# Drop C and B on a 7 string



## The McThief (Nov 30, 2010)

So I don't have a 7 string quite yet, but I want to know, when you guys go into drop c or b on a 7, is it better to tune up or down? Tuning down 5 steps to drop b sounds like more of a pain then tuning 1/2 step up to get into drop b, and same for drop c.


----------



## AzzMan (Nov 30, 2010)

You can't reliably tune down that far on a 7 string, you run into tension issues unless you have some absurd extended scale, and most guitars will just fart out bass notes. Why do you really need to go below E, or D? Tuning up a step to B or a step and a half to C is better, and it kind of goes better with the idea of extended range and what it can be used for (EBADGBE, or something absurd like F#C#BEAC#F#).


----------



## Customisbetter (Nov 30, 2010)

The McThief said:


> So I don't have a 7 string quite yet, but I want to know, when you guys go into drop c or b on a 7, is it better to tune up or down? Tuning down 5 steps to drop b sounds like more of a pain then tuning 1/2 step up to get into drop b, and same for drop c.



I personally tune Up to Drop B, Drop C, and Drop C# on my 7. 

I use Daddario 10-52s for the bottom 6 string + a 007 for the high G# and G.

For drop B I use a 11-52 set and a 008.


----------



## The McThief (Nov 30, 2010)

AzzMan said:


> You can't reliably tune down that far on a 7 string, you run into tension issues unless you have some absurd extended scale, and most guitars will just fart out bass notes. Why do you really need to go below E, or D? Tuning up a step to B or a step and a half to C is better, and it kind of goes better with the idea of extended range and what it can be used for (EBADGBE, or something absurd like F#C#BEAC#F#).


Yeah man I was thinking the same, but I still wasn't quite sure. Thanks for the help though, man.


Customisbetter said:


> I personally tune Up to Drop B, Drop C, and Drop C# on my 7.
> 
> I use Daddario 10-52s for the bottom 6 string + a 007 for the high G# and G.
> 
> For drop B I use a 11-52 set and a 008.


ahh sweet thanks for the info


----------



## MikeH (Nov 30, 2010)

ASP tunes to Drop B upwards. The practicality of such a low string, especially on a standard scale, would just be a bit too far for the typical guitar and pickups to handle.


----------



## The McThief (Nov 30, 2010)

Ibz_rg said:


> ASP tunes to Drop B upwards. The practicality of such a low string, especially on a standard scale, would just be a bit too far for the typical guitar and pickups to handle.




If ASP does it, then it's gotta be right! Haha I love that band


----------



## K-Roll (Dec 1, 2010)

i see 99% of the time using a 6 string with standard 25.5 scale tuned down to drop C or B and suddenly you should not tune a 7 string down to such lower tunings cause it will fart? it doesn't make sense
firts of all - if I buy a 7 string i buy it to use it's concept - which means, I buy it cause i need a BEADGBE tuning or anything that will profit from using 7 strings
If i need to use various tunings, i need various guitars, simple 
If I only have a 7 string and need to use a drop C tuning, I'd just go downtune the 6 strings to usual CFCFAD and I'd tune the upper string down to some double dropped..


----------



## Dimensionator (Dec 1, 2010)

I have the same question as the OP, and I think I would tune up a step for drop B/half step up for Drop Bb (so that it becomes B F# B E G# C# F# but drop B is the extent I would go to. for drop C onwards, however, I'd tune the regular six strings down and the low B to an appropiate note. 
Example: BEADGBE becomes GCGCFAD (it actually gets close to Open C)


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (Dec 1, 2010)

It depends on how you want to realize drop B and Drop C on a seven.

Do you want drop B/C like on a six plus an additional lower string or with B/C as the lowest note, plus a higher string?

Drop C on a six is (low-high) CGCFAC, do you want the seven to have GCGCFAC(extra lower string) or CGCFACF(extra higher string). Same with drop B, do you want F#BF#BEG#C(extra lower string)# or BF#BEG#C#F#(extra higher string) ?


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (Dec 1, 2010)

DELETED DOUBLEPOST


----------



## Fionn (Dec 1, 2010)

K-Roll said:


> i see 99% of the time using a 6 string with standard 25.5 scale tuned down to drop C or B and suddenly you should not tune a 7 string down to such lower tunings cause it will fart? it doesn't make sense
> firts of all - if I buy a 7 string i buy it to use it's concept - which means, I buy it cause i need a BEADGBE tuning or anything that will profit from using 7 strings
> If i need to use various tunings, i need various guitars, simple
> If I only have a 7 string and need to use a drop C tuning, I'd just go downtune the 6 strings to usual CFCFAD and I'd tune the upper string down to some double dropped..



You are confused, tuning DOWN to drop b means to the octave below that at which a 7 is tuned to when in standard tuning, an 8 is f# which is above the drop b (down) the OP was asking about. A 6 tuned to drop b is the same as tuning a 7 UP a tone to c and then droping the c to a b, personally I tune to c standard and drop b flat, perfecto!


----------



## The McThief (Dec 2, 2010)

All_¥our_Bass;2234785 said:


> It depends on how you want to realize drop B and Drop C on a seven.
> 
> Do you want drop B/C like on a six plus an additional lower string or with B/C as the lowest note, plus a higher string?
> 
> Drop C on a six is (low-high) CGCFAC, do you want the seven to have GCGCFAC(extra lower string) or CGCFACF(extra higher string). Same with drop B, do you want F#BF#BEG#C(extra lower string)# or BF#BEG#C#F#(extra higher string) ?



I want an extra higher one so I can do the chugga chugga on the 7th string.


----------



## AzzMan (Dec 4, 2010)

The McThief said:


> I want an extra higher one so I can do the chugga chugga on the 7th string.



Try C standard and drop Bb then. That's a really great medium.


----------



## kris_jammage (Dec 4, 2010)

I tune to Drop C with a low G(GCGCFAD) on my 25.5" scale 7 string, i use a 10-52 + .60 set of strings and everything is grand as far as tension and sound goes?


----------



## JonnyDeath (Dec 13, 2010)

Bottom line is the heavy the 7th string is, the lower you can get away with tuning it. 
The fart claim is a bit accurate though, there are keys it is just going to be rattling flabby useless sound.


----------

