Anyone Tune a 7-String As a 6?

[TSJMajesty]

I may have a new favorite song off of Dream Theater's Parasomnia, Dead Asleep. The riffs are so heavy! I LIKE IT!

It's too low to use the Virtual Capo in the Fractal on a std-tuned, 6-string guitar, but since I just bought a 7, I thought I'd mess around with it.

The song's in Drop Bb, so first I just dropped the low B one full step, thinking I'd then use the VC to tune up a half step, but that low string wasn't tight enough. So I tuned the whole guitar up a half-step, making it C std, then dropped the low B to Bb.

The problem is the song is played on a 6-string, so I also had to tune the 3rd string down a half-step. So now, the way I'm thinking of it is, I have a 6-string tuned to Drop Bb, but with an extra string on top. For now I tuned that string a 4th higher than the 2nd string.

Anyone else ever do this sort of tuning (not necessarily a drop Bb) using a 7? You could leave it in B std, but lower the 3rd string, so that strings 2-7 are the same as a 6-string in B std.

Whether I stay with this for any amount of time remains to be seen, but for now it allows me to play Dead Asleep without having to restring one of my other guitars for C std. Which I'm still considering doing.

 

[woody]

It could be fun to put a 6 string set on it and double the low string.
That could get some cool droning.
Could get plain awful just as well...

 

[metropolis_4]

Sounds like you need a baritone, not a 7 string?

 

[DrewJD82]

I did back in high school before I got a 7, we were doing some Korn and Fear Factory covers in A standard so I tuned by Strat ADGCFA and skipped the high D. I wish I could find the DVD of our band practice back in the day so I could display how fucking terrible that sounded due to not using thicker strings/single coils/teenager.

I’d consider dropping one of your 6’s down to C or D standard, you’ve got a 7-string now and another 6-string, that’s technically 2 guitars in standard tuning, might as well drop one down and then you’re only doing half/whole step changes with the VC.

 

[la szum]

Time for another guitar. You know I am right.

I have done the C Standard and D Standard thing, and have used a Baritone in B Standard a lot.

My guess is it is a Baritone in B Standard and then down an half a step.

I love having most of my guitars in different tunings. With modern music being all over the
place like it is, you kind of need to. It also leads to instant gratification and less frustration
when playing along with material, or learning songs in less than traditional guitar tunings.

 

[la szum]

I hope that tuning issue didn't keep you awake too long. 3:32 AM???

 

[Mikael Dez]

I may have a new favorite song off of Dream Theater's Parasomnia, Dead Asleep. The riffs are so heavy! I LIKE IT!

It's too low to use the Virtual Capo in the Fractal on a std-tuned, 6-string guitar, but since I just bought a 7, I thought I'd mess around with it.

The song's in Drop Bb, so first I just dropped the low B one full step, thinking I'd then use the VC to tune up a step, but that low string wasn't tight enough. So I tuned the whole guitar up a half-step, making it C std, then dropped the low B to Bb.

The problem is the song is played on a 6-string, so I also had to tune the 3rd string down a half-step. So now, the way I'm thinking of it is, I have a 6-string tuned to Drop Bb, but with an extra string on top. For now I tuned that string a 4th higher then the 2nd string.

Anyone else ever do this sort of tuning (not necessarily a drop Bb) using a 7? You could leave it in B std, but lower the 3rd string, so that strings 2-7 are the same as a 6-string in B std.

Whether I stay with this for any amount of time remains to be seen, but for now it allows me to play Dead Asleep without having to restring one of my other guitars for C std. Which I'm still considering doing.

I’ve tuned my 7 in C standard before, I love it.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I think it's time for a Dream Theater intervention

 

[JiveTurkey]

Time for another guitar. You know I am right.

This is the best most forum-est post ever He bought a new guitar 2 days ago or whatever and we're here pushing for a newer-new guitar

 

[JiveTurkey]

I still don't understand what the thread title means, exactly. Or what tuning the DT song is actually in. Or why the OP isn't just tuning one of his guitars like that.

I actually read the OP in my nightly "let's be old af and hit the bathroom for the 17th time because you drank a glass of tea after 5:30PM" and I was struggling with sleep brain to understand the math

 

[la szum]

This is the best most forum-est post ever He bought a new guitar 2 days ago or whatever and we're here pushing for a newer-new guitar

 

[JiveTurkey]

 

[mbenigni]

I actually read the OP in my nightly "let's be old af and hit the bathroom for the 17th time because you drank a glass of tea after 5:30PM" and I was struggling with sleep brain to understand the math

I'd already deleted that post a) to be nice, and b) because it looks like he already has a "solution".

Broad daylight here and I still don't get it. Not sure what "as a 6" means, not sure what he means by "3rd string" in this context (though I assume the M3 vs. 4th is the concern), etc. It's all too much - and I use so many different tunings, I have to resort to a Variax to avoid bankruptcy.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I'd already deleted that post a) to be nice, and b) because it looks like he already has a "solution".

Broad daylight here and I still don't get it. Not sure what "as a 6" means, not sure what he means by 3rd string in this context (though I assume the M3 vs. 4th is the concern), etc. It's all too much - and I use so many different tunings, I have to resort to a Variax to avoid bankruptcy.

It's a little more understandable in the daylight?

6 string, tuned to drop Bb. So 6 string C standard; tuned to it's drop D (drop Bb) equivalent. I think the extra string on a 7 string is what's throwing a wrench in the works.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I think it's time for a Dream Theater intervention

Somebody had to say it!!!

 

[Dave Lewis]

I was born in the same hospital as Mick & Keith .
It’s been 5 or 12 strings for me ever since Except on Saturday

 

[metropolis_4]

If only there was a guitar designed for those tunings without that pesky extra string

 

[JiveTurkey]

Somebody had to say it!!!

TSJ knows we love him

 

[JiveTurkey]

If only there was a guitar designed for those tunings without that pesky extra string

 

[la szum]

Somebody had to say it!!!