question on guitar tunings

[PAGAN FIRE]

i am thinking of buying a baritone guitar.. i was told that if i do i should tune it to.... B, E, A, D, F#, B.. what is this tuning called???

standard tuning is.... E, A, D, G, B, E...

is drop D tuning... A, D, G, C, F, A, D ???

what other heavy DROP type tunings are there??? is there a book that shows all of this???

[Teletude]

That seems odd.

Generally, a baritone guitar would be tuned down a perfect fifth from a standard guitar. Just like a mandola compared to mandolin or viola compared to violin.

What has been recommended to you is a fourth and I've never seen that before. Was there a reason given for this tuning?

[Ari-M.]

Originally Posted by PAGAN FIRE

i am thinking of buying a baritone guitar.. i was told that if i do i should tune it to.... B, E, A, D, F#, B.. what is this tuning called???

standard tuning is.... E, A, D, G, B, E...

is drop D tuning... A, D, G, C, F, A, D ???

what other heavy DROP type tunings are there??? is there a book that shows all of this???

no no I have a yamaha drop 6 bari. and this is where I tune to....it is exactly 4 steps down....this is why the g becomes f#....do the math.....and let me tell you it sounds wonderful....but good luck finding a guitar amp that can hang with that set-up....I use a set of ernie ball pure nickel 7 string (strings)....I just throw away the high e string (the 0.11)....wonderful sound....the only amp I have used that could properly resolve the low b was a modified jcm 800....it had 6550 tubes in it and a more robust tranny.....it was essentially an ampge SVT with those mods....fender bassman also does it well....i imagine that a SVT classic into a good 1 x 12 (Dr. Z sealed cabby) would be amazing also....haven't tried that yet though....



if you do go with the bari try these string sizes

58
46
36
26
18p
13

[travisbrown]

Most every bari I've ever tried has been tuned to A D G C E A - a fifth lower. I've assumed this is the standard tuning for baris, though occasionally I've seen them a fourth lower. Maybe that's just to keep string tension up.

As for altered tunings, same intervals apply as to a standard guitar. There are lots of websites listing alternate tunings. Just transpose according to how you've tuned the baritone guitar.

I use a lot of altered tunings for acoustic. Some of the drop tunings on baritone get a bit sloppy, so sometimes I modify the tuning and the arrangement to accommodate.

[travisbrown]

Originally Posted by Ari-M.

58
46
36
26
18p
13

That light? Don't you find it them really bendy? I use 14-59 on my regular strat (though tuned to Eb).

The baris I've played (acoustic) are in the 17-68 range.

[Ari-M.]

Originally Posted by travisbrown

That light? Don't you find it them really bendy? I use 14-59 on my regular strat (though tuned to Eb).

The baris I've played (Acoustic) are in the 17-68 range.

no not at all....in fact I find it more controlled....the low b isn't as loud and doesn't overpower....also a lot of amps designed for standard guitar tunings tend to freak out with the larger sets on the bottom....I have had the best luck with this set-up (for B E A D F# B)....also I use my bari (yamaha drop 6 which is just a tad shorter scale than a standard bari.) for D G C F A D.....on my standard E A D G B E strat I use light bottom GHS boomers (nickel wrap) high E is a 13....I like to do a lot of voicing changes within my chords.....hammer on's pull offs and essentially play lead lines within my chords (I have a decent stretch with my pinky)....so I like to have a heavier top set (wrapped "G") with the 18p....it helps my lead/voicing changes cut through the ringing chord....

[Mesa4x12er]

Originally Posted by travisbrown

That light? Don't you find it them really bendy? I use 14-59 on my regular strat (though tuned to Eb).

The baris I've played (acoustic) are in the 17-68 range.

Yeah seriously. Scale length does increase tension a little but not enough for you to be using those. On my 28" scale baritone I run 14-74 tuned down to Ab and it's good. When I bought it it had a 64 on it and was just way too floppy.

[mds]

My experience is opposite...I tend to find Baritones tuned down a 4th...

[Ari-M.]

Originally Posted by Mesa4x12er

Yeah seriously. Scale length does increase tension a little but not enough for you to be using those. On my 28" scale baritone I run 14-74 tuned down to Ab and it's good. When I bought it it had a 64 on it and was just way too floppy.

my bari. is a 26 1/4 scale.....bit short for a bari....but I usually don't go below B....in fact I never go below B.....I mainly use the guitar to get good drop tuned tones on heavy/alt. rock....anything lower than B and I will be fighting too much with the bass guitar....here is a picture of it....it's the black LP style body on the bottom left...really a fantastic guitar....wouldn't trade it for any other bari.

[Dale Turner]

Originally Posted by PAGAN FIRE

what other heavy DROP type tunings are there??? is there a book that shows all of this???

Yeah, I always thought a baritone guitar's tuning was exactly like a regular standard tuned guitar, just all 6 strings down perfect 4th, echoing others already typing here. Same exact pitches if you put a capo across your 7th fret, only sounding an octave lower.

First song I recall hearing that used "standard tuning, down a perfect 4th" was Type-O-Negative's "Christian Woman" in the very early 1990s. I believe this was just a regular slack-tuned guitar, not a a baritone, FWIW.

Other ways to get a low B, for what it's worth:

King's X tuning (on some songs): B-F#-D-G-B-E (strings 5-6, like drop-D, then both down a minor 3rd); top four strings are standard tuning, so soloing is not a crazy.

Slipknot and others use Drop-D (D-A-D-G-B-E), then all six strings down a minor 3rd (a "slack" version of Drop-D tuning): B-F#-B-E-G#-D

Or a standard 7-string, which has a low B (B-E-A-D-G-B-E); Korn tunes all 7 down one whole-step, to get a low A....

Zakk Wylde tunes his bottom string to A (of a 6 string) at times, and keeps everything else the same for solos in BLS...

Anyways, for what it's worth (and since you asked), I wrote a very small tuning book... over 10 years ago... It has some cool stuff in it, with some open, slack, dropped, and altered tunings. It's a real basic book though--more about staying "in tune," tuning on the gig, dealing with floating bridges, a discussion on equal temperament, and other stuff (not specifically about "tunings")

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guita...dp/079359085X/

Dale

[Ari-M.]

Originally Posted by Dale Turner

Yeah, I always thought a baritone guitar's tuning was exactly like a regular standard tuned guitar, just all 6 strings down perfect 4th, echoing others already typing here. Same exact pitches if you put a capo across your 7th fret, only sounding an octave lower.

First song I recall hearing that used "standard tuning, down a perfect 4th" was Type-O-Negative's "Christian Woman" in the very early 1990s. I believe this was just a regular slack-tuned guitar, not a a baritone, FWIW.

Other ways to get a low B, for what it's worth:

King's X tuning (on some songs): B-F#-D-G-B-E (strings 5-6, like drop-D, then both down a minor 3rd); top four strings are standard tuning, so soloing is not a crazy.

Slipknot and others use Drop-D (D-A-D-G-B-E), then all six strings down a minor 3rd (a "slack" version of Drop-D tuning): B-F#-B-E-G#-D

Or a standard 7-string, which has a low B (B-E-A-D-G-B-E); Korn tunes all 7 down one whole-step, to get a low A....

Zakk Wylde tunes his bottom string to A (of a 6 string) at times, and keeps everything else the same for solos in BLS...

Anyways, for what it's worth (and since you asked), I wrote a very small tuning book... over 10 years ago... It has some cool stuff in it, with some open, slack, dropped, and altered tunings. It's a real basic book though--more about staying "in tune," tuning on the gig, dealing with floating bridges, a discussion on equal temperament, and other stuff (not specifically about "tunings")

Amazon.com: Ultimate Guitar Tuning Pack (9780793590858): Dale Turner: Books

Dale

hmmm Dale....tell me more about the book....I am a bit of a freak about intonation and tuning....I spend more time programming sweetened tunings into my peterson than actually playing these days.....let's talk some shop....and you and I both agree on the bari. = B E A D F# B

I have never seen a bari. that was down a fifth.....but the term bari. is pretty wide these days.....I mean I am calling my 26 1/4 inch scale a bari. even when I play it as D G C F A D

[MindRiot]

Some of my favorite drop tunings (low to high)...

Open F#m (B F# C# F# A C#)

Open C#7 (C# G# B C# E# B)

DADGAD down 1/2 step (C# G# C# F# G# C#)

Double-dropped D down 1/2 step (C# G# C# F# A# C#)

I usually keep only one or two guitars in standard tuning...the rest are either alternate tunings or 1/2 step down. Don't neglect the truss rod!

I've played Baritones, but I don't own one yet...thanks for kickstarting my G.A.S.!

[PAGAN FIRE]

Originally Posted by Dale Turner

Yeah, I always thought a baritone guitar's tuning was exactly like a regular standard tuned guitar, just all 6 strings down perfect 4th, echoing others already typing here. Same exact pitches if you put a capo across your 7th fret, only sounding an octave lower.

First song I recall hearing that used "standard tuning, down a perfect 4th" was Type-O-Negative's "Christian Woman" in the very early 1990s. I believe this was just a regular slack-tuned guitar, not a a baritone, FWIW.

Other ways to get a low B, for what it's worth:

King's X tuning (on some songs): B-F#-D-G-B-E (strings 5-6, like drop-D, then both down a minor 3rd); top four strings are standard tuning, so soloing is not a crazy.

Slipknot and others use Drop-D (D-A-D-G-B-E), then all six strings down a minor 3rd (a "slack" version of Drop-D tuning): B-F#-B-E-G#-D

Or a standard 7-string, which has a low B (B-E-A-D-G-B-E); Korn tunes all 7 down one whole-step, to get a low A....

Zakk Wylde tunes his bottom string to A (of a 6 string) at times, and keeps everything else the same for solos in BLS...

Anyways, for what it's worth (and since you asked), I wrote a very small tuning book... over 10 years ago... It has some cool stuff in it, with some open, slack, dropped, and altered tunings. It's a real basic book though--more about staying "in tune," tuning on the gig, dealing with floating bridges, a discussion on equal temperament, and other stuff (not specifically about "tunings")

Amazon.com: Ultimate Guitar Tuning Pack (9780793590858): Dale Turner: Books

Dale

bought your book to see what it is like... sounds interesting ... i guess it will be here on weds of this week.. thanks for link

[Dale Turner]

Originally Posted by PAGAN FIRE

bought your book to see what it is like... sounds interesting ... i guess it will be here on weds of this week.. thanks for link

Wow, man--thanks Pagan Fire!!!!!

I hope you get something interesting out of it. In putting it together (in 1997), I learned a lot about how what was considered "standard" tuning varied by region throughout Europe in the c. 1500s, and stuff like that (Pipe Organs tuned slightly dfferently, in various countries). It also includes all the other things I mentioned, of course.

AND I really hope you saw how SMALL it is, pages wise, on that amazon link.... Otherwise, you might wanna beat me (I get zero royalities on this one, FYI)... It's an eensy 16 pages, but it does have a CD for tuning(s)/pitch reference. Hope you dig it, despite its dinkiness!!!! Lemme know!

Originally Posted by Ari-M.

hmmm Dale....tell me more about the book....I am a bit of a freak about intonation and tuning....I spend more time programming sweetened tunings into my peterson than actually playing these days.....let's talk some shop....

Hi Ari! And NICE axes, up above here!

If you're already programming "cents" offsets into your Peterson, I'm sure you're pretty dialed in--as far as really solving your own personal tuning issues, from axe to axe, and such!!! But I'd love to hear about how you're tweaking things!

Interestingly, I had written a whole thing on Buzz Feiten's tuning system for this book, but they didn't include it. Drag! I think (again, back in the mid 1990s... slapped this together in 1997), some folks didn't think Feiten's system would catch on, or something. I use the Feiten presets in my Peterson tuner (Strobo-Stomp) for my "Feitenized" Tom Anderson Start-style. But I've never dealt with offsetting an axe's intonation--string by string--wit other guitars, other than tweaking them by ear, I guess. What kind if stuff are you sweetening the tuning on?? Any acoustics?? Or all electrics??

Happy weekend!
Dale

[indravayu]

My baritone has the truss rod and bridge set up so that I can tune to either low B, Bb or A (which has the feel of doing drop D on a regular guitar)...these are the most common tunings for bari's, or so I am told.

- Chris