Is my bass safe?

[Thylacine Dream]

Hey y'all

I have a shortscale (30") Squier Jaguar set up for DGCF with GHS Boomer .110s.

Last night I dropped the low D to C and tuned the high C and F to D and A respectively—CGDA (fifths).

It was pretty tight but nothing snapped. Is the neck gonna warp or anything from that level of tension though?

[Blackened Soul]

It shouldn't.

Granted any time you do a big change on string tension you will want to adjust or at least keep an eye on your neck to make sure it is happy.

I use a .110 flatwound E on one of my ss basses.. it really helps it NOT sound like a ss bass on a open E [or D if I am dropping]

[Lurker13]

Granted any time you do a big change on string tension you will want to adjust or at least keep an eye on your neck to make sure it is happy.

Translation: keep an eye on the neck for a few days. If it bows, adjust the truss rod.

[sears]

you a cello player or somethin'? let us know how it goes.

[qersty]

Like, I believe the only reason people are so worried short scales are in danger if you use unorthodox stringing is cause of some höfner crap. Your bass is the same as any other fender and will take any abuse you give it. You may have some slight intonation issues if the saddle play is not big enough but probable a liveable amount.

I used to tune my short-scare in fifths, it is super fun! Are you a Jannick Top fan btw?

[Dandolin]

i used to play a 32" scale Ibanez tuned similarly for years and the neck was fine - I did end up playing around with different gauge strings for the high A because of playability issues, not really because of the neck. that thing had a multi-ply construction though (three piece maple with, i wanna say walnut(?) stringers)...pays to keep an eye on it b/c your neck may be different....

it's really fun to play in that tuning b/c certain things fall naturally that are not so natural in 4ths tuning....

[VREEEEVROOOOOW]

Like, I believe the only reason people are so worried short scales are in danger if you use unorthodox stringing is cause of some höfner crap. Your bass is the same as any other fender and will take any abuse you give it. You may have some slight intonation issues if the saddle play is not big enough but probable a liveable amount.

I used to tune my short-scare in fifths, it is super fun! Are you a Jannick Top fan btw?

I didn't even know I was supposed to be worried. My 29.5" is regularly tuned between CB♭EF♯ and FA♯CA (I only use it for two songs so far), and it's been fine. -_o_-

On the other hand people are telling my that my amp isn't safe, and that I should stop using it for the bass guitar, and I'm starting to worry I should risk erring on the side of caution rather than the side of "uh-oh my speakers blew & I can't afford to fix it".

[Blackened Soul]

it's about speaker power handling and cabinet design...but yes, just showing a bass to a low watt open back guitar combo will make it die screaming.

[VREEEEVROOOOOW]

My open back combo isn't exactly low watts—it's a JC-120. Not sure if that "helps".

[Blackened Soul]

It's more about playing loud in a band.. open backs don't put out as focussed a sound so you can be perceived to yourself or at back of house as not loud enough so you might crank it passed safe for the given speakers.. meaning if you are playing where your speakers are distorting that's where it gets bad for them.. I've blown up speakers in bass cabs by pushing too hard.. grated I was using a ampeg SVTCL or Mesa 400+

I don't know the rating in a JC 120, but I have used them for bass in jams and thought them great sounding and clean in a small room, even for my basic soul/reggae based clean sound

[coldbrightsunlight]

I would have thought JC-120s are pretty solid yeah, those things are big and loud. As long as you aren't regularly cranking the amp to ten and hitting huge low notes on the bass. That's when I'd start to be a little concerned about blowing speakers. But IDK if they will or not