Kyuss · 1992 · Studio album
Blues for the Red Sun tuning.
C Standard, about 19 cents flat (A ≈ 435), measured on the CD. 2 of 14 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
C Standard −19 ¢
About 19 cents flat (A ≈ 435), measured on the CD.
MeasuredWidely reported
Measured by TuneLit
19 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Dali (1992), MP3 copy | −19.0 ¢ | A 435.2 | 13 | −24.8 to −5.6 ¢ | Medium |
Before we measured, sources said: C Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).
Produced by Chris Goss at Sound City in Van Nuys, the last album with Nick Oliveri on bass; Homme's Ovation went into a Marshall JCM900 and Ampeg 8×10 bass cabinets. Everything is in C Standard except the short acoustic Capsized, in E♭ Standard. TuneLit measured the CD about 19 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435.2), but the songs do not agree: Thong Song reads about 35 ¢ flat, Thumb and Green Machine close to concert pitch, 50 Million Year Trip about 7 ¢ sharp.
14 songs · 2 tuned differently
Every song, ready to tune
Tune opens the tuner in that song's tuning, pitch included. Play along opens the song player set to that tuning, so the track plays in yours. What the labels mean
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1. Thumb
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Its own reading is close to concert pitch (about 1 ¢ sharp), but with low confidence, so it keeps the album's −19 ¢; if it sounds flat, try plain C Standard.
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2. Green Machine
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Brant Bjork's riff, in C Standard on every tab; the open low C is more than half of the low notes on the record. Its own reading is about 2 ¢ sharp, not confident enough to leave the album's −19 ¢; if the album's setting sounds flat against it, try plain C Standard.
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +2.4 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's −19 ¢.
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3. Molten Universe
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Instrumental. Reads right on the album value, about 19 ¢ flat.
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Notes
Brant Bjork's song. TuneLit measured it about 7 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.8), 26 ¢ above the rest of the album.
C Standard (C F B♭ E♭ G C), guitar and bass: every Songsterr tab of the album, Ultimate Guitar's tabs, and the gear histories of Homme's Kyuss years. TuneLit measured the CD about 19 ¢ flat (A ≈ 435.2), so the setting is C Standard −19 ¢; single songs scatter from about 35 ¢ flat to 7 ¢ sharp.
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5. Thong Song
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Reads about 35 ¢ flat, the lowest song on the album, but not confidently enough for a setting of its own.
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −34.9 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's −19 ¢.
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6. Apothecaries' Weight
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Instrumental. The open low C is more than half of the low notes.
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7. Caterpillar March
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Instrumental, by Brant Bjork.
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8. Freedom Run
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
An older Songsterr tab is written in E Standard; the newer one, made to match the record, is in C Standard. Reads close to concert pitch, with low confidence.
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9. 800
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Instrumental. Ultimate Guitar's tab says two whole steps down, C Standard.
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10. Writhe
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Homme sings lead.
On its own, this song measures sharper: CD −7.9 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's −19 ¢.
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11. Capsized
Different tuning
E♭ Standard +12 ¢Measured
Notes
How to get there from the album's C Standard: Every string up 3 half steps.
A 55-second acoustic piece in E♭ Standard, measured about 12 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 443).
Both Songsterr tabs put the acoustic guitars in E♭ Standard, a major third above the album's C, with the rhythm part on the open String 5 (A♭), a note the record leans on. Ultimate Guitar's only tab shows plain E Standard, probably just the default heading. The open low string never sounds, so the check from the audio cannot judge it.
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12. Allen's Wrench
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Instrumental.
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13. Mondo Generator
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Written and sung by Nick Oliveri.
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −27.0 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's −19 ¢.
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14. Yeah
C Standard −19 ¢Measured
Notes
Four seconds of speech; nothing to tune to.
What the labels mean
- Measured
- TuneLit measured the pitch on an original CD or LP. The tuning name still comes from the sources.
- Official
- The band, a member, their producer or their guitar tech said it.
- Widely reported
- Trusted outlets, guides and tabs agree, but the band did not say it directly.
- From tabs
- From community tabs, or from players who tune along with the record.
- Disputed
- Sources disagree. The likeliest setting is shown; the notes name the other one.
Each song shows one label, the strongest it has, in this order. How we measure recordings →
Questions
What tuning is Blues for the Red Sun in?
Kyuss recorded Blues for the Red Sun (1992) in C Standard, about 19 cents flat (A ≈ 435), measured by TuneLit on the CD. 50 Million Year Trip (Downside Up) uses C Standard +7 ¢; Capsized uses E♭ Standard +12 ¢.
Why does Blues for the Red Sun sound out of tune with my guitar?
The record sits about 19 cents flat (A ≈ 435), so a guitar tuned to A 440 clashes with it. The Tune buttons on this page set the tuner's reference to match the record, song by song, so you only tune the strings.