Search for the Ultimate Tuning of Metal

[korpse pop]

I keep changing tunings all the time and I don't know to which one to settle for. IMO tunings below A do not sound very good and even A seems to be too low to get a decent thump out of it. B seems a little boring since so many bands are using it, altough I love Carcass heaviness with B tuning. Too many options, shoulda have stayed in E standard with .09 strings everyone begins with and just forget about it

What's your preferred guitar tuning for metal ? What are you using and pros and cons?

 

[Metaltastic]

C standard is my shit - I really doubt anyone could give objective reasons as to why one tuning is better or worse than another (unless you go beneath B flat, at which point I agree it's too low), I just like C-standard cuz it's the Gothenberg tuning

 

[STINNETT]

E standard


Why, because I think the guitar just sounds better in this register and I like the way thinner strings sound and feel when they're tight. (Meaning I don't like the way thicker strings sound when they're tight in a lower tuning and I don't like the way thinner strings sound when slacked for a lower tuning)

I use 9-46 strings by the way.

It's an easy decision for me.

That being said, when I was doing death metal, E standard did not sound as good with my voice so I dropped down a step. I think D standard is not low enough to really start turning me off, but most of the time I still prefer E.

 

[colonel kurtz]

my favorite tuning would have to be C# standard...i don't know why, it just is. then if i want to write something in a drop tuning, i'll lower the C# to B for even more nastiness.

 

[xFkx]

A

or G#


sadly my band does not agree so I tune to B :Smug:

 

[mick thompson]

drop c tuning buddy - its the way forward - its what i use and countless other bands use - its heavy as fuck but not too low that your strings end up flopping around. and because its tuned to c it helps with other things like working off a major scale on a piano or shit like that. no shaps or flats. great for peeps who aint too fresh on the old theory side of music.

 

[Wolfeman]

In my opinion, stepping down your tuning only sounds good if it matches the singers voice. I have heard things in standard(or drop d) that sound heavy as hell, because it was on par with the vocalist.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

drop c tuning buddy - its the way forward - its what i use and countless other bands use - its heavy as fuck but not too low that your strings end up flopping around. and because its tuned to c it helps with other things like working off a major scale on a piano or shit like that. no shaps or flats. great for peeps who aint too fresh on the old theory side of music.

Who the hell writes metal in C Major?

 

[mick thompson]

that is true wolfeman - i did play in drop d tuning until we checked our voxist's octave range and found out he screams much tighter in c and most of our shit is written around the key of c. on that note you need to have decent equipment that can handle drop tuning properly.

ie: a well set guitar and bass and capable amps that dont turn your sound into muck when your shredding on the low freq's

 

[STINNETT]

....and because its tuned to c it helps with other things like working off a major scale on a piano or shit like that. no shaps or flats. great for peeps who aint too fresh on the old theory side of music.

I don't understand what you're getting at here...?

 

[Scissors61]

I constantly have all of my guitars in drop Ab

 

[The-Zeronaut]

B or Drop B

 

[Zack Uidl]

7 and 8 strings for the win

 

[mondocane]

drop C lately, especially if you're a bass player into guitar playing too. ;-)

but for old school stuff, it's just half step down anyway, Eb. like all the good ol' heavier bands used to tune.

 

[El_Gato]

D here. Gauges:
Rthm:0.13-0.56
Lead: 0.9-0.56

I also like D flat a lot.

 

[The Unavoidable]

I use standard, with the low E tuned to B. All the djent, and all the shred.

The ultimate for me would be a nice sevenstringer though, which I would so tune to drop A every now and then.

 

[Metaltastic]

Wait...so you have almost an octave between your bottom two strings? That seems like a very poor choice for any kind of rhythm playing...

 

[Trevoire520]

I play in drop D, stings are 9,11,16,32,42,54

Don't really faff about with lower tunings much unless I'm playing other bands stuff. When I did I found Drop C was a pretty cool middle ground, with a decent thickness of string its still pretty tight, but has a bit more thickness. Things do get nice and sludgy when you get down to B or A, starts sounding a bit like a bass guitar. But I think you really lose the articulation with the strings flapping about.

Wouldn't mind getting a baritone for low tunings mind you. Reckon it'd be great even just for recording.

 

[Kazrog]

I use Drop C on my 6 string songs, and standard tuning on my 7 string (with the low B of course.) Sometimes I'll go crazy and do drop A on the 7 string. I find this to be more than enough variety.

Capos are cool too.... underused in metal outside of Opeth...

 

[colonel kurtz]

I use standard, with the low E tuned to B. All the djent, and all the shred.

prison sex tuning, huh?