TUNELIT

ZZ Top · 1990 · Studio album

Recycler tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. 1 of 10 songs are tuned differently.

Recycler album cover

Album tuning

E Standard +4 ¢

At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.

MeasuredFrom tabs

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 10 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Warner Bros. 9 26265-2 (US, 1990)+4.2 ¢A 441.110+3.8 to +5.3 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).

E Standard, about 4 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.1) on both the US and the Canadian CD, the steadiest album of all. Lovething is tabbed in E♭ Standard.

10 songs · 1 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

  1. 1. Concrete and Steel

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  2. 2. Lovething

    Different tuning

    E♭ Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    How to get there from the album's E Standard: Every string down a half step.

    Tabbed in E♭ Standard; TuneLit's semitone check agrees.

    The one tab (little viewed) is in E♭ Standard.

  3. 3. Penthouse Eyes

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  4. 4. Tell It

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  5. 5. My Head's in Mississippi

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  6. 6. Decision or Collision

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  7. 7. Give It Up

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  8. 8. 2000 Blues

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  9. 9. Burger Man

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

  10. 10. Doubleback

    E Standard +4 ¢Measured

    Tune Play along

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 Recycler in?

ZZ Top recorded Recycler (1990) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Lovething uses E♭ Standard +4 ¢.