I love drop A tuning appreciation's thread

[MerlinTKD]

I put my 7 in drop-A as soon as I got it... the only problem I run into is there's barely enough room on the LFR to intonate it correctly!

I love it though... as was mentioned, the barre chords clear across the neck are awesome! Also, it changes where the notes line up on the low side of the neck (I know, duh!), which really makes me think about riff progressions differently.

If/when I ever get to put my bari project together, I'm definitely doing either open C or maybe even GDAEBF#C#, just to see what happens!

Overall, I love the sound of drop- and de-tuning... it gives the strings different overtones and a different sound all together.

Don't they pretty much stick to C and drop-Bb? For progressive detuning, see Deftones

Like what? I'm all curious now!

 

[Mattayus]

like E standard, then drop Db, then 7 string standard, then he dropped that to something else, now he's on 8 strings i believe lol

 

[DarkKnight369]

I love the drop A.

 

[Shawn]

I keep counting 8 notes there. Maybe I am retarded...

No, you're right. I'm retarded. It's BEADF#BE. My bad.

 

[RXTN]

My 2027 is in standard A, does this count?

 

[Mattayus]

NO!!

 

[distressed_romeo]

Not quite the same, but at the moment I'm rocking out in CGCFADG tuning...

Try it, it rules!

As for drop A, I've tried in in the past, although down a semitone. I don't know why, but ADADGBE (again, down a half-step) just seems to work better for me...

If you like drop A, give it a go.

 

[TomAwesome]

Like what? I'm all curious now!

Adrenaline: Standard
Around the Fur: Drop Db
White Pony: Drop C
Defones: B? Bb? Something like that? 7-strings from here on out.
Saturday Night Wrist: Something in the area of G I think? Not really sure.
Now: Well, he has that 8-string, so who knows? I think I heard a rumor of him tuning down to low E to go "full circle" with Adrenaline.

Not quite the same, but at the moment I'm rocking out in CGCFADG tuning...

Try it, it rules!

As for drop A, I've tried in in the past, although down a semitone. I don't know why, but ADADGBE (again, down a half-step) just seems to work better for me...

If you like drop A, give it a go.

I use Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb sometimes. it's fun!

 

[Vision]

I like it because all these bands that use the "weenie" drop-C tuning sound way better in drop-A. Plus I was trying out "The Thing That Should Not Be" in drop-A, and it was f-in tough sounding. lol

I really need to get one of those things that will drop your tuning down a step with the flip of a switch, but I really like my Gotoh tuners

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Drop A is awesome. Something I would definantly use a bit when I get a seven.

<sarcasm>Plus if Nile uses it, it can't be "that" bad</sarcasm>

I like low tunnings in general. This is probably not helped by starting out on bass before getting a guitar, I have a much "deeper" understaning of what low is, compared to most people I've run into. B is my minimum lowest note for guitaring, and right now my lowest note is G, sometime soon to be F. I'd probably end up with a bass Bb or bass Ab on a bari seven.

 

[Mattayus]

I like it because all these bands that use the "weenie" drop-C tuning sound way better in drop-A. Plus I was trying out "The Thing That Should Not Be" in drop-A, and it was f-in tough sounding. lol

I really need to get one of those things that will drop your tuning down a step with the flip of a switch, but I really like my Gotoh tuners

I don't know whether it's because they've matured as a band in general, or because they just got better equipment but Chimaira sound a billion times better in drop C than they did in drop A. hands down.
That's not to say their stuff on the 7s wasn't great, it just doesn't stack up against the rest of the albums post-Pass Out.

I think if you're playing that kind of metal then drop A doesn't really work tbh. It's a bit TOO low, and the notes become a little slurred if you're doing the whole thrash thing, with lots of palm muted barre chords around the first 6 frets.

 

[Kagami]

I don't know whether it's because they've matured as a band in general, or because they just got better equipment but Chimaira sound a billion times better in drop C than they did in drop A. hands down.
That's not to say their stuff on the 7s wasn't great, it just doesn't stack up against the rest of the albums post-Pass Out.

I think if you're playing that kind of metal then drop A doesn't really work tbh. It's a bit TOO low, and the notes become a little slurred if you're doing the whole thrash thing, with lots of palm muted barre chords around the first 6 frets.

depends on your setup, mine is clear in A, the sound style they had back then made it sound like crap imo.

 

[Mattayus]

Well yeah mine's clear as a bell in drop A but that's cos i dont sludge around the bottom frets all the time, and i rarely play whole barre chords chugged in succession over and over and over again it's all in the tone i guess, and yeah, theirs at the time was horrible! Except on 'Lumps'. The tone on that song could cut your throat.

 

[wes225]

what gauge do i need for a 6string to handle Drop A?

i wanna get 12's but im worried it might be too light.

 

[Kagami]

what gauge do i need for a 6string to handle Drop A?

i wanna get 12's but im worried it might be too light.

I use 14-64 on my baritone, so that'd be like 15-66 or so on a regular scale? lol, the low A is kinda loose for my taste sometimes but it works really well.

 

[soldierkahn]

jesus, i use a 60 on my 1077 for A and its berry nice!


I like Drop A alot cuz im more accustomed to seeing the fretboard in a drop tuning, due to my nu-metal roots

 

[Vision]

I don't know whether it's because they've matured as a band in general, or because they just got better equipment but Chimaira sound a billion times better in drop C than they did in drop A. hands down.
That's not to say their stuff on the 7s wasn't great, it just doesn't stack up against the rest of the albums post-Pass Out.

I think if you're playing that kind of metal then drop A doesn't really work tbh. It's a bit TOO low, and the notes become a little slurred if you're doing the whole thrash thing, with lots of palm muted barre chords around the first 6 frets.

Good point!

 

[zimbloth]

I don't know whether it's because they've matured as a band in general, or because they just got better equipment but Chimaira sound a billion times better in drop C than they did in drop A. hands down.
That's not to say their stuff on the 7s wasn't great, it just doesn't stack up against the rest of the albums post-Pass Out.

I think if you're playing that kind of metal then drop A doesn't really work tbh. It's a bit TOO low, and the notes become a little slurred if you're doing the whole thrash thing, with lots of palm muted barre chords around the first 6 frets.

No man, you had it right the first time. It has nothing to do with the tuning, but rather the fact Chimaira has gotten a lot better and they're using better gear. Pass Out of Existence was recorded with solid state Marshalls bro. The new shit has Soldanos and other really nice amps in the mix, not to mention a great engineer.

Drop A works just as well as Drop C for thrash, if the amp, pickups, etc are all setup right, it's all good. Pass Out Of Existence vs. Resurrection isn't really a fair fight. Plenty of bands, including my own (though our CD isn't out yet so you'll have to take my word for it) tune to A and don't have any problems with notes sounding clear, tight, or musical. It's all about the gear and how it's mixed, not tunings.

 

[wes225]

. The new shit has Soldanos and other really nice amps in the mix, not to mention a great engineer.

actually they use....


peavey 6505 plus. two of them.
dunlop zakk wylde wah
2 whammy pedal.
some other stuff too

atleast for there live setup.

 

[Kagami]

jesus, i use a 60 on my 1077 for A and its berry nice!


I like Drop A alot cuz im more accustomed to seeing the fretboard in a drop tuning, due to my nu-metal roots

I did it because I could play standard and drop stuff on the same guitar without retuning lazy ftw! haha