# Lowest Drop-Tunings



## Dante Leblanc (May 12, 2009)

*Hey. I am primarily a guitarist. I want my sound as low as you can fucking go, and that goes for my basses as well. When do we start to leave the audible range?*

*And may I ask what people tune to? I want shit your tripps kind of low tuning. Just hauling that out there.*

*'Preciate it.*


*DANTE LEBLANC*


----------



## thesimo (May 12, 2009)

f is the lowest u wanna go. evn that sounds retarded to me A sharp is the best low tuning


----------



## stuh84 (May 12, 2009)

We have used Drop E in a cover we are playing at the weekend (for those who are no strangers to love..... ), but I wouldn't use it at any other time. Even the low F# sounds too low in some contexts.

In all senses its about the context its used in more than just the tuning.


----------



## Cheesebuiscut (May 12, 2009)

thesimo said:


> f is the lowest u wanna go



 ^


----------



## Variant (May 12, 2009)

From how's its been _*described*_ to me, on a conventional bass with decent pickups, C#0 is about the limit. I've successfully recorded with my Conlkin GTBD-7, down to C#0 with the S.I.T. .195 string. Below that, a custom bass becomes more and more necessary. Larger strings (LaBalla custom winds huge ones, and Garry Goodman makes up to .270 for the Octave 00 line), as well special pickups and preamps help to smooth out phase issues are necessary. Custom modified bridges will be necessary to accommodate the non-taper/exposed-core string, and a longer scale might help as well as string excursion is pretty high with anything other than a super light touch. 

That said, your (and your listener's) *real* limitation is the equipment that has to reproduce the fundamental note clearly and accurately (if at all). Most subs aren't up to the job when you venture towards the 00 range. Bag End makes their Infra-sub processors/subs that rated down to 7 Hz, but the listener likely doesn't possess such equipment. You may want to make note of the processing bandwidth on your gear as well, most go from 20 Hz - xx Hz.


----------



## redenemyjoe (May 12, 2009)

Good advice. 

I tune to F sharp and even on a 5 string set up for this tuning it still isn't the best of situations. I only use my low F sharp for impact in some parts. I'm sure I couldn't record comfortably with it.


----------



## Æxitosus (May 12, 2009)

i think it really depends what you are playing and how you are playing it. 
or if you want to sound good. 

if you want to go crazy crazy low, I just recommend getting a bass instead of using floppy-ass strings. 

just for reference - I wouldn't tune this low and then use your primary guitar amp, it could fuck with the speaker. I plugged a bass into my (guitar) half stack and Si had to get my cab replaced. Not a good deal.


----------



## swayman (May 12, 2009)

Dante Leblanc said:


> *Hey. I am primarily a guitarist. I want my sound as low as you can fucking go, and that goes for my basses as well. When do we start to leave the audible range?*
> 
> *And may I ask what people tune to? I want shit your tripps kind of low tuning. Just hauling that out there.*
> 
> ...



My Schecter 5 is tuned down to E with a .175 as my biggest string. To say that E is audible is not 100% right, but when you're tuned that low it's an entirely different concept where sound is concerned. Being played by itself you can only just pick up on the differences between notes, but being played under a guitar in the same tuning brings it out. It's more the feel than anything.


----------



## Gwarthman (May 24, 2009)

swayman said:


> My Schecter 5 is tuned down to E with a .175 as my biggest string. To say that E is audible is not 100% right, but when you're tuned that low it's an entirely different concept where sound is concerned. Being played by itself you can only just pick up on the differences between notes, but being played under a guitar in the same tuning brings it out. It's more the feel than anything.



Please tell me where you buy/find your strings that big for your 5 string!!! I have been looking for a .175 gauge forever!


----------



## MF_Kitten (May 24, 2009)

Octave 4 Plus strings would be one place. i've been meaning to get a string for my bass, to tune it down to F/E, but i've just sold the bass to buy another bass, so... just gotta do that first


----------



## swayman (May 24, 2009)

Gwarthman said:


> Please tell me where you buy/find your strings that big for your 5 string!!! I have been looking for a .175 gauge forever!



Warwick Basses Amps & Rock'n Roll

They're the "Dark Lord" set in the Black Labels. Just pick a thinner single string to complete a set of 5.


----------



## NegaTiveXero (May 24, 2009)

There's a dude on eBay that sells just the single .175, he's an authorized Warwick dealer, I think.


----------



## vampiregenocide (May 24, 2009)

I personally wouldn't tune any lower than Ab standard. Lower than that, power chords sound too muddy, and it gets hard to EQ a good sounds. Obviously its possible, Meshuggah and a couple of people on here have tuned drop B (octave down) and achieved very good results.

It all depends on A. What you play and B. What your gear is capable of.


----------



## MTech (May 24, 2009)

LaBella custom makes anything... it's been noted before there's even a bassist using .270 gauge LaBella on his bass (Yves Carbonne).



Also if you really want to be playing that low you should have something custom scaled like a Knuckle Bass
http://www.knuckleguitarworks.com/1.html


----------



## Gwarthman (May 24, 2009)

swayman said:


> Warwick Basses Amps & Rock'n Roll
> 
> They're the "Dark Lord" set in the Black Labels. Just pick a thinner single string to complete a set of 5.



Sweet thanks to everyone for your help so far! I have been looking everywhere for the Rotosound drop zone plus strings (.175) for a long time and all I've been able to find in stores are the regular drop zone strings (.135)


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (Jun 13, 2009)

This guy could possibly help you out.
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/bass-guitar-discussion/87308-spam-a-heads-up.html


----------



## AySay (Jun 13, 2009)

Dude...Is your name really Dante Leblanc????
Cause with a badass name like that you only got 3 options...

1) PORN STAR

2)ROCK STAR

3)VIDEO GAME CHARACTER



psst...pick #2!!!


----------



## Setnakt (Jun 14, 2009)

I tune to F, with bass an octave below guitar. I've been using the SIT 165 on a 34" scale but I wouldn't recommend it very highly and I think I'll be moving on to the Octave4Plus option (175 gauge or around thereabouts) on my next string change.

How distinguishable your notes are depends on EQ, amplifier and speakers, and a bit on the scale length of the instrument (clean-sounding, articulate pickups would be a smart choice as well). You'll probably be able to "hear" the difference between notes if you're tuning to C#0 (low E/B/F#/C#) with a good amp and proper mixing/EQing but the effectiveness of this approach, and any lower, would completely depend not only on the amplifier and speakers used to reproduce the sound of your recordings but also totally subjective aspects of the listener's ears, what they're used to, what they're listening for, the kind of impact you're going for and how you arrange for it.


On the other hand, here's what I estimate the use for a 270 gauge is:

105 E1 41.20 hz Low string on a standard tuned 4-string bass
135 B0 30.87 hz Low B on a five-banger
175 F#0 23.12 hz
200? C#0 17.32 hz
235? G#00 12.98 hz
270 D#00 9.725 hz

I'll probably get a 6 string to tune this way at some point.




...just because.


----------



## xtrustisyoursx (Jun 14, 2009)

lol @ original post


----------



## knuckle_head (Jun 17, 2009)

Setnakt said:


> I tune to F, with bass an octave below guitar. I've been using the SIT 165 on a 34" scale but I wouldn't recommend it very highly and I think I'll be moving on to the Octave4Plus option (175 gauge or around thereabouts) on my next string change.
> 
> How distinguishable your notes are depends on EQ, amplifier and speakers, and a bit on the scale length of the instrument (clean-sounding, articulate pickups would be a smart choice as well). You'll probably be able to "hear" the difference between notes if you're tuning to C#0 (low E/B/F#/C#) with a good amp and proper mixing/EQing but the effectiveness of this approach, and any lower, would completely depend not only on the amplifier and speakers used to reproduce the sound of your recordings but also totally subjective aspects of the listener's ears, what they're used to, what they're listening for, the kind of impact you're going for and how you arrange for it.
> 
> ...



Good sub bass comes from the bass first - rigid and massive is best. Second are strings - you want decent tension and good flexibility for full harmonic content. If you have these two things you likely won't need EQ at all. Speakers are the biggest challenge - there is no commercial musical instrument cab that hits 40 Hz much less below that, but there are a couple that will get you close and offer up reproduction of 20 Hz E just fine.

Your estimate is off a bit with how to make use of the .270. Consider that octave relationships are a factor of two; you either need a bass that is twice as long or a string that has twice the mass to shift things an octave down. If a .135 is appropriate for B then a .270 is likely appropriate for an octave lower. A good C#, given the other gauges, would be a .250 in my estimation. A .185 will sit better/sound more consistent with a .135. I suspect if you want to hit G# you'd be looking at something that approaches .330 given the gauges in the balance of the set. A D# would be in the .400 range I think.

It all depends on what you're willing to live with as tension and harmonic content go.


----------



## MTech (Jul 15, 2009)

I just recently got to speak with the After The Burial guys and they're doing the meshuggah thing F-Eb and he's using 165's for the low string.
Also as for low frequency cabs the Hydra Cabs that Al Caldwell uses are 20hz to 25khz (21" & 12" & dual 8" w/Horn).


----------



## knuckle_head (Jul 18, 2009)

What does he use for A# above the F? 

.165 seems a might light for F to me.


----------



## Dante Leblanc (Jul 18, 2009)

AySay said:


> Dude...Is your name really Dante Leblanc????
> Cause with a badass name like that you only got 3 options...
> 
> 1) PORN STAR
> ...


 

*Yeah. Pronounced like "Donteh Lehblonc". I plan to be be a porn star, rock star, and say the Devil May Cry dude is modeled after me. *

*I am never fucking on here. I come back to pages of replies on forums because I never check back...also I was in jail from May 15th to June 2nd, and some fucker stole my $12500 Alienware desktop...*

*Thanks for commenting, people, I hope to figure shit out and reach my personal audiogasm.*


----------



## MTech (Jul 18, 2009)

knuckle_head said:


> What does he use for A# above the F?


was a 135 but now a 140.


----------



## knuckle_head (Jul 18, 2009)

He REALLY needs to up the .165


----------



## MerlinTKD (Jul 19, 2009)

From a practical standpoint..

I have an Ibanez SRX695, and I can tell you from personal experience that the lowest that bass can go *in a practical setting* is A (1 step down from standard). I've tried bigger strings, but it would have to be unplayably massive to go lower and still get tone.

Now, this bass is a 34" scale - a 35" (I should have gotten the BTB... oh well) will go down to G, I've done it with standard size strings and it works, up the size a bit and G is well within reach, and I'm sure F/F# as well. Possibly even E, there. But with a 34" scale, _maybe_ you can get Ab - at least, with the string size that will fit the bass with no modifications.


----------



## knuckle_head (Jul 19, 2009)

A new nut with new slots and I can get you there - trust me.


----------



## nonethesame (Jan 1, 2010)

i tuned my seven to c#f#beadg i used an .085 for 7th.


----------



## Prydogga (Jan 1, 2010)

from the dead! Lol I just read through all these threads that this Dante' kid posted in, and thought it was a huge coincidence that he commented with this on a Meshuggah video a couple of days ago:

DANTE LEBLANC:
Why the fuck did not they drop to Eb? F-Standard does not cut it. They should up the djent on&#65279; their new album.

PRYDOGGA
so half a step&#65279; down from regular 8 is djenty enough? (I meant isn't)

DANTE LEBLANC:
Nope. This is metal. Standard tunings are awkward and shitty to use. Drop-Eb is the same fucking tuning. No&#65279; reason not to tune Eb+Bb+Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb.

Besides, I am considering getting thicker gauges for my 28.5" *Blackmachine seven.*

I am tuned sixstring drop-D1 with a high A3. D-A-D-G-B-E+A is nice with a subcontra an octave down and a tenor tuned as such, an octave above. But I am considering going down to around Meshuggah's Spasm, on sevenstrings. Maybe median tuning. Bb-Standard/Drop-Ab.

PRYDOGGA:
Sorry&#65279; I meant isn't djenty enough, I think F is pretty low, Meshuggah say they have enough trouble with clarity on the lower strings as it is, and Blackmachine!? Shit, what kind of a top you got on that? (When I thought this guy was serious.)

DANTE LEBLANC:
@prydogga 
I&#65279; am using an ENGL right now. Diesel cabs. lol: Idiot doesn't even know what "top" means.)

After that I congratulated him on his setup but after seeing this it seems this kids a huge pile of BS. Apparently he's been in jail....... yet he's 16.


----------



## Metal Ken (Jan 1, 2010)

Alright, im gonna close this thread since OP was a tool.


----------

