Suggest 7 or 8 string versions of familiar altered tunings...

[Garry Goodman]

That sounds like it'll be great. Let us know when you've got a musical demo done with that tuning.

I don't know how well I can play that tuning. I am going to use
E A D G C F Bb, because I am used to 4ths. Also tuning that tuning up a whole step, but in 4ths : F#B E A D G C

The highest open string, C5 (8th fret C on guitar's high E string) sounds like a Mandolin. You could add a low C# string for an 8-string and cover C#2 as the lowest open string (the 3rd fret C# on a Bass guitar's low A string) all the way up to C7 at the highest string's 24 fret.

C#2 F#2 B2 E3 A3 D4 G4 C5- C6 at 12th fret, C7 at 24th fret
Nearly 5 octaves. I will retune the Washburn x27 to this C5 tuning and post another Google clip soon.

 

[distressed_romeo]

A variation on the high A idea that I've been mulling over recently is EADGCEA, which would make the fretboard layout exactly the same as standard seven-string tuning, only up a fourth, which would make the transition a little easier.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Open Em for an eight string

e
b
G
E
B
E
B
E

 

[distressed_romeo]

Whole-tone tunings are great!

There is a nice fifths tuning, too BEBEEBE with a unison between the third and fourth strings. To get best intonation, though, you have to restring and reset-up your guitar.

I like the fifths/fourths tunings, too- GCFBbFCG generates some pretty interesting chord voicings without messing up your scale patterns too horribly, and I find it easier to make stretches on the higher strings.

Interesting bit of information I've just found...apparently Indian mandolin players tend to use the fourths/fifths tuning idea on their instruments. Apparently U. Srivinas (who was a huge influence on Shawn Lane) tunes BEBE.

 

[FortePenance]

DADGCFAD

not too crazy, just Drop D on an 8-string with the other 7 in A standard.

 

[Xplora]

Follow up on that AEAEACE tuning... gave it a burl today. I'd need EMG81-7s to bring it to life. BlazeII's just aren't crunchy enough to articulate the chord. Its not a bad tapping tuning, I like how you get some melodic motion from a single position over the high 4 strings. I don't think I'd use it for very much though. It's cool for enormous black metal minor chords but realistically, my music doesn't focus solely on that.