It is possible to make alterations to your guitar when you want to achieve a certain tune or play a certain genre. However, not every guitar can deliver the best results after drop tuning.
Playing the guitar not only involves mastering your fretting or strumming styles but also knowing what to alter or what to adjust on the guitar.
Any guitarist, beginner or advanced, will tell you that the guitar settings are crucial if you want to do wonders with those strings.
If you are practicing heavy metal, dead metal, or, any other heavy music genre, you need the best guitar for drop tuning. This article evaluates the best guitars for drop tuning that deliver an awesome guitar experience. Take a look at our top options:
Squier by Fender Cabronita Telecaster– best budget
ESP LTD EC-256 Electric Guitar– most popular
Squier by Fender Jazzmaster HH ST– best value
Best Guitar for Drop Tuning
ESP LTD EC-256 Electric Guitar
If you are looking for a classical and high-quality guitar, this one is an amazing choice for you. This guitar is made of a strong and elegant mahogany body and neck. The guitar is ideal for beginner guitar players and experienced guitarists.
This guitar features ESP Designed LH-150 passive pickups that are good sounding. The guitar is amazingly popular and perfect for drop tuning. The guitar includes individual volume controls for the pickups. It also has a push-pull control for splitting the pickups.
The guitar is sophisticated and has high-end details that are worth its price. It features a fully-bound body, neck extra-jumbo frets, TOM bridge, and others.
If you are a multi-genre guitarist, this guitar does not limit what you can play. It is amazing for multiple genres. The guitar is also comfortable, even for guitarists with long fingers.
Pros
- It is made of durable mahogany
- Has individual volume controls for pickups
- It can be used for multiple genres
- The guitar setup is complete
Cons
- It is expensive
Squier by Fender Jazzmaster HH ST
This guitar is amazing for crunchy rhythms and screaming solos. It is a right-handed guitar that has a touch of modern style.
One interesting thing about the guitar is its painted headstock, matches the color of its body. This gives it an amazing look for an affordable price.
This is an ideal guitar for drop tuning. It features a tune O Matic bridge and a stop bar tailpiece. These two features deliver the essential stability for drop tuning. The bridge is adjustable, while the stop bar delivers stability for drop-tunings.
If you are looking for fast action and a slim feel while playing, this guitar delivers that with its 12’’ radius fingerboard. Its frets are amazing with a grip on the strings, which allows you better control.
See also: How do I know what acoustic guitar strings to buy?
Pros
- It is affordable
- Headstock matches the body
- Delivers good stability for drop tuning
- Frets have a good grip on the strings
- Plays great and sounds great
Cons
- Frets need more dressing
Squier by Fender Cabronita Telecaster
If you are a beginner or pro guitarist looking for a guitar on a budget, this guitar is a good option for drop tuning. This guitar is impressive, starting from the design. The workmanship of this guitar beats its price by far.
See also: Best budget bass guitars
If you are worried about guitar setup once it’s out of the box, this guitar is set up perfectly and you can be assured that it works great from the beginning.
The guitar features alnico single-coil soapbar pickups and Cabronita Tele styling which are great for playing any genre. This guitar also has a string-through-body bridge that delivers the crucial stability needed when playing.
The C-shape neck profile eases playability and also makes the experience fun. Another amazing detail about the neck is the gloss finish that gives you a sleek feeling.
Pros
- It is a budget-friendly guitar
- Solid pickups
- Has drop tuning stability
- The setup is perfect
- The neck makes playing easy
Cons
- The input jack is wonky
- Knobs are not lined up right on the pots
Fender Limited Edition Player
The Fender limited edition player is the ideal guitar for gigs. It is a versatile guitar that can play a variety of genres. This guitar comes in a rare lake placid blue, that resembles a classical car, giving it an awesome vibe. The guitar has an interesting gloss finish and features a durable alder body that can last you for years.
The guitar features Two Player Series single-coil Telecaster pickups that are great when playing. Another outstanding thing about this guitar is that the cords deliver clear and sound full tones. You will not experience muddy tones with this guitar.
The guitar has a modern C-neck that eases your guitar experience. If you do not enjoy doing your setup, this guitar comes in a great setup right from the box. The setup from the box is also great for beginner guitarists who are not yet familiar with the guitar setup.
See also: Is it okay to use a coin as a guitar pick?
Pros
- The guitar setup is beginner-friendly
- It has a classical vibe
- The pickups are great
- Delivers clear and sound-full tone
Cons
- The nuts are not properly installed
- It is a little heavy
How to Choose the Best Guitar For Drop Tuning
Price
Budget considerations are important when buying your guitar. Depending on your budget, pick a guitar for drop tuning that has the features you desire.
Design
The guitar design tells people who you are. Be selective about the color, material, and design when buying the guitar. Also, check on the quality of the hardware for durability reasons. Another thing to be keen on is the details of the finishing.
Sound
If you are ordering the guitar online, check the reviews to get an idea of how the guitar sounds to avoid buying a guitar that sounds so bad, that you can’t stand it.
Conclusion
A great guitar for drop tuning has amazing pickups, a great neck, a proper design, and a favorable radius to keep you comfortable when playing. There are expensive guitar brands, which have amazing features, especially on the material, pickups, frets, and finishing.
While buying an expensive brand is ideal, many affordable brands deliver an amazing experience for drop tuning. The best guitar to choose is one that fits within your budget and delivers a great and comfortable playing experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which guitar is the most suitable for drop A tuning?
If you’re interested in achieving drop A tuning, the baritone guitar just may be your best bet. This isn’t just a random recommendation, but rather the result of the unique characteristics of baritone guitars. These instruments possess longer scale lengths which significantly enhance the feel, sound, and intonation when you’re experimenting with lower tunings like Low B or even drop A. The added length gives the strings the necessary tension so when you perform those deep, low notes, they sound clear and robust without any muddy overtones. It’s not just about maintaining the string tension, but it also the overall tone that more accurately represents your musical intent.
Which drop tuning is the most popular amongst guitarists?
When it comes to popularity in the world of alternate guitar tunings, Drop D stands tall as the clear winner. This isn’t really surprising given its simplicity and versatility. To achieve Drop D tuning, all you have to do is detune your low E string down one step. It’s that easy, and yet, the result is a whole new range of potential in your chord work and single note playing. Many of your favourite rock and metal tracks likely use Drop D tuning for that extra heaviness. But the true beauty of Drop D is beyond genre – it’s a tool that any creative musician can use to add a twist to their compositions.
Which guitar is the best for consistently changing tunings?
If frequent tuning changes are your thing, you may want to consider investing in a Variax guitar. What sets the Variax apart is its ability to modify tunings instantaneously, and you can do this up to an octave up or down per string without altering the tension of the strings. It’s like having a whole arsenal of differently tuned guitars at your disposal, but you only physically have one in your hands. The added convenience simply cannot be overstated – it’s a game-changer that can save you a lot of time and effort, especially when you’re performing live. Plus, if you get one without a tremolo arm, it’s going to make your life a whole lot easier.
What is the top-rated guitar tuner?
As there are countless guitar tuners available on the market, it’s tough to pinpoint the definitive “number 1” as it often comes down to personal usage and preferences. However, we highly recommend you to conduct some research, read reviews, and even test out different tuners before making a final decision. Some top reputable tuner brands include Boss, Korg, TC Electronic, and Snark, all known for their precision, durability, and ease of use.