tuning a seven string baritone "normal"

[skattabrain]

i just bought a 1077XL, tuned DROP G, I'm think of going to drop A, which essentially makes it a regular 6 string tuning, plus the low A. (although i love the sound)

my question is, is this going to feel weird on a baritone? will it be too tight?

does a baritone need the higher 6 strings to be lower?

[darren wilson]

First of all, i wouldn't really call a 27" scale guitar "baritone"... but that's a whole other argument.

But yes, you can tune the top six strings to normal concert pitch. You might have to lighten your string gauges a bit to get the feel you're used to on a 25.5" scale guitar, but you'll have much better articulation.

[Jim Soloway]

At 27 inches I use 11's plus a .060 tuned to standard pitch plus a low A. Works just fine on my guitars and it worked just fine on my Ibanez 7421XL.

[BlueGrot]

11s on 27" do feel tight though, right?

I had my RG420XL tuned to B with 12-54 but when I sold it, I smacked some 09s on it, tuned it to standard pitch. And the strings felt like 10s, but it played great.

[skattabrain]

i'm going with 10's

thanks guys

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by BlueGrot

11s on 27" do feel tight though, right?

I had my RG420XL tuned to B with 12-54 but when I sold it, I smacked some 09s on it, tuned it to standard pitch. And the strings felt like 10s, but it played great.

It's all relative to what you're used to. When I played guitars with a 25.5" scale I played 12's. I don't do a lot of bending and I'm mostly playing chord melody and I find heavier strings to be much easier to get good intonation when I'm playing awkward chords.

[skattabrain]

on a normal scale tuned normal, i go 9-10

same thing tuned down to C i go 11's

so think 10's will be fine

[Drew]

11's on anything feel tight, IMO. It's a question of whether or not you like that.

on a 27" scale, they will feel tighter than on a 25.5- to put things in perspective, playing a 27" 7-string with 9's compared to my 7620 with 10's, the 27" felt only SLIGHTLY looser than the 10's on my 7620- it's not exactly as big a change as going up one guage, but it's, say 70%.

-D

[skattabrain]

thanks for the insight drew!

[Drache713]

i use 11's tuned to standard pitch on my rg7421xl, and they're tight as hell, but that's the way i like em, it all depends on your tastes.