7 String Tunings

[MuffinPunch]

Now that my seven string projects are more than just a concept, Im starting to think about different tunings. As I stated in my build thread somewhere, Im not a 7 string player (im not really a guitarist at all, well a good one anyway) so these will be my introduction to the "extended range" sector. I suppose Ill need one thats in standard BEADGBE, but I wonder if tuning the other to DGCFADG would yield a good result. Has anyone here had experience with this tuning? I like the idea that its essentially a 6 string D standard with a high G added to the range. Seems like it might be an easier transition from playing detuned sixs fro so long, but would that make transitioning to a standard 7 from a 6 much harder do you think? Its probably something Im going to have to play around with on my own once the guitars are built, but I just wanted to see what you guys had to say.

[Diffidentia]

Hi there,

Judging from my own experience, mainly as a drop tuning fanatic, my preferred 7 string tuning is: AEADGBE

The good thing with this tuning is that you have a standard 6 string tuning for chords etc, as well as the drop-A for your metal/rock type songs.

Other alternatives are: AEADGAE or even AEADEAE (fifths, here we come) that can give you really nice octaves and a folk-ish sound.

[Mors Phagist]

There are a plethra of tunings for 7 strings. You can essentially take any standard tuning and add an extra bass string, or tune the bass 7th string as if it were the 6th, and add an extra treble string. Many variations of Drop tunings and "Open"tunings.

When I get mine completed, Im going to be using ADGCFAD, or D standard with a 7th Bass string.

[MuffinPunch]

Thanks for your replies guys. I guess my question was phrased kind of stupidly though. Obviously any tuning that has any sort of musical logic will yield good results. I guess Im more interested in using the guitar to play songs that are traditionally played in low tuning on a six (think Mastodon), but still have the upper register to get up to that high E and beyond on a standard tuned 6. I suppose I could accomplish the same thing by using standard 7 string tuning, offering more low notes rather than high notes. You can probably tell my knowledge of musical theory is pretty lacking. In all honesty, I probably wont even play these guitars for more than a couple of hours a week, even after they're completely finished. I just don't have the time! Then again, if I spent half as much time playing guitars as I do designing and building them, I might actually know something about music...