Dropping down to C#? (help)

[m0rtis]

I am going to tune my guitar to C# , but I don't know the proper strings for it
I am using an Epiphone Les Paul Gothic. How much thick should the strings be? (0.011 ? 0.012?)

 

[Bush Whacker]

As heavy as you can stand. I normally play in standard tuning with .010s, so you may want to try 11's or 12's.

I'd also recommend something that has a longer scale than a Gibson Les Paul and different woods than what is used with the Gothic, but that's my preference. The only thing about using guitars that are meant for dark tone when playing that low is that you'll start to lose definition with the notes, but if you want a dark sound, have at it!

 

[Katalepsy]

Get a baritone, never drop tune on an Epiphone, they don't like to cooperate. You can try 12s, 11s won't do the trick very well.

Here are some suggestions for baritones
Ibanez MMM1 - 28" Scale
ESP George Lynch Baritone - 26.5" or 27" I think

 

[Sex Machine]

hmm my epi drops perfectly...

it all depends on the instrument.

i use 11's and i drop to c. the strings are a little on the loose side, but its not a problem at all. if you want the strings tighter then i guess use 12s... but you are going to have to set the intonation for the drop tuning for it to sound best.

 

[Hexer]

depends on what you're used to....

I used to play 11s in E-tuning so now I use 12s or 13s for D and 14s for C
I'm mainly a rythm-guitarrist and play a lot of relatively fast stuff, so I like heavy strings, that may of course be different with you

 

[Ravenous Enemy]

I use 10 - 52 in Eb standard. That is really good for rhythm and lead.
At C#, I would recomend 12-56, although if you go drop B you'll probably need a bit heavier on the 6th string (only).
NOTE: C# tuning is where a lot of guitars start to sound bad... you should be ok, but I would consider tuning to D or changing the pickups on your Epi.

 

[Metal is Religion]

string gauge never was a problem for me. personally, i would just use what you got and down tune with taht. i have an ibanez and an esp. both down tune great. i use a set of 7 strings minus the high E(13s i think?) on my esp, because i play in B a lot, but its basically your preference. lower tunings can be difficult to play on 9s, but ive done it, just takes a little getting used to.

 

[Katalepsy]

I use 10 - 52 in Eb standard. That is really good for rhythm and lead.
At C#, I would recomend 12-56, although if you go drop B you'll probably need a bit heavier on the 6th string (only).
NOTE: C# tuning is where a lot of guitars start to sound bad... you should be ok, but I would consider tuning to D or changing the pickups on your Epi.

E Flat is a full step above C Sharp, keep that in mind, a lot can change from one to the next. 11-52 is just fine for C#, that's what I use, and I drop tune quite a bit. I have tuned to A# before on an 11 set, it all just depends on your instrument and how well it handles drop tuning. Also, pickups have nothing to do with how well your guitar handles drop tuning, it's not like anything bad will happen if you have shitty pickups and tune below C#, in fact, I used to tune below C with my old stock pickups and it sounded just fine. Like I said, it all depends on the instrument.

 

[Hexer]

lower tunings can be difficult to play on 9s, but ive done it, just takes a little getting used to.

thats true, I've done that, too. but I think it would sound pretty damn shitty with the stuff I play nowadays.......

about the pickups: you'll have to try how they sound when the guitar is tuned low, my Warlock has a Dimarzio Super2 in bridge which has quite a bit of lowend, so when i tune very low (of course it also depends on the strings) I end up having a bit too much low-end (for my taste), sounds very dark. I think it even sounds very good for melodies and stuff like that, but as I'm more of a rythm-guitarist I want a sound more on the sharp, heavy side.

 

[Dead Winter]

I use 11s for my Jackson tuned to C#...it's actually really good, too, even with a floating tremolo. The problem that you'll notice if you get too heavy, is that speed alternate picking gets much slower with a bigger string. On my other Jackson, I use 13s for B, and the top string, although sounds fucking great, doesn't sound nearly as nice for speed picking as it does with my BC Rich tuned to D or my Ibanez tuned to E. The BC Rich has 10s on it. 13s are much better for slower type low tuned metal, such as Hypocrisy. Roswell 47 and Osculum Obscenum are perfect for that, yet it still isn't as nice as it would be with a 7-string. My Epiphone is tuned to Eb, and I use 10s also with that one. My Ibanez has 9s on it...easier for bending and thrash metal.

The problem with C# is that, as someone said before, it starts to sound bad if you aren't playing the right songs. My Dying Bride is about the only music that I like to play in C#. Also, if it's just a teeny tiny bit out of tune, you'll DEFINITELY hear it. It's very high maintenance. If you aren't playing MDB covers or something, I recommend something like D, C, or B. When you start getting into flats and sharps, it just doesn't sound as good. The cool thing about B is that you have 5 other strings tuned to E, without the high E string, so you don't have to change guitars if there's a solo or something you want to play...with other tunings, this isn't the case. You can play a solo in any tuning, but in my opinion, solos sound best in E. Solos and acoustic, that is.

 

[Dead Winter]

I have a question...

Now that it has been brought up, for speed/thrash metal, would 11s be better than 10s for a guitar tuned to D with a floyd rose?

 

[Bryant]

Hey man...... trust me on this..... I am not here to dog you, but why do you want to tune down to that low of a key ? Bass guitars carry that part of the spectrum. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I'm really not flaming you. It's a serious question. I honestly don't see where tuning that low sounds so good. Maybe I am just too old.
>~


Bryant

 

[Dead Winter]

Nah, you just like the standard tuning better...actually, so do I. However, tuning down really low gives you this gutteral, balls in your face punch that E lacks...for rhythm. If I played things like Malmsteen, Maiden, or other classic metal or neo-classical type metal, dropping steps wouldn't be good. For rhythm, lowering the tuning just sounds BETTER. I'm all about the crunch; carrying the song as a whole. I've never been into jerking my guitar off. Granted, it blows my mind when I watch people like Petrucci or Malmsteen...actually Petrucci plays 7 string as well, and there's some serious crunch there, and I aspire to become like them, but it's not my goal. I love rhythm. A fast, heavy rhythm with licks here and there is my thing. I know you're not flaming me, dude, don't worry. Growing up, my idols were James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine, although Dave is head and shoulders above many guitarists anyway, and he's a LEAD guitarist who basically plays rhythm and lead simulataneously. I don't need flash and million-miles-an-hour leads...I need the riff that you can't get out of your head that just makes you bang your head and go crazy.

 

[m0rtis]

the reason i want to drop to c# is not only the sound. I write my own songs. and for example when i write a melody starting with the D note or something, I want rhytm guitars to be much more heavy so that it feels darker,
but in standart notation, the first D note is in the 5th string which is not heavy enough.

this is just an example , just don't say "instead of writing things staring with D , start with E or something "

 

[Katalepsy]

If you want a good heavy sound, just go to D G C F A D and drop your low E (or D in that case) to C (Drop C; C G C F A D). I write all of my songs in D G C F A D, and I would have to say it's the best tuning for metal (IMO of course).

 

[ubiquitos]

many metal bands tune down because it compliments the vocals

 

[discouraged1]

i have epi slash signature les paul classic, playing 12-54 in D tune (i often drop 6-string to C) and my neck is pretty fine... it's pretty hard to play in D with 12s. hard for soloing... but i like the struggle
i've even tried to tune to B, and it sounded good, but i am afraid that the neck won't stand it.
i guess gibsons and epis are best guitars for the downtuning because of the strong necks.

 

[Hexer]

I have a question...

Now that it has been brought up, for speed/thrash metal, would 11s be better than 10s for a guitar tuned to D with a floyd rose?

I'd say 11s are better if you want to go for the faster rythm-stuff though personally I'd use heavier strings (I play 13s in D-tuning)

 

[Bryant]

Nah, you just like the standard tuning better...actually, so do I. However, tuning down really low gives you this gutteral, balls in your face punch that E lacks...for rhythm. If I played things like Malmsteen, Maiden, or other classic metal or neo-classical type metal, dropping steps wouldn't be good. For rhythm, lowering the tuning just sounds BETTER. I'm all about the crunch; carrying the song as a whole. I've never been into jerking my guitar off. Granted, it blows my mind when I watch people like Petrucci or Malmsteen...actually Petrucci plays 7 string as well, and there's some serious crunch there, and I aspire to become like them, but it's not my goal. I love rhythm. A fast, heavy rhythm with licks here and there is my thing. I know you're not flaming me, dude, don't worry. Growing up, my idols were James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine, although Dave is head and shoulders above many guitarists anyway, and he's a LEAD guitarist who basically plays rhythm and lead simulataneously. I don't need flash and million-miles-an-hour leads...I need the riff that you can't get out of your head that just makes you bang your head and go crazy.

Thanks for enlightening me. I am an oldschool guy (meaning I go back that far) but I listen to some modern death bands like Opeth and CoB, but no newer black metal has struck me. I tune in Eb myself.

Bryant

 

[Bryant]

the reason i want to drop to c# is not only the sound. I write my own songs. and for example when i write a melody starting with the D note or something, I want rhytm guitars to be much more heavy so that it feels darker,
but in standart notation, the first D note is in the 5th string which is not heavy enough.

this is just an example , just don't say "instead of writing things staring with D , start with E or something "

Makes sense to me. I don't write songs normally. Many people consider themselves "artists." I am not an artist, but a technician. I do write riffs quite often, but I am much better at taking a basic "song" or chord structures and turning them into something special. I have a producer's ear and can turn a three chord rock song into a progressive masterpiece and can audiblize the bass, guitar drums vacals etc. if I spend enough time on it, but I couldn't write "Mary had a Little Lamb" if you spotted me Mary and the lamb.



Bryant