Drop D

[Biohazard]

Hi, I was wondering if it woild be possible, instead of having a mechanical drop D switch for the E string (like you find on some trems) could you have some sort of electronic switch system that will drop d the string? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

[aliendude012]

I dont think so, unless its some kind of an effect, like an octave dropper, but it would only drop 2 half steps, and only one string. itd be tough. im not as electronic as some of these guys, but id think the E would need its own pickup, and have that wierd effect wired in right away...

[lovekraft]

Do you want to pitch-shift the signal , or actually detune the string? Either way, the short answer is, yes, it could be done, but not for the price of a D-Tuna or a Hipshot. Either way, it would be fairly complex and probably expensive. Sometimes the simple mechanical solution is the best.

[Primal]

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=7563

Only problem is that the bridge costs around $4000. Maybe if you build on, the prices will lower since they would then have competition!

[Biohazard]

Hi, thanks for the input. What mechanical drop d options are open to me? I don't have a trem bridge I have a gibson style Tune-O-Matic.

[Primal]

A D-Tuna or a Hipshot (I think) E-string tuning machine.

[Scott Rosenberger]

Sperzel makes a low E tuner that switches to Drop D

[guitar_ed]

The new Gibson digital guitar should do it, no problem. You can treat each string separately on that critter. Different effects boxs, different amps.

Except that there is only one of them.

Guitar Ed

[ansil]

if you have a bit of time and some good tools you can machine your own dropper too.. i did this some time ago with a guitar knob. one of carvins nice heavyduty ones. and what id did is went into the headstock and secured with four screws.. and when you turned it it pushed down on the string enough to make a d note goe all the way to an e note..

notably this was doen all behind the nut, as originally the guy i didi it fore wanted it to be like a whammy or b bender only on one string. i adapted it to change the tuning of my guitar. very quicly though i might have drawins around if someone wants to host the pic and if i can find it..

LoveKraft you wanna host it.. lol

[lovekraft]

Sure, send it on - you know the addy.

[ansil]

ok i am lookin for the original pic for it..

[jefm]

Wellll.....

you could wind conventional pickups so that it could be done....like have a seperate coil for the E string and one for the rest....it'd be a custom job though...but it could be done...never used anything like that myself....but there was a site with a humbucker that was basically 6 tiny humbuckers....one for each string....

I don't know...but if you wanted it tuned only to drop D and have no adjustment then you could probably make a pretty small circuit for it

It probably wouldn't sound as good as the real thing

[lovekraft]

Pitch-shifting is fairly complex, even using DSP. You could probably use a micro-controller, but that's way too complicated for my little analog brain. A dedicated DSP chip would do it, but you'd have to have it made, and that gets us back into the $$ range of that Transperfomance stuff. I like my Sperzel/Hipshot just fine for the price, and it never runs out of juice when I forget to change the battery.

[Biohazard]

Ok thanks for all the input. I'll probably pass on the Drop D idea and just manually tune the E string to D when I want it done. Thanks for the advice anyway.

[nonamemx]

A pitch shifter still wont sound very much like a natural note, it will sound fake and ugly.

I think it would be pretty easy to make a gismo. Just get another string retainer, and put it at the correct height to make a simple detuning device.

Hook it onto the string retainer for E, take it off for D. . .

[truerussian558]

the best sollution is to buy those comercially available ( for about 40-60$) 6th string tuner that has that little lever that automatically drops it to a tunning of your choice. Its cheap(relatively), practical, easy to use, and readily available (stewmac should have some)