Megadeth · 1986 · Studio album
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? tuning.
E Standard, about 42 cents flat (A ≈ 429), measured on the CD. 2 of 8 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard −42 ¢
About 42 cents flat (A ≈ 429), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
42 ¢ flat
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Capitol CDP 7 46370 2 (1986) | −41.9 ¢ | A 429.5 | 8 | −42.6 to −37.7 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, about 50 cents flat (community).
Capitol's first Megadeth album, with Paul Lani's mix. Tabbed in E Standard, measured about 42 ¢ flat (A ≈ 429.5): a flattened E, which the audio check confirms. The popular E♭ versions sit about 58 ¢ under the record. The 2004 remix and the Randy Burns mixes are just as flat.
8 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. Wake Up Dead
E Standard −42 ¢Measured
Notes
Its own reading is too unsure to use, so it keeps the album's −42 ¢.
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2. The Conjuring
E Standard −42 ¢Measured
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3. Peace Sells
E Standard −42 ¢Measured
Notes
Ellefson's bass intro is in standard tuning too, so tune the bass 42 ¢ low as well.
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4. Devils Island
Different pitch
E Standard −31 ¢Measured
Notes
Measured about 31 ¢ flat, about 10 ¢ above the rest of the album.
The main tabs are in E Standard, and one transcriber notes that every song on the album is tuned down about a quarter step. Popular alternative versions are written in E♭ Standard.
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5. Good Mourning/Black Friday
E Standard −42 ¢Measured
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6. Bad Omen
E Standard −42 ¢Measured
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7. I Ain't Superstitious
Different pitch
E Standard A 427Measured
Notes
The Willie Dixon cover, measured about 52 ¢ flat (A ≈ 427), right between E and E♭. The audio check points a half step below the tabs; check by ear.
The main tabs are in E Standard, and one transcriber notes that every song on the album is tuned down about a quarter step. Popular alternative versions are written in E♭ Standard.
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8. My Last Words
E Standard −42 ¢Measured
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 Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? in?
Megadeth recorded Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? (1986) in E Standard, about 42 cents flat (A ≈ 429), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Devils Island uses E Standard −31 ¢; I Ain't Superstitious uses E Standard at A 427.
Why does Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? sound out of tune with my guitar?
The record sits about 42 cents flat (A ≈ 429), 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.