Acid Bath Standard Tuning: A Deep Dive

The "Acid Bath Standard Tuning" for Guitar, as the name suggests, is reported to be a common tuning used by the band Acid Bath. It's a highly idiosyncratic and deeply dropped tuning, designed to deliver a thick, sludgy, and often dissonant sonic landscape that perfectly complements the band's heavy and aggressive style. This tuning significantly lowers the overall pitch of the instrument, creating a profound sense of weight and darkness.

Technical Analysis

This tuning transforms the standard E Standard (E A D G B E) into a heavily modified C# F# A# E G# C#. Let's break down the intervals between the open strings from low to high:

• String 6 (C#) to String 5 (F#): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)
• String 5 (F#) to String 4 (A#): Augmented 2nd (4 semitones)
• String 4 (A#) to String 3 (E): Diminished 5th (6 semitones)
• String 3 (E) to String 2 (G#): Augmented 2nd (4 semitones)
• String 2 (G#) to String 1 (C#): Perfect 4th (5 semitones)

This creates a unique and often dissonant harmonic foundation. While the open strings don't form a single common chord, the presence of C# at both the lowest and highest strings provides a strong, unified root. The lower strings (C# F# A#) hint at an F# Major harmony (F# A# C#) or a very wide C# sus4, providing a massive, low-end power. The upper strings (E G# C#) form an E Major triad in first inversion. This juxtaposition of F# Major (or C# sus4) on the bottom and E Major on top creates a rich, complex, and potentially dissonant sound when strummed openly. Power chords will be incredibly easy to form on the lower strings, utilizing the dropped pitches for immense sonic impact. The non-standard intervals contribute to the unique and often unsettling character sought after in doom and sludge metal.

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve the Acid Bath Standard Tuning, you will need to significantly lower the pitch of all your guitar strings from standard E A D G B E. Please use a reliable tuner and proceed with care. Note that tuning down 4 semitones, while generally acceptable for standard gauge strings, can lead to reduced string tension and a "floppier" feel. If you plan to use this tuning extensively, considering a heavier gauge string set might be beneficial to maintain optimal tension and tone.

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 3 semitones from E to C#3.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 3 semitones from A to F#3.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 4 semitones from D to A#3.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 3 semitones from G to E3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 3 semitones from B to G#4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 3 semitones from E to C#5.

Here are the notes for each string in Acid Bath Standard Tuning:

• String 6 (Low E): C#3
• String 5 (A): F#3
• String 4 (D): A#3
• String 3 (G): E3
• String 2 (B): G#4
String 1 (High E): C#5