drop B is however not as simple as just turning the tuning pegs a couple of steps.
#Bass space drop full#
While not as widely used as Drop D or C, it can sound incredibly heavy and powerful when used to its full potential. Drop B is a common alternate bass tuning in the modern landscape of heavy music.
