# Good Down Tuning Guitars



## plecostoman (Jan 21, 2007)

Can anyone here point me in the direction of some six string guitars that play well downtuned? 

I usually tune my 6th string down to C and the rest of them one whole step down. 

I need something that's not going to go out of tune after every song. Thanks for any help.


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## ibzrg1570 (Jan 21, 2007)

pretty much anything could work, it all depends on how you play, what tuners you have, type of bridge you prefer (floyd or hardtail), etc. i have a floating bridge on my ibanez rg1570 but it has locking nut so it doesn't go out of tune even when i play around with the trem, whereas my rg7321 with a hardtail goes out of tune quite easily if i bend because the tuners suck.


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## Gabe777 (Jan 21, 2007)

Washburn wi14

or anything with 10-11 gauge strings


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## Hellbound (Jan 21, 2007)

I love using my Les Paul for down tuning it sounds lovely. I did go with thicker strings I believe they are 12's.....but I could have probably went with 11's. I have no problems with drop c at all....I've actually gone all the way down to drop Bflat still not too bad.


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## plecostoman (Jan 21, 2007)

I really like Les Paul but I didn't think they'd be great for downtuning. Thanks for the tip.

Anyone here have any experience with downtuning a Fernandes? I'm looking to try out a Monterey Elite if I can find a dealer anywhere nearby.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

Fernandes builds some decent axes...but I still think my Cort KX1 Kitana with H4's tuned to drop C OWNS!!!


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 21, 2007)

Les Pauls rock, but if you go too low, in my experience, they start to get a little muddy. Drop C# rocks on mine, although sometimes I go lower when I really want to move earth!
For C standard, I've gotten great results with a Yamaha Drop 6 guitar (25.75 inch scale IIRC) strung 11-56.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

Oh, PS....good string gauge for drop C...Dean Markley 11-52s. Good tension, good response, great tone.


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## playstopause (Jan 21, 2007)

ibzrg1570 said:


> pretty much anything could work, it all depends on how you play, what tuners you have, type of bridge you prefer (floyd or hardtail), etc. .


^
Like he said.

It's not really about the guitar in itself or a specific brand (unless that guitar is a piece of crap).
It's more about it's components. Mainly : the strings, the bride, the tuners, scale length.

Personnaly, i go with heavier strings (like 11-54) and locking tuners are a big +. Some will argue that a fixed bridge is better in that regard. It's all a question of personal taste and how/what you play.
Personaly, floating or fixed bridge does just the same to me (not goin' out of tune).
Also, you might wanna look for baritones, wich will offer you very low tunings without the lack of definition in sound.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

ibzrg1570 said:


> my rg7321 with a hardtail goes out of tune quite easily if i bend because the tuners suck.



Mine doesn't....I haven't had to worry about that with it, yet. That's the main reason I just stuck with the factory tuners. I do want to pick up some lockers though...just because.


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## Hellbound (Jan 21, 2007)

plecostoman said:


> I really like Les Paul but I didn't think they'd be great for downtuning. Thanks for the tip.





If you've ever noticed alot of metal and nu-metal bands use Les Pauls for drop tuning. Now I'm not talking like drop A and G.lol but for drop D or C or even B flat like "In Flames" uses correct me if I'm wrong one of the guitarists uses a Les Paul....they are perfect, although you will probably have to shave the nut to handle thicker strings which is easy to do. Les Paul is overall one hell of an axe but I would highly suggest going with an ESP Eclipse which is similar to a Les Paul just thinner and tricked out with emg 81's. Lovely guitar I'm still considering buying one. The LTD version is much cheaper than the ESP I've played both and yeah the ESP did seem better but I still loved the LTD as well. They come in some pretty wild colors as well.....but this is just a suggestion there are numerous 6 stringers out there that will handle drop tuning well.


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## Naren (Jan 21, 2007)

plecostoman said:


> I really like Les Paul but I didn't think they'd be great for downtuning. Thanks for the tip.
> 
> Anyone here have any experience with downtuning a Fernandes? I'm looking to try out a Monterey Elite if I can find a dealer anywhere nearby.



They're awesome for down-tuning. 1 step down, drop C, drop B -- all sound great on a Les Paul.

Like others have said, it really has nothing to do with your guitar but with your strings (gauge, brand, etc.). Your pickups also influence the sound a lot, but you can downtune on any guitar. I mean, you could take what a lot of people refer to as "THE best guitar in the world for downtuning" and use 8-38 gauge strings tuned to B standard and they'll sound like absolute shit.


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 21, 2007)

My V is the epitome of tightness, aggressiveness and clarity...so ESP Vs FTW! lol

I think pickups have more to do with "downtuning worthiness" and amps too, if you have pickups which have a somewhat flubbier low end they won't do well with downtuning at all, but pickups like the EMG81 and SD Distortion/Full Shred are great for downtuning.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

In Flames uses ESP's I believe...and as far as those go...the Viper kicks ass for drop tunings. It's the only one I've played, but it was impressive none the less. I don't really care for Les Pauls...I don't disagree that they have fat tone to them, but I just can't get into em for some reason.


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## Naren (Jan 21, 2007)

^Maybe because you're gay.


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## Hellbound (Jan 21, 2007)

Naren said:


> ^Maybe because you're gay.




LOL. Aw come on man not everyone has to like the same guitars as everyone else I mean he has a right to his own opinion.....even though he's wrong.hehe


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

Naren said:


> ^Maybe because you're gay.



No...maybe it's because they're over rated and play like ass


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## playstopause (Jan 21, 2007)

HotRodded7321 said:


> No...maybe it's because they're over rated and play like ass



I don't think they're overrated since so many guitar players uses them.
I don't like them myself, and in my case, it only has to do with the bodyshape and neck joint (fret access).


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 21, 2007)

Naren said:


> ^Maybe because you're gay.


or they fall off your leg when you sit down, have shitty fret access and weigh 14 pounds


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

D-EJ915 said:


> or they fall off your leg when you sit down, have shitty fret access and weigh 14 pounds


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## Durero (Jan 21, 2007)

IMO, for down-tuning, the longer the scale the better. I'd try any baritone scale such as that Ibanez Mike Mushock (sp?) sig model - it's built especially for low tunings.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

Durero said:


> IMO, for down-tuning, the longer the scale the better. I'd try any baritone scale such as that Ibanez Mike Mushock (sp?) sig model - it's built especially for low tunings.



 Mushok model is bad ass for down tuning. But for drop C, I dunno...that's a strange tuning as far as the tone and playability you'll want out of it. It's got a well-rounded sound, which is why I think so many bands use it. 

I think for drop C the MMM1 would be a little too bassy. For lower tunings it's amazing, though. Just my opinion, however...it may work out fine.


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## Durero (Jan 21, 2007)

HotRodded7321 said:


> I think for drop C the MMM1 would be a little too bassy. For lower tunings it's amazing, though. Just my opinion, however...it may work out fine.


From my experiences with extended-scales I'm sure the MMM1 used in drop-C would have the opposite effect - much less rumbly or bass-heavy than a regular 25.5" scale guitar in the same tuning. The longer scale would go better with slightly thinner strings which better preserves the higher frequency parts of the sound. Longer scales naturally sound clearer for the low notes.


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## Naren (Jan 21, 2007)

D-EJ915 said:


> or they fall off your leg when you sit down, have shitty fret access and weigh 14 pounds



I completely disagree with the first two points and can assume that you've never played one before... For the third one... yeah, they are pretty heavy. I think Les Pauls are one of the most comfortable bodyshapes. Never fallen off my leg before. They're shaped perfectly. Now a V... that slides off your leg when you sit down. My RG1527 has better fret access than either of my Les Pauls, but that doesn't mean my Les Pauls don't have good fret access. It's just that my RG1527 is a 25.5" scale (the Les Paul being 24.75") with jumbo frets and 24 frets (the LP having 22).


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## DSS3 (Jan 21, 2007)

I've never liked short scales for downtuning... but I've never liked short scales, period, for the most part. YMMV.


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## plecostoman (Jan 21, 2007)

The two guitars I've been downtuning are a BC Rich NJ Beast with 9's and a Les Paul Special 2 with 10's. Neither of them are great guitars but they're all I have as of late.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 21, 2007)

Durero said:


> From my experiences with extended-scales I'm sure the MMM1 used in drop-C would have the opposite effect - much less rumbly or bass-heavy than a regular 25.5" scale guitar in the same tuning. The longer scale would go better with slightly thinner strings which better preserves the higher frequency parts of the sound. Longer scales naturally sound clearer for the low notes.



I was thinking more along the lines of the woods they used and the pickups...but i might have to look into that...it actually sounds like it would work out well.


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## Naren (Jan 21, 2007)

plecostoman said:


> The two guitars I've been downtuning are a BC Rich NJ Beast with 9's and a Les Paul Special 2 with 10's. Neither of them are great guitars but they're all I have as of late.



I assume that's an Epiphone LP. If so, then you need to get good pickups put in that thing, since the Epiphones don't have very good stock pickups.


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## plecostoman (Jan 21, 2007)

Yeah, it's an Epiphone. I'm not puting any money into it, because I really don't like it at all. I bought it off a friend for $90 a while back.

So since the locking nuts are a big plus with downtuned guitars, would anyone reccomend a Razorback?


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 21, 2007)

naren, I've played more LPs than I would like to think about...mainly because I was going to buy one a while ago, so I tried about 10 thousand or so of them, they do have better balance than the SG, but it still sucks compared to a strat or anything else, really. Fret access is mediocre, I don't really have problems on 22 fret LPs, but on 24 fret ones it just gets bothersome and bothersome is not good.

Anyway, everybody is different so ymmv.

For baritones, ESP's VB400 rules, period.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 21, 2007)

Les Paul's are heavy, but other than that, I've always found mine extremely comfortable, whether standing up or sitting down. The upper-fret access is an issue, but I don't really look at them as shredding instruments, so that isn't really a major problem for me. I certainly wouldn't say they are over-rated, but Gibsons on the whole are notoriously hit-and-miss; if you get a good Les Paul, hang onto it for dear life, as there's nothing else like it.


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 21, 2007)

used LPs = awesome

fwiw, just get an ESP, lol...


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## sakeido (Jan 22, 2007)

Nobody has mentioned a Jackson yet? I do love my Jacksons... my SLSMG in drop C sound sweet and I'm only using 11-49s


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## Hellbound (Jan 22, 2007)

Well that was why I was recommending to try out the ESP Eclipse. Much lighter than a Les Paul (from what I remember) and same shape just a thinner body. God do I love them especially the quilted maple top ones.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 22, 2007)

I dont know why its such an issue. Any quality built instrument from any company will meet your standards of staying in tune and playing well, regardless of what you tune it to.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 22, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> I dont know why its such an issue. Any quality built instrument from any company will meet your standards of staying in tune and playing well, regardless of what you tune it to.



 'Tis the truth....I can downtune a Fender Strat to drop C with the right strings and it will sound kick ass...In fact, there's a band here in WA called Severus...their lead player uses a Fender strat H-S-S config. with passive pickups. They play in drop C and that guy has KILLER tone!

Check em out on Myspace some time, you'll see what I mean.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 22, 2007)

HotRodded7321 said:


> 'Tis the truth....I can downtune a Fender Strat to drop C with the right strings and it will sound kick ass...In fact, there's a band here in WA called Severus...their lead player uses a Fender strat H-S-S config. with passive pickups. They play in drop C and that guy has KILLER tone!
> 
> Check em out on Myspace some time, you'll see what I mean.



If you listen to Cryptopsy.. every record with Jon Levassuier on(all except Once Was Not)... he uses a Fender Fat Strat. Tuned to B. and its Br00-fucking-tal. 

None So Vile, the most classic of all Cryptopsy.. is a Fender Strat.


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## Steve (Jan 22, 2007)

I just bought a Jem7VBK, tuned to Drop C - Stringed at 10 13 17 30 42 52... and it sounds and plays the tits! 


[action=Steve]would love to have a Les Paul[/action]


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 22, 2007)

In the end, it's all about how you put it together, and how you play it. Find a comfy set of strings, a pickup that suits your style, and a guitar that FEELS right. Fuck the brand, price, and what everyone else says about it. Guitars aren't like cars...it doesn't matter what it looks like, it's all you.


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## Korbain (Jan 23, 2007)

mike mushoks ibanez sig guitar! you can tune that fucker down unbelievably low, my mates got it. It sounds unreal too. Very under-rated guitar


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## skinhead (Jan 23, 2007)

Korbain said:


> mike mushoks ibanez sig guitar! you can tune that fucker down unbelievably low, my mates got it. It sounds unreal too. Very under-rated guitar



Yeah Aaron, you made me think about it. It's baritone, and that axe will maintain the low tuning very well.


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