Does drop tuning make an amp sound better?

[JakeAC5253]

Well you know I would agree. I think down tuning tends to loosen up an amp more, which I like. I may be jaded though because my playing these days is not as tight as it once was I just think that a sound that is somewhat looser and slower is closer to the ideal tube tone, and a lot of people chase tones that are tighter, and when a tone gets too tight it approaches a more solid state vibe, so why buy into tubes? To me anyway, everyone has their idea of tone. I have one guitar in D standard and one in drop Bb, so there's my bias.

 

[NS10Fan]

I dunno what the logic behind it is, but even 1\2 step down usually makes my amps sound "better." Still refuse to go from e standard, but sometimes i wonder why i'm so stubborn....

 

[killertone]

I completely think that drop tuning sounds better...for certain styles of course. But I get what you are saying totally. I love my guitars tuned to D, they sound so "right" to me like that. I have tried multiple times to tune back up to E but my songs don't sound the same and my band members were like "that sounds like shit."

 

[glassjaw7]

I don't know about that...I see the logic of less tension possibly causing some frequency loss and being desirable for some styles, (i mostly play in dropped or alternate tunings) but sometimes I walk into a shop and pick up a guit tuned to standard and it sounds so good! (example-last week in Green Bay, played a G&L Comanche into a Blackstar combo and it was beautiful!)
Almost like I've been missing out on some tone being tuned down a half-step.

Could have been the Z-coil single coil pups that grabbed me, I suppose.

 

[vchizzle]

I don't know about that...I see the logic of less tension possibly causing some frequency loss and being desirable for some styles, (i mostly play in dropped or alternate tunings) but sometimes I walk into a shop and pick up a guit tuned to standard and it sounds so good! (example-last week in Green Bay, played a G&L Comanche into a Blackstar combo and it was beautiful!)
Almost like I've been missing out on some tone being tuned down a half-step.

Could have been the Z-coil single coil pups that grabbed me, I suppose.

Ha, same thing happens to me sometimes. I just tuned one of my guitars up to Eb(I just couldn't go all the way up to standard ) So it's nice to have available...I actually enjoy messing around in Eb now quite a bit.

Overall it probably depends on what the person's ears are used to & what they like. Those who tune down do so for a purpose most of the time, right?

 

[LP Freak]

Not sure about better but heavier yes.

 

[fluff191]

Define 'better'.

 

[Soundguy213]

There is a slight difference to how the amp reacts to the strings, mainly because of tension. I myself hate drop tuning guitars, the way the sound and feel. the only time im comfortable with it is just dropping the E string to D. I cant stand the loss in tension and i def think every guitar i heard sounds way better tuned up to standard. Using bigger strings never made up for the growl you lose for the dropped tension.

It's the reason i play 7 strings. So i can keep the standard tension and also have the low B register (without it sounding like muddy shit)

 

[glip22]

Drop tunings can inspire a guitarist. As posted it obvously affects strng tension which will natuaraly have an effect on tube amp compression,sag, tone stack, etc. Better. Not really. Just different. I have played in lower tunings and then gone back to standard and have been happier with standard and vice versa.

 

[bubbastain]

Drop tuning can in my experience and opinion make an amp sound worse. I have been playing in drop C since about 2001. Maybe 2 months ago I tuned one of my guitar up to standard tuning(E i guess) and was kind of amazed and re-inspired with the tone. So I have two guitars tuned standard or drop D and one tuned to drop C now. I have my friends Marshall DSL 50 at my house and have been playing it and getting some really cool tones especially with a boost in standard and drop D. However, it does not sound good to my ears when I go lower to drop C. Same thing with a stock VTM. Cool amp in standard or drop D. Kind of flubs at drop C. Some amps don't have that problem. Some sound great with either tuning. My Fortin Modded VTM sounds great in drop C or even lower. Much lower. No problem. Sounds killer in standard tuning too. So I guess if drop tuning can make some amps (to me) sound worse, some others might really start to shine with the lower stuff.

 

[cujo]

B standard. With 12-56 strings. Sounds like a fkn freight train coming thru!!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Only if you take the covers off the preamp tubes.

 

[glassjaw7]

There is a slight difference to how the amp reacts to the strings, mainly because of tension. I myself hate drop tuning guitars, the way the sound and feel. the only time im comfortable with it is just dropping the E string to D. I cant stand the loss in tension and i def think every guitar i heard sounds way better tuned up to standard. Using bigger strings never made up for the growl you lose for the dropped tension.

It's the reason i play 7 strings. So i can keep the standard tension and also have the low B register (without it sounding like muddy shit)

Depends on the 7-string. Many 7s are still standard Fender scale (25.5") so the low B or A or whatever said guitar is tuned to, is the same tension as it would be on a 6.

Gotta be a baritone to get that extra tension.

 

[Digital Jams]

I have a couple of guitars lying around, I will try this one. I cant really remember, I know my Eb guitar I do not notice anything that jumps out.

 

[Soundguy213]

There is a slight difference to how the amp reacts to the strings, mainly because of tension. I myself hate drop tuning guitars, the way the sound and feel. the only time im comfortable with it is just dropping the E string to D. I cant stand the loss in tension and i def think every guitar i heard sounds way better tuned up to standard. Using bigger strings never made up for the growl you lose for the dropped tension.

It's the reason i play 7 strings. So i can keep the standard tension and also have the low B register (without it sounding like muddy shit)

Depends on the 7-string. Many 7s are still standard Fender scale (25.5") so the low B or A or whatever said guitar is tuned to, is the same tension as it would be on a 6.

Gotta be a baritone to get that extra tension.

This is 100% true. However i always heard a more defined tone on the low b with a 7 tuned to standard then a 6 drop all the way down. The feel of the string feels similar, but its has was more, sustain? maybe. Im not sure what does it, probably the other strings tension on the neck or sympathetic harmonics.

I really do want a baritone tho for that reason however.

 

[steve_k]

Better is relative....makes one sound different for sure. All I used to play was Drop B, Drop C tunings and that was for a particular genre of music I was playing at the time. This was back in my Dual Recto, Herbert, Uberschall days. It brings out the best in some amps, but on the flip side, it brings out the bad in some others. It will certainly increase sustain and if the amp has the bottom end in it to prevent flub and farting, you are good to go. Some amps will have trouble articulating the low HZ of the dropped E string for sure. Other than the amp, you will have trouble with guitars holding drop tunings. In general, you want to lean toward fixed tail guitars and preferably longer scale necks. I used to play a lot of Drop Bb tunings (ala Slipknot IOWA recordings) and you aren't going to do that with a Les Paul.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Drop tunings are for those that can't be bothered by using more than 1 finger to play....

 

[JamesPeters]

For example, I was in a music store over the weekend and I played a few guitars tuned to standard through a Spider Valve. Nothing was exceptional sounding, then I tried a guitar (same model and brand) tuned to D and it sounded great.

Was it the same guitar, in other words did you take that one guitar and tune it down and try it again? Or did you grab another similar guitar of the same model, which easily could've sounded significantly different (since cuts of wood aren't consistent in how they resonate, from guitar to guitar even among the "same" model in the same manufacturing batch).

Anyway maybe you like the sound of the reduced string tension.

 

[steve_k]

Drop tunings are for those that can't be bothered by using more than 1 finger to play....

Oh, I beg to differ.....ye of E standard and Eb wankery

And, I found the sex much better around my house in Drop C.....

 

[Mitch-PTV]

I cant stand the loss in tension and i def think every guitar i heard sounds way better tuned up to standard. Using bigger strings never made up for the growl you lose for the dropped tension.

It's the reason i play 7 strings. So i can keep the standard tension and also have the low B register (without it sounding like muddy shit)

Completely agree, there more tension the better! get that bridge pickup growl happening!