The Drop Tuning You’ve NEVER Heard | How To Play Slomatics Troglorite

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Gear Used for this lesson:
First Act Custom Shop DC-6
Matamp GT120MV
DiD Elder God Fuzz: doesitdoom.com...
Two Notes CAB M+
Slomatics Tuning: F#-F#-B-E-G#-B
Stringjoy Custom Strings: 13, 17, 26w, 35w, 45w, 75w
Get Slomatics custom flatwound strings here: www.stringsdir...
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If you're familiar with Slomatics, you'll know that they are a 3-piece doom trio from Belfast in Northern Ireland, and that they don't have a bass player--and yet somehow sound MASSIVELY heavy.
So what is "Slomatics Tuning" anyway?
I once read David describe it in an interview as Neil Young meet Neurosis, which is about right.
To put a guitar in Slomatics Tuning, you basically put it in C#-Standard, then drop the 6th string all the way down to an F# (to form an octave pairing with the 5th string, where the 6th is F#1 and the 5th is F#2) and then drop your first string down to a B.
In order to achieve this tuning, Chris and David use the following string gauges:
13, 17, 26w, 35w, 45w, 75w
The guys also always use flatwound strings, which tends to cut out a fair bit of high end as well as reduce general string noise altogether.
Chris plays on the neck pickup through 10" speakers while David plays on the bridge pickup through 12" speakers.
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[@DoesItDoom]

Get your hands on the Elder God Battle Doom Fuzz: doesitdoom.com/product/eldergod

[@JohnWilliams-pn7ft]

I put down the guitar a few years back because my hands were so ravaged with arthritis from boxing that I couldn't pull off a lot of things I used to be able to play. I still had the itch to play so I started trying drop tunings and slower sludge tunes. Can't thank you enough for getting me dialed back in so quick and re igniting my passion for guitar! Please keep up the good work my brotha!!! Much appreciated!

[@DoesItDoom]

So stoked to hear that, John!! Best of luck with the new approach-I think you’ll find it quite enjoyable and rewarding.

[@gutbucket6184]

Try learning some sonic youth songs, most of them tune up but a lot of them tune down as well.

[@JohnWilliams-pn7ft]

@DoesItDoom still playing every night. I ap the comment brother

[@ThePowerman121]

I love how the video gets trippy once the phase kicks in

[@DoesItDoom]

Thanks man! Some great editing by Eric Merrow!

[@aklemmentin]

Slomatics is absolutely in my top 5 doom bands, just INSANELY heavy, and got me into the "caveman" doom sound

[@DoesItDoom]

Crushing! Amazing songs, riffs, and tones.

[@timoratus_music]

Not to plug my own stuff too hard, but my wife and I are in a sludge band modeled after Conan and Bongripper if you're interested. Azell is the name of our band and we have 2 songs out right now, 'Death Control' and a cover of Conan's 'Battle in the Swamp'. Slomatics is actually new to me so I am very happy!

[@jleverette666]

Badfuckinass

[@fullofsmell]

@@timoratus_music I just checked it out and it rips. It’s like other Caveman Battle Doom, but shorter. It leaves no room for fat, which is great! I’ll keep my ears peeled for more!

[@timoratus_music]

@@fullofsmell thank you so much for just taking the time! Our first full length will be out in the fall.

[@jerwolf8961]

About a year ago I misunderstood Slomatics’ tuning and switched to AAEAEA but with doubled 75’s. Tons of low end. Never looked back.

[@DoesItDoom]

That’s awesome!

[@peterdinya1309]

@jerwolf8961 I'm trying to wrap my head around what you're saying, you have the same low A string twice? Then the normal E and A strings, then you tuned up the D to an E and the G to an A?

[@drpibisback7680]

​@@peterdinya1309I'd guess the two low A strings are an octave apart.

[@rob1376]

This is actually the same tuning my band Sky Pig uses in most of our songs. I was just fucking around, tuned on Drop B a few years ago then wanted to see what it sounded like with top 2 stings in F#. Was chatting with David a while back and we got to talking about tuning and found out that we used the same tuning.

[@DoesItDoom]

Nice!

[@MrDoomed81]

Pantera used this tuning (minus the drop B on the second string) on “Sandblasted Skin” and “Underground in America” off The Great southern trend kill album. Doom on!!!!

[@shantaku]

Great video. The tuning is surprisingly fun to play. Isis also uses this exact tuning in songs like "Collapse and Crush" and "The Beginning and The End"

[@DoesItDoom]

Really is! Cool to know about Isis as well.

[@milkwalkerjones633]

Intronaut uses it on "Elegy" as well

[@nvjohansson9741]

GM doom fren. I agree those thick cords aren't the hardest to play, but l had my hands full learning YOB and Mike's finger picking.

[@666ScarFace999]

Boris does too! But they play in drop A# normally, so they drop it further to D#. 🤯

[@labagaia]

Not doom but slipknot does it as well in the song scissors!

[@daviddraper6468]

They have an incredible sound! I heard of them through their split with Conan and was blown away! You captured it really well here too, especially with the drums!

[@DoesItDoom]

Yes! So good. Shout out to Eric Merrow for his drum work and editing on this video!

[@corntoes]

until this video i had no clue they didn’t have a bass player they have such a full sound🤘

[@DoesItDoom]

That’s awesome. Easy not to pick it up just listening to them-they definitely sound huge.

[@LeifHerland]

They often (or always?) use dual SVT Classic with 8x10 as well as guitar amps. That helps 😂 Great guys, had an unforgettable time with them at last year’s Høstsabbat when I joined stage for their last song!

[@DoesItDoom]

Nice!! That would help for sure!

[@johnsguitarmusicanddemos]

You never disappoint! The low sounding guitars are so thick! Damn… I’m always smiling hearing your tones. Love the tuning too!

[@DoesItDoom]

Thanks, John. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@addictedtocraic]

Belfast has one of the coolest Doom scenes in the world. I remember actually playing on the same bill as the Slos waaaaay back on 2004. We were the only Doom bands in town but it has since exploded. The shitty weather probably has something to do with it. 😂

[@pissepartout]

awsome! I just discovered Slomatics thanks to you. This tuning is really something else.

[@DoesItDoom]

Awesome band! Enjoy man.

[@gunmannB]

Just got back from seeing Slomatics at Masters of the Riff 2 festival in London, England. Absolutely crushing sound from these guys! Thank you for turning me on to them, had never heard of them before!

[@pissepartout]

Oh (elder) god! thanks so much for the link for the strings. I was looking for them for a while!

[@DoesItDoom]

Awesome!

[@MetalHeadHippie]

I'll be Playing these guys on my channel tomorrow. Thanks for the introduction Steve.

[@headlessdecapitator]

I'm lucky enough to own one of thier pedals used for the MASSIVE tone on future echoes returns, a custom black arts toneworks black sheep. Thing is my most prized possession, the guys in slomatics are just so cool

[@DoesItDoom]

That's really cool! They are such great guys!

[@GodlessSuns]

Met these guys at Desertfest London this weekend just gone, nice guys, epic riffs. Great lesson as laways my dude :

[@nelson-haha89]

This is sick. That open F# wobbles so freaking much.

[@brpadington]

Never heard of these guys. Absolutely crushing tones here. Thanks

[@DoesItDoom]

And this is just my attempt! Checkout their actual records, super fucken heavy.

[@michaelorourke7032]

Awesome lesson!!! Solmatics is definitely one of the best doom bands out there!! Thanks for the tuning explanation.

[@DoesItDoom]

So awesome to finally have a guitar setup in their tuning. Really fun to play.

[@maxnorton4893]

Isis used this tuning on occasion. Thanks for the video, Steve!

[@DoesItDoom]

🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@adamsnow8554]

Thanks for the lesson Steve, love this track! Can't wait to learn it and give this tuning a go. Would love to hear a lesson for Slomatics 'Cosmic Guilt' someday as well, that's another really crushing one

[@DoesItDoom]

Yes! Need to do some more for sure. Hope you have fun with it!!

[@brokenhead6018]

That sounds huge :) Awesome! No bass, but still so full sound.

[@DoesItDoom]

Still massive for sure. Really cool and unique approach.

[@chriscurran1967]

Great stuff Steve, love me some Slomatics!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@DoesItDoom]

So good! Glad you liked it Chris!

[@mikedegrazia]

Found it! Fugh yeah.

[@DoesItDoom]

🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@AdamCavill]

Just so many thanks for all of this.

[@DoesItDoom]

You’re welcome! Glad you liked it.

[@mikerauter1859]

Great info and lesson Steve

[@DoesItDoom]

Glad you liked it Mike. 🤘🏻

[@dariobrkic9642]

This is a really interesting tuning. It is simmilar to the Pentagram tuning you mentioned in one of your videos (BADGBE), just one more whole step down on the 6th string. Esentially we have a "drop tuning" but with octaves, very interesting ! I heard this for the first time from a band called Lazarvs (Hungary). I think you might dig the band. They have a unique style of combining doom, stoner and groove. First two albums (Devil's nectar and Hellish) are more stoner metal/bluesy, while HEX and Lazarvs IV are more doomy with some black and death metal influences in their sound. Very underrated and unknown band, they also sound incredible live. I would reccomend songs: Judas, Abraham, Death, Valhalla. Thank you Steve for doing an amazing work for the doom community, your work is stellar ! Greetings from Croatia ! 🤘🔥

[@adamr2684]

Great video, Steve !

[@DoesItDoom]

Thanks Adam! Super fun shit to play. The tuning, the riffs, the tone, all so awesome.

[@MarkDaniels2787]

Intonation doesn't matter, lol. Good, because I've been going insane trying to get it in tune. Awesome video and all the gear and guitars are sick.🐌

[@DoesItDoom]

Chris mentioned that he eventually modified the bridge location on his LP so he could get it to intonate. More recently though. David still has his bridge in the stock location.

[@troy2322]

Awesome Steve!🔥🔥🔥💪💪💪

[@DoesItDoom]

So fun to play! Crushing.

[@paulcummins4134]

Just heard this band a few months ago and thought they were pretty good, that they should get more attention

[@DoesItDoom]

Great band!

[@harrymanbach]

Slomatics are up there with Torche in the insane low end. And after playing with it some Elder God is one of my favorite pedals for doom riffs super low tunings. It just does the thing. Gonna try it with my 9 string next.

[@DoesItDoom]

That’s great to hear man!!

[@duhlike]

Torche's low string is tuned to nothing. All the way down to just an explosion sound. Sadly they've broken up

[@murphyia1980]

Ah so early ISIS tuning then (which is *crushingly* heavy). Collapse and Crush, one of the heaviest songs I've ever heard 🤘🤘

[@DoesItDoom]

I was not aware of that! Someone else mentioned it as well.

[@murphyia1980]

@@DoesItDoom huge fan of ISIS and love their later stuff but Celestial just has *the sound* for me. Collapse and Crush, and Gentle Time... holy shit 😁

[@mpguy_yt]

Please make a "state of non-return" by Om tutorial

[@DoesItDoom]

Two requests for that lesson in the same video! Checkout Beholden To The Riff here on YT for some amazing OM lessons.

[@mpguy_yt]

@@DoesItDoom Thank you man!

[@themetalheadguy_666]

I first heard of Slomatics through their split EP with Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. Also I've seen that tuning only used once before. SlipKnoT used the F#F#BEG#C# tuning on "Scissors". Cool to see that type of tuning used more often. Fun as hell

[@DoesItDoom]

I would prefer to keep the first string at a C# as well I think.

[@themetalheadguy_666]

@@DoesItDoom Agreed. I personally don't see the idea of tuning the high string down a whole step

[@BroDocTrev]

What's funny is that your profile pic is The Great Southern Trendkill, and Sandblasted Skin off of that record is also in the same tuning, just a quarter step sharp.

[@themetalheadguy_666]

@@BroDocTrev Ik, but I was mainly talking about the F# register. It still blows my mind that Dime decided to randomly tune that low. Shit's fucking heavy

[@justinwolz4932]

Awesome video. Thanks for breaking that down. I believe Wes Borland used a smiliar F# F# (or F F) for the lowest two strings idea for Nookie by Limp Bizkit. Although I think for gauges that he used an 85 for the low one. It was only 4 strings. I used a 7 string in a band in Drop C#. I just tuned the lowest string up to C#. Not an octave apart, but had some cool chorusing effects.

[@DoesItDoom]

Cool info. Someone else mentioned the Wes Borland thing. I didn’t know that.

[@kazukihiratani]

You could drop that low 7th string down the octave for the octave jump and make it sound like you opened the gates to hell hahaha

[@justinwolz4932]

@@kazukihiratani That would take some serious setup to not have a wet noodle string. Haha.

[@kazukihiratani]

@@justinwolz4932 You could get away with using a 90-100 gauge string. Depending on the scale length, you could probably go lighter.

[@justinwolz4932]

@@kazukihiratani That's very true. I guess a custom filed nut would help. I wonder if Warwick's adjustable brass nut would work...

[@thirstyboots8310]

Great video.

[@DoesItDoom]

Thanks man! Glad you liked it.

[@harryhewson2382]

Isis the band uses that tuning on Celestial and Oceanic. And Limp Bizkit also uses a variation on it too.

[@DoesItDoom]

A few have mentioned the Isis similarity. Cool!

[@TomBrom323]

First off awesome vid, Slomatics are crushingly heavy. Estron is one of my all time favorite albums. Second do you know anyone that’s done a demo of the GT120 standard? Every review seems to be of the master volume and kinda have my heart set on the non master.

[@DoesItDoom]

True. I’m not sure. I’ve played both side by side through the same cab. The NMV has a lot more headroom and is extremely loud through the entire volume range. The MV can do any volume but lacks headroom and is dirty through the entire range of the dial. I prefer the tone of the NMV overall, but the MV is more practical if you want to use the amp at low volume at all. The MV offers up a bit more flexibility for recording as well. That said, you can always get a reactive load box like the Captor X to attenuate the NMV.

[@davelanciani-dimaensionx]

I think Neurosis do something similar, bat starting with E Standard tuning, then tune the low E down to an A.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

Holy shit, I kept thinking "Wait, I HAVE heard this tuning somewhere but where?" and my mind is blown: it's just a full 6-string version of the tuning Wes Borland used on his 4-string for Nookie. If I hadn't been so enamoured with that 4 string Ibanez in my teens I would never have realized, and I wasn't even a Limp Bizkit fan. Something about that concept just spoke to me.

[@666ScarFace999]

I've ended up in FFA#D#GC, and stereo routing the guitar so the bridge does guitar and neck goes to bass stuff. Still not completly happy though, might go as far as to get a pickup with only one bobbin for the bass string. The rabbit hole goes deeper...

[@randallmartinez85]

I been listening to slomatics pretty consistently since I ordered my elder god lol. They fuckin rip

[@DoesItDoom]

Absolutely!!

[@bogmonkeyband]

I think I just found the tuning we’re going to start writing it.

[@DoesItDoom]

Nice! Give it a shot dude!

[@fungifago]

On the other hand, Bog Body sounds incredibly brutal with just drums and bass

[@lucky1173]

no way, it's basically the same tuning from Nookie by limb bizkit but without top 2 strings

[@cheezeblahblah]

I love and live for this!!!!!!🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@DoesItDoom]

So heavy. Really fun to play.

[@strangelalansbury5028]

Dude plays the Playstation 1 intro with the first two chords

[@carltonmiller1348]

Crazy!

[@DoesItDoom]

Agreed!

[@M43STR0_dnb]

Some weedeater would be dope to see

[@ZacL324]

Glad I'm not the only grown man still rocking out on a First Act, lol

[@posingnobody]

Hey Steve. I was curious if you've heard of this band called Black Cobra? They have a similar situation where its just a guitarist and drummer, yet he gets a really bassy sound. Great band to check out some time

[@DoesItDoom]

Haven’t. Will check ‘em out.

[@evilvespa]

@@DoesItDoom Duuuuuuuuude. Can recommend!

[@666ScarFace999]

How do they use the high B though? I found that while dronning the loose F#'s and playing the B strings fretted the same, it gave a kind of Diablo-ish open chord sound. Actually kinda groovy.

[@PeterCoutinhoDPI528]

75! 😮

[@spekenbonen72]

The biggest (maybe the only) down-side to flatwounds is no pickscrapes :/ Oh, and black fingers...

[@Tsotha]

I usually describe Slomatics' style as "The Melvins meet John Carpenter"

[@regularnimnule9715]

13-75. Holy fuck!!!!

[@ogulkoker]

How would you use the higher strings in this tuning? What's their function?

[@karvatupsul2175]

Would it be good to get 7 string baritone for this kinda music? 27,12 inch scale

[@cheezeblahblah]

This brother is far beyond Jesus!!! I can never stop laughing and listening to this dude 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘 !!!! Forever 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@zanderfication]

Steve, when ya gonna sell one of those sweet dc6s??

[@666ScarFace999]

So i only need to change one string from my regular B standard 13-62 set? Gonna try this now. Mybsetup is already kinda based on Slomatics, since i use my neck pickup for bass sounds with an OC-5 and the bridge for guitar in regular B standard anyway. Maybe this'll crack the code on good sounding fakebass.

[@666ScarFace999]

Okey, this tuning is my new favourite thing.

[@DoesItDoom]

Yep! Changing that 6th string should get you close. Super fun!

[@Guchymusic]

Can you do Electric Wizard - We Live lesson? pretty pls!

[@DoesItDoom]

Maybe! Drop it on the request list at doesitdoom.com/requests

[@triplesix822]

Does the tone knob need to be at 0 for this song? I'm not sure how to use it properly because I'm new to this metal genre

[@DoesItDoom]

Not necessarily. Experiment and find out what works for you. Many guitarists will adjust their pickup switch and guitar volume / tone knobs throughout a song to adjust the tone and dynamics.

[@AlbannachGamer]

Would you need a baritone guitar for this turning or?

[@Shredeker420]

How do you deal with feedback when running all these fuzz pedals and boost and gain? I’m using a noise gate, individual power for my pedals and I can’t stop the squealing? Yet you and fuzzlord effects have 9 fuzz pedals and it sounds amazing

[@ivanf3352]

I don't think that a 0.75 guage string fits on a regular guitar nut, this probably needs some serious adjustment but the tone is amazing imo

[@DoesItDoom]

Yes, the nut needs to be filed wider and the tuner needs to be bored out. Nothing too crazy for most any luthier to handle.

[@v8dreaming]

Is the Phaser before or after the Elder God?

[@DoesItDoom]

After.

[@vg4917]

sick. is this same as pentagram tuning?

[@DoesItDoom]

Both octave tunings but not the same thing.

[@vg4917]

@@DoesItDoom thanks great band...

[@thunderchief2696]

Never heard lol....We've been using this tuning since 2006

[@BaBaBaBenny]

"How can I band with no bass player sound so crushingly heavy?" We could ask Floor the same question.

[@jasonfifi]

music hates you out of athens used this tuning but in G. so D standard but with n octave dropped 6. they had a bassist but he ran both low strings as G but not floppy octave dropped, both were the G that the 3rd string would be... basically it gave it an almost sonic youthy kind of chorus feel but on the lows. my main guitar at the time was in D standard, and they broke a string and i still had it out and at hand, so all he had to do was drop the D to G and finished their set. coincidentally i also run flatwounds, so the only weird part was that i used a wound G at the time.

[@DoesItDoom]

Nice!

[@93Rats]

We need a state of non-return by Om lesson with the Giza pedal 🤌

[@DoesItDoom]

From a lesson with no bass to a lesson with only bass. Got it! Haha. 🫡

[@93Rats]

@@DoesItDoom don’t forget the flatwounds this time! 🤟

[@DoesItDoom]

You're in luck, my C-Standard bass has flats lol.

[@Dios67]

Maybe not the tuning but the sound is prevalent in every Stoner/Doom band going back to Black Sabbath.

[@marzbitenhaussen]

saruman's cousin

[@januszjankes6423]

🤘👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹🤘 zajebisty perfect super

[@DoesItDoom]

Thanks brother!

[@jedijudoka]

I think slipknot used this tuning on Scissors

[@miikdaniels1439]

Imho: They still need a bass player! Nonetheless still badass

[@DoesItDoom]

Would be interesting to hear. Wonder if they’ve ever tried?

[@RichardDeBerryOfficial]

Same. Even if bass is at that same pitch, it still provides low end and fullness that guitar cannot provide. Bass is always important, no matter how low your guitar is tuned.

[@CnyMTB]

ABY pedal to split the signal, run B into a pitch modulator such as the pitchfork, and then into a separate Amp. No need for another member

[@joshferguson9703]

Slomatics are just as important as Rory Gallagher when it comes to Irish Musicians that’s a fact not an opinion

[@DoesItDoom]

Rory was amazing! Doesn’t get the respect he deserves really.

[@joshferguson9703]

@@DoesItDoom so true imo he was and is the best rock/blues guitarist ever and greatly influenced metal just look at his song Moonchild that was a Maiden song

[@johnnybeaver8351]

Love how this sounds, but feels like shit to play.