What alt. tuning do you or your band use?

OOZMAN · #1 07-16-2010, 09:55 AM

(most of the time)

Just curious.

My apologies if this is not in the right place, not sure where to put it

Burlington · #2 07-16-2010, 09:56 AM

Drop C!!

**bassybill** · #3 07-16-2010, 09:58 AM

Standard tuning here - suffices for everything.

Fendr1320 · #4 07-16-2010, 10:00 AM

Guitarist writes most of his parts in drop Db, so I do Db-Ab-Db-Gb. When I had a 5, I did Ab-Db-Ab-Db-Gb.

The parts I write are usually std down a half step, so for a few songs I tune the low string up a whole step.

jarrhead · #5 07-16-2010, 10:01 AM

C# Standard

electracoyote · #6 07-16-2010, 10:01 AM

We do about 2/3 of our sets in Standard, and 1/3 in Eb tuning.

I don't know why we have to do the Eb stuff. We have a female lead singer, and she can hit everything in Standard no problem. It doesn't really affect how the guitars and I play or sound all that much. I have raised this point to no avail.

I suppose, to the most sensitive ear, the EB tuning might make Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Kiss sound more faithful to the original. But what percentage of the audience is that? Some nights, I'm probably the only one who would notice.

OOZMAN · #7 07-16-2010, 10:07 AM

My post from a different thread -

Our vocalist and lead guitarist/backing vocals INSIST on dropped C because they find it much easier to sing and scream to, there are some songs where one or both of them can't get the high notes if its in drop D. This is actually a problem right now as our rhythm guitarist's guitar can't go down to drop C so we either play drop D and listen to the vocalists complain or only have 1 guitarist. He's getting it fixed though apparently.

If it was up to me we'd probably be in standard E; we're a metal band and i find it challenging and fun to get the same amount of heaviness without downtuning. Trivium does it well some songs, same with Pantera (see cemetary gates, some of the riffs on that song are epicly heavy!)

Razorjack · #8 07-16-2010, 10:15 AM

Guitarists tune down to D standard, ADGCF for myself.

Spraeg · #9 07-16-2010, 10:17 AM

My band is incredibly odd with our tunings... One guitarist switches back and forth between Drop-D and Standard, one guitarist plays in D Standard full time, and I play a 5-string in Drop A. Transposition fun for everyone!

OOZMAN · #10 07-16-2010, 10:27 AM

The reason i started this thread is because I've seen a lot of people post that they play in drop C, more than drop D in fact, I thought this was strange, and the poll is showing that this trend is correct.

TalkBass give me smatness.

smartness sorry.

vinxbass · #11 07-16-2010, 10:39 AM

One of the bands I play with tunes down a 1/2 step on every string to Eb.

jarrhead · #12 07-16-2010, 10:41 AM

We also play in Drop C but only one option?

KsPiNeSh · #13 07-16-2010, 10:42 AM

One band is A-E-A-D-G, the other is A-C-G-C-F.

jpTron · #14 07-16-2010, 10:43 AM

Ab Db Gb C F A Eb

spade2you · #15 07-16-2010, 10:47 AM

Standard or dropped D. They can take it or leave it.

OOZMAN · #16 07-16-2010, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpTron

Ab Db Gb C F A Eb

what sort of band are you in?

doctorpunch · #17 07-16-2010, 10:54 AM

NKBassman · #18 07-16-2010, 10:58 AM

E standard in one band, but C standard in the other. It's a good excuse to keep multiple basses around

.

EDIT: Flipped the d-tuner for one song at jam last night, which I guess would have been drop-A#. Sounded badass

RNV · #19 07-16-2010, 11:02 AM

Drop C. I'm amazed by how many others tune the same way.

StuartV · #20 07-16-2010, 11:16 AM

Can somebody please educate me on this? I understand what the drop tunings are. What I don't understand is why you need them - unless you need a note that is lower than what your bass will do.

I mean, if you need a low A or Ab, then I can see using a 5-string and tuning it down. But if you don't need any notes lower than a low B, why wouldn't you just play in standard tuning?