-Heavy Bass Ranking! Down-tuning Lecture! - -Downtuning Lecture!
A must-see for those who are just starting out or already playing guitar!
This is a course on various tunings that go beyond regular tuning and allow you to express yourself in a wider range of ways.
I, Takano, who started tuning down guitars as early as I can remember and was fascinated by the brain-shaking bass and high-gain, have found myself tuning all new guitars to "drop tuning"!
First of all, what are the benefits of tuning down?
Many people think that regular tuning is enough, but the advantage of tuning down is that it is often used to give the sound a heavier, heavier, rougher, darker, darker atmosphere. In drop tuning, the sixth string can be lowered one note, allowing the player to play power chords with a single finger, and in combination with the open strings, it is possible to create a fantastic atmosphere and play riffs and phrases that cannot be played in normal tuning!
By using regular tuning, drop tuning, etc., depending on the song, you can play in a wider range of registers, which in turn expands the range of your playing!
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is said to be the originator of the down-tuning technique. It is said that he was working as a sheet metal worker when he accidentally put his hand into a press and cut off his middle finger and index finger.
As a guitarist, amputating a finger is a very fatal event.
However, he overcame this handicap by attaching plastic sacks to the middle and index fingers of his right hand.
In conjunction with this, he reduced the tension of the guitar strings to the utmost limit so that he could play with very little effort.
The result was a distinctive low, crushed sound, which is said to be the beginning of down-tuning.
Tony Iommi's achievement in overcoming a horrific accident and elevating it to what it is now a major thing is truly remarkable.
In addition, the history of down-tuning is surprisingly old, with Jimi Hendrix, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, and Yngwie, who played with a half-tone down-tuning, at the top, and many others. In recent years, this tuning has become common in both Western and Japanese music, and is used in many modern sounds such as metal, hardcore, emo, screamo, and recently, Djent (Meshuggah, Periphery, etc.), and is becoming a major player in these genres.
As the name suggests, it is a tuning that lowers the note from the basic regular tuning (EADGBE), but there are several different types of tunings, and we will introduce some of them with bands and songs that use each tuning!
Half Step Down Half step down (D#G#C#F#A#D#)
Featherweight
Slight vibration that causes a little shaking! This is for an introduction to down-tuning!
Protest The Hero/Bloodmeat
Guns N' Roses/Welcome To The Jungle
Ozzy Osbourne/Miracle Man
Badlands/High Wire
Ratt/Round And Round
Yngwie Malmsteen /I'll See the Light, Tonight etc.
Drop D (DADGBE)-only the 6th string is lowered one note.
Lightweight
Things start to shake around! Recommended for beginners of drop tuning!
TheUsed/Take It Away
Blue Murder/Riot
Foo Fighters/Monkey Wrench
Hide/ROCKET DIVE, etc.
Hole step down one note (DGCFAD)
Welterweight
Knee wobbling and shaking vibration, still in the beginning!
All That Remains/This Calling
Motley Crue/Girls,Girls,Girls
Manowar/Manowar(2011 MMXI)
Pantera/Cowboy from Hell, etc.
Drop C#(C#G#C#F#A#D#)
Middleweight
Sleeping people will wake up to the heavy bass that hits their brain! For those who still need more bass!
Trivium/Strife
Finch/Letters To You
Funeral for a Friend/Recovery
10Years/Wasteland, etc.
Drop C (CGCFAD)
Light Heavyweight
Danger! The snarling bass attacks! For those who lament the need for more bass!
Killswitch Engage/In Due Time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HANCzu70us4)
Atreyu/Right Side of the Bed
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas/Chase The Light
Lostprophets/Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja, etc.
Down 2 notes (CFA#D#GC)
Heavyweight
I can't even stand up. I feel danger to myself because of the bass so heavy that I can't move!
Arch Enemy/Yesterday Is Dead And Gone
IN FLAMES/Embody The Invisible
Dream Theater/In The Name Of God, etc.
Drop B (BF#BEG#C#)
Super Heavyweight
Terrified by the heavy bass that crawls on the ground! It will definitely bring you to your knees! True down-tuning is only possible when you get it down this low!
Slipknot/Duality
Crossfaith/Monolith
Bring me the Horizon/Pray for Plagues etc.
Just connect it to a tuner and match the notes of each string!
For beginners, it is easy to understand by tuning to regular tuning (EADGBE) and then lowering the tuning a little at a time.
However, lowering the tuning has the disadvantage that the tension of the strings becomes weaker, resulting in a decrease in sustain and blurring of the sound image.
Therefore, by increasing the string gauge to match the tuning, it is possible to maintain a clear and taut sound.
As a general guideline
...Drop D - 1 note down
10-46～11-49
Drop C# to 2 notes down
11-49～11-52
Drop B# to drop B
12-54～13-56
With the above gauges, there is no burden on the neck and a good tension can be maintained!
Drop tuning can be easily achieved by matching the notes with harmonics on the 7th fret of the 6th string and the 5th fret of the 5th string, or the 5th fret of the 6th string and the 5th fret of the 4th string!
Click here for other detailed adjustment methods such as neck, string height, octave tuning, etc!
By lowering the tuning, the tension of the strings will inevitably weaken.
Therefore, a guitar with a long scale, preferably a long scale (Fender scale) or a baritone guitar (666mm-686mm) or longer, is suitable for down tuning.
Nowadays, long scale guitars for down-tuning are available from various manufacturers (YAMAHA Drop6 series, Dragonfly 666, Ibanez RGD, etc.), so it would be a good idea to have a specialized guitar for down-tuning!
Other guitars can also be down-tuned with no problem by making proper adjustments, so don't worry!
(There was a time when I used 13-56 gauge strings on my Les Paul and tuned down to drop B... lol)
Here are some guitars we have in stock at our store that you may be surprised to find yourself hooked on!
Greco GO-1200
Greco GO-1200 is a high-end model of the "GO" series by Greco, one of Japan's leading long-established guitar makers.
The long sustain and moderate string tension due to the through-neck construction are sure to be a hit with down-tuners!
By turning on the active 3-band EQ, it produces a zaggy metal sound like the EMG81!
Also, the active EQ can be used for equalization when you want a little more nudge in an ensemble...!♪
Although this model is about 30 years old, its sound is very modern!
Gibson SG-90 Modify
This SG-90 was produced for a very short period of time from 1988 to 1989.
Based on the SG-90, this model has been modified to modern specifications!
Sperzel pegs and Gibson Tony Iommi Humbucker pickups are mounted.
The body anchor is used to pass the strings through the back of the body, giving it a high-gain sound with moderate tension and sustain!
With simple controls (1Vol, 1PU) and a lightweight body (2,8kg), this guitar is very easy to handle and is recommended for those who want to play riffs with a lot of gusto!
Benavente 2k SingleCut Custom
The 2k Single Cut Custom is made by Benavente, famous for producing high-end basses.
The 2k Single Cut Custom is made by Benavente, which is well known for producing high-end basses.
The pickups are mounted with Dimarzio's Virtual PAF, which emphasizes the high frequencies.
Despite its Les Paul-like appearance, the back-threaded strings on the chambered body produce a very clear and crisp sound with just the right amount of string tension and a beautiful treble and full bass without destroying the sound image even when distorted hard at down-tuning. The sound image is not destroyed even when distorted hard during down-tuning.
We recommend this unit, which combines a high-class appearance, sound, and playability!
Gibson SG Classic
Surprisingly addictive! The thick mahogany-like mid and the crispness and moderate power of the P-90s do not destroy the bass even when tuned down, and produce a very pleasant, nubby sound!
The sound is good enough even without tuning down, but if used in a twin-guitar band, the guitars will sound very well-balanced in an ensemble without clashing with each other!
AriaProll PE-R60
AriaProll's representative model "PE-R60" made in 1981.
Beautiful arched top body with original shape, maple top/mahogany back, and maple neck.
It has a powerful yet moderately smooth sound, with a big thump when deeply distorted! When distorted deeply, the sound is very appealing!♪
It also boasts high playability thanks to the contour processing on the body and the heel-less joint, and the careful craftsmanship that makes it hard to believe that this guitar is over 30 years old.
This is the kind of guitar that makes you want to play riffs in the low position with a long strap!