Selecting Appropriate Guitars for Alternate Tunings

[Jay Cool]

I've been recently playing with alternate tunings (thanks Dallas!) and am now hoping to acquire a couple more guitars to broaden my possibilities.

It seems that CGCFAD works fine on my older standard 24.75" guitar once it was adjusted properly by a tech, so I am not convinced that you NEED a 27" scale and am starting to wonder if "any" guitar can be set to achieve this.

I'm very interested in ESP guitars, so I have been looking there but am not opposed to another make. I want to play on the following setups:

AEADGBE, BEADGBE and ADADGBE.

I am also considering picking up a 7-String as well.

Can anyone offer any suggestions or further advice on this topic? I'd like to have some discussions on the entire "Alternate Tuning" subject.

I'm no spring chicken, but somehow avoided learning all these things for the 22 years I've been playing.


Jay Cool

[Gabriel]

What a lot of people do is that they take Seven string guitars and set them up to be extremely low. For example, my old band used to play in B standard (when we were using six strings) and if you know guitar, that's low as HELL. So what we did was just get seven strings, and it was fine after that. Here's the tip with 7/8 string guitars. You can set up your tuning, for example, C. And just keep the 7th string at whatever note suits you best whether you want to drop it for a funky tuning, or Keep it where it is. At B, or sometimes (in the Acacia Strain's case) like G, or some shit.

I like my 6 strings, so I just set up my guitars to play in whatever tuning I feel like. Mostly, I revolve around C# Standard. But to make life easier, you can just purchase a baritone guitar, just so you don't have to go through the hassle of fixing your truss rod all the time, or going to a luthier which now a days is crack prices.

So in the end, any guitar you have can achieve a low tuning. The problem lies within yourself, or the luthier to dedicate the time it takes to really set-up your guitar to your needs. Because using lower tuning requires thicker strings, and more adjustments, etc. etc.

As for ESP, I love their guitars, I've played other, but I always come back to my ESP custom. If you are interested, Ibanez has some pretty affordable 7 strings.

[Jay Cool]

Gabriel,
So what you are saying is I can use a 7 or 8 string and "tune on-the-fly" without the issues otherwise associated with a standard 6 string and attempting the same? This is good news and makes life easier (cheaper) for me.

I've been contemplating actually purchasing more gear than necessary if this is all true. I'm simply trying to have most all the ranges available to me at will. If i have to tune something, obviously not an issue, but purchasing another 3 guitars is kinda pricey! I want to cover the following:

EADGBE
DADGBE
DGCFAD
CGCFAD

BEADGBE
AEADGBE
ADADGBE

I currently have a six string setup for CGCFAD. I can cover that and DGCFAD fine.
I have a Fender strat for standard and DADGBE.

If a single 7 string can handle the last 3 on the list without huge adjustment efforts, great. Otherwise, will a baritone cover the 3? I'm likely willing to get 2 new axes at maximum at this point. I still need to buy another Bass guitar before I can go to studio and funds are slim.


Also, when looking at ESP's site and doing research on the various models, it is not clear on all of them what tunings they are set to. For example, the models under Stephen Carpenter only have notation for the tuning on his 8-String models but not the 7-String.

edit: just found - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_tunings#Complete_range_of_strin...

I think ultimately, without getting ridiculous, I'd like to cover as much of the grand staff as possible in guitars.

but looking at the link i just added above, it might be either a Six and Seven string combo, or as much as 5, Six string guitars.

[Gabriel]

Well dude I didn't for it to sound like THAT. Most 7 string guitars come with a floyd rose to hold the tuning. Because with more strings means more tension, and that can provide a problem.


I know Ibanez has a really inexpensive seven string. It's the seven string model of the RG7321 (I have the RG321 modified with duncans, sperzel, and other cosmetic stuff) and I'm pretty sure that if you want to cover your bases, you're going to have to go with that inexpensive guitar.

Because honestly,trying to cover all of your bases with one guitar is a bit out of the way. It's better to have a couple of well invested guitars instead of one outrageously over the top guitar trying to tune in different tunings all the time.

If you go from tuning to tuning, you're going to have to mess with the truss rod each and every time you tune high or low. And that can get real annoying, and can work your truss rod.

But to answer your question, yes, these tunings will be available to you. However, you are going to have to make some adjustments each and everytime you want to go from a higher tuning to a lower tuning, or vice versa.

Just either get the Ibanez, or a baritone guitar. Or why not both?

[Jay Cool]

"If you go from tuning to tuning, you're going to have to mess with the truss rod each and every time you tune high or low. And that can get real annoying, and can work your truss rod."

That is precisely what I want to avoid.

Sounds like my thought process was okay - for the most part.

Looking at getting a Seven String and a Baritone.

That should keep me where I want for now I think. Then I can worry about some Bass selections!

[Gabriel]

Good luck with your findings, I hope the baritone keeps you happy. Also, look into the mid-range ESP/LTD line. I'm getting two eclipses. Plus, getting a new amp soon. But if you need help, let me know. I used to tech for a while. Then I stopped.