Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

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Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:10 pm

I wanted to post an easy to refer list of Van Halen tunings that I have found and notated for those few out there who may be interested in getting as exactly in tune with the Van Halen recordings as possible. This helps a lot when you are learning the material. This thread will list the "actual pitches" of each string as nearly as I can gather...my older thread on this site required the use of Peterson's "Sweetened GTR" preset, but this thread will list all of the offsets with their "actual pitch" WITHOUT requiring the use of the "Sweetened GTR" preset.

In order to use these tunings, you will need a digital strobe tuner with variable cent references. I recommend spending $130 on a Peterson StroboPlus HD...it will make tuning in general one hell of a lot easier and more accurate. It will also make it extremely simple to keep track of any tuning you find and tune to it more or less instantly. There is a free online storage and retrieval of any tuning you find or make up which you can save to the StroboPlus HD or any other Peterson tuner with variable cent offsets. I can't tell you how awesome this is.

You can also get the Peterson digital strobe tuner app for $10 and spend another $6 for their "Sweetened" tuning presets. These presets make your guitar and any stringed instrument sound as in tune all over the neck as possible and your overall guitar sound will change for the better. So for only $16, you can jump in and start using the tunings that I have found.

This thread contains tunings from Van Halen recordings that I have found using my Peterson StroboPlus HD digital strobe tuner. I generally refer to the isolated guitar tracks where possible along with the best available CD releases. I also try to use a guitar that is as physically close to the guitar that Eddie used on the original recordings as possible (at least as far as we know from Eddie's interviews). For example, for "Runnin' With The Devil" and "You Really Got Me" I used my '75-'76 Ibanez Destroyer. For the electric parts of "Ice Cream Man" I used my '78 era Musikraft/Locke Frankenstein with a standard Fender tremolo. For "Girl Gone Bad" I used my '58 reissue Gibson Flying V. For "Panama" I used my black Musikraft 5150 replica...That song may have been recorded with Eddie's '83 era Frankenstein, but I only own one guitar with a Floyd Rose, which is my Musikraft 5150, so I used that guitar as the closest I have to what may have been used on the original recording. I used my 1968 Fender Strat to find and notate the tunings on the recordings like the intros to "Women In Love" and "Hear About It Later" where Eddie used standard strat style guitars with three single coil pickups.

I have used my Peterson to check the tunings all over the neck at various points during the tracks. There are some tracks that actually have different tunings on a different guitar used in an intro versus the rest of the song. For example, the "Women In Love" intro strat is tuned differently from the humbucker equipped guitar used for the main distorted electric parts that occur later in the song.

I'm not interested in the "WHY?" question as to "Why" these tunings exist. This thread is intended to point out that they do indeed exist and to point out as closely as I am able to what the pitches for each of the strings are. All of these tunings assume that you are using a guitar that has been intonated as accurately as possible with a strobe tuner.
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Eddie backstage with the Peterson 420 strobe tuner..

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:11 pm

"Runnin' With The Devil"
1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +26.9 cents
3rd string: F# +34.6 cents
4th string: C# +35.0 cents
5th string: Ab +35.0 cents
6th string: Eb +26.7 cents

"You Really Got Me"

1st string: Eb +23.2 cents
2nd string: Bb +20.9 cents
3rd string: F# +22.6 cents
4th string: C# +25.5 cents
5th string: Ab +25.5 cents
6th string: Eb +25.3 cents

I found these tunings using the DCC Compact Classics 24Kt gold CD and the isolated guitar tracks. I also used my '75-'76 Ibanez Destroyer to find the tunings.

The tuning offsets that I have found for "Eruption" from the Van Halen album are as follows:

1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +12.9 cents
3rd string: F# +14.6 cents
4th string: C# +15.0 cents
5th string: Ab +15.0 cents
6th string: Eb +12.7 cents

I used my Musikraft/Locke '78 Frankenstein replica to find the tuning and I used the DCC Compact Classics 24kt Gold Master CD and the isolated guitar track for reference.

Note that this is the same tuning as the "Women In Love" main distorted guitar part and the electric guitars on "Ice Cream Man".
Last edited by garbeaj on Tue May 23, 2017 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:13 pm

Also, I'll repost the tuning offsets that Eddie gave Guitar World in the March 2016 issue again. This is proof that Eddie actually does use alternate tuning offsets. This is the first time that Eddie has ever mentioned what specific tuning he used and it is the first time he has admitted to using offset tunings where individual strings are deliberately tuned to be out of tune with each other to varying degrees:

In the March 17, 2016 issue of Guitar World:

LIVE 2015 TUNING:

Eb -9 cents
Bb -9 cents
Gb -3 cents
Db -1 cent
Ab +/-0 cents
Eb +/-0 cents
D-Tuna Db -4 cents

http://www.guitarworld.com/eddie-van-ha ... 073?page=4
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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:17 pm

I checked the tuning for "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" from the Van Halen album and these are the offsets I found:

1st string: Eb +27.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +27.9 cents
3rd string: F# +29.6 cents
4th string: C# +30.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +27.7 cents

This is the same tuning as on the clean "Women In Love" intro guitar and "Outta Love Again". This is a tuning that Eddie seemed to return to several times.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:25 pm

Here is the tuning I've found for I'm The One from the first album:

1st string: Eb +14.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +14.9 cents
3rd string: F# +16.6 cents
4th string: C# +17.0 cents
5th string: Ab +17.0 cents
6th string: Eb +14.7 cents

This is an unusual tuning...so far I haven't found another Van Halen recording with this tuning offset.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:29 pm

I have found and notated the tuning for the main guitar track on "Jamie's Cryin'" from the Van Halen LP as follows:

1st string: Eb + 7.7 cents
2nd string: Bb + 7.9 cents
3rd string: F# + 9.6 cents
4th string: C# +10.0 cents
5th string: Ab +10.0 cents
6th string: Eb +7.7 cents

I used the isolated guitar track and the DCC Compact Classics Master Recording gold CD for reference. I used my '75-'76 Ibanez Destroyer to find and notate the tunings which is the closest guitar I have to Eddie's original '75-'76 Ibanez Destroyer.

I have also found and notated the tuning for the overdubbed harmony guitars at the beginning and the end of "Jamie's Cryin'" from the Van Halen LP as follows:

1st string: Eb + 23.7 cents
2nd string: Bb + 23.9 cents
3rd string: F# + 25.6 cents
4th string: C# +26.0 cents
5th string: Ab +26.0 cents
6th string: Eb +23.7 cents

It is totally insane that the harmony guitars (presumably the Frankenstein) are tuned almost +16.0 cents higher than the main guitar track (presumably the Ibanez Destroyer).

I used my '78 Musikraft/Locke Frankenstein replica to find and notate this tuning and I used the isolated tracks along with the DCC Compact Classics gold Master Recording CD for reference.

It wouldn't seem like this would work, but it does! I actually used a Ditto looper to recreate the harmony parts using my Eventide Harmonizer (there is Eventide on the harmony guitars on the original recording) and my '78 Frankenstein replica and I've been able to play the main parts of the song with my Destroyer tuned the way I notated it above (roughly 16.0 cents lower than the harmony guitars) along with the looper playing the harmonies that I created. It works! It shouldn't, but it works!

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:30 pm

"Ice Cream Man" (electric guitars)

1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +12.9 cents
3rd string: F# +14.6 cents
4th string: C# +15.0 cents
5th string: Ab +15.0 cents
6th string: Eb +12.7 cents

I used my '78 Musikraft/Locke Frankenstein with a standard Fender tremolo to find and notate these tunings. (This is the same tuning that is used on "Eruption" and the main distorted electric guitar on "Women In Love"...this is a tuning that Eddie returned to often.)

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:32 pm

"Women In Love" intro
1st string: Eb +27.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +27.9 cents
3rd string: F# +29.6 cents
4th string: C# +30.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +27.7 cents

"Women In Love" humbucker equipped/distorted guitar on rest of track

1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +12.9 cents
3rd string: F# +14.6 cents
4th string: C# +15.0 cents
5th string: Ab +15.0 cents
6th string: Eb +12.7 cents

"Outta Love Again"
1st string: Eb +27.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +27.9 cents
3rd string: F# +29.6 cents
4th string: C# +30.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +27.7 cents
(This is the same tuning as the "Women In Love" intro.)
I used my '68 strat to gauge the tuning of the "Women In Love" intro and I used my '75-'76 Ibanez Destroyer for the humbucker equipped/distorted guitar on the rest of the track of "Women In Love" and "Outta Love Again".

The tuning that I have found for the nylon string guitar on "Spanish Fly" from Van Halen II is as follows:

1st string: D + 7.1 cents
2nd string: A + 7.3 cents
3rd string: F + 9.0 cents
4th string: C + 9.4 cents
5th string: G + 9.4 cents
6th string: D + 7.1 cents

I used the remastered HDCD version of Van Halen II for reference. I used my Ovation Model #CC63 nylon string classical acoustic-electric guitar to find and notate the tuning. This is the closest guitar that I have to the Ovation nylon string acoustic guitar that Eddie used on the original recording.
Last edited by garbeaj on Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:35 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:34 pm

"Take Your Whiskey Home" acoustic and electric guitars
1st string: Eb +9.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +9.9 cents
3rd string: F# +11.6 cents
4th string: C# +12.0 cents
5th string: Ab +12.0 cents
6th string: Eb +9.7 cents

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:35 pm

The vintage Stratocaster used for the "Hear About It Later" intro is tuned to "Drop Db" tuning with the following offsets as near as I can tell:

1st String: -31.7 Cents
2nd String: -31.9 Cents
3rd String: -21.6 Cents
4th String: -22.0 Cents
5th String: -22.0 Cents
6th String: -31.7 Cents (Drop Db Tuning)

I haven't yet checked the tuning for the regular Floyd equipped guitars (presumably the original Frankenstein guitar with the 10th fret bloodtstain neck and the early non-fine tuner Floyd)...I'll post it here as soon as I get it notated. It may be the same tuning as the intro, but as we've seen with "Women In Love" and "Jamie's Cryin'", the guitar tuning can be different from one guitar to another on the same track.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:39 pm

"So This Is Love?" from the Fair Warning LP is the first song that I've found so far that is tuned almost exactly a complete one half-step down:

Eb: -2.3 cents
Bb: -2.1 cents
F#: -0.4 cents
Db: (No change from standard equal temperament)
Ab: (No change from standard equal temperament)
Eb: -2.3 cents


I used the HDCD Remastered CD of Fair Warning along with the isolated guitar track for reference and I used my black Musikraft "5150" styled guitar which is equipped with a circa 1984-1985 era German Floyd Rose. This is the closest guitar I have to what Eddie may have used for this recording...which in my opinion was most likely the Frankenstein with the Boogie Bodies "10th fret bloodstain" neck and the non-fine tuner Floyd Rose.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:44 pm

Here are the offsets for the nylon string classical guitar used on the "Little Guitars (intro)" from the Diver Down LP:

1st string: F# -26.7 cents
2nd string: C# -26.9 cents
3rd string: A -28.6 cents
4th string: E -29.0 cents
5th string: B -29.0 cents
6th string: F# -38.7 cents

I checked the tuning for this intro against the HDCD remastered Diver Down CD using my Ovation Model #CC63 nylon string classical acoustic. This was the closest I could come to Eddie's late 70s Ovation nylon string classical guitar that he used to record this intro.


Here is the tuning I found for the full band electric track "Little Guitars" (not the acoustic intro) from the Diver Down LP. The main guitar on this track was Eddie's small-scale mini Les Paul replica with mini-humbuckers made by Dave Petschulat:

1st String: G -1.7 Cents
2nd String: D -1.9 Cents
3rd String: Bb -3.6 Cents
4th String: F -4.0 Cents
5th String: C -4.0 Cents
6th String: F -9.7 Cents (Drop F Tuning)

I used the isolated track from Guitar Hero for reference and I used a small scale Fender Squier mini Strat to find this tuning. Unfortunately, this is as close as I have to the mini Les Paul at the moment.
Last edited by garbeaj on Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 1:47 pm

"Panama" from the 1984 album:

1st string: Eb +35.7.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +30.9 cents
3rd string: F# +28.6 cents
4th string: C# +39.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +29.7.0 cents

"Girl Gone Bad" from the 1984 album (one of the Roth era songs that was tuned close to standard pitch):

1st string: E +11.7 cents
2nd string: B +11.9 cents
3rd string: G +13.6 cents
4th string: D +14.0 cents
5th string: A +14.0 cents
6th string: E +11.7 cents

I used my black Musikraft 5150 replica with a vintage 1983 Floyd Rose to find the tuning on "Panama" and my '58 reissue Gibson Flying V for "Girl Gone Bad".

The Flying V used for the main guitar track on "Drop Dead Legs" is tuned to "Drop D" tuning with the following offsets as near as I can tell:

1st String: E -2.3 Cents
2nd String: B -2.1 Cents
3rd String: G -1.2 Cents
4th String: D -0.6 Cents
5th String: A +1.1 Cents
6th String: D -0.6 Cents (Drop D Tuning)

This is almost exactly to standard tuning and is a great general offset for "Drop D" tuning at standard pitch. I used my '58 reissue Flying V to find and notate this tuning.
Last edited by garbeaj on Wed May 24, 2017 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by garbeaj » Tue May 23, 2017 2:15 pm

I'll try to continue to post more tunings as I find them here and I will abandon my old tuning thread...it became too difficult to understand. Hopefully this thread will be a better resource to refer to. And again if you get a Peterson StroboPlus HD or another Peterson tuner that is compatible with the Peterson Connect website, you can go to the user "Trading Post" and download all of the tunings I find and post here directly to your tuner...

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Re: Van Halen Tunings With "Actual Pitch" Peterson Reference

Post by Berlin » Thu May 25, 2017 8:24 pm

:rock: :clap: :thumbsup: :champ: :toast:

Thank-you Allen!

:vh:

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