Drop Tuning

[Guitar Toad]

Do you tune down a step or half step? SRV tuned down a 1/2 to Eflat, is that right? and EVH tuned down to D?

Did these guys tune down simply to get a meaty tone?

Did Hendrix use standard tuning?

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Drop Tuning

I tune down at least 1 and a half steps almost all the time. Thickens out the sound, gets some real rumble going on! I like to feel my guitar as well as hear it. SRV did it also because he was using such fat ass strings.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Drop Tuning

Do 11's feel slinky when down tuned?

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Drop Tuning

no, 11's feel just right down tuned

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Drop Tuning

Depens where you tune down to. Im mostly in C standard, and 12s feel a ittle lighter than 10s in A 440.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Drop Tuning

Stevie Ray and Jimi tuned down due to vocals. It was easier for them to sing in the ½ step down.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Drop Tuning

EVH never tuned down totally to D. All he would do is drop the low E to D. In the early days he was tuned between E and E flat, not quite a half step. Then when Sammy joined, he would tune to standard A 440 or down 1/2 step.

Eddie's excuse that I read in an interview in the early days was because he didn't have a tuner and just tuned the guitar to itself.

I'm usually tuned to standard A 440 or down 1/2 step, depends on the guitar.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Drop Tuning

EVH never tuned down totally to D. All he would do is drop the low E to D.

Really? Even on "You Really Got Me"?

 

[ErikH]

Re: Drop Tuning

Really? Even on "You Really Got Me"?

Yes, even on "You Really Got Me". That's almost 1/2 step down from A 440. He just plays it in a different key than the Kinks' version.

 

[flank]

Re: Drop Tuning

hendrix tuned down later on......on the early stuff, alot of it is still in standard

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Drop Tuning

Along with all of those other statements, I've also read that EVH used a special tuner (he called out the model) to tune his guitars down a step and a quarter. Another case of him contradicting himself to keep people from copying him.

He did down tune with DLR, though, because he couldn't sing the higher stuff - same as the others. He did some drop D with Sammy as well. I think you've gotta just pick a song and try it out with Van Halen.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Drop Tuning

Along with all of those other statements, I've also read that EVH used a special tuner (he called out the model) to tune his guitars down a step and a quarter. Another case of him contradicting himself to keep people from copying him.

He did down tune with DLR, though, because he couldn't sing the higher stuff - same as the others. He did some drop D with Sammy as well. I think you've gotta just pick a song and try it out with Van Halen.

Yeah, he did drop D with Sammy, but the rest of the guitar was still tuned to standard A 440. Examples: 5150, Amsterdam, Don't Tell Me. He'd just flip the D'Tuna. On Summer Nights he used the Trans Trem which moved the entire guitar up or down in tune. Way cool trem. I love how the song changes keys yet the same chord positions are played.

Can't confuse drop tuning one string with drop tuning the entire guitar.

 

[big_black]

Re: Drop Tuning

My SG-X is tuned to D with 11s. My Classic is tuned standard with 10s. I like to be able to get a little lower when I'm playing dirty, gives it some more meat I think.

 

[Nathan]

Re: Drop Tuning

any of the down tuning on hendrix's live recordings is often by mistake. they would just make sure they were in tune with each other and just go for it. thats why some of the stuff isn't quite standard, and isn't quite down a 1/2 step.

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Drop Tuning

I tune to standard about 90% of the time. It just feels to me like the guitar looses a lot of its life when you start to detune. Drop D is about as far as I deviate in dropped tunings, and that doesn't happen too often. I'm a hard rock/metal guy too...for the most part.

However, when I'm looking for a radically different sound, I'll switch to my Open-C guitar. thats E down two steps, A and D down a whole step, G standard, B up a half step, and E standard. It really gives the guitar a wonderful balance of heavyness and life, but I typically either have to string it with lite-top, heavy-bottom strings or (my favorite for this tuning) GHS zakk wylde .10 gauges.

I also just got a 7 string, which I'm really diggin right now, cause it retains the clarity and brilliance of standard tuning, only with an extended low end.

Though, of course, there's plenty of players that get great tone with dropped tunings, I'm just sayin that the majority of em arent for me. :dance:

 

[Kev]

Re: Drop Tuning

Talking of all this, ive never been very clear on getting a set up done for down tuning.

I mean, if i tuned my fender or ibanez down 1 or 2 steps, the strings would be terrible rubber bands.

If you have a set up done will this illiminate it in any way? I just cant imagine playing guitar solos with the rubber bands, you need something to fight back against!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Drop Tuning

Thicker strings allow you to detune the whole guitar a whole step or two without them turning in to rubber bands. If anything, a setup would need to be done to accomodate the thicker strings (intonation and action).

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Drop Tuning

You'll have to adjust your trem on them, too.



fftopic: btw: ErickH, yeah, I know what you're talking about. I was just throwing that out there as an additional alternate tuning.

 

[AcidBurn]

Re: Drop Tuning

My main guitar is in standard with 11-54s, the fender is half down with 11-48s and my V is drop D down a half with 12-56s. I have them setup like that for different types of music. Fender for Hendrix/SRV type stuff and the V for hard rock/metal.

 

[51501984]

Re: Drop Tuning

EVH never tuned down totally to D. All he would do is drop the low E to D. In the early days he was tuned between E and E flat, not quite a half step. Then when Sammy joined, he would tune to standard A 440 or down 1/2 step.

Eddie's excuse that I read in an interview in the early days was because he didn't have a tuner and just tuned the guitar to itself.

I'm usually tuned to standard A 440 or down 1/2 step, depends on the guitar.

EVH did infact tune down to D on the 1980 "Invasion" tour promoting "Women And Children First" . In 1982 he started tuning standard for most of the tunes in the set though on occasion the band would tune a half step down. From 1984 to 1993 he tuned standard , 1995 a half step down , 1998 standard tuning , 2004 a hlaf step down. I know , I need to get out of the house more!