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Post by Joey on Jun 11, 2007 16:36:20 GMT -5
I have an Ibanez RGT42DX with the standard floating bridge that comes with it. Recently I've been wanting to downtune to drop B in order to play sludge and doom. The problem is my guitar won't stay in tune that low. Is their anything short of getting a new guitar that I can do?
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Post by Tungus on Jun 11, 2007 17:45:48 GMT -5
A tremsetter will do you a world of good. Ibanez DOES have them, though I dont know how much they cost.
Even with a tremsetter..... the innotation will have to be adjusted. Even when thats all said and done, tuning that low on that scale neck wil make your strings floppy.
I dont want to talk you out of it, but a good baritone 27-28" scale is what ya need.. Honestly.
Yamaha makes a KILLER Btone called the DROP 6 and is more commonly found than the RG470EX from Ibanez. Ive seen them as low as $350 USD... but most run around 500. Hope I helped.
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Post by Stefvorcide on Jun 12, 2007 9:43:58 GMT -5
dude, get ultra heavy strings (or baritone sets) then it should be fine tbh
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Post by Ms Scary on Jun 12, 2007 10:47:49 GMT -5
Buy another guitar! Everyone should have atleast 2 or 3 or 10! Different tunings and moods...
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Post by Joey on Jun 12, 2007 13:42:57 GMT -5
I don't really have the money though.
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Post by Stefvorcide on Jun 12, 2007 14:08:49 GMT -5
Yeah, get bigger strings and set up the floyd properly... will work
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Post by Ms Scary on Jun 12, 2007 14:45:30 GMT -5
No, buy more guitars... you can't have too many.. then put bigger strings on the one you want in that tuning... haha Buy GUITARS lots of GUITARS.
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Post by Joey on Jun 12, 2007 15:02:17 GMT -5
The thing is, I'm 16 so it's not like I'm rich.
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Post by Ms Scary on Jun 12, 2007 16:43:35 GMT -5
No one on IG is rich... guitars are the most important thing in life at 16... the more guitars, the more girls!
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Post by Stefvorcide on Jun 12, 2007 17:43:43 GMT -5
No one on IG is rich... guitars are the most important thing in life at 16... the more guitars, the more girls! true, we're all fukken poor, except matt, he's a Dr and have two JEM's ;p
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Post by Ms Scary on Jun 13, 2007 11:27:54 GMT -5
Where is Dr. Matt? He always knows just want to do... hehe Oh an Joey.. how about joining the crew... Sign up!
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Post by mattjem7vwh on Jun 14, 2007 0:40:56 GMT -5
ahh im around.. lurking where you least expect....
and joey, like emp says, try some huge strings, you'll also need to get it set up properly, which could mean its cheaper to do what tungus suggests, sell your old axe and get a bigger one!!
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Post by diego on Jun 15, 2007 17:22:36 GMT -5
Back for a few minutes... Fucking bussy... :S Anyway gt a Yamaha RGX420SD6... It`s a guitar made for using low tunings as Kevo said... Yamahas guitars and equipment in genral are fucking great no matter what ppl say about IbaƱez or Shitson etc etc etc... True mens must have at least a Yamaha... www.victorsmolski.de/Check Victor`s web site... He is awesome... An endorses Yamaha... Another thing to add Yamaha are not that expensive and are great in all ways. Just check them out. See you
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steve0
Still Wears Diapers
Posts: 23
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Post by steve0 on Jun 15, 2007 17:36:47 GMT -5
Alright man, here's the simple answer for how you can make this work on the guitar you have, and make it work well.
It isn't difficult.
The deal is you have this floating bridge, and the tension of the strings is balanced with the springs in the rear of your guitar under the plastic plate. If you tune down your strings in front, you'll have to lower the tension in the back springs as well so that it all stays balanced and your bridge is still level.
You can do this by either removing a spring, or loosening the screws that are attached to the spring claw in the back (you'll know what I mean by spring claw if you look in the back.)
You'll probably have to do both. If you have three springs, remove one, and turn the spring claw screws to the left to loosen them. Then tune up to B, see if it's right, turn the screws some more...
You'll have to go back and forth until you find just the right amount of tension on the springs in the back. You'll know you've found it when the bridge floats level with the top of the body.
No sweat right?
Just tune down until the strings are limp, pull a spring out, loosen the claw screws... tune back up to B, see if it's level, and then make adjustments until it is.
BUT... there's one more thing. If you're playing with 9's or 10's in standard E tuning, and you go through all these steps and get it into B, the strings are going to be very wobbly and limp. Also your rhytms will sound very muddy and you'll have to bend really far to bend up a note...
Chaos ensues.
SO... what you need to do is get a set of much thicker strings. There are a set from Ernie Ball called "NOT EVEN SLINKY'S" and they're designed for low tuned guitars.
Before you mess with the claw or springs... string your guitar up with these badboys, they're 12's in guitar lingo... meaning the skinny-E string is .12. Any good set of electric guitar strings, 12 gauge, will work for you, the Ernie Ball's are just a good example.
Put them on, string up properly, tune to B and see if the trem floats level, you may not even need to touch the springs or claw in the back of the guitar. You'll probably have to make some small adjusments though.
It seems complex but it's really easy and you can string up and get all this shit done in like 20 minutes and then you can rock B for a while. The thicker strings will have MUCH better tone in B tuning, and they won't feel all slippery and wobbly.
Slipknot, November's Doom, Swallow the Sun, Dream Theater, The Human Abstract... any of these bands that tune low use thicker strings. It's tried and true.
Good Luck!
-Steve
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