Tuned down to G!

Karl Hungus

Yeah, G!

As in GCFBEGC (From low to high), a whole 2 steps lower than 7 String standard.

The story is, I've been giving my K-7 a real nice setup, cleaning the fretboard and everything, and upping the string guage to a set of 11-58s. Now, this beastie is always tuned to ADGCFAD, but I felt it need more tension than the 10's that were on it. So I jammed the 11's on there, but I didn't adjust the trem claw in order it tune up to A yet, so I thought it would be fun to mess about with this rather insanely low tuning.

I find it surpisingly useable. A is pretty much the lowest I tune, so this is a new low for me.

Not too sure how long it's going to stay like this, maybe not even untill the end of the day, but it doesn't really sound too low, and the strings aren't too slack either. It's definetly very usable, and I've been meaning to try out this tuning for quite some time now, but I've never gotten around to it before.

So, back to playing!

feylya

Jesus, a 58 in G? Screw that! Hmm, wonder what frequency that is?

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

Jesus, a 58 in G? Screw that! Hmm, wonder what frequency that is?

Dunno about the frequency, but the 58 in G really isn't too bad. No worse than the 48 in C really.

Doctor J

Sounds like spaghetti to me. I've got a 62 which is ok in B, a tad too loose in A and probably like an elastic band in G.

Karl Hungus

Yeah, but I'm not mad on high tension though, I use a 10-56 set for tuning to B on my RG1527, and it's perfectly good. I think 62 would be just way too tense for me.

Ernie Ball only make 3 sets of strings for 7s though, 9-52 (Now that's elastic on the 10-56 (Nice!) and 11-58. It's a pity there's not a 12-62 or something, because that would be very handy.

Anyway, I doubt this is going to stay in G much longer. The tension is playable, but not ideal.

Karl Hungus

Well, she's back to A again now, and feeling wonderfull. The tension is excellent.

Patricide

Allways wanted to do that sort of thing, hence the dream of owning a stephn carpenter 7 string barritone, tuning down even lower than G, thats my dream.

Doctor J

Why though? You're just playing bass notes then. Play bass

Karl Hungus

Doctor J wrote:

Why though? You're just playing bass notes then. Play bass

So? The low E on a regular tuned 6 string is a bass note. The function of tuning down isn't to play bass on a guitar, it's appyling the same techniques and voice of the guitar in a lower key. So while a G is technically a bass note, playing a guitar tuned to G sounds nothing like a bass, and it's not imitating a bass, so it's pointless to say "Play bass" as bass plays a different role to guitar.

Doctor J

This means wink-wink, nudge-nudge

fish-head

Say no mo-ah!

Karl Hungus

Doctor J wrote:

This means wink-wink, nudge-nudge

Yeah, but my inate tendancy to rant took over there.

Patricide

Doctor J wrote:

Why though? You're just playing bass notes then. Play bass

I do haha

Doctor J

Yes, more than one person didn't get it

Paladin

Or alternatively wrap some tin foil around an elastic band and hook it up instead of your low string and go even lower!
Hell, with a little effort we might even get that string to 0Hz!