Eb Tuning

[marnold]

How many of you keep a guitar downtuned to Eb for Hendrix/SRV/Van Halen/etc. stuff? I'm debating doing this to my Floyd. I'm running a test by downtuning my Fender since it's a hardtail. I want to make sure that I can stand a regular set of 10s (010-048) a half step flat before I go through all the rigamarole of setting up my Floyd all over again. I'd also have to lose the little tremsetter gizmo on the Speedloader because I'd have to remove a spring. I've got four springs on their now. The claw is unscrewed far enough where I don't feel very safe loosening it further. I mainly use the tremsetter when I'm changing strings, although I'd imagine I could find a hunk of wood to jam in by the block that would do the trick too. I suppose if I miss it too much I could get a Tremol-No, but that's not exactly an inexpensive solution.

The main reason I'm considering this is because my son will soon be getting my Squier '51 which I have downtuned to Eb with a set of 010-052s on it. I've been using Audacity to transpose those songs a half step sharp, but to me the guitar sound is different besides just the flatness. I really don't know how to describe it.

 

[just strum]

I just did it with my SG because of my attempt to learn some Hendrix, but to be honest I haven't really used it much. I don't want to do it to my Dot or Strat since they are my "go to" guitars.

 

[ZMAN]

I have several guitars set up in my guitar room all at different tunings.
Trower uses a Drop D tuning, SRV, Hendrix and Albert King use the Eb, and I use regular tuning on the rest. I have a TU2 tuner that makes it a lot easier. I have the tab book for the Me and Mr Johnson cd by Clapton and there are several different tunings on that one alone. It never dawned on me that a lot of guitar players on stage will change to another guitar. Obvious to me now that it had a different tuning.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I have my 60s Strat tuned Eb. My classic 50s is tuned E (A440), Tele is currently tuned Eb but usually tuned open G for slide groovin'. Gibson is tuned Eb as is the Epi Gold Top. My Martin is tuned A440 but the Sigma Martin is tuned open D. Of course this all varies at times.

 

[Kazz]

I have only played around with Drop D and Open E (black crowes jams)

 

[TS808]

I know SRV used the E flat tuning because of the thickness of the strings he used...either 12's or 13's. Other guys like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Mato Nanji of Indigenous use it because of the thickness of their strings too.

I've never tried it, but if I was using strings that thick, that would definitely be a good alternative to standard tuning.

 

[Guitar Gal]

Seems to me like you need another guitar so you can dedicate it to Eb tuning and keep your Floyd as is....:dude:

:rockon:

GG

 

[duhvoodooman]

I keep that $30 Fullerton HSS tuned to Eb, for exaclty that reason, Matt--SRV & EVH tunes. :rockon:

 

[M29]

I have done this for the same reason as well. I was wondering why the new VG Strat did not have this tuning, I am sure there are a lot of people that want to jam with Hendrix and the rest and not have to tune all the time for it.

M29

 

[just strum]

I just tuned my Strat to Eb and I'm tearing off Hedrix tunes like I wrote them

It does give it a nice sound. Been working on Red House and it certainly makes a difference.

 

[marnold]

It does give it a nice sound. Been working on Red House and it certainly makes a difference.

Yeah, I don't know what to make of that phenomenon. Is it just that my ear is used to hearing those tunes in Eb and so therefore it sounds "right" if I downtune? I think it's something deeper than that but I can't put my finger on it.

I wanted to ask because changing the tuning on my hardtail took a minute. Changing the tuning on a floating Floyd is a major PITA.

And GG, my wife would shoot me directly in the head if I got another guitar. Since my Floyd is the one with single coils, that'd be the one to change. I bought six sets of Speedloader strings in 010s so I'm not going to change gauges. I wouldn't use Stevie-sized strings anyway. I'm not a sadist.

In a related issue, has anyone ever used a capo with a trem? That would enable me to put it into standard tuning if needed. Of course, I probably wouldn't use the trem then.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

My band plays tuned down a half step. It keeps our singer happy................

 

[marnold]

Well, I did the changeover tonight whilst watching the Red Wings. I removed the little tremstopper gizmo and went to three springs in a triangle formation. I found out that one of my screwdrivers put in between the block and the body keeps the bridge almost perfectly level. Once the neck settles a bit I'm going to have to tweak it to remove some fret buzz.

 

[bigoldron]

Skynyrd plays a lot of its stuff in Eb, because the Van Zandt wannabe doesn't have the vocal range (or talent) of his big brother. :thwap:

 

[Lev]

Up to now I've always had my guitars (strats) in standard tuning. However when I recently got my Vintage Lemon Drop LP I found that it sounds much sweeter tuned to Eb. I'm not really sure why but it just seems to growl and sustain better in Eb (not just when using open strings).

I had previously thought that guitarists only tuned down to accomodate the singers vocal range but there's definitly some tonal benefits (at least on some guitars).

 

[marnold]

Granted, it hasn't even been a week yet, but is it possible that a guitar was just meant to be played in Eb? It just plain sounds better. Does the lack of one spring on the trem affect things? The claw screws deeper into the wood? Heaven only knows, but there seems to be some odd magic going on here.