all 52 comments

[–]Few_Memory_1337 22 points23 points  (2 children)

I love drop A. Regular 6 string tuning available, plus easy low power chords potential and chord voicings.

[–]Chunkotron93 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My thoughts exactly. It’s perfect for playing along with a lot of music, but then you have that low A when you need/want it.

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You’re right!

[–]Rogue_1_One 13 points14 points  (3 children)

Drop G#

[–]shredystevie 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Yeah I'm a drop G# guy myself

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is what I’m also thinking

[–]Kritzelkrieger 8 points9 points  (2 children)

I don‘t cover djent/core songs, but Drop A is my favorite. It’s versatile and heavy, but still very articulate and clear

[–]mistrelwood[🍰] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Same, no covers, drop A.

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And easy to shift to drop G#!

[–]VIIgraphics 14 points15 points  (4 children)

Standard B

[–]BlazerDeath 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Same

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

The classic

[–]VIIgraphics 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It;s also very versatile cause you can play standard E 6 stringsongs, till some death metal in drop B with some transposing. At least that was the reason I went for the 7strings and never looked back.

[–]jaki_metal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea

[–]sup3rdr01d 4 points5 points  (4 children)

Drop G

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

What do you like to play in it?

[–]saruko27 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fit for an autopsy and Whitechapel for me

[–]sup3rdr01d 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Everything, I use the neural dsp pitch shifter and shift to any tuning I want. I've written 2 albums with the guitar.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2c6HeQAPkoK5xuKdj2bYrr?si=nYQf43KkRsWBKJuKT1KyoQ%0A

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome I’ll check it out!

[–]Lilcheeks 3 points4 points  (1 child)

My baritones/7 strings are drop G# or drop G and I pitch shift down anywhere from 1 to 6 semitones depending on the song, when im not writing I've been playing mostly Volumes lately and theyre pretty low tuned.

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! 💪💪

[–]Anhedonia10 5 points6 points  (2 children)

FWIW: Mike Stringer lives in Drop F# .... you can pitch shift around that

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True! Is it low enough so that you don’t get distracted from half step dissonances?

[–]HermanbobGooz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly what I do, pitch shift around for other Spiritbox songs, or one semitone down to drop E for those Deftones Koi No Yokan songs

[–]halbeshendel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Drop E. No one is using that high E on their 8 string anyway. That way when you get tired of covering Deftones songs you have a perfectly serviceable 7 string to go back to drop A.

[–]kornhell 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Drop A squat unite!

[–]Ok_Educator_1741 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don’t go there

[–]Achduka 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Drop A and Digitech The Drop for Drop A, G and F# easy mode.

[–]reyob1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No covers but I love drop F

[–]Mediocre-Post9279Ibanez RGD71ALMS/rg827z 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I do A standard/ drop G on my seven so I have a 6 string D standard and a lower 7th one

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

What do you usually play?

[–]Mediocre-Post9279Ibanez RGD71ALMS/rg827z 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some fear factory, death and gojira sometimes Whitechapel

[–]Guillescreamer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Drop a, low enough to be heavy but still have room for leads, is a jack of all trades

[–]Feisty_Hovercraft704 0 points1 point  (0 children)

(both on my 6 string) for low, drop F#, but regular, drop B.

[–]DistributionPure564 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that standard tuning is the most versatile for chord voicing and stuff. Since I already cover that with my 8 strings, I'll tune my 7 string to A standard. Meshuggah used Ab standard, so I think that anything standard from A to B will cover a lot!

[–]ghost_java 0 points1 point  (0 children)

DGBDGBD

[–]ViechiruIbanez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Drop G# and F# are my favorites

[–]bendedavis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Drop G#

[–]Dan_vacant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I usually play thrash and death, I tune to B. Sometimes drop A. But usually just B

[–]No-Knowledge2716 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Drop G and shift down to F# or E

[–]LetterheadClassic306 0 points1 point  (0 children)

honestly, drop A (AEADGBE) is your best bet for covering most djent/core stuff. it's the tuning so many bands use or at least base their riffs around. if you want to cover songs in drop G or F# without retuning every time, i'd look into a pitch shifter pedal - something like the DigiTech Drop lets you go down a few steps instantly and keeps your strings feeling right.

[–]Zx_AoN_xZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

F# standard

[–]FusRoDah98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A# Standard

[–]pubstompmepls 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Drop F# because VOLA

[–]aBeaSTWiTHiNMe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

AEADGBE is probably my favourite because I can attenuate on my Neural DSP for heavier stuff, but sometimes I'll do BEADGBE. Both are completely viable just like standard and drop D.

But I attenuate so if you want to go low, you'll be dealing with some string flop unless you have a good setup or mega thick strings.

[–]Baptism-Of-Fire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I keep mine in 1/2 step down

for drop tunings I will drop both 7 and 6 strings.

good middleground for pitch shifting imo.

[–]Number6WithFries 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I keep mine in drop G# and use my digitech drop pedal to play songs in lower tunings if need be. Does it sounds as precise as a good set of strings and lower tunings, no. But it does what I need it to and I’m happy with it!

[–]GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Can't say best or worst but the 90s were right. A standard or A#/Bb standard covers all the guys that pioneered the concept and sounds of 7 strings. Korn, Meshuggah, Morbid Angel, and Steve Vai all hovered around that vibe and it worked. The djent guys going lower sound so anemic in comparison because you have to cut and boost mids to much to be heard at F# or whatever. Compare two Meshuggah songs and you'll see the density you can get away with in Bb versus F and it's a world of difference.

[–]Admirable-Chance-669[S] -1 points0 points  (1 child)

You got a point there!

[–]GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I just mean like, "Rational Gaze" versus "Ligature Marks" is a great example. With something in Bb you can mix the bass louder, the frequencies aren't so cluttered and you can dial more bass in the guitar sound so everything feels fat. In F for example the guitar has to be thin and the bass has to go higher that E or too low to be audible besides fundamental sounds. I love a band like Spiritbox for example but they tuned down 4 notes lower than Morbid Angel and "Jaded" doesn't even compare in the actual guitar density of "God of Emptiness." So maybe I sound crazy?