Correct. Them playing the songs a half step from recorded is still what's happening here. The change is sometimes, when the song is recorded a half step down, they don't.

Do you have an example for that? As far as I'm concerned, you're right that a few newer songs seem to already been recorded a half step "down", meaning the guitar is tuned differently, probably and most likely due to Jon's vocal limitations. But still, all songs I've ever heard are tuned down one half step from the studio version, each and every one of them (not counting the rare occasion where the band performed one of the singles in the studio key, probably due to only singing live and having the band pre-recorded).

I'll take a look tonight for sure!

I'm With You
Bullet
Any other Day

Are the three I've found so far that are played at the same tuning as the studio recordings. Still going through 'em.

Labor Of Love
The Fighter
Not Running Anymore
With These Two Hands
You Had Me From Hello
Blood Money
Santa Fe

That's off the top of my head after like 3 mins of YouTube research. Obviously, would love to find time to dig the whole catalog and not just songs that were my guesses.

And then there obviously temporary exceptions like Keep The Faith (1992 promo appearances), Always and Saturday Night (1994 promo appearances), etc.

Thanks! So I would assume the previous trend was indeed whatever songs are tuned down half step in the studio just remain so when live.

I didn't have time to check on those yet, but it would be highly illogical if it were the case. Think about it, if you "tune down half step" in the studio (i.e. use a non-standard E-tuning), why would you not down-tune the guitar that's used for those another half step live (like with Roller Coaster)? And if the guitar was indeed in standard tuning in the studio, and the song is just for example in A instead of E, why not use the "normal" half step down tuning live and hence play it in Ab?

I know that *I* wouldn't want to make things too complicated and just replicate everything like done in the studio, but with the respective guitars tuned a half step down (Eb instead of E, etc.) Only exception would probably be tunings like Drop D, I don't know if you actually can down-tune those, as I only ever played in standard E tuning up until now ;-)

Isn't We Got It Goin' On done in standard tuning live? I might be wrong, but I recall it being played with the low E-string tuned to C and the rest of the guitar in standard-tuning both on the album and live.

I feel like having a section of guitars tuned down an extra half step is more of a hassle. Pull up any of those songs and check, there's no difference in tuning.

DryCounty, I'll have to check but I believe the studio version was tuned C to E and the live version is Cb to Eb.

Yup, totally forgot about that one! thanks