How many guitars to cover these tunings?

[fantom]

Have you considered buying a capo yet? If you really want to tune guitars at every half step interval and can't play a 6 string song on a 7, just buy 2 guitars (a 6 and a 7) and a good capo. Make sure you buy fixed bridges for dropped tunings.

Otherwise, rent an apartment and hide the guitars from your wife. Just remember to turn off location sharing and come home early enough that she won't get suspicious of your infidelity. Yes I'm being facetious... But if you have the money, why should your wife care if you have 5 guitars or 11?

 

[Dan_Vacant]

25 guitars, you can have a back up and single coil option for most tunings

 

[landmvrks]

Good luck my man. I have more than 4 guitars and I still run into this issue. I think you could definitely do it. Just requires a lot of fine tuning so you're happy.
I typically group my guitars so each one can handle a few. My C Standard guitar can go to A# standard. B standard guitars go as low a Drop G. My D standard guitars can be easily set up for E or C standard.
My 7 string is usually some form of C standard but with a low G. My 8 string is drop E and can go to D1/C1 with some extra work.
I only use two tunings live and try to only use one as backups become a necessity.

Yeah, I'm starting to realize the ideal situation really is like 7-8 guitars, which I'm not going for right now. Think I'll have two regular and two seven strings set up to try and cover as much ground as possible, and make do with that for now.

Would you guys go a regular 25.5 for A E A D F# B E?

 

[Un1corn]

If you want as few as possible, I would say ONE 8 string is enough. Your highest tuning is drop C, so anything start from 26 scale have no problem. Order a custom 8 string around 26-28 or 26.5-28.5 scale would cover all of your tunings.

However I wouldn't suggest that cuz it doesn't have the variety of 6 7 8 guitars. Me personally cover these tunings:
D G C F A D
C G C F A D
A E A D G B
A G C F A D
G# D# G# C# F# A# D#
F# F# B E G# C#
F# B E A D G B E
E A D G C F A D
E G# D# G# C# F# A# D#
D A D G C F A D

Personally, consider the the lowest note as primary,
Higher than C, I would suggest get a regular 25.5
Higher than A#, I would suggest get a regular 25.5 or multiscale about 25.5-26.5
Higher than F#, I would suggest get a regular 26.5 or multiscale about 25.5-27.5
Higher than D, I would suggest get anything that's longer than 28, ideally 26-28 or 26.5-28.5 multiscale
The point is, you don't actually need that long and thick to play drop A to drop C, 25.5 is totally enough and I use 12-52 for drop A. 27 scale isnt really enough for anything lower than F, I always suggest get 28 even for F# cuz when it gets so low, the scale length and string gauge become much sensitive than higher notes.

In your case, I suggest you get 6 7 8 string guitar each. Drop C to drop A can be easily covered by a 25.5 6 string guitar. For 6 string drop G and G#, as well as 7 string tuning higher than F#, get a multiscale 7 string ideally around 26-27.5, at least 27 scale. And the E tuning, get a 8 string longer than 28 and you will be fine.

 

[couchguitarplayer]

Buy a digitech The Drop!

 

[AdidasDeus]

So I'm looking to make sure I have the guitars the cover the following tunings, without terrible tension and having to get huge gauge strings:

6 String:
Drop G
Drop G#
Drop A
Drop A#
Drop B
Drop C

7 String:
G# D# G# C# F# A# D#
F A# F A# D# G C
F# C# F# B D# G# C#
F# B F# B D# G# C#
E B E A D F# B

I'm thinking the following guitars would be a pretty ideal setup to cover my bases with the least amount of compromise.

6 String:
Drop G/A - 26.5 scale (maybe an RGD or Iron Label)
Drop B/C - 25.5 scale (12-60 strings) (Skervesen Raptor)

7 String:
Lower tunings (eg Drop A#/B with low F) - 27 scale (Mayones Regius 7)
Higher tunings (eg half step down with low G#) - 25.5-27 multiscale (?)

Thoughts? Would you do anything differently? Money isn't really an issue (to a degree), looking to cover all bases without going absolutely stupid and buying one for every tuning though. Ideally everything fits on my 5 rack.

I remember reading an article on Joni Mitchell and how she had some kind of Midi setup that changed the guitar tunings on command from song to song, she's quite adventurous with alternate tunings, I googled it for a bit before posting, but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Someone else here will probably know what I'm talking about and be able to point you in the right direction, with her setup via midi you wouldn't need so many guitars. I've been interested in pursuing that myself, however I'm not quite sure what they have for ERGs, I kinda live under a rock, so this is about as helpful as I get.

Anywho, that method with an 8 would be delicious. Godspeed, Mon Ami!

 

[Codeman]

Digitech the Drop will do the trick with a single fixed-bridge guitar and is wife-compatible

 

[sighval]

Just get a Variax, the Shuriken model looks quite saucy.

 

[Masoo2]

Good luck my man. I have more than 4 guitars and I still run into this issue. I think you could definitely do it. Just requires a lot of fine tuning so you're happy.
I typically group my guitars so each one can handle a few. My C Standard guitar can go to A# standard. B standard guitars go as low a Drop G. My D standard guitars can be easily set up for E or C standard.
My 7 string is usually some form of C standard but with a low G. My 8 string is drop E and can go to D1/C1 with some extra work.
I only use two tunings live and try to only use one as backups become a necessity.

Kinda agree with this. I put my 8 string, normally setup for Drop A + low E, in all sorts of tunings by just accepting the differences in tension.

The 6 strings can handle up to F standard or going as low as Drop C without major problems, though I've taken it down to C# standard/Drop B on more than one occasion. The 7th string can handle up to B (maybe C) and down to F though that's pushing it. The low E can handle going up to F# and down to C# if you pick really light and understand the bowing that will occur.

If you're open to big changes in tension, the original four guitar concept (two 6s + two 7s) you gave would probably work best given that you have certain songs you're more comfortable playing on 6 strings.

It seems the new thread you made indicates that you may be open to playing the lower tuned 6 string songs on a 7 though, which I think is the best option for cost/value tbh.

 

[landmvrks]

Kinda agree with this. I put my 8 string, normally setup for Drop A + low E, in all sorts of tunings by just accepting the differences in tension.

The 6 strings can handle up to F standard or going as low as Drop C without major problems, though I've taken it down to C# standard/Drop B on more than one occasion. The 7th string can handle up to B (maybe C) and down to F though that's pushing it. The low E can handle going up to F# and down to C# if you pick really light and understand the bowing that will occur.

If you're open to big changes in tension, the original four guitar concept (two 6s + two 7s) you gave would probably work best given that you have certain songs you're more comfortable playing on 6 strings.

It seems the new thread you made indicates that you may be open to playing the lower tuned 6 string songs on a 7 though, which I think is the best option for cost/value tbh.

Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, honestly I’m considering sticking to one 6 string and leaving it in Drop B, with the occasional Drop C. I also have a telecaster I’ll have set up for standard and Drop D. Then potentially I’ll get three 7 string guitars set up for different tunings (including covering 6 string drop A/G). I’d probably go with 1 x 26.5 and 2 x 27”, or a 25.5, 26.5 and 27. I think these 4 guitars would pretty much cover what I need without too much variation in tension. I’ll post a list on how I would group the tunings in a couple of days when I get home from out of town.

 

[MaxAidingAres]

Could use an 8 string tuned to drop E and transcribe everything. (Right?)

 

[Matt08642]

Could use an 8 string tuned to drop E and transcribe everything. (Right?)

Worked for Mattias IA Eklundh!

 

[tarzegetakizerd]

I currently have an 8 tuned to drop that I use for drop E/F# standard, drop A/B standard, and drop D/E standard. I also have an LP I use for Drop C#/Eb standard and Drop C/D standard. That pretty much covers almost all I play now. might get another 6/7 if I go drop F# or drop B/C# standard.

 

[Poul Winther Knudsen]

Can you somehow explain why you want to confuse yourself with so many tunings to play from TABS when you could spend the effort learning to play everything in a single tuning without tabs?

It doesn't prevent you from buying a million guitars but you will be able to play everything on all of them.

 

[landmvrks]

Can you somehow explain why you want to confuse yourself with so many tunings to play from TABS when you could spend the effort learning to play everything in a single tuning without tabs?

It doesn't prevent you from buying a million guitars but you will be able to play everything on all of them.

Honestly, I just like to do things the easy way. Load up a song, grab the right guitar, and off I go. I don't want to load up a song and work out how to change the tab to fit a specific tuning, and use pitch shifters for open notes. I also just have a thing for doing things relatively close to the way they were done by the artist. I have the money, so why not?

 

[I play music]

Honestly, I just like to do things the easy way. Load up a song, grab the right guitar, and off I go. I don't want to load up a song and work out how to change the tab to fit a specific tuning, and use pitch shifters for open notes. I also just have a thing for doing things relatively close to the way they were done by the artist. I have the money, so why not?

Because of your wifey you already said.

 

[landmvrks]

Because of your wifey you already said.

I have a certain amount of money (around $10,000-$12,000) to play with for all my guitars, I can just get less expensive guitars and more of them and it wouldn't bother her. My mistake for not clarifying.

Right now for the 7 strings I'm considering getting a custom Caesar multiscale 26.1 - 27.5, a LTD Black Metal Baritone 27" (throw in a Juggernaut or Impulse), and a prestige RGD 26.5. Seems like a pretty flexible setup for the tunings I'm going for? This to partner with my Skervesen Raptor 6 (drop B/C) and Telecaster (standard/drop D).

 

[fantom]

Would you guys go a regular 25.5 for A E A D F# B E?

It depends on how much tension you want. Me personally, I would use .009-.042 with a .056 on the low A. I typically run .010-.056 in A standard on 25.5. I'm sure you will get a few responses telling you that you need to go bigger, but consider buying a 7 string pack that has the same gauge you would normally buy for standard tuning and just use whatever low string comes with it.

Also, why are you tuning the 3rd string to F# instead of G? Just curious more than anything else. That seems like something you would do on a 6 string tuned like the low 6 string on a standard 7 string.

 

[landmvrks]

It depends on how much tension you want. Me personally, I would use .009-.042 with a .056 on the low A. I typically run .010-.056 in A standard on 25.5. I'm sure you will get a few responses telling you that you need to go bigger, but consider buying a 7 string pack that has the same gauge you would normally buy for standard tuning and just use whatever low string comes with it.

Also, why are you tuning the 3rd string to F# instead of G? Just curious more than anything else. That seems like something you would do on a 6 string tuned like the low 6 string on a standard 7 string.

Appreciate that! That's just a tuning one of my favorite bands use in their most recent album. Not sure why they tune down that note a half step.

 

[fantom]

Appreciate that! That's just a tuning one of my favorite bands use in their most recent album. Not sure why they tune down that note a half step.

You could always ask them.

6 strings tuned BEADF#B make sense, as you are dropping everything 2.5 steps. When going to a 7, typically people add a lower string. In this case, that would be F#BEADF#E (tuned down 2.5 steps). But you could also view it as adding a higher string, BEADF#BE (equivalent to adding a high string, bit tuning down 2.5). This is kind of the equivalent of taking a standard tuning guitar and adding a high A string instead of a low B string.

So this is like playing a 6 string in dropped D with a high A added to it (then tuning that down 2.5 steps). The reason I asked, it seems like this would come from more of a shredder type guitar player that got into 7 strings with a higher A back before Korn made the low B "the way to do it".