I'm usually in Drop B or Drop A. Never higher than Drop C# unless I'm playing worship in church or Bible study.

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i typically play in drop C, but only with a reliable licensed floyd rose. without one you'll never stay in tune down that low for very long especially with all the whammy bar action and dive bombs i do.

With alot of dive bombs, Yes it wouldn't stay in tune. You don't need a floyd rose to stay in tune otherwise though. It all solely depends if they are good quality strings that your using(aswell being in good shape and not old and rusty), the bridge, humidity, temperature, and tuning gears(tight is good). I put my Schecter Omen 6 on my guitar rack for a week in Drop C before playing it again. When I picked it back up and plugging it into the tuner, Every string was exactly into tune C, G, C, F, A, D. It also stays in tune well in Drop A, especially for a 6 string. It'll stay perfect for 2 days max before losing tension. My Schecter stays in tune better than my Ibanez RG3. Both are equiped with nickle plated dunlop heavy 12s.

Yep...I have an Omen-6 and I never have tuning problems!

For AHTDU I play in Drop-B. I use "Skinny Top Heavy Bottom" Ernie Ball strings (.10-.52) But I keep a few guitars around just for standard and D standard

Kheiron wrote:

For AHTDU I play in Drop-B. I use "Skinny Top Heavy Bottom" Ernie Ball strings (.10-.52) But I keep a few guitars around just for standard and D standard

Yeah that helps alot. If I have working strings on all my main electrics(I tend to break them). I like to keep my Schecter in Drop A, Ibanez in Drop C and B, and my 52' Decar in standard and Drop D.

axeman2415 wrote:

LOL! Well, I guess I won't tell you that Jeffy-poo....

However, there is such a thing a "M#"....

"Gimme an 'M'!" "Mmmmmmmmmmmmm..."

tehre is...I know...it's a semi tone. I've tuned to it....just ask yourself Will

I thought a "semi-tone" was a tone produced by a truck....

It sometimes seems that a lot of people think that the lower you tune to, the "heavier" the sound. It isn't really the case though... o.O

Hero wrote:

It sometimes seems that a lot of people think that the lower you tune to, the "heavier" the sound. It isn't really the case though... o.O

That's true. I just love that low bass vibrating my veins.

Hero wrote:

It sometimes seems that a lot of people think that the lower you tune to, the "heavier" the sound. It isn't really the case though... o.O

Even though we tune down a half step and drop D (mostly for vocal reasons, and it does give some sonic heft) I agree with Hero. Metallica tuned to standard on their first five albums, with the exception os the songs Orion (C#) and Sad But True (down a whole step to D), and they were totally heavy.

axeman2415 wrote:

Hero wrote:

It sometimes seems that a lot of people think that the lower you tune to, the "heavier" the sound. It isn't really the case though... o.O

Even though we tune down a half step and drop D (mostly for vocal reasons, and it does give some sonic heft) I agree with Hero. Metallica tuned to standard on their first five albums, with the exception os the songs Orion (C#) and Sad But True (down a whole step to D), and they were totally heavy.

I will always look up to Metallica in the metal world. Although they weren't the first "metal" band, they were just brutal for their time and equipment. That's pretty good if you can look way back in their music today and still headbang like crazy. Gotta love "Blackended", makes me want to run in a circle.

Instruments are really complicated in the sense that they are made for standard tunings (if we think of guitars and bass). You can always take thicker strings to tune lower, but sometimes it just doesnt sound good. Plus, loose strings aren't stable. If I tune my 4 stringer bass all the way down to C with a .105 gauge, it'll keep going between B and C#. And that just isn't good.

Drop D is where it's at for me, for now.

You don't buy thicker strings to tune lower. You just plug your guitar in a tuner, turn down the tuning pegs to your desired tuning and resume playing. I like playing with 12s or 11s atleast. Instruments sound just fine tuned low. Strings don't get that loose either. It may sound bad if somebody is still new at playing guitar or something to not know how to work the strings. If you can't play good, don't drop it or it's gonna sound warpy.

:-/

not really. At least not for bass. If you use .105 (normal gauge) and tune all the way to C it's gonna sound like crap and it wont be stable. To have a stable note and good tension, you need thicker strings. I think I know dude, lol...

Again, I have to agree with Hero...The axiom of going up guages while tuning lower is true. That's why Bass strings are so much thicker than guitar strings. The scale length of a bass neck is much longer than a guitar's neck. Consequently, the string guage is thicker to maintain adequate pitch and intonation. If you look at a baritone guitar, you will notice that the neck length is longer than a standard guitar and the strings are much heavier. Same reason. Conversely, if you look at a ukelele or a mandolin, the neck is shorter and the strings usually lighter.

While you can execute lower tunings with fairly normal string guages, the one's you have decribed (.011's and .012's) are actually considered heavier guages for standard guitar. I would use those guages for dropping to C. I use .010's for Eb and Drop Db, as it gives the guitar a little better tone and stabilizes the intonation. I also recommend having the neck adjusted (truss rod) for heavier guages, because usually the guitar does not come from the factory set up for lowered tunings.

axeman2415 wrote:

Ummm...you do realize that there is no "Fb"?...that's called "E"...

Probably a typing error, but just thought I'd clarify.

If there is is no Fb, then there is no E.

I use 10's, pull a spring out of the trem block and drop down to C#. Easiest way to set up your axe for a lower tuning without having to adjust the truss rod.

Right now I am using Regular ernie ball strings, 10's tuned to C standard. Would like to use in standard 440, but the neck is slightly warped. Its not noticable in C, but when tuned to Standard, the strings are tougher then acoustic strings to play. I don't have the tool needed to adjust the truss rod.

olias wrote:

Right now I am using Regular ernie ball strings, 10's tuned to C standard. Would like to use in standard 440, but the neck is slightly warped. Its not noticable in C, but when tuned to Standard, the strings are tougher then acoustic strings to play. I don't have the tool needed to adjust the truss rod.

Did you leave it in the rain or something? Did it have extreme neck work done in it's past? There's no reason why it would warp. Perhaps you put the strings on too tight or something to cause to be tough at high tunings.

So your saying you don't have a simple alan wrench? That's all you need to adjust he truss rod...

stargazer wrote:

So your saying you don't have a simple alan wrench? That's all you need to adjust he truss rod...

precisely. Of course, it would be easy to obtain one, but I am in no hurry, seeing as how the C tuning is ideal for my current project anyhow.

I'm pretty much playing exclusively in Drop D these days. It really suits my style and makes songs easier to play.

I play standard tuning - the key varies.

You guys mentioned strings.... to me, strings on a guitar is comparable to oil in a vehicle. Sure those aren't aren't created equal, but if you want better performance/life, you're better off with a better car.

In my opinion, the guitar bodies are very similar. Sure there are some slight differences in necks, etc.... but there's no need to spend $400+ on a "guitar". Spend some of that money on custom high dollar parts.

My acoustic guitar is just an Epiphone A.J., a $200 dollar guitar, but I spent about half as much getting some custom tuners and pins from stewmac.com. These not only keep the guitar in tune much better, but actually improve the sound as well.

I'm playing on $4 generic nylon strings in these videos. I recorded this with my PSP.