# Best 6 string for downtuning



## pfizer (May 15, 2015)

Hi there guys! Anyone here got any suggestions for a 6 string that handles downtuning really well? Something with a fixed bridge is highly preferable. 

The band I'm in is doing some songs by Alter Bridge, Slipknot and Periphery, and those guys tune their 6-strings quite low sometimes. I know Mark Holcomb uses a PRS, so I'm interested if PRS SEs can handle those really low tunings as well.


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## AkiraSpectrum (May 15, 2015)

What is your budget? What tunings are you planning on? Something in the Drop B and Drop C range? Active or passive pickup preference?


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## Shask (May 15, 2015)

Honestly, any guitar can handle low tunings. You just need to set it up for those tunings.



I personally prefer something with 25.5" scale and a Floyd (for tuning stability), but anything works.


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## vilk (May 15, 2015)

It depends what you want to sound like.

Lots of sludge/doom type stuff detunes really low, and usually on a shorter scale guitar like a les paul. Well, even Carcass does this even though they're neither sludge nor doom

Lots of djent/deathcore bands use longer scale guitars, to create a tight snappy tone.

I have an SG tuned to drop Bb
And I have a 28" scale guitar tuned to F
And the lower tuned guitar sounds higher than the higher tuned guitar. Its crazy.


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## the.godfather (May 15, 2015)

In reality, as has been said already, any guitar can handle low tunings. I think the first step is to decide what scale length suits you. Pickups too can make a big difference in lower tunings I always find. That's where cheap pickups usually start to get found out and sound muddy or flubby.

I personally don't like the shorter scale stuff (24.75) but I don't like the longer (27+) stuff either. So I'm a strict in between kind of guy, and that goes for standard tuning and lower tuning.


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## MrSleepwalker (May 15, 2015)

If you are interested in PRS, go check out PRS Mike Mushok.

Also you cannot go wrong with any Ibanez


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## DXL (May 16, 2015)

BC Rich usually brags about how their guitars are great for low tunings, and my Warlock proves them correct


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## pkgitar (May 16, 2015)

MrSleepwalker said:


> If you are interested in PRS, go check out PRS Mike Mushok.
> 
> Also you cannot go wrong with any Ibanez



You would have to tune this up though, as they come factory tuned B-B.

I'd check out the Ibanez RGDs or the Schecter KM-6. I played the KM-6 a while ago and it's a sick playing and sounding guitar for lower tunings. Someone had tuned it down not sure how low, probably in the C or B area, and I think it had 9s so the strings were flying everywhere to me. But put a nice set of 11 or 12s on that sucka and you'll be good to go in any lower tuning I think.

Though any guitar will do with a proper setup, like Shask mentioned.


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## wakjob (May 16, 2015)

I know some people aren't fond of 24-3/4" scale guitars like Gibson for down tuning, but it worked for me and many of the pioneering death metal bands from back in the day.

13-56 gauge strings tuned to B/drop-A worked fine for the flying V's I've had.

I've tried some long scale guitars and didn't care for them for whatever reason.


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## btbg (May 16, 2015)

pkgitar said:


> You would have to tune this up though, as they come factory tuned B-B.



You say that as if different gauge strings don't exist and tuning up isn't a possibility.

Oh and not to mention the fact that the OP never made mention of what tuning he intended to use...


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## TheWarAgainstTime (May 16, 2015)

It's preference really. What guitar(s) are you used to? What do you tune them to? How low are you planning to go?


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## pfizer (May 17, 2015)

I played mostly Ibanez and ESPs, prefer passive pickups over actives. We plan on doing songs tuned to low A.


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## rockskate4x (May 17, 2015)

I'm really liking the idea of a carvin vader for downtuned six string stuff. Note everything i'm about to say is IN THEORY or from what I have heard second hand as i have not had experience with one of these yet. Here are the reasons i find this attractive.

27" scale on a smaller guitar, so the difference in scale from 25.5" is less noticeable.

ZERO FRET with string locks instead of a slotted nut, means that you can experiment with a ton of different string gauges without ever needing to file, fill, or replace the nut. 

Hipshot headless bridge. The benefits I see here are (at least) two-fold. First, there is a ton of room for intonation on these bad boys, and second, quality linear tuners take away a lot of the variables that can make a downtuned instrument have tuning problems. 

Kiesel pickups. Need I say more?

That said, like others have said here, you can do drop tunings with almost any guitar given that it is set up well


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## pkgitar (May 17, 2015)

btbg said:


> You say that as if different gauge strings don't exist and tuning up isn't a possibility.
> 
> Oh and not to mention the fact that the OP never made mention of what tuning he intended to use...



Of course! But a regular or shorter scale would be more comfortable than a longer scale. In most cases I imagine. Completely subjective though.

And you're right he didn't. Though as far as I know, most AB stuff is in drop B or C aside from the weird ones. Slipknot is down to A on a few songs, but mostly in drop B land and Periphery's 6 string stuff is drop C. This is what my answer was based on.

Which reminds me of the Fender/Squier Jim Root sigs! Check those out too


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## pfizer (May 17, 2015)

pkgitar said:


> Of course! But a regular or shorter scale would be more comfortable than a longer scale. In most cases I imagine. Completely subjective though.
> 
> And you're right he didn't. Though as far as I know, most AB stuff is in drop B or C aside from the weird ones. Slipknot is down to A on a few songs, but mostly in drop B land and Periphery's 6 string stuff is drop C. This is what my answer was based on.
> 
> Which reminds me of the Fender/Squier Jim Root sigs! Check those out too



I HAVE checked out the Jim Root Sigs and like I said, active pickups sound a tad too saturated and lifeless for me. 

@rockskate: Any ideas on how much a well-spec'd Kiesel would cost? I've acually been GASing quite a bit for a Kiesel V6 and if it handles downtunings well, it just might be the thing that pushes me into buying one.


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## neurosis (May 17, 2015)

If you have had ESPs and Ibanez does that mean you don't have them anymore? I had the horizon tuned to B for a long time and it worked just fine. I also play a Les Paul tuned to C no problem. 

Maybe you already have a guitar that can work out?


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## Bearitone (May 17, 2015)

Best six string for downtuning? Here you go: Ibanez SRC6 Crossover 6-String Electric Bass Walnut Flat Finish | Musician&#39;s Friend

I know a few people on this forum have had amazing success using these as baritone 6 strings.


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## Fraz666 (May 18, 2015)

vilk said:


> It depends what you want to sound like.
> 
> Lots of sludge/doom type stuff detunes really low, and usually on a shorter scale guitar like a les paul. Well, even Carcass does this even though they're neither sludge nor doom
> 
> Lots of djent/deathcore bands use longer scale guitars, to create a tight snappy tone.


this.
and it depends also how detuned you want to play:
I play stoner/doom/sludge with a Les Paul in DropG but the low string "sounds" only with a .074


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## pfizer (May 18, 2015)

*@neurosis*: I had to sell most of my gear recently to pay for med school bills and a new laptop. I used to own an Ibanez FR *Prestige* and an *SV5470* but they both sounded a little too tinny when I tried using thicker gauge strings on the them. The thin Wizard neck also made me a little nervous about warping and breakage.

*@Fraz666*: Like I mentioned before, we're doing a lot of Periphery, Alter Bridge songs from their new Fortress album, Dethklok and Slipknot. 

*@kindsage*: Interesting idea. Besides strings, is there anything else I need to modify/replace on this? Would getting a baritone guitar be better idea? I've also seen some 
Ibanez RGDs, which are supposedly made with the idea of down-tuning, but they do nothing for me aesthetically. The Ibanez Uppercut models charge ridiculously high as well for a pickup upgrade.


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## pkgitar (May 18, 2015)

pfizer said:


> I HAVE checked out the Jim Root Sigs and like I said, active pickups sound a tad too saturated and lifeless for me.



That's alright, I'm not a big fan of actives myself. 

Maybe you should give us a price range, that could help narrow things down


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## pfizer (May 18, 2015)

pkgitar said:


> That's alright, I'm not a big fan of actives myself.
> 
> Maybe you should give us a price range, that could help narrow things down



Something along the 700-1500 usd range.


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## indreku (May 18, 2015)

drop A., well most standard guitars can handle it, but with your budget I would get a baritone,
maybe a schecter SLS C-1EX passive version, super guitar handles up to drop F well(have it in drop G at the moment). 26,5 scale will not make much feeling difference and the SLS will feel supper comfy ut at the same time no loss f sustain etc.


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## onionofdoom (May 18, 2015)

Another vote for the SE Mike Mushok, if you can find it. That said based on your budget you could probably pick up a used CE. (USA made bolt-on, not SE.) Seriously good value guitars, and the two I have handle low tunings just fine, the maple neck gives them a little more clarity and brightness compared to the Customs. They're 25" scale, not baritone but worth looking into. If it's a baritone you're after, the SE Mushok is killer.


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## rockskate4x (May 19, 2015)

pfizer said:


> I HAVE checked out the Jim Root Sigs and like I said, active pickups sound a tad too saturated and lifeless for me.
> 
> @rockskate: Any ideas on how much a well-spec'd Kiesel would cost? I've acually been GASing quite a bit for a Kiesel V6 and if it handles downtunings well, it just might be the thing that pushes me into buying one.



less than $1400 if you are careful. If you forgo the fancier finish/wood options, you can still get a beast of a guitar. I prioritize specs like tung oiled finish on the neck, stainless steel frets, 5 piece laminate neck, and straplocks. Carvin now has all those shmexy racing finishes, which are a $0.00 upcharge, but i find satin blacks and whites with contrasting pickups very classy as well. Plenty of ways to make this affordable and playable and beautiful, so have a crack at the builder yourself and see what you like and what you can afford


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## Bearitone (May 19, 2015)

For the SRC 6 all you need is different strings and different pickups if you want. 
Because of the giant pickup routes and different string spacing they lend themselves to pickups with bar magnets instead of pole pieces like lace deathbars or other EMG's


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## parvis (May 24, 2015)

An ESP horizon comes with a fixed bridge and ebony fretboard. Load of people down-tune those!


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## Mmartell1205 (May 27, 2015)

I'm using my Jim Root Jazzmaster in G standard. Just needed to (carefully) drill out the tuner holes a bit and adjust for string width at the nut. If actives are not your thing, they can easily be swapped out. Tuning stability is excellent and intonation is perfect if done right.


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## pfizer (May 27, 2015)

Hi again guys! Haven't posted in a while.

Right now, I'm considering two options: a *Schecter KM6* in Trans White versus an
Ibanez RG652FX in Koa. Both are extremely playable and look quite nice. 

I'm planning on using 0.12 gauge strings so I'm wondering if the KM6 still has the carbon fiber reinforcement in the neck since it's not listed in the site anymore. The Wizard neck on the Ibanez is very fast but it makes me a little nervous putting strings that heavy on a neck that thin. 

Any thoughts or opinions will be well appreciated. Whatever I eventually buy will likely live in C tuning most of the time, since I'm planning on using my JP6 for E standard and Eb standard most of the time.


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## FILTHnFEAR (May 27, 2015)

pfizer said:


> Hi again guys! Haven't posted in a while.
> 
> Right now, I'm considering two options: a *Schecter KM6* in Trans White versus an
> Ibanez RG652FX in Koa. Both are extremely playable and look quite nice.
> ...



Don't worry at all about putting some heavy strings on the Ibanez. You're not going to hurt a thing.  Might just need to make some slight adjustments to your truss rod. And action/intonation of course. 

As far as Ibanez or Schecter, idk. The finish, the binding, the ebony board, hipshot, and Black Winters would pull me towards the KM6. I'm guessing the build quality might be slightly better with the Prestige, though idk, having never played a KM personally.


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