# Seven String Slide guitar?



## Thunderscreech (Sep 10, 2011)

I have one of those Rondo Music/Douglas Grendels, I think mine is a 725. Anyways, The bridge started collapsing, so I decided I would set it up to play slide guitar. 

Basically I'm just wondering what I should do with the 7th string. I'm planning on tuning to Open G (DGDGBD), and I'm not really sure what to do with it. I could drop it to A or leave it at B or even raise it to C or something.


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## Hemi-Powered Drone (Sep 10, 2011)

I'd say leave it at B to get proper chord voicing.


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## Kkoznarek (Sep 10, 2011)

I saw a video on Youtube where this guy had his seven string tuned to open G and tuned the B string down to G. Though don't ask me to remember the link, the dude couldn't play squat so. Devin Townsend also tunes his seven strings in open C with a low G, I don't play in any open tuning (standard or dropped tuned standard all the way for me) so I don't know how different they would sound but from my music theory knowledge if you were to tune your seven string with a low G in open G, it would be a perfect 5th between the G and the 6th string, D. While in open C, the low G would be a perfect 4th from the 6th string, C (Like Standard tuning)


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## Solodini (Sep 11, 2011)

I think the smaller interval between the B and D would be more useful than G and D. be sure to let us hear how you get on!


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## StratoJazz (Sep 11, 2011)

Solodini said:


> I think the smaller interval between the B and D would be more useful than G and D. be sure to let us hear how you get on!



Agreed.


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## Ckackley (Sep 11, 2011)

A little off topic, but what do you mean by the bridge "Collapsing" ? Curious only because I was seriously thinking of getting a Grendal 27" to play around with .


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## Kkoznarek (Sep 11, 2011)

Solodini said:


> I think the smaller interval between the B and D would be more useful than G and D. be sure to let us hear how you get on!



I don't own a seven at the moment but from my past experience I prefer the smaller interval of a Perfect 4th to the droptunned Perfect 5th. Just for my playing style as well as for the music I like to write.

I would use the droptunned approach for writing grindcore music but other than that it's not my thang


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## Thunderscreech (Sep 12, 2011)

dragonblade629 said:


> I'd say leave it at B to get proper chord voicing.





Solodini said:


> I think the smaller interval between the B and D would be more useful than G and D. be sure to let us hear how you get on!



Durr. This makes sense. Besides, a string tuned down to G will either be really floppy or have to be really thick to hold tension, I think. 



Ckackley said:


> A little off topic, but what do you mean by the bridge "Collapsing" ? Curious only because I was seriously thinking of getting a Grendal 27" to play around with .



Tune-O-Matic style bridges can collapse from the stress of the string tension against them. The metal starts to bend in the middle, and the bridge gradually gets lower and lower. Normally, this usually takes years or is close to geologic in time scale, but certain things can expedite the process. For example, if you might be a guy like me who puts a set of strings guages .012-.080 on and then decides to tune to standard one day because HURR DURR NOTHING BAD COULD EVER HAPPEN FROM THAT MUCH THENSION then your bridge will start collapsing much faster. 

So, basically, as long as you stick with normal string gauges that wont happen to you and the Grendel is a great guitar.



Kkoznarek said:


> I saw a video on Youtube where this guy had his seven string tuned to open G and tuned the B string down to G. Though don't ask me to remember the link, the dude couldn't play squat so. Devin Townsend also tunes his seven strings in open C with a low G, I don't play in any open tuning (standard or dropped tuned standard all the way for me) so I don't know how different they would sound but from my music theory knowledge if you were to tune your seven string with a low G in open G, it would be a perfect 5th between the G and the 6th string, D. While in open C, the low G would be a perfect 4th from the 6th string, C (Like Standard tuning)



Hurrdurr. I forgot about Devin Townsend and Open C. I might try open C but with the Low B raised a half step, so as to have 2 Cs. I'm weird like that.


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## Mvotre (Sep 13, 2011)

somewhere the guy talk about his tunings. In the site, i think.


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## Thunderscreech (Sep 13, 2011)

Mvotre said:


> somewhere the guy talk about his tunings. In the site, i think.




Is this the dude with the 8-string resonator? Cause I am either hallucinating or there is more than 8 strings on there.


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## Kkoznarek (Sep 13, 2011)

Thunderscreech said:


> Hurrdurr. I forgot about Devin Townsend and Open C. I might try open C but with the Low B raised a half step, so as to have 2 Cs. I'm weird like that.



Awe come on man, thats borin!!!! Lol, your right that is a little wierd but if it floats your boat you'll sail away in it.


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## stubhead (Sep 14, 2011)

This is a 1999 Korean made Schecter C-7 plus, and it and Sonny Landreth are the reasons I've gotten back into slide so heavy the past few years. I was a fanatic for it back in the 80's, playing along with Ravi Shankar and whatever else Indian music I could find way back in the Dark Ages. 

I've been through the whole raft of tunings with this, various 6th tunings and 7ths on the bottom _a la_ Freddie Roulette and all (I also play 10 string console & pedal steel guitars). Brad's Page of Steel lists a boatload of tunings:
Brad's Page of Steel - Tunings

But for this thing, I've honestly found plain old open E with a low B the best and most powerful thing. You get the best of open G (or A) and open E (D). I mean, with a dobro capo at the third fret it IS open G, but with a high root note - DGDGBDG. And with it open, it's open E but with an extra low 5th for more power. If I was looking to play more single note stuff and play with a band leaning towards jazz or playing through a lot of chord changes, the added 6th note somewhere in the top three strings would be tempting. That really depends on what your intent is. If you have any way to make or get made a second new nut that raises the strings another .035" to .045" higher above the first fret (total clearance of .050" to .060") try it out. You can still change the old nut back in.



Look into Steve Kimock and if the blues gets you, Earl Hooker. The music sounds dated, but.... Wait this one out to 1:49 and again at 3:06- it's something you just don't hear elsewhere.

Earl Hooker / Sweet Home Chicago - YouTube


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## Thunderscreech (Sep 18, 2011)

So I have been fooling around with different tunings over the past few days, like Open G (Low B), Open C (Low G and Low C at different times), Open D (ADADF#AD, in my case), and then I have arrived on Open A (AEAEAC#E) which I find to really like, but second is Open D. 

I will have to record some of this nonsense for your amusement.


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## ragstango (Jan 26, 2012)

I don't slide much on my bottom strings so I add a high string like they do at Big City. I prefer a mudslide


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## celticelk (Jan 26, 2012)

Solodini said:


> I think the smaller interval between the B and D would be more useful than G and D. be sure to let us hear how you get on!



On the higher strings, I'd agree, but in the bass it seems like one would be more inclined to play fifths (regular or inverted, depending on tuning) for rhythm. YMMV, of course.


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