i personally prefer drop C. i don't like it too low because if it is, then it's incredibly hard to play non-metal, E standard-tuned songs without having to change the tuning. and plus, i like having C as the note that i end alot of my songs on.

ever hear of a bass guitar?

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Never in my life.

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seriously...tuning that low is so pointless...there is no way it sounds good

Meshuggah?

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Lol, dude, it's a half-step. If you tune an 8-string down one half step you end up with a low F. It's not like I'm tuning the 8-string itself down 11 steps. That's like saying a bass guitar sounds like shit aswell. Since that's only a half-step lower if it's in standard tuning.

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i'm probably gonna get flamed for this


but thats kinda my point

i know what an 8 string is tuned to...and i'm not saying that bass sounds like crap....you don't play a bass through guitar style effects

I personally like E standard the most but I have a guitar in C/C# and then another in B or D (depending on the strings and what tuning I decide when changing strings...). I don't relaly worry about tuning to Eb for a song that is tuned to that when I'm playing along cuz I'm merely playing along...

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I like E standard, it gives me best sound and distoration is best.All other tunings are not recomended for me

Has noone here heard of Doom gods Thergothon, or the only real good users of B tuning Axis of Advance/Sacramentary Abolishment?

I find B is versatile, for playing fast paced black/death and taking it right down to doom metal... cant really do that in D, but D is still excellent for most death metal.

Seriously.... before any of you take another breath, obtain these godlike releases... and associated.

http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2172

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Of course I've heard Thergothon. I've got an original copy of their demo and their album recorded on cassette.

Of course 7-string guitars have more range but if say one wants to play in a certain key, say in the key of D and use a fast pedal tone with chords, it would be quite difficult to do so. At least for me anyway! I can't think of an other way besides maybe taking the guitar down two steps so that the low E would become D but anyway...

i personally can appreciate all tunings, they all have their own style and signature sound. i've done E standard, drop D, D standard, C standard, C# standard, B standard, drop A, A standard, and F# standard [8 string tuning on my 7 string; tuned down 2 1/2 steps], in addition to odd tunings such as ADADGb'e', and every single one is cool its own right.


right now i have a 6 string tuned to C#, because i believe its heavy and dark but versatile, and my 7 string is currently tuned to F# to emulate 8 string guitars, but i normally bounce between standard tuning and drop A for it.



the tuning is irrelevant; the material and how well it fits the tuning is far more important. Dimmu Borgir has written some of the heaviest stuff in E standard I've ever heard, and I've heard some very bland shit from bands in drop A. tuning doesn't matter. the end, i win.

I use everything from A standard to E standard. Heaviness is a broad term and i personally use my down tuned guitars for Doom and brutal DM. Shred sounds better on standard tune to me.

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Personally the tunes where i am more comfortable playing are C# and D, I think they can sound heavy enough, but of course, the 90% of heaviness is how good the riff is, and I think the tune has nothing to do there

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When I told my buddy Meshuggah is playing 8 string guitars he just said "why don't they just fire their bassist!?"

I really prefer E and Eb - I think everything else is annoying only because its hard for me to tune lower quickly on my guitar. Maybe if I had a better guitar I wouldn't mind so much -- but here's the other thing, I'm a real advocate of actually reading music. The main reason I like Guitar Pro and Power Tab is it shows the notes - I don't like people's fingering a lot of the time, and the way I was trained I just don't feel like I can get into the music mentally as deeply without knowing the notes I am playing.

I also like the ability to play the piece on piano just to try something different (Emperor sounds really cool when arranged for piano - check out http://www.vkgoeswild.com/ for killer metal piano arrangements by the way.

So when bands tune weird it hads this whole transposition element to it and it really gets on my nerves.

Heaviness, as mentioned above, has a lot to do with the riff and the tone, but a low tuning definitely helps. I don't think Meshuggah would be near as crushing if they were tuned to E.

Fuck I love Meshuggah.

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OK - in line with what Dyldo is saying - here is where I come out on this and let me start by saying my understanding could be wrong --

The first thing anyone notices about Meshuggah is definitely the tone. In my opinion, this is not because you are hearing a Bb - it's because you need to play a heavier string and adjust the distortion to not sound like a wall of mud. The timbre you are hearing is more a product of that, and not the actual key.

Compare the Haunted (in Eb) to Dying Fetus (C#) - yes maybe there is too great of a production difference, but seriously ask your self if either tone sounds "meaner" or more brutal - it's really all about arrangement and riffing at the end of the day.

But I'll tell you what I CANT. FUCKING. STAND. Overly creative - totally weird tunings usually by emo / indie / art student dorks like Eb, F#, C, A#, A, F - who are usually musically illiterate to begin with in the first place and use it to compensate for the fact that they are mentally retarded.

I actually enjoy using open/experimental tunings because you can construct some chords and riffs that would be near impossible with normal tunings. It also flips your normal means of composition on its head and gets you out of patterns that you may have never known you've been following. Don't let shitty bands ruin something with great potential.

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I fucking like you man.


PS if you ever read this get in touch with me concerning Axis of Advance tabs.


For fuck's sakes everybody check out Axis of Advance. They will make you lose your shit. They ALWAYS make me lose my shit. I have to watch out I don't walk by a place that blasts their Strike-album when in public or I'll lose my shit in public. Everybody check them now, most visceral and "fuckyouIdowhatIwant"-riffing that is possible within its genre, most accurate drummer with fucked up and unorthodox lines all over the place AND THE FUCKING LYRICS MAN, Strike is hands down THE best concept-album ever, they sure do know their shit, that makes me lose mine.

They'll make you lose your shit.


A HAMLET LORD HAD TAKEN ME IN
HE WAS AN ELDER LACKING KIN
HIS WING WAS MENTOROUS AND PROTECTIIIIVE
CELESTIAL ERUDITION HE WAS ABOUT TO SHARE - OUAGH!


But personally yeah I do think heaviness has a lot to do with tuning, yes.

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