E9 Tuning: Open 9th D vs 7th F#--which would you lose first?

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

I am just throwing this out for food for thought. I read posts where people want to substitute the open 9th string D in the E9 tuning for another E triad tone, but I have yet to see a post where someone suggests substituting the open 7th string F# for an E triad tone. Perhaps it's the placement of the 9th string for strumming that bothers people about the D, but it seems like many people feel they can do without the D enough to get it on a lever for the times that they want it. I see both tones as handy short scale intervals on open strings for the key of E, and for me the b7 tone is more fundamental than the 9th or 2nd tone. Beyond getting a major triad that is easy to strum on the low end of the guitar, do people find the open F# more important than the open D?

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

I'm not suggesting losing any E9 string, but I have one PSG where I have "lost" both 7th and 9th string, and a couple of PSGs I have kept them on.

I do prefer the 10 string "extended E major w/cromatics" where I get the D and F# on pedals/levers when I need them, over the regular E9 tuned ones. So obviously I don't feel that I have lost anything of importance to my style of playing.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

9th
Think about how often you actually PLAY the 7th vs the 9th string in the course of a song, a set, or a gig. Just for fun, look at published tablature -- compare -- you'll see why.
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Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

I don't know anybody who has eliminated the low D to add the next note in the E triad (a low G#). But I (and a bunch of other people) eliminate the low D to add a low E, an octave below the 8th string. It's very powerful for chordal playing and single string to have the root down there. Eliminating the F# string really isn't an option for me, I use it all the time in conjuction with the 8th and 6th strings. The Sacred Steelers typically have unison E notes on the 7th and 8th strings (or the equivalent in their tuning) then raise the upper E to F# and lower the lower E to D. I have a knee lever that lowers my 7th string to E, so it's functionally equivalent.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

There's a few folks around this area that have ditched their 9th string to get a low "E". Personally, I would never consider doing w/o either the "D" or 7th string "F#".

I have a Zum single 12-U 7+6 that I just reconfigured w/ a locking lever that:

- lowers the 4th and 8th string E's to Eb
- lowers the 9th string D to B
- lowers the 10th sting B to G#

That way I get to keep my 9th st D on E9th and the B9th set-up is exactly like my C6th tuning (albeit down 1/2 step).......works great, it's easy to engage/disengage. The two extra strings are a little weird at first.

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