# G tuning on a 7-string Tuning question



## DeadSuspect (Jun 8, 2009)

Hey guys How's it going?

So I need your help on this one.
So here's the thing:

I have a 7-string Harley Benton (extremely cheap, all that I could afford) and although it was very cheap I kind of love the sound and it's really comfortable (it looks like an RG to be honest) and I have it tuned in:

B E A D G B E

Which is the standard tuning for the 7-string (I guess), so anyways... So since I compose some stuff to help my guitar player (since I'm drummer) I thought that I should try and give it a different tuning approach since my guitar player plays on a 6-string and has it tuned in this dropped approach:

B F B E G C

So I was thinking if I could take this tuning to my guitar but in this way:

G B F B E G C

That way I could compose some stuff this with the 6-string approach on the six strings and tune the 7th string to G. I believe that's how the guys from Reign The Absolute have their guitar tuned on "what makes this flower grow".

And since I'm going to try this tuning on my 7-string I wanted to ask you guys if it is possible to use a bass guitar string to "emulate" the sound of a G string? should I do something else?

So I hope to hear from you guys soon 
Thank you for your patience


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## MTech (Jun 8, 2009)

Well Meshuggah use a bass string for the F so I don't see why not.


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## awesomeaustin (Jun 8, 2009)

Thats a really weird tuning for the 6. its like a mix between drop B and drop B flat. Drop B would be B F# B E G# C#, and drop Bb would be Bb F Bb Eb G C


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## cob (Feb 12, 2010)

yeah that is an awkward tuning, open strings are now creating tritones and there's like... a third then a 4th... I'm not sure what to tell you about that tuning but yea, bass strings can emulate. Why dont you just tell him to tune to b standard like a 7 string without the high e? =D


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## chaosxcomplex (Feb 12, 2010)

cob said:


> yeah that is an awkward tuning, open strings are now creating tritones and there's like... a third then a 4th... I'm not sure what to tell you about that tuning but yea, bass strings can emulate. Why dont you just tell him to tune to b standard like a 7 string without the high e? =D


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## AzzMan (Feb 12, 2010)

Or pull a Chris Storey and go B F# B E A C# F#


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## _-77aurious77-_ (Feb 15, 2010)

Personally, I'd just go out and order a gauge 70 or even 80. You "could" use a bass string, but the bad thing is that bass strings are wound a bit differently. I wanted to do the same thing. I suggest you get a heavy set like 12-60+70 or 80. The tighter tension, the more you'll get out of this tuning.


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 15, 2010)

pretty sure he meant a regular drop B tuning, and just forgot the sharp/flat symbols, guys.

i´m thinking about how the tuning would relate to him though, like if you compose something with it, what does he do with that afterwards? he doesn´t have that string, ya know?


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## hide (Feb 15, 2010)

Tension wise, I tune to drop c + g and with a 70 gauge the seventh string stays relatively tight. Definition isn't great though. Did you consider the user of a higher 7th string?


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## James Blood (Feb 15, 2010)

My sevenstring dropped tuning is (dropped C):
GCGCFAD.
It's quite cool, you get two times an octave in the same fret (1st and 3rd string; 2nd and 4th string). Pretty easy to convert songs to this tuning, coming from a dropped tuning.

In dropped D it would be: ADADGHE


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## chaosxcomplex (Feb 15, 2010)

James Blood said:


> In dropped D it would be: ADADG*B*E



Fixed


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## crossbones (Feb 17, 2010)

Could you not just drop the B to A then transpose everything?


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## Evil7 (Feb 17, 2010)

i know you are tring to keep the "six string standard" approach but.. I just had to say i love G D G C F A D its really heavy... 
I just got a baritone 7 to make this tuning easier to play...
im also starting with .o70 on the low b string... which will be added string tension..


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## Spondus (Feb 17, 2010)

Evil7 said:


> i know you are tring to keep the "six string standard" approach but.. I just had to say i love G D G C F A D its really heavy...
> I just got a baritone 7 to make this tuning easier to play...
> im also starting with .o70 on the low b string... which will be added string tension..



A 70 for B standard on a baritone would be ridiculous, are you sure you don't mean for the low G string?


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## Evil7 (Feb 17, 2010)

Spondus said:


> A 70 for B standard on a baritone would be ridiculous, are you sure you don't mean for the low G string?



the thickest string on a seven is commonly called the low b..... this is what i mean.... .o70 on the thickest string.... Tuned in drop G..... gdgcfad


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## Lord RG7321 (Apr 11, 2010)

Spondus said:


> A 70 for B standard on a baritone would be ridiculous, are you sure you don't mean for the low G string?



Fail.


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## Trez (Sep 14, 2010)

Hi guys!

I'm looking for a strings set to tune my Schecter Damien 7 in Drop G (G-D-G-C-F-A-D).
Do you have some advices to help me?
That will be really nice.

Thanks,
Julien.


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## Winspear (Sep 14, 2010)

Trez said:


> Hi guys!
> 
> I'm looking for a strings set to tune my Schecter Damien 7 in Drop G (G-D-G-C-F-A-D).
> Do you have some advices to help me?
> ...



D'addario 11-49 6 string set and a 70 for the low G


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## Trez (Sep 14, 2010)

Thank You!


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## jerome snail (Sep 14, 2010)

chaosxcomplex said:


> Fixed



Actually in german speaking countries they use H for B and B for B flat


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## Winspear (Sep 14, 2010)

EXL115 and NW070 are the part numbers I suggested. However, you may wish to look on their site and step up the 6 string set one gauge. I'm in drop G# and these strings are great - if you like tighter strings you may want a bit more.


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## Trez (Sep 14, 2010)

I have a last question.
My Schester had a thru-body bridge so is it possible that the 70 string is too fat for the hole?

(sorry for my "random" english)


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## Winspear (Sep 14, 2010)

Nah, those holes are huge. What _is_ a possibility is that it will be too large for the tuning peg. This is a fairly common issue and is easily solved with a needle file, a drill, the likes. If it's only very slightly small - you can even put another string through there (like your current low string) and run it back and forth, filing the hole with the string. I wouldn't worry about it


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## Trez (Sep 14, 2010)

So that's perfect!
Thank You again!


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## chaosxcomplex (Sep 14, 2010)

jerome snail said:


> Actually in german speaking countries they use H for B and B for B flat



Actually, since the time I posted that, I have come to realize that fact. Interesting stuff!!


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## fuzzboy (Sep 14, 2010)

EtherealEntity said:


> Nah, those holes are huge. What _is_ a possibility is that it will be too large for the tuning peg. This is a fairly common issue and is easily solved with a needle file, a drill, the likes. If it's only very slightly small - you can even put another string through there (like your current low string) and run it back and forth, filing the hole with the string. I wouldn't worry about it



I'm not liking this idea too much. What I do is unwind about a half inch of the string and fit that through the peg, that way there's no permanent mods done to your guitar.


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## rippedflesh89 (Sep 14, 2010)

EtherealEntity said:


> Nah, those holes are huge. What _is_ a possibility is that it will be too large for the tuning peg. This is a fairly common issue and is easily solved with a needle file, a drill, the likes. If it's only very slightly small - you can even put another string through there (like your current low string) and run it back and forth, filing the hole with the string. I wouldn't worry about it


 
i use 65 for standard but i actually use to use a 70 when i played in ADGCFAD and yes, you do have to drill the tuning peg hole a little larger as well as file the nut quite a bit so it can fit


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## Winspear (Sep 14, 2010)

fuzzboy said:


> I'm not liking this idea too much. What I do is unwind about a half inch of the string and fit that through the peg, that way there's no permanent mods done to your guitar.



That's fine  I'd just find it a bit much effort to do that each time, when a slight filing will be convinient and totally invisible. 



rippedflesh89 said:


> i use 65 for standard but i actually use to use a 70 when i played in ADGCFAD and yes, you do have to drill the tuning peg hole a little larger as well as file the nut quite a bit so it can fit



I guess it depends on the guitar. Ibanez pegs seem quite a bit larger - I only had to wriggle the string around a bit to fit a 70 in there (68 was fine).


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## All_¥our_Bass (Sep 14, 2010)

_-77aurious77-_ said:


> Personally, I'd just go out and order a gauge 70 or even 80. You "could" use a bass string, but the bad thing is that bass strings are wound a bit differently. I wanted to do the same thing. I suggest you get a heavy set like 12-60+70 or 80. The tighter tension, the more you'll get out of this tuning.


Elixir nanoweb bass strings are made the same way as the nanoweb guitar strings. But you're right that the larger bass strings from most companies don't sound too great on guitar. I found 85 to be perfect for G.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Sep 24, 2010)

Spondus said:


> A 70 for B standard on a baritone would be ridiculous, are you sure you don't mean for the low G string?


He means for the lowest G string.
But Jeff Loomis _*did*_ use an 80 tuned to Bb on a 26.5" scale at one point. He recorded EOR this way.


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## Krankguitarist (Sep 24, 2010)

I tune to GDADGBe on one of my guitars.

I find that a 70 works well enough on a 25.5" scale.


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## labontemarcus (Sep 28, 2010)

Just play in half step down. There's no real need to tune any lower than that on a seven, A sounds like mud to me.


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## Varcolac (Sep 28, 2010)

labontemarcus said:


> Just play in half step down. There's no real need to tune any lower than that on a seven, A sounds like mud *to me.*



It's all subjective. What sounds like mud to you sounds awesome to someone else.


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## TheHalfmen (Sep 30, 2010)

Why dont you tune down a little more and just use a 6 string bass 

... but about the string gauge what should be used ect it comes down to preference (to an extent)


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## 27InchScale (Jun 14, 2017)

Im tuning retarded, what would standard tuning in G on a seven string be?


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## Winspear (Jun 14, 2017)

Geetarguy said:


> Im tuning retarded, what would standard tuning in G on a seven string be?


GCFBbEbGC


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