Anybody ever tune UP a half step.

[Mike Hickey]

I have an EPI Les Paul modern and it's a fine guitar for just about everything I do. The only short coming is the flubby bottom end. I've adjusted the pickups to get rid of the boominess but it's still not punchy enough on the bottom for overdriven rhythm parts. I'm used to teles and strats that have a tighter more percussive bottom end so I thought what would happen if I increased the string tension by tuning up a half step. It works great, just enough to get some punch out it. So far I haven't come across any down side. Has anyone else tried this and how did it work out?

 

[Solid Paul]

Only time I've ever tuned up would be to use open E for slide, other than that I stay within regular tunings. Have you tried increasing your string gauge? Try using a heavier bottom set, say 11-49, or if that's too much try 9-46.

 

[Mike Hickey]

Only time I've ever tuned up would be to use open E for slide, other than that I stay within regular tunings. Have you tried increasing your string gauge? Try using a heavier bottom set, say 11-49, or if that's too much try 9-46.

It's not the gauge, I've got 10s on it. It's just the difference between long scale and short scale. It's just the way Les Pauls are. I'm just trying to emulate a long scale by increasing the string tension to see if it sounds more like a humbucker tele.

 

[Solid Paul]

It's not the gauge, I've got 10s on it. It's just the difference between long scale and short scale. It's just the way Les Pauls are. I'm just trying to emulate a long scale by increasing the string tension to see if it sounds more like a humbucker tele.

Gotcha. I recently changed the gauge on my LP from 9-46 to 9-42's and I did notice it plays and feels better to me. I like light strings and I play with a light touch. Is your tailpiece as far down as it can go? That can either increase or decrease your string tension. With the tailpiece decked on the body the string tension would be maxed out as high as it can go.

 

[Mike Hickey]

Gotcha. I recently changed the gauge on my LP from 9-46 to 9-42's and I did notice it plays and feels better to me. I like light strings and I play with a light touch. Is your tailpiece as far down as it can go? That can either increase or decrease your string tension. With the tailpiece decked on the body the string tension would be maxed out as high as it can go.

I'll take a look at the tail piece. Thanks for the tip

 

[Johnny Dubs]

I'll take a look at the tail piece. Thanks for the tip

To me it changes the flexibility of the string toward the bridge end, stiffening it, leaving less give and making tighter vibes.

String tension should be the same overall (nut to saddles) if tuned to pitch?

 

[DECEMBER]

Just put better pickups in it. Epi stock pickups are mediocre at best. The ones I had had a super flubby low end that distorted every clean channel, no matter how low the gain. Just absolutely terrible pickups.
If you want tight & percussive, put EMGs in it. Even 'good' passive humbuckers were muddy & flubby to me in my LP. I wasn't satisfied until I put EMG 81X/60X. Amazing clarity and articulation. Punchy, percussive attack. Super-tight chugs and the best, most pristine clean tone I've ever had. 60X was the first neck pickup that was usable on its own (passive neck pickups had to be in the middle position to not be complete mud). Now I have a 66 in the neck. The 57 is good in the bridge, too, but it's too noisy for me (I have severe EM/RF pollution in my apartment).
It's also easy to incorporate any of EMG's active EQ pots, especially with a LP, because it has 4 pot holes. The VMC variable mid control is great. Semi-parametric mid EQ in the guitar, 100Hz-1kHz & boost/cut on a concentric pot. It's great to cut the muddy low-mids on clean tones, or as a high-mid boost with high gain.
Epiphones can sound great if you put decent pickups in them. But the stock pickups are there just because they have to have something that makes sound thru an amp in order to be electric guitars. Sure, they could come with better pickups, but then they'd cost $200 more, and the point of Epis is 'affordable'.

 

[Equalphone]

I'd go back to strings, despite your denial of the mighty power of gauges!

Raising the pitch simply increases string tension. A change in gauge would do the same. If you want higher tension, 10's with a larger set of bottom end strings would do it. Either increased bottom like 52's, or maybe all the way up (down?) to something like the GHS big bottoms with a 60g low E.

The string tension calculator can be your friend: https://www.curtmangan.com/string-tension-calculator/ You can compare what you get on a 25.5 Fender to a 24.625 Gibby too.

As for sound... there are a lot of components. Everyone thought Jimmy Page's Tele sound was an LP. Everyone thought Jeff Beck's (RIP) Tele-Gibb was an LP on Blow by Blow (Didn't help that there was a picture of him on the cover with his LP). So there's some stock in what @DECEMBER says.

However, I didn't think the Modern's Probuckers were muddy. Kind of crisp on an SG Modern with the maple cap. I'd assume the LP would be similar. So I'd head back to string gauge. Also, some brands are bright i.e. more Tele like. I like GHS for bright, maybe Ernies. I'd lean away from D'Addarrio, DR Blues.

MHO, worth what all what you pay for it.

 

[Mike Hickey]

I'd go back to strings, despite your denial of the mighty power of gauges!

Raising the pitch simply increases string tension. A change in gauge would do the same. If you want higher tension, 10's with a larger set of bottom end strings would do it. Either increased bottom like 52's, or maybe all the way up (down?) to something like the GHS big bottoms with a 60g low E.

The string tension calculator can be your friend: https://www.curtmangan.com/string-tension-calculator/ You can compare what you get on a 25.5 Fender to a 24.625 Gibby too.

As for sound... there are a lot of components. Everyone thought Jimmy Page's Tele sound was an LP. Everyone thought Jeff Beck's (RIP) Tele-Gibb was an LP on Blow by Blow (Didn't help that there was a picture of him on the cover with his LP). So there's some stock in what @DECEMBER says.

However, I didn't think the Modern's Probuckers were muddy. Kind of crisp on an SG Modern with the maple cap. I'd assume the LP would be similar. So I'd head back to string gauge. Also, some brands are bright i.e. more Tele like. I like GHS for bright, maybe Ernies. I'd lean away from D'Addarrio, DR Blues.

MHO, worth what all what you pay for it.

Great point. I totally missed that. I'll bump up the gauge a notch. BTW I probably should have premised my initial post by saying it wasn't expecting my Les Paul to behave the same as my tele. The Les Paul is a great guitar that beautifully does what it's designed for. This is my first experience with a short scale guitar and I was really surprised at the difference. I will try a heavier gauge though. I never thought about that increasing the string tension.

 

[Maguchi]

F? Sure, yeah I done it before to play some John Lee Hooker songs. It's been awhile though. Hooker played in F tuning a lot.

 

[Mike Hickey]

F? Sure, yeah I done it before to play some John Lee Hooker songs. It's been awhile though. Hooker played in F tuning a lot.

Good for you playing John Lee Hooker. I play some of his stuff too, but you don't hear much about his music lately. Total bad ass with the guitar and the vocals. I learned his stuff back in the 70s before I was aware of alternate tunings. I still play out and always play boom boom and people freak out. Of course it helps we have a singer that can pull it off.

 

[Equalphone]

Not enough people know the old blues players. JL Hooker is great. As are the others.

Most of the classic rock bands got their start doing covers of the material of the blues masters. Most people never hear the originals.

 

[nethanpaul86]

Yes, guitarists can tune up a half step by tightening the strings. It gives a brighter tone, but be careful as it increases string tension and could put extra strain on the guitar.