Detuning Doubled Guitars

Sometimes you think that you've seen everything, but come to realize that you haven't. I don't know how I missed this over the years, but Kiss's Ace Frehley had a really good suggestion for doubled guitars in a great interview with my buddy Rich Tozzoli in the latest issue of Premier Guitar.

Ace mentioned that a trick he learned from producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Kiss, and a whole lot more) is to slightly detune your guitar when it comes time to play a double. That way, the double will make the sound a lot bigger and wider. Makes perfect sense and I can't wait to try it (can't believe I never have).

In the article, Ace also talks about playing an electric guitar without an amplifier before he buys it. This makes perfect sense in that you can feel how it rings and vibrates a lot better without the distraction of an amp. It also makes it a lot easier to cherry-pick to find the best one when you're trying a dozen of the same model guitar. I did this on when buying my last Les Paul and a long time ago with my favorite Strat and the method does indeed work.

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