Tuning your guitar 1 octave down.

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MatchBookNotes

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I vaguely remember a friend doing this. It accomplishes a heavier sound and you can still play all the normal chords, and power chords, right?
If so, what would the strings be tuned to? The same notes just lower?
 
you'd tune the git down a whole step, not an octave. Some folks'll tune 'em down even a couple of steps but I've not heard of anyone going down an octave.
 
Lt. Bob said:
you'd tune the git down a whole step, not an octave. Some folks'll tune 'em down even a couple of steps but I've not heard of anyone going down an octave.
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+1 for that (and for tim's comment, I don't know how to do the multiple quote thing...:o). Seems like you wouldn't be able to string it a whole octave down even on a baritone guitar.
 
i honestly think the strings would be too loose to even render a note. but down a whole step would be tuned to standard D.
 
I thought you were joking at first..

You probably meant a whole step (just 2 half-steps or 2 frets) down the keys.

So you'd tune like this

E --- D
B --- A
G --- F
D --- C
A --- G
E --- D

This is how I keep my guitar since I play in a metalcore band.

Hope this helps.
 
Get an octave pedal.

Speaking of which...you guys didn't lift mine from the party last night did you? :(
 
alovetodiefor said:
E --- D
B --- A
G --- F
D --- C
A --- G
E --- D
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I tune it like that too, except that my lower D I take it even lower to make it a C. You can play riffs and chords easier and you can go all the way down to a C chord.

Or grab some bass strings and plug them in.... if you can...
 
i suppose i should have warned you guys of my ignorance. i don't know what i'm talking about, that's what you guys are for! :)

But alovetodiefor got what i meant. so thank you.

So a baritone would be for me then?
 
MatchBookNotes said:
So a baritone would be for me then?
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It'd be cheaper than a Fender Bass VI, which was a short scale (30") 6-string bass with thinner strings (.25 - .95) that was marketed to, essentially, baritone players to achieve the Nashville sound of the time - 1961 was when Fender introduced the Bass VI to the market, one year prior to releasing their Jaguar.

If you can find a Fender Bass VI the same as I did (used '95-'96 Japanese made re-issue, for $750.00), then more power to ya. But, you might look around for a Danelectro 6-string bass (no longer in production), or even go for a baritone guitar - look for a neck scale of 26" - 29" Although a baritone guitar is intended to be tuned B, E, A, D, F#, B, it'd be able to handle to tuning you're looking for...try to find the longest scale possible. String with at least .12's, and you'll be fine.

Matt
 
MatchBookNotes said:
i suppose i should have warned you guys of my ignorance. i don't know what i'm talking about, that's what you guys are for! :)

But alovetodiefor got what i meant. so thank you.

So a baritone would be for me then?
Click to expand...

Tuning a guitar down that low would leave the strings all...flappy. An octave is a lot. A six string bass would be a better bet for that tuning scenario.
 
Yeah, tune down an octave. You'll get a guitar ready to be packed away for a long time.
Buy a baritone or something like the old fender 6 stringed bass.
 
I know from experience that tuning a guitar down 2 octaves will give you the spaghetti effect on your strings.

ONE octave probably won't be much better. I think a Whammy Pedal can give us a similar sound but those damn things are nearly $300.
 
I only tune an octave down when I'm 2 seconds away from removing my strings for a changeout! :)
 
MatchBookNotes said:
I vaguely remember a friend doing this. It accomplishes a heavier sound and you can still play all the normal chords, and power chords, right?
If so, what would the strings be tuned to? The same notes just lower?
Click to expand...

You can try "Drop D" tuning....tune your bottom "E" down to D.
Power chords on your bottom E and A string can then be played with the one finger barred across. That gives a phat sound!
 
Anything more than about a step and the guitar starts to sound pretty flappy. More than two steps and you either need a longer scale or really heavy strings (that's what they make heavy gauge sets for - guys who tune down to C# or there abouts). More than 2 1/2 steps you just flat out need a longer scale guitar.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I tried that trick years ago, regular strings were just too loose and sloppy. Then I tried using a set of bass strings (for the E-A-D-G) and a couple of strings fron a regular set for the B & E (think I used a A string for the B, and D string for the E.) I had to file the nut slots to handle the larger strings and drill the tuner peg holes larger for a couple of strings. I also had to raise the action quite a bit so the strings didn't rattle against the frets. The string tension was pretty loose (shorter scale length) so it required a light touch for playing. The loose tension made it a pain in the ass to keep it in tune. What I learned from the experiment is, yes it can be done, but the end results aren't really worth the trouble. If you can afford a baratone guitar go ahead and get one, they are designed to do what I was trying to accomplish.
 
I've got my Fender So Cal Speed Shop Strat tuned C - C, strung with .12's. No problem with slack, and it growls and snarls like it's supposed to, for being tuned that low.

Matt
 
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