Old AC/DC

[Jeff5]

Okay this is bugging me. Do old AC/DC songs use something other than A440 tuning? I ask becuase there's songs that I know I have the right chords down, like highway to hell, but they just sound....off. Like not really a half stop down but somewhere inbetween. Its weird. I noticed this with other older songs like let there be rock too. What I am doing wrong and/or anyone know what they're tuning to? My guitar is in tune and intonated. I don't like sound...off!

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Old AC/DC

Apparently when they got into the studio for these albums they'd just tune to whoever sounded the most in tune..other times they'd tune to a piano that wasn't quiet in tune..

So yes.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Old AC/DC

It's remarkable how in tune everything is for being tuned by ear. That's pretty impressive.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Old AC/DC

I think nearly everything they play is in standard tuning. I have an AC/DC tab book, all the songs are in standard. I'd never heard about them tuning to a reference piano, but I suppose that could account for any difference you'r hearing.

Ryan

 

[Wattage]

Re: Old AC/DC

Well you know that stuff was all done on tape and it could be a few things. Difference in speed playback machines and recording machines, guitar tunings like mentioned above or purposefully slowing down the recordings. Does a few things, it thickens the sound a bit and changes the vibrato on the voice and the guitars.

Billy Idol used to do that a lot and I am pretty sure Aerosmith did it quite a bit as well. Some bands would record a bit tuned down then the singer would record and they would speed it up as well for a different effect.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Old AC/DC

Well you know that stuff was all done on tape and it could be a few things. Difference in speed playback machines and recording machines, guitar tunings like mentioned above or purposefully slowing down the recordings. Does a few things, it thickens the sound a bit and changes the vibrato on the voice and the guitars.

Billy Idol used to do that a lot and I am pretty sure Aerosmith did it quite a bit as well. Some bands would record a bit tuned down then the singer would record and they would speed it up as well for a different effect.

I do not know that AC/DC did that...but like my man said...Lots of bands have done it in the past!

 

[ledzepp29]

Re: Old AC/DC

On "its a long way to the top" they were tuned weird because they had to try to tune their guitars to a bag pipe!

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Old AC/DC

I finally got my guitar to sound right. I calibrated my tuner to A438, then I also tuned it down by 5 bars (thingys whatever), on my tuner. Sounded right. Probably tuned to A435 or some weird crap, my tuner doesn't go lower than A438.

 

[Tom M]

Re: Old AC/DC

Most of the old stuff I find about a quarter step down. It annoyed me to the point where I changed the pitch of all my ACDC mp3s up that quarter step.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Old AC/DC

Heathen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Old AC/DC

Eddie Van Halen said he used to just tune until the tension felt right. I don't think there are any laws demanding that you have to tune to 440. :-D

 

[deftgala]

Re: Old AC/DC

Eddie Van Halen said he used to just tune until the tension felt right. I don't think there are any laws demanding that you have to tune to 440. :-D

I agree.. when I am figuring out a tune on CD, if it is off by a bit I just tune to the song.

An easy way is to repeat a part of the song that rings out an open string, like an A note, and use that as a reference point.