Eb tuning, pros and cons...

[Gainzilla]

Eb for life here and I do it with 9's. MY guitars have floyds on them and for some reason, the tension feels more like Standard tuning. For me, music just sounds bigger and better in Eb and that goes for just about everything. I will admit that while certain things sound slightly better in Standard( Journey comes to mind ) Its not enough of a difference to really bug me.

 

[saturnfive]

After many years in E I've started tuning down to Eb about half the time and I have to say, I really like Eb!...that 1/2 step down seems to give so much more welly in the low end and I really don't miss it on the highs. Only thing I don't like is retuning when I have to play in E! I use 9's on an LP mostly though so have to really watch I don't bend things sharp. There's just something about the reduced tension with a nice high gain sound though...the looser strings have a bit more "life" to them somehow.

btw: I seem to recall Billy Gibbons = 7's on an LP! BB King too.

 

[EOT]

btw: I seem to recall Billy Gibbons = 7's on an LP! BB King too.

I actually have a set of 7's on my axis right now in standard. They are loooose. I kinda just use em to practice playing with a light touch. I do like the way sound though. I also have one of ibbys in standard with 10-52's. I use that one more to keep my finger strength up. But I sounds pretty good too. I guess I like a little bit of everything.

 

[ke2]

I play in both E and Eb. I keep several guitars tuned to each. I don't go any lower than Eb. I don't really have a preference I just did it because Randy on Diary has a few tracks in Eb and EVH, Yngwie etc. used it. VH in E doesn't sound right

Funny you hear droppin tuning to make it easier on the singer but you never hear we play super slow tempo to make it easier on the drummer and bassist or we only play in E and A to make it easier on the guitarist who only can play in two keys lol

Well, the singer can't buy new pipes like you can buy a drumhead or a pack of strings...
I play bass, guitar and sing, and the ONE instrument that can't be helped with drum triggers, painkillers, more gain, more compressor, is the throat

 

[ke2]

Eb for life here and I do it with 9's. MY guitars have floyds on them and for some reason, the tension feels more like Standard tuning. For me, music just sounds bigger and better in Eb and that goes for just about everything. I will admit that while certain things sound slightly better in Standard( Journey comes to mind ) Its not enough of a difference to really bug me.

Well, Journey is IMPOSSIBLE to sing in standard tuning, so...

 

[WizardSouth-JP]

fun to watch the light touch Yngwie has playing 8's tuned to Eb, I think it's all personal taste for tuning & string gauge - whatever sounds best

I find that certain amps like lower tunings, something about Marshall Plexi's in Eb sound great

 

[MrDan666]

After gigging for over 30 years and usually 2-4 nights a week (3-4 sets) I can say that tuning to Eb saved my band. Vocalists were able to do their gigs consistently and my joints survived. For a bunch of those years I was using 10-52's, developed severe tennis elbow and a M&M sized ganglion cyst(wrist) to the point that I really thought guitar was over for me. Back down to Eb and 9-42's and changed strap position no more tennis elbow, cyst disappeared.

For me the question is playing or not playing....I'll choose Eb 9-42's and playing. Van Halen and so many of my other favs use 9-42s and Eb. All you guys using huge strings tell me how it works for you when you're 50, that is if you gig 2-3 times a week for 30 years and do any full step bends

Mark

+1 on all points. I developed severe pain in my forearms when i was playing all the time using 10-46 in standard tuning with high action. Got to the point where i was in so much pain, i barely even picked up my guitar often. I ended up dropping to 9-42 in Eb and low action, and i have never had problems ever since. Infact my playing/tone dramatically improved and i have received more compliments on my playing/tone ever since.

Don't think i will ever go back to standard tuning unless i go even lower on my string gauge.

 

[AndyK]

It's THE only way to get VH and 80's rock tones IMO

Yup!!

 

[jlb32]

Alot of it depends on your singers voice if you are in a band. To me Eb sounds better in a band situation and even recorded alot of the times, if it suits the vocals, since to me it gives a thicker tone. When it comes to just jamming alone it's usually Standard.

 

[suhrimmetal]

After gigging for over 30 years and usually 2-4 nights a week (3-4 sets) I can say that tuning to Eb saved my band. Vocalists were able to do their gigs consistently and my joints survived. For a bunch of those years I was using 10-52's, developed severe tennis elbow and a M&M sized ganglion cyst(wrist) to the point that I really thought guitar was over for me. Back down to Eb and 9-42's and changed strap position no more tennis elbow, cyst disappeared.

For me the question is playing or not playing....I'll choose Eb 9-42's and playing. Van Halen and so many of my other favs use 9-42s and Eb. All you guys using huge strings tell me how it works for you when you're 50, that is if you gig 2-3 times a week for 30 years and do any full step bends

Mark

+1 on all points. I developed severe pain in my forearms when i was playing all the time using 10-46 in standard tuning with high action. Got to the point where i was in so much pain, i barely even picked up my guitar often. I ended up dropping to 9-42 in Eb and low action, and i have never had problems ever since. Infact my playing/tone dramatically improved and i have received more compliments on my playing/tone ever since.

Don't think i will ever go back to standard tuning unless i go even lower on my string gauge.

2nd this as far as being a vocalist goes.. Definitely helps me save my voice a bit and not over reach or strain.. which helps huge when singing 40+ songs a gig. Haven't thought yet about switching to .9's... still using 10-46's but maybe I'll throw on some 9's one of these days and see what I think.

 

[thegame]

Somewhere out there the Djentheads are debating the merits of low F# vs F tuning. Personally I think F# is much less muddy than F

 

[Anonymous]

Eb for life here and I do it with 9's. MY guitars have floyds on them and for some reason, the tension feels more like Standard tuning. For me, music just sounds bigger and better in Eb and that goes for just about everything. I will admit that while certain things sound slightly better in Standard( Journey comes to mind ) Its not enough of a difference to really bug me.

I used to do this as well, but I started doing forum jams and did some live jams and it is just too much of a pain. Gotta have some guitars in standard...

Steve

 

[Gainzilla]

Eb for life here and I do it with 9's. MY guitars have floyds on them and for some reason, the tension feels more like Standard tuning. For me, music just sounds bigger and better in Eb and that goes for just about everything. I will admit that while certain things sound slightly better in Standard( Journey comes to mind ) Its not enough of a difference to really bug me.

I used to do this as well, but I started doing forum jams and did some live jams and it is just too much of a pain. Gotta have some guitars in standard...

Steve

My solution for that is my whammy DT . It's capable of shifting the guitar up or down 3 & 1/2 steps in half step increments . Since I only go a half step in either direction it sounds perfect. Anything more than a step and half starts to get wonky .

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Somewhere out there the Djentheads are debating the merits of low F# vs F tuning. Personally I think F# is much less muddy than F

dropE0 is the way to go

 

[Aristocat]

E flat for the past three years. I like standard once in a blue moon (when a good singer is present) but E flat gives the raunch and 'feel' that makes my playing come alive under my fingers and through my amp. I used to use 11's in Standard/E flat but I've gone to 9's and I'm thinking about 10's again (wicked bad carpel tunnel).

Flat's the way to go!

 

[Little B]

I have e flat and 440 guitars for each tuning...I guess for shredding e flat makes things a little easier. but if I'm doing the paisley hi land urban thing,,I need 440 for the stiffness.

 

[theonetruematt]

Somewhere out there the Djentheads are debating the merits of low F# vs F tuning. Personally I think F# is much less muddy than F

Drop E all the way!