# Playing Meshuggah on a 7 string?



## spawnofthesith (Dec 5, 2010)

Okay, this may be a dumb question, but I want to be well informed before making a jump into an extended range guitar.

I know Meshuggah plays on 8 string guitars, but is there stuff playable on a 7 string if you tune it down? Or do they some creative and different stuff with the tuning a la Tosin Abasi? I mean I know I wouldn't be able do the sort of stuff he does on a 7, but is Meshuggah and other stuff in that vein doable without too much trouble on a lower tuned 7?

Thanks for any input!


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## Xherion (Dec 5, 2010)

Well I think it should be pretty obvious. Anything played on the high E string (which would be Eb for F standard Meshuggah tuning) you wouldn't be able to play without making some adjustments. For the most part though, you should be able to play most of the main Meshuggah riffs on a 7. Keep in mind that most 7s are 25.5 so your intonation is probably going to be off if you tune to F.

For Tosin stuff, you're going to really want a baritone scale to play the low E. I probably wouldn't bother to play AAL songs that are written for an 8 since he makes full use of the 8s range.


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## WhiteWalls (Dec 5, 2010)

Meshuggah used 7 strings on the earlier albums, Nothing is where they started playing 8 strings, so everything before that will be 7 string only (half a step down to A#)

Also, even for solos, you're only losing 5 half steps by tuning a 7 string guitar to F compared to an 8 string guitar, so there's a good chance you'll be able to transpose the solos without losing notes in the process.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Dec 5, 2010)

Also pre-Nothing Meshuggah were all recorded and played on 7s.

EDIT: Damn.  above me...


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## spawnofthesith (Dec 6, 2010)

Oh really? thats good to hear. Chaosphere is my favorite album from them

Looks like a 7 it will be!


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## Skyblue (Dec 6, 2010)

Nothing was recorded with down-tuned seven at the beginning, and only later they released the reissue with 8 strings 
so you could probably play that too


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## jymellis (Dec 6, 2010)

spawnofthesith said:


> Oh really? thats good to hear. Chaosphere is my favorite album from them
> 
> Looks like a 7 it will be!



 that cd is one of the reasons i went to 7s


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## Scar Symmetry (Dec 6, 2010)

The tuning on DEI and Chaosphere is A# Standard I believe (and please by all means - someone correct me if I'm wrong) so you'd only have to downtune a half step


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## Bloody_Inferno (Dec 6, 2010)

^ Yes that is correct.


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