# 7 String Tuning question



## 7seven7 (Oct 10, 2005)

Hello' everyone - I am new to 7 string playing. I've played metal  on a six string since the late 80's - I've just purchased a nice Schecter Blackjack 7  and I was wondering about tuning.

Is it acceptable to tune the top string such as you would if tuning a 6 string in drop D? 

Or do I tune it to B?

What about tuning stability problems? I want something that'll stay in tune fairly well - I'm using 56 - 10 strings, should string guages be a concern?  

email me at: [email protected] -or- just reply to this post. 

You're help is very appreciated.


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## Chris (Oct 10, 2005)

Hey there, welcome. 

Standard seven tuning is BEADGBE. 10-56 shouldn't be a problem at all.


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## 7seven7 (Oct 10, 2005)

*Thanks Chris - your expertise is greatly appreciated*


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## Dylan7620 (Oct 10, 2005)

B works great. and if you drop it down to A it work great as well.


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## NewArmyGuitar (Oct 10, 2005)

I play in drop A with Ernie Ball 10-56 with no problems.


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## 7seven7 (Oct 10, 2005)

I've only been joined to this forum for less than 24 hours and everyone has been great. Thanks for all of the help - I'll try both B and drop A tunings and let everyone know how it is going.


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## Regor (Oct 10, 2005)

7seven7 said:


> Is it acceptable to tune the top string such as you would if tuning a 6 string in drop D?




Acceptable? Shit dude, it's your guitar. Tune it however the hell you want. Look at Mike Mushok from Staind. He's got the most F'd-up tuning I've ever heard of, and he's in a hugely successful band. Do what you want is what I say.

Speaking of which, I wonder how tuning ADADGBE would work.


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## Roland777 (Oct 10, 2005)

What exactly does Mushok tune to...?

And welcome.


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## Metal Ken (Oct 10, 2005)

ADADGB
(AKA The "All my lessons from Tony MacAlpine were lost in the sands of time" tuning ;p )


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## D-EJ915 (Oct 10, 2005)

I love "drop-a" because it's the ultimate lazy-man setup, you can play dropped and standard songs on the same guitar! haha...


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## The Dark Wolf (Oct 11, 2005)

HateBreeder said:


> ADADGB
> (AKA The "All my lessons from Tony MacAlpine were lost in the sands of time" tuning ;p )


 No doubt.

But! The tuning thing... well, the MM sig Ibby comes with THIS little tuning...

*A#-F-C#-G#-D#-A#*

And Mike says in an interview he generally uses the same thing you posted, HB, but down a half-step (so all flatted).


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## Metal Ken (Oct 11, 2005)

The Dark Wolf said:


> No doubt.
> 
> But! The tuning thing... well, the MM sig Ibby comes with THIS little tuning...
> 
> ...


i coulda swore they came ADADGB tuning? Thats what the catalog said, i think... i'll check tomorrow.


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## The Dark Wolf (Oct 11, 2005)

HateBreeder said:


> i coulda swore they came ADADGB tuning? Thats what the catalog said, i think... i'll check tomorrow.


You can check if you like, but here's this handy little ditty...
Mike Mushok Signature Model Ibanez


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## tonewhore (Oct 11, 2005)

Regor said:


> Acceptable? Shit dude, it's your guitar. Tune it however the hell you want. Look at Mike Mushok from Staind. He's got the most F'd-up tuning I've ever heard of, and he's in a hugely successful band. Do what you want is what I say.
> 
> Speaking of which, I wonder how tuning ADADGBE would work.


Works fine. Sound damn good actually.


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## metalfiend666 (Oct 11, 2005)

Regor said:


> Acceptable? Shit dude, it's your guitar. Tune it however the hell you want.


As Regor said, tuning as down to personal taste. Try all the "traditional" tunings, but try adding extra strings lower OR higher. Try whatever you want. George Lynch tuned EADBGEA on his 7's.

As for strings, I use standard BEADGBE tuning with Ernie Ball 9-42's or 10-46's, but I always use a 56 for the low B. It just has a bit more tension than a 52 or 54 and helps with note clarity. Ernie Ball sell various gauge 7 string sets, and I think D'Addario do as well.

Oh, welcome aboard btw!


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## Naren (Oct 11, 2005)

I play BEADGBE because standard = the best.

Sometimes I play in drop A - AEADGBE.


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## Drew (Oct 11, 2005)

HateBreeder said:


> ADADGB
> (AKA The "All my lessons from Tony MacAlpine were lost in the sands of time" tuning ;p )



Lost in the tears of the sahara, you mean.  

Apparentl the guy can still play like a fuckin' machine, but just doesn't. I don't know if that's better or worse than not being able to play in the first place, lol.


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## Roland777 (Oct 11, 2005)

Drew said:


> Apparentl the guy can still play like a fuckin' machine, but just doesn't. I don't know if that's better or worse than not being able to play in the first place, lol.



There is one greater waste of talent - Tom Morello. Say what you want about him in general, the RATM-solo in "Take the power back" is fuckin' badass beyond recognition.


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## Naren (Oct 11, 2005)

Roland777 said:


> There is one greater waste of talent - Tom Morello. Say what you want about him in general, the RATM-solo in "Take the power back" is fuckin' badass beyond recognition.



I happen to really like Rage Against The Machine very much.


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## Roland777 (Oct 11, 2005)

I'm just saying, instead of him making his (lately very) annoying effect solos, he would be better off writing traditional solos, since he's shown that he has talent.


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## Drew (Oct 11, 2005)

Roland777 said:


> I'm just saying, instead of him making his (lately very) annoying effect solos, he would be better off writing traditional solos, since he's shown that he has talent.



You know, the man can rip... but his "found object" approach to soloing has had just as large an influence on me as his "traditional" one, if not more so. I think both sides of his work are brilliant.


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## 7 Dying Trees (Oct 13, 2005)

I play ADGCFAD with 10-52+70

In all honesty I've also found that for B a 60 helps a lot while for A a minimum of .65 (just to keep that string from going floppy on 25.5" scales)


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## The Dark Wolf (Oct 13, 2005)

Naren said:


> I play BEADGBE because standard = the best.


That's a rather bold statement, to be disclaimed so unequivocally.

I dispute this strenuously. I do not think standard = the best. I think standard = no better, no worse than any other tuning, as tunings are just tools to making music.

(In fact, a drawback of standard tuning is so many songs in the same keys... E and A.)


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## Naren (Oct 14, 2005)

The Dark Wolf said:


> That's a rather bold statement, to be disclaimed so unequivocally.
> 
> I dispute this strenuously. I do not think standard = the best. I think standard = no better, no worse than any other tuning, as tunings are just tools to making music.
> 
> (In fact, a drawback of standard tuning is so many songs in the same keys... E and A.)



Well, aren't all your songs in C? Oooooooooooo. Burned you!

(Just kidding, Bob!  )


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## Regor (Oct 14, 2005)

7 Dying Trees said:


> I play ADGCFAD with 10-52+70
> 
> In all honesty I've also found that for B a 60 helps a lot while for A a minimum of .65 (just to keep that string from going floppy on 25.5" scales)



God, all you people are fucking crazy with your thick ass strings. Why not just play a 7-string Conklin BASS? I see why all of you get boners over baritone guitars.

I've got an RG7621 in ADGCFAD with 10-48+58 and it works just fine.


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## The Dark Wolf (Oct 14, 2005)

Naren said:


> Well, aren't all your songs in C? Oooooooooooo. Burned you!
> 
> (Just kidding, Bob!  )


 I take no offense, E.

But, actually, most aren't in C (any more). A few of the older songs from drop D six-string days are (Prodigal, Rage On A Tattered Leash, Corporate America... that's it). Those were in drop D, then we went to Db, then we went to drop C (by then, I was playing a 7). So, they stayed in C. We did a few of those numbers with you, but it was really neat playing your stuff in E, G, or A, because it made me think. I was on that road already, but that sped up the process. (E for me is 4th fret on my 6th string, a reference for the rest of you.)

Nowadays, I write stuff in all kinds of keys... we have a song called 'Still Life of Humanity' in C#, 'Burn', which is in Ab, 'Tears On A Flower', which is F#, 'Banned From Heaven', which is in G, 'Misery Loves Company', in Eb, a song tentatively titled 'Leave Them Dead' that's in A... you get the idea. LOTS of keys. It's the neat thing about my tuning. It's very accomodating for other keys. About the last thing I do anymore is pound open strings DUHN DUHN DUHN!


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## Durero (Dec 18, 2005)

Another tuning possibility: all 4ths - BEADGCF in standard range (top two strings up 1/2 step). Like a 7-string bass. Great for scales and chords - all movable shapes are the same on any group of strings. Not so good for covers though - hardly anyone uses it. (I've heard that Stanley Jordan uses a similar tuning on his 6-strings.)
Personally I tune: G#C#F#BEAD.


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## Naren (Dec 18, 2005)

The Dark Wolf said:


> We did a few of those numbers with you, but it was really neat playing your stuff in E, G, or A, because it made me think. I was on that road already, but that sped up the process. (E for me is 4th fret on my 6th string, a reference for the rest of you.)



My stuff in E, G, A, and D. Don't forget that I tuned down to drop-D for a few songs. Also don't forget that song that was in B (6-string standard B, of course) that we started to work on right before the Rick-Bob fiasco (  ). Yeah, I'm glad to hear that you play in so many keys now. It's cool. I thought it was cool how that when I joined the band, we had your songs in C, F, and Eb and my songs in E, A, D, G, and B. It made a wide range of stuff.

I used to tune my guitar to lots of different tunings until I got my seven with its tremolo which is angrily preventing me from retuning my guitar every day.


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## distressed_romeo (Dec 18, 2005)

I'm experimenting with the fourths idea on my baritone guitar at the mo', mainly due to having just watched Stanley Jordan's DVD. I don't know if it's better than standard, but it certainly makes you think differently.
Has anyone experimented with fifths-based tunings? I really like CGDGBE and CGDGAD on my six string guitars...


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## kozyyik (Jan 12, 2006)

I play regular 7 BEADGBE, than I made my 27in 7 one to AEADGBE (drop tuning, with 64 on the low A) than I thought may be I could do baritone drop A so I did AEADF#BE (drop A of the baritone, BEADF#B plus the high E) than I made another one GDGCFAD, 
Than for my little duo gigs since it's only 2 of us I thought be cool to add bit of a bass so I did AE(octave low) ADGBE, for that octave low E I put 74 for low A it's 64 on it of course I'm playing clean for this no dist or overdrive, kinda interesting things I could do with that I thought. so now I'm thinking may be I can go high instead of low have anyone try that? like EADGBEA(high A) you guys think that's possible without that high breaking? guess it has to be like 08 on the high.


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## skyclad (Mar 30, 2006)

Hi there, guys.

I'm Russian. So it seems that nobody knows here about Russian classical guitar school (contrary to Spanish guitar). 

Basicly there are 2 types of classical guitar - spanish 6 string and Russian 7 string. Russian 7 string guitar was invented in the beginning of 19th century in Russia, by Chezh (now- Chezh Republic in europe) immigrant named Sikhra. He was talented harp and violin musician, and he wasn't satisfied with standard tuning of Spanish guitar. So he added one additional string, and created new instrument Russian 7 string guitar. In fact, he adopted harp tuning for guitar. So for around 200 years from now on, standard Russian tuning is D-G-B-D-G-B-D (from 7th string to the 1st one). This is so-called big guitar.

I've got quarter acoustic, made in 1940 (with deck of one quarter of normal size). It has higher tuning, that "big guitar" - G-C-E-G-C-E-G.

There is also third size - one third of big one, with F-A#-D-F-A#-D-F

So, I found reprint of 19th century guitar school of Andrey Sikhra in Moscow couple of years ago. this school has more than 1000 chords in it. And mainly intended for the right hand. There is also another school - by Visotsky, published in the middle of 19th century in St. Petersburg - former Russian capitol. Visotsky made his school mainly for the left hand - arpeggios, etc (vs fundamental Sikhra chord school).


I've got Washburn WG587-V in addition to 1940 quarter size 7 string acoustic guitar. And definetely I quit playing 6-string Spanish guitar (remember, I'm talking about Spanish 6-string vs Russian 7-string). So I tune my Washburn exactly like 200 years ago - D-G-B-D-G-B-D


Cheers.


p.s. I'm just crying, when somebody (nowadays) declaring, that he "invented" 7-string guitar... Schecter - inventor of 7-string. Oops...


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## skyclad (Mar 31, 2006)

Three more alternative tuning for Russian 7 string guitar - (strings from 1st to 5th is the same, than in standard russian tuning) - from 7th to the 1st

E-A-B-D-G-B-D

E-G-B-D-G-B-D

C-G-B-D-G-B-D


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## EverDream (Mar 31, 2006)

Well speaking of interesting tunings I have quite the unusual tuning on my 6 string right now from Low to High... F1-C2-F2-G#3-C4-F4, gauges on it are 70-52-36-13-10-7, what happened was I was originally trying for high A tuning I started out with gauges 36-26-19w-13-10-7 which I was gonna try to tune up higher to ADGBEA but the .007 gauge broke before I even got to G, so.. (I had a spare .007) I put on another .007 and this time I just tuned it up to F tuning FA#D#G#CF, since G was the breaking point for the .007 string, I didn't want it to be too close to that, so therefore I didn't try F#, I wanted to be able to do at least half step bends on it too, so I stayed with F... I played it for a while, and eventually some strings broke, first the 26 gauge broke, so I bumped the 36 over to where the 26 was before and added a 52 to the low string and did some interested tunings around the B to C#ish area, then when the 19 gauge broke I bumped both the 36 and 52 over 1 string and added a low 70 (all these ones I'm adding are used old strings I saved just for a time like this)... I just wanted to mess around with weird tunings in the meantime until I buy some new strings for it. The strings on it not only are a brand I'm going to never buy again (GHS... because I didn't like their tone even when they were brand new), (and I'm referring to the 52 and the 70 gauge)... but they are old so it's like double crap tone, lol. However the 4 first strings are D'Addario and they still sound really good actually, even in their oldness, as a matter of fact the 3 plain strings still sound awesome for lead tone, (how do those D'Addario guys do it? lol). So therefore the leads are nice but the rhythm is crap, so I really need to get new strings for this, but yeah since we're talking about tunings I thought I'd share the interesting tuning with you, it's like an F Minor with a range of 5 octaves on the F note (and 4 on the rest) lol. Anyone have a weirder tuning than that? lol. Hmmm I wonder how this tuning would sound on a 7 string...

low to high: A1-D#2-A2-D#3-F#3-C4-D#4

 Muahahahahhahhhhhhaahahhhhhhhaahhhhhh!!!!!!


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## skyclad (Mar 31, 2006)

I'm talking not about variations of standard Spanish tunings, I'm talking about completely different from guitar instrument. Guitar with standard russian tuning is more like harp, than guitar itself. D-G-B-D-G-B-D. D on 1st string, 4th string and 7th string is octave strings. So does the G's and B's. Strings from 2nd to 4th has the same tuning as traditional (for you) Spanish tuning. like on standard 6-string guitar.

p.s. I know, what I/m talking about. Russian 7-string guitar is electric harp, there is no doubt.


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## zimbloth (Mar 31, 2006)

By the way, you're all wrong about Mike Mushok 

He tunes Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb. That low string is definitely an Ab. It's possible sometimes he tunes the Bb tuning as well, but every song I ever heard from them it was in that kind of tuning. I'm not a fan, but I did dig a few of their riffs back in the day.

EDIT: Nevermind I think someone eluded to this already, oops


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## skyclad (Mar 31, 2006)

forgot to say - Sikhra invented 7-string guitar (first half of 19th century), because he wasn't satisfied with arpeggios on Spanish guitar. So I can say one thing - since russian 7-string was invented for arpeggios (electric harp shaped like guitar )) , it is exellent to play arpeggios on the above mentioned russian standard 7-string tuning...


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## eaeolian (Mar 31, 2006)

I've always been interested in Russian 7 string guitar - from what little I've read, it seems to be totally different in concept form the normal Spanish school. Your post would seem to confirm that. Interesting. Thanks for the info!


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## skyclad (Mar 31, 2006)

TOTALLY different guitar. That's why I'm talking about completely different instrument, close to harp. Hard to swithch brains after 6-string spanish guitar, I've done it/ Takes 2 years appr. Broaden musical experience dramatically.

Dobro has same tuning for 6-string, exept by 7th -D. That can be interesting info too.

Difference is - Russian guitar school for 7-string is 200 years old, and this school is huge & fundamental.


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## Tombinator (Apr 1, 2006)

I play: AEADGBE, which is also known as the jazz tuning.

All this Russian 7 string guitar talk by skclad is a nice history lesson indeed!


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## skyclad (Apr 1, 2006)

History again - Sikhra (in St.Petesburg) was teacher for another great 7-string guitar player of 19 th century - Visotsky (Moscow). At that time Visotsky was extremely popular. Fernando Sor (classical guitar composer and player) has russian wife, ballet dancer in Bolshoy Theater, and lived in Moscow for several years. Sor was very impresseed by Visotsky playing on 7-string. I've got also reprint of 19th century Visotsky guitar school of 7-string guitar. While Sikra school has more than 1000 chords and mailny intended for the right hand (fingerstyle, etc), Visotsky based his school on the left hand development. arpeggios, legato nores, etc. I've got some of Visotsky variation andthemes of some russian folk songs. I can't even imagine, that someone in 19th century can do something like this. Sor - is just a kid, comparing to Visotsky.

p.s. History is good, but I'm playing in D-G-B-D-G-B-D tuning, and that is definetly not a history...


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## that guy (Apr 2, 2006)

hey skyclad ,what octaves are the russian tunings in?


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## skyclad (Apr 2, 2006)

I've got 24 frets on my Washburn WG-587V, so I've got 4 full octaves on it. Note a single note more. Just 4 octaves. From lower D to D. 

Casual 6-string guitar have the same range - 4 octaves (for 24 fret guitar) I guess. Main issue here - NOT a range, BUT tuning. Spanish guitar have minor key E (AmI right?) tuning on open strings, while Russian 7-string have G- major key tuning for open strings. After all, D-G-B-D-G-B-D tuning for russian 7-string was invented specially for arpeggios, since it have adopted for 7-string guitar harp tuning. Arpeggios means "like harp", by the way. So it is just perfect for arpeggios,and it is very different from 6-string spanish guitar instrument. 200 years old, though. With DIFFERENT chords. I have school with more than 1000 chords for russian 7-string. More than enough for me.


But if you need wider (than Spanish guitar) range, it is different. You may use 3 different guitars - bariton 7-string-one (for example), very-low tuned, standard 6- string guitar + 5 or 6-string bass guitar. All these instrumens in band will cover very wide musical range.


p.s. Or you can use alternative tunings for Russian 7-string guitar. It still would be G-major key tuned instrument, BUT with wider range. You can tune CG (7th & 6Th strings), or EA, or EG.


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## skyclad (Apr 21, 2006)

d that page in www - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_guitar

Can be interesting info about Russian 7-string guitar + Brasilian 7-string plus...


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## skyclad (Jun 1, 2006)

Found some interesting info about 7-string. First school for 7-string guitar published in St.-Petersburg, Russia in 1798. December, 15 to be precise. This school belongs to Ignatz Geld (1766, Chezh Republic - 1816, Russia). It seems impossible to find some published schools for 7-string guitar, published before year 1798. 

So I can say that 7-string guitar birthsday - 12.15.1798. Anyway, 7-string guitar appeared during the second half of XVIII century.


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## skyclad (Jun 16, 2006)

Foud another tuning for 7-string. While standard russian tuning - D-G-B-D-G-B-D is major keytuning on open strings (and it has 7 open strings creating a chord, while spanish 6-string guitar has only 4 open strings creating a chord),the other tuning is quite rare and it is minor key- D-G-C-D-G-A#-D, thought it is just a variation of standard Russian 7-string tuning.


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## Korbain (Jun 16, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> By the way, you're all wrong about Mike Mushok
> 
> He tunes Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb. That low string is definitely an Ab. It's possible sometimes he tunes the Bb tuning as well, but every song I ever heard from them it was in that kind of tuning. I'm not a fan, but I did dig a few of their riffs back in the day.
> 
> EDIT: Nevermind I think someone eluded to this already, oops



mike used Bb tuning in the tormented album and most of dysfunction, except for a song called! A flat lol. It was break the cycle that was all A flat though. Mushok is a kick ass guitarist, his riffs are sexual!


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## DDDorian (Jun 16, 2006)

I remember seeing one of Mushok's Guitar World columns where he mentioned some song being in Ab Eb Bb Db Gb Bb, from memory the others included drop-B, drop-Bb, drop A/D down half a step, and in the songs written by singery-AIC-wannabe-type-guy being in drop-D, Eb and DADGAD.

Personally, I stick to standard tuning or occasionally a step down. For some reason I can quite easily negotiate drop-D and the like on a six-string but give me a seven-string in drop-A and I'm useless, go figure.


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## zimbloth (Jun 16, 2006)

I think Aaron Lewis and Mike Mushok are talented. I think Aaron has a good voice and Mike is a good player. I just find 95% of their songs pretty ho-hum. They do have some catchy ones now and then, I just think that band as a whole, is a lot of wasted potential.


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## Release (Jun 20, 2006)

anyone tried gdgcfaa?


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## JPMDan (Jun 20, 2006)

Regor said:


> Acceptable? Shit dude, it's your guitar. Tune it however the hell you want. Look at Mike Mushok from Staind. He's got the most F'd-up tuning I've ever heard of, and he's in a hugely successful band. Do what you want is what I say.
> 
> Speaking of which, I wonder how tuning ADADGBE would work.



I use that tuning and Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb both tunings are fun in my opinion it's just Drop D then with the Low A its just power chords or whatever you want to do with the low A.


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## Chill 02 (Jun 22, 2006)

Regor said:


> Speaking of which, I wonder how tuning ADADGBE would work.



I use that tuning every now and then and it's quite handy. Hell, I've also used CCGCFAD and G#C#G#C#F#A#D#.


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## bostjan (Jun 22, 2006)

CCGCFAD?


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## danx (Sep 23, 2006)

i like standard tuning 1 step down.
Don't really use drop tuning anymore, as i find i have to jump about quite abit when playing single note heavy stuff, and alot of the chords i like are hard to reach.


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