I'm playing on a fanned-fret Harley Benton, with a pair of BKP War Pigs, tuned in what I call mirrored tuning; half fifths, half fourths, FCGDgcf. I use a custom Stringjoy set, with an 85 for the low F, which gives me about 17lbs of tension, and I drop by 1lbs of tension on each string going up to my high F at 11lbs. That way, the low strings have good tension, zero flop, and sustain forEVER, and the higher in pitch you go, the less tension you need to get the pitch to sound good/sustain, and it lets you bend easier the higher up you get. Works great for doom-drone in that tuning and with tension like that. Sustains like a Spinal Tap guitar, and has enough tension to sound like a convincing bass on the neck pickup!

For someone that is starting out with dropped tuning and dont know where to start with string gauges , i suggest using a string tension calculator ... First put in E standard tuning with a set of 10's in the calculator and note down the tension generated by each string ... Then put in the tuning that you actually want like C standard and start playing around with string thicknesses on the string calculator - the goal of this exercise is to find a thickness of each string in that particular tuning , that resembles a similar tension that a set of 10's in e standard would exert ... This gives you a pretty good starting point when experimenting with a new tuning ... Then you can vary slightly from there according to preference

The first thing you'll need to do when changing to thicker strings is to file the nut slots. Otherwise your first frets will be out of tune and the action will be high in that area. Also the strings will bind and therefor not stay in tune. I use 12-56 on 24.75'' for drop A#.

I'm "dooming" one of my guitars now

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

Hell yeah!

I have set up all my guitars in different tunings as a result of your videos. Doom On

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

I am so frickin happy to hear that!!

Thanks for using millimeters for your pickup height, thousands of an inch are incomprehensible balls

I have a forty-plus year old soft cover book by Hideo Kamimoto that is called Complete Guitar Repair. It looks like the cover has changed over the years and might have expanded info. But, from my memory over the years.... A string at the same pitch on a guitar needs more intonation compensation travel away from the nut if: 1) It has a higher string height (this pulls a fretted string sharper). The string height at the nut factors in as well. 2) It is a thinner string compared to a thicker string (at the same pitch). 3) It is on a shorter scale length, compared to a longer scale length. 4) Lower pitch strings require more compensation (notice the extra-long travel needed on an electric bass). Also, notice how dive-bomb 1980's vibrato bends drop the pitches more on the lower strings than they do on the upper strings. I love how tune-o-matic bridges sit higher up off the body ala "Gibson-style", with the typically shorter 24.75 " scale, but tune-o-matics have a limited range of travel for intonation adjustments. Every guitar is its own thing how it is built, and sometimes, you might run out of adjustment room on a tune-o-matic style bridge, One last note: The guitar is a beautiful but inherently flawed instrument tuning-wise. The best you can hope to do is compensate the tuning flaws to a point that pleases your ears. I like 10-52 Ernie Ball and Drop-D tuning. Open-G is good for slide work and doesn't need a guitar with a low action. C# is great, but a dedicated guitar compensated for that tuning and string gauge is better than simply tuning down from E standard. There may be a limit on the how large a string gauge can fit through a stock machine head winding post. I bought a cheap seven string guitar to see if I would like one, and the maximum string gauge that would fit through the post without modification was .068".

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

Amazing book! 🖤

@ZombiedustXXX

8 ай бұрын

@@FuzzlordEffects Yup, the version I have features a classical guitar on the cover, circa 1980-ish. I have always gravitated toward publications with solid information, without advertisements. Ads aren't a bad thing, but with monthly periodicals there is (was?) too much fluff, and the information is not dense enough.

@JokerLokison

8 ай бұрын

@@ZombiedustXXX Oe you're stuck trying to Sherlock the complete info required from several different back issues, or from long form technical essays that would drop monthly, making you wait a month for an important bit you may or may not require to do a service correctly. I feel that.

I use my Dean V (11-65) for anything below A. It has a Floyd Rose bridge, but I blocked that off with wood. It chugs for the bree and it dooms for the weed perfectly.

Using 3 PRS SE models and all strings are Ernie Ball brand, IMO, the best brand for me. My main Doom axe is a Custom 24 currently using a set for a 7 string, even though its a 6 string. Its Colbalt 10's but using 13 to 56. Sometimes I will change it up and use EB Mammoth, 12 to 62. Its tuned to B standard or drop A, I switch back and forth, depending on what I'm playing. It has Seymour Duncan Nazgul/ Sentient combo pickups in it. Next is my 7 string Customer 24. Again, using stings for an 8 string (9 to 80) on a 7 string (11 to 80) EB Skinny Top Heavy Bottom. Its tuned to drop F, mainly for Conan, Slomatics, and that genre of Doom Metal, but using the 6th string w/out the 7th, its tuned to C standard. Two birds with one stone. It has the standard PRS 7 string pickups. Lastly, my Tremonti is in D standard and using EB Skinny Top Heavy Bottom (10 to 52). This has the standard Tremonti pickups in it. Jason did a video a few years back that really helped me set my guitars the way I like. I did have a luthier set up my 6 string Custom 24 so it can handle really thick strings.

Your channel has helped me a lot! I'm new to the doom world but highly enthusiastic... thanks for your content

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

Thank you Danny!

Something that wasn’t addressed here is that, when going up in string gauge, the nut slots may be too small for the thicker strings, and lead to all sorts of issues.

@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245

8 ай бұрын

I just use a file for that, and anything bigsby related. Also, skimming a pencil over the grooves will help with not letting the string get caught on the posts.

loved your guitar tone on the outro!

Dude I'm so happy ypu used a Chapman guitar for this video. I use the ML3 and ML1 as well. I have both baritones and standard 25.5 scale and I can get away with using really light strings.

Super detailed and informative! Been meaning to get better with doing my own guitar maintenance and this a great help! Cheers!

LTD EC-500 with active pups swapped to some bare knuckle true grit. 24.75" scale, B standard with 13-62 with wound 3rd.

My only suggestion is that you do pickup height before intonation, as you get a better result, after all variables have been nullified. Also, do not set the intonation on the table. Set it in playing position.

I used your instructions according a previous video of yours and I can't highlight enough how useful they were. Especially with neck relief and aaction height and intonation. Thank you!

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

So happy to hear that!

I've been good with good old 10-42s regular slinky Ernie Balls on my Xavier Tele and LTD Viper for D standard, Drop C and C standard. No tuning issues on either, the tele is perfect in C standard, the shorter scale Viper is a little loose but playable but I usually keep it in D standard and Drop C so it isn't really an issue, If I were going to keep it in C Standard I would swap it to 11s. First thing I do with a new guitar though is new strings and locking tuners, I like Tone Ninja tuners at 19:1. After that it is setup, getting to know it, then ripping it apart and putting 2-4 set of pickups in it until I find a combo I like. If I'm lucky I nail it on the second combo like on my Viper, GFS VEH neck and GFS Loudmouth bridge.

I recently bought an FGN Mythic 6, and from the factory it comes in drop C which was neat

I've got a modded Strat with 2 humbuckers, tuned to Eb Standard. I've been using the Simple Pitch Shifter in my HX Stomp to achieve various low tunings. It works surprisingly well, and avoids the hassle of having another guitar to maintain, etc.

Really wanna see this

Love the fuzzlord name ❤. Just discovered you. I love the detailed explanation on how to check strings to fretboard height.

@FuzzlordEffects

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the tutorial!! Im playing a2004Epiphone G310 with a invader pickup at the bridge. 11to 54 Beefy Slinky's. I stick to D standard and drop C. Oh I installed a zero frett and a Graftec nut.🤘🤠🤘

Ive used the same setup for almost 10 years, always with my Mexican 72 Tele deluxe. Tuned to B standard with D'addario 13-56 EJ 22 strings. Ive tried many different guages and this is what works for me. Just enough tightness for chugs and just enough looseness for massive bends. I have p95s in it now, and I was inspired mostly by Aaron Turner during his ISIS days to play a tele for Doom.

Great video as always dude. I'm using NYXL 12-60 on my Greco Les Paul Custom tuned to drop C. Slightly lighter would probably be ok, but I tend to be too heavy-handed so these keep the tuning nice and stay for me

My current doom guitar is an Ibanez RG that I modified. I like using D'Addario's EXL145 for standard C# tuning and B standard and their EXL148 for standard C tuning or lower.

Part 2: How to setup your amp for dooming \m/

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

Deal!

3 months late, so maybe no one will see this comment. I'm a life-long Sabbath fan, but I just started getting into doom and stoner sounds. Ironically, I also just started learning to play jazz. I'm more or less a classic rock/grunge kind of player most of the time, and I usually play light strings and either standard or Eb tuning. I didn't want to modify a guitar for C standard or Drop A or what have you, so I went with the easy solution. Maybe this is heresy, but I simply run a Digitech Drop pedal. Works like a charm, and I don't have to mess with different string gauges or re-setting up my favorite guitars. I can go from standard to C just by stepping on a switch. There are several pedals which will handle this now; Andee Blacksugar (the guitarist for KMFDM) uses the Electro Harmonix Tuning Fork so that he can play the entire set with one guitar despite songs in multiple tunings. I think Boss and TC Electronic also have pedals which will do the same thing. If I lived in C it would be worth it to have a guitar in that tuning, but for screwing around a pedal is the business. I'm THIS close to figuring out a way to combine my new loves of jazz and doom. Doom jazz. I'm going to figure out a way to make that a thing.

C# standard, 10.5 - 48 (mega slinky) on a Squier Sonic Mustang

Guitar, bass: Sterling ray4. Strings d'addario tape wound 50-105. C standard.

I do have a Charvel Desolation DC 2 guitar that will Doom. Right now it's stock with D'Addario NYXL 12s. Eventually I will replace the pickups with EMG DMF pickups. Most of my other guitars are in E Standard or E Flat with D'Addario NYXLs and Stringjoys strings. I play 11s in my solid bodies and 12s on my hollow bodies. I also have a few other guitars that have specific strings like GHS Half wounds that Eric Johnson used. On bass I play Round Wounds on my upgraded Johnson P Bass and Flat Wounds on my heavily modded Squier P Bass. Both are DR strings.

Bro! This video came at the best time! I have a number of guitars and basses and every single one seems to need a fresh set up, a pot replaced, or output jack replaced. Normally, I play black metal on a 1981 BC Rich Supreme USA BICH Perfect 8 (8 string) Bass guitar tuned to D standard. I play war metal on a Nuclear. Green Dean 4 string "Custom Shop" bass tuned to C standard. This is the best cheap under $200 instrument I've ever owned! It plays and sounds like a demon. And I'm writing for a drugged out satanic battle cult doom project with members of my main band called DRUG OMEN, and for that I'm daily driving on my 7 string BC Rich Jr V in Drop F and my 2006 reissue BC Rich Perfect 10 BIch Supreme 10 string guitar in C standard. And also on my BC Rich USA Custom Shop Beast 4-banger with the Warlock circuit on-board (to my knowledge, only three exist in this configuration) also in C standard. For my guitars I used to really like those Zakk Wylde signature strings and my basses take Ernie Ball Slinky (with my pair of 8-bangers ((my back up is a Dean Edge 8)) getting the unison drones in whatever replaced Zakk's name on the package.) I had a really good setup guy, Matt, at Music Manor in Lansing, MI. I trusted him with my vintage/rare instruments, and I trusted him to set em up for my heavy-handed style of play and for the type of music I was playing on each and he never let me down. He left that job to do some type of metal work, as ironic as that is, and the shop didn't have a setup guy for a long time. So, I made the mistake of taking my USA Beast bass and my 7-string Jr V for setups at... agh gahd... Guitar Center. Why didn't I just run em into Sweetwater on my way to rehearse in Ft Wayne?! That is one of the worst decisions I've ever made. If you have a custom or vintage instrument, or If you have anything awesome, Guitar Center is not the place you wanna trust your axes to. The only thing I could have hoped more from this video was seeing a setup on a Floyd Rose. I have a 7 string Dean Razorback (bought from GC used last year or year before and arrived completely unplayable) and my Jr V are both Floyd Rose and I think that's a little different setup process. I think with all my other straight 4-banger basses and 6-banger guitars I am confident that I could do em up on my own after watching your video. I'm pretty sure I could replace pots & jacks, too. Is the process of doing a bass setup any different? I recently bought a used BC Rich Dagger semi hollow body 6-stringer from guitar center. I played it for two days and doing a string bend on the E6, I broke the nut. I never broke a nut in 36 years on and off of guitar wankery, so guess it was a caveman string bend. I think that I'm gonna try to replace the nut myself also. There's a company right here in Michigan that makes a brass nut for that guitar that compensates for some tuning issues. Any pointers for nut replacement? I plan on getting the tool to scrape out the slot that it goes in and everything else... Or is this a project that I'm way over my head in it?

I use an 8 string and I use a 9 to 80/84 set for F standard

Epiphone SG Standard in B Ernie Ball 11-54. I think they work just fine.

93 sg special. C standard Ernie Ball beefy slinky 12-56

Been rocking c standard on a Jackson Dk2m using not even slinky…. Really amazed how well that set feels on a 25.5 scale. Thought I would need a bit thicker. I play like blackened sludge, and they have enough tension for even the tremolo and faster picking If that helps anyone.

I’m so stoked you did this! Matter of fact, I’ve got a luthier that I’ve come along side and he’s been teaching me setups/mods. My Tele and SG thank you! I use D’addario NYXT 10-52, but I only tune to D standard. Killer video! Appreciate the tips! Cheers!

12-60s on my Peavey T60 in B standard / drop A

Gibson Les Paul Standard, Drop C, DR DDT 13-65

Depending on scale length, you might need thinner or thicker strings. On my 25.5" scale Jackson Kelly I use 12s for drop A tuning. On my 24" scale les paul, I use the ernie ball Mammoth Slinky set.

@FuzzlordEffects

5 ай бұрын

Excellent point!

I'm dooming with an Epiphone SG muse in C std / 11 to 52s. I need to lower the pickups a little, bc there's a bit too much 'bloom' and it's hard to differentiate between coil split and humbucker tones.

Hello everyone, for the moment i do NOT drop tune , instead i use "The Drop" pedal which works pretty well down to B Std (- 2.5 tones) ... i have a set of D'Addario XL 12-60 which i plan to mount in the future on my ESP Eclipse I-CTM ... EMG active pups good for doom ????

200 bucks? Mama mía! Here in Argentina a very good luthier makes the job for 10 usd. Living in the third world has its benefits. 🤘🤘🤘

Cort x100 (cuz its cheap) String 0.11 Drop C Boss sd1, big muff clone and proco rat clone make it always doom in my way

Trained guitar tech here. This is mostly an excellent video, with a few problems. Adjust the pickup height *before* intonating. Pickups are magnetic and pull on the strings - so adjusting the pickup height after adjusting the intonation can affect the intonation. This is a hill I will die on. I recommend lowering the louder pickup (if there is one), not raising the quieter one. Getting your pickups too close to the strings can cause problems. Just lower the louder one until they sound even in volume. I check the action by fretting at the 1st fret and measuring at the 12th. This takes the nut out of the picture. The string slots in the nut could be too shallow or too deep... and if you don't take that out of the equation, you can't get consistent results. The one thing you left out is checking the nut slots. They can cause all kinds of tuning, intonation, and playability problems. I get it though, nut files are expensive, specialty tools. This was focused on what most people have at home. And wow... $200 for a setup??!?!! Apparently I am undercharging by a LOT. For strings, I use different gauges depending on the tuning. I tend to like the "heavy bottom / light top" feel so 10.5-48 for D standard, 11-52 for C# standard, and 11-56 for C standard.

Epiphone Les Paul Studio/Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky/Drop B

What I wonder how Iommi played 8s with some of Sabbaths songs that were fairly low in tuning..

@RugsterClaps

8 ай бұрын

suuuuuper light touch. a lot of famous players use very light strings and an extremely light right hand

@Tehstroyer

8 ай бұрын

He didn't. He had 10s for C#. Not sure about anything in between that and E Standard, which is what he used 8s for. That being said, he plays REALLY light, but still complains about tuning stability.

Which Ibanez RG model is that?

@Tehstroyer

8 ай бұрын

Looks like a Black Label.

79 Gibson “The Paul” C standard. I’ve been all over trying to get what I wanted. This is gonna hell a ton! Edit: do you have a brick and mortar? As I’ll be in the area this winter!

65000s of an inch... can we do mm pls??

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

Thousandths, convert the decimal.

@OW79

8 ай бұрын

@@FuzzlordEffects 😭

Ugh, the imperial units are utterly killing me here. 👎 Millimeters, people. 🙄 Otherwise, a fantastic video.

@JokerLokison

8 ай бұрын

Yes, your majesty! ...pfft! 🧐🧐💂🏻‍♂🤴🏻💂🏻‍♂ We'll get right on that while you take your spot of tea and hold your royal breath, your lordship!

@DapperHesher

8 ай бұрын

@@JokerLokison Shut up, Liberia.

@FuzzlordEffects

8 ай бұрын

Be a cool dude like me and use both/either haha

Have an Epiphone Korina Explorer, Epiphone Standard LP, and a Glarry Thinline Tele that I gutted. I tune to B standard and Drop A (sometimes take it a step lower) and use D'Daddario Reg Light for a 7 string and throw out the 10g high E for all 3 guitars. So the set is 13-59 with a wound 26g for the 3rd.