E13 8 string tuning: suggestions for the bottom 3 strings

John Wilson · From: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Hello everyone,

I have been playing an 8 string E13 tuning over the past year that is a combo of the Morrel, McAuliffe, Cashdollar and Neer/Ahola tunings

l-h = E,B,E,F#,G#,B,C#,E

The low EBE works fine for power chord stuff, but I've got 3 root notes in this tuning and that seems a bit redundant.
I really like how the top 5 strings work with each other, but I’m looking for suggestions to the bottom 3 strings.
Occasionally, I’ll tune the middle E to D for the 7th, and I like it, but I’m not sure that’s the best place for it. I also see that some of you have a G # down in the lower 3 as well.

Do you have any suggestions for particular note/strings, and if so, what is the benefit of that particular combo? Question

As always, thanks for the tips.

PS. It’s been awhile since I logged in; it’s good to be back.
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Mike Neer · From: NJ

John, tune it like Vance Terry did:

G# B D F# G# B C# E (from low to high)

So many nice chords down there, including a min7 with strings 8, 5 and 3, and a nice min7b5 on strings 8, 7, 6 and 5 (could also call it a min6 with string 7 as the root).

Strings 5, 6 and 7 is a straight minor triad, but slide it up 2 frets and back and you now have a nice 9th chord action.

The D string is essential IMO.
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John Wilson · From: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have re-tuned my guitar as you have suggested and I'm noodling around right now. Let me play with it a bit and report back tomorrow.

Thanks again.

John
_________________
Customer: "Waiter, how do you prepare your chicken?"
Waiter: "We usually tell them they're not going to make it."

Mike Neer · From: NJ

John Wilson · From: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Hello all,

A few months have passed Wink

and I am getting closer to my goal of finding the “right” bottom 3 strings for me.

Mike, I have been noodling with the Vance Terry tuning as suggested, and I have found myself alternating between E and D on the 6th string (about 70/30% of the time). I really see (and hear) the value of both! I guess this is why I see many posts here about people wanting 9 stringers.

I think for my mindset and approach, the E seems to offer more familiar territory with the safety of that middle root. That’s probably the 40+ yrs. of traditional guitar talking. This flies in the face of what type of style I’m hoping to develop; which is more jazzy, melodic, and “different”. I guess I’m a true Gemini, and I’m always confused/torn.
I’m not worried about finding tabs, or instructional material for this tuning; I pick out everything by ear and I’ll know it when I hear it.

I spent the last few days searching the Forum for “Vance Terry” and “E13” as well as looking at quite a few YT videos of same, and I’ve even ordered “Brisbane Bop” from Amazon. I am encouraged by the amount of discussion and ideas available, and I’m going to plow forward in earnest now that I have made a decision on the base tuning.

Perhaps someday soon I’ll even crack out the 10 string BMI and tune it up the same way. I’d start from scratch with the (4x4) pedals and levers, but the first pull I would set up is the E drop to D

Thanks again for the help and encouragement.

John
_________________
Customer: "Waiter, how do you prepare your chicken?"
Waiter: "We usually tell them they're not going to make it."

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