Dave's guitar tuning

[slogan#40]

B E A D F# B is a very weird tuning. how do you tune the guitar to that, wont you constantly break strings on the guitar? is there an easier way?

[PilotC150]

You have to use a different set of strings to do it. That's the only way.

[crozetiga]

B E A D F# B is a very weird tuning. how do you tune the guitar to that, wont you constantly break strings on the guitar? is there an easier way?


i think there are several old threads on this but i will post it anyway

I did it like this....

Get a set of extra light strings .11s is was i used or lighter would be better to relieve some of the extra tension Then buy a single string that is the same thickness as the B string (.014)? I think. Just look on the package to match the guage

put the A string where the low E would go (tune to B)
put the D string where the A string would go (tune to E)
Put the G string where the D string would go (tune to A)
Put the B string where the G string would go (tune to D)
Put the High E string where the B string would go (tune to F#)
Put the extra B string where the high E string would go (tune to B)

It should work like this. If there seems be alot of bowing in the neck of your guitar or any cracking sound in you guitar, you should probably take those off or tune it down a step and use a capo. Some people have had horror stories of the neck popping off or the bridge coming undone.

I think that if you use light enough strings, (11s or 10s) you should be fine though.

Josh

[dmb66]

i understand the method here but was always sort of baffled...isn't the highest string on raised B tuning (i guess the second one of thickness which would be normally tuned to E in standard tuning) bound to snap if you are tuning it up to the equivalent of the seventh fret. All the others are essentially lessing the guage but this one is not. Am i nuts or does this actually work some other way i don't know about?

[crozetiga]

i understand the method here but was always sort of baffled...isn't the highest string on raised B tuning (i guess the second one of thickness which would be normally tuned to E in standard tuning) bound to snap if you are tuning it up to the equivalent of the seventh fret. All the others are essentially lessing the guage but this one is not. Am i nuts or does this actually work some other way i don't know about?


All of the strings in raised B are only going up one whole step (equivalent to 2nd fret) except the extra B string which is like tuning it to standard pitch (just in a different location) Like so....

normally A goes to B
normally D goes to E
normally G goes to A
Normally B goes to D (actually up a step and half)
normally E goes to F#
normally B (string guage wise) tuned to B

hope that helps
Josh

[PilotC150]

The top (1st) string isn't a higher pitch than the 2nd string.

On a normal guitar, the highest string is two octaves above the lowest string. On raised B tuning it's only 1 octave higher.

[JoelB2222]

Which songs does Dave do this for specifically? Sorry if this is an old question, but this is the first Ive seen of this, honestly. Maybe this is why my friend and I always have such different tabs of dmb songs, because were not even tuned together. Weird thought.

Joel

[dobyblue]

Stay or Leave

[Stuntcheeks]

I'm pretty sure YNK uses it, too.

[Rob]

Don't do it to your main axe, as it will overstress it and warp the neck.

[PilotC150]

You Never Know, Stay or Leave and Oh.

[vman25bv]

ynk, oh, stay or leave, i did it, tsb, so right, what you are, angel, some devil

[PilotC150]

I Did It, The Space Between, So Right, What You Are, Angel and Some Devil all use the same tuning, but they are tuned an octave down compared to You Never Know, Oh and Stay or Leave.

The first bunch are all done on what is called a "baritone guitar." The others were written based on that tuning, except Dave restrung his guitar an octave higher. Those are referred to as "raised-b" tuning.

[Rob]

2 octaves, actually.

[PilotC150]

2 octaves, actually.
Are you sure?

Isn't the low-B on a baritone guitar just a 4th down from the normal low-E, and the low-B on a raised-b guitar is the 2nd fret of the normal A-string?

That would only be one octave difference, correct?

[Rob]

My mistake, I posted when I first woke up and was thinking about string guages. You are 100% correct.

[JoelB2222]

Wow.....no WONDER why I was having problems trying to transpose stay or leave. haha.....so much wasted time...thanks for posting this, though. So, does he have a guitar strung like this sitting on the side of the stage? Or do they just not play these songs (cant be true), or does he play it in standard tuning somehow?

Joel

[PilotC150]

He has multiple guitar sitting side stage of all tunings.

He's got standard tuning 6 string, drop-d 6 string, raised-b 6 string, standard 12-string, drop-d 12 string, electric baritone.

He used to also have a standard electric, but I'm not sure he brings that along anymore.

Then again, Monk, his guitar tech, might just retune a standard 6-string down for when he needs drop-D.

P.S. If you wanna play Stay or Leave in standard tuning, it can be found here: http://www.dmbtabs.com/song.php?sid=132&tid=401

[tdowe99]

All he needs now is a Raised B 12 string. :)
That would be funky.