| here is my current 6 string tuning listed on the right beside standard ERB 11 string tuning. i have recently bought my first conklin snakeskin and SIT strings, the tone is stunning 8P''. the SIT 135 works very nicely indeed at A0
6 strings in fifths
octave / note / ERB string / fifths tuning
4 D# Eb.....Eb
4 D
4 C# Db
4 C
3 B
3 A# Bb.....Bb
3 A
3 G# Ab..............G# .013 plain steel guitar string d'addario
3 G
3 F# Gb
3 F............F
3 E
3 D# Eb
3 D
3 C# Db..............C# .022 wound conklin snakeskin
3 C............C
2 B
2 A# Bb
2 A
2 G# Ab
2 G............G
2 F# Gb..............F# .035 elites
2 F
2 E
2 D# Eb
2 D............D
2 C# Db
2 C
1 B.....................B .060 elites
1 A# Bb
1 A............A
1 G# Ab
1 G
1 F# Gb
1 F
1 E............E.......E .095 elites
1 D# Eb
1 D
1 C# Db
1 C
0 B............B
0 A# Bb
0 A.....................A .135 taperwound SIT
0 G# Ab
0 G
0 F# Gb.....F#
0 F
0 E
0 D# Eb
0 D
0 C# Db.....C#
this tuning can be extended upwards and downwards to become an 8 string tuning. the top string is then the same pitch as a standard Eb4. the lowest is one semitone above standard C#0. therefore almost covering the range of 11 strings in fourths
8 strings in fifths
octave / note / ERB string / fifths tuning
4 D# Eb.....Eb.....D# .007 plain steel SIT
4 D
4 C# Db
4 C
3 B
3 A# Bb.....Bb
3 A
3 G# Ab..............G# .013 plain steel
3 G
3 F# Gb
3 F............F
3 E
3 D# Eb
3 D
3 C# Db..............C# .022 wound conklin snakeskin
3 C............C
2 B
2 A# Bb
2 A
2 G# Ab
2 G............G
2 F# Gb..............F# .035
2 F
2 E
2 D# Eb
2 D............D
2 C# Db
2 C
1 B.....................B .060
1 A# Bb
1 A............A
1 G# Ab
1 G
1 F# Gb
1 F
1 E............E.......E .095
1 D# Eb
1 D
1 C# Db
1 C
0 B............B
0 A# Bb
0 A.....................A .135 taperwound SIT
0 G# Ab
0 G
0 F# Gb.....F#
0 F
0 E
0 D# Eb
0 D.....................D .195 taperwound SIT
0 C# Db.....C#
the tension of this set is light and even, dropping off necessarily at the top to avoid breaking the thin plain strings, and at the bottom to make such thick strings easier to play
A0 is a very important note for me, being the lowest on a piano. the standard E1 string, perhaps the most familiar bass string, is left unchanged. the pair A0/E1 will be familiar to anyone who has dropped their B string to A0
what is also good is being able to use a wound 22 for the C#3 instead of a thick plain string such as a .020, which i find has a stiff and peculiar tone. in fact the core of the 22 is equal to the plain string above it at .013 inch. the transition in tone and similar flexibility of these two strings works very well |