Some years ago when 8-string guitars gained popularity, I liked the idea of tuning way down to bass-guitar range while keeping the high range of the high e-string. However I did not like the idea of having 8 freaking strings. So, I thought, "if I tuned to all-fifths while keeping the high e-string, how low would the lowest string go?" It turns out it goes down to F, a half-step lower than an 8-string in standard tuning. By the way, "all-fifths" is like a violin/viola/cello in which the strings are tuned a perfect fifth apart. For example, the violin is tuned to g-d-a-e. Its slightly beefier cousin the viola is tuned to c-g-d-a, going a fifth below the violin. The cello also goes with C-g-d-a, but an octave below the viola -- on par with "drop C" on the guitar. You could play Godsmack's "Awake" with a cello. That would be pretty humorous. With this fun idea in my head, I decided to test it out. I bought a baritone electric guitar: the 27"-scale ESP FB-200 from some dude on Craigslist. Beautiful. It was tuned to B-standard (the default) so I tuned it as follows: F-C-g-d-a-e putting the last string at a high e where I want it. Of course, the 52-gauge lowest string was way too floppy at F, so I bought a 68 gauge string to put there and used the 52 for the C string. Groovy. It's still a bit loose. Ernie Ball has a "Baritone Slinky" that starts at 72 or something ridiculous and I'll try that one with my next paycheck. A string snapped the other day so it's a perfect time to experiment again! Anyway, after adjusting the intonation and the truss rod (not much on the latter), I have a fantabulous range that actually exceeds an 8-string by a half step. Not bad! But all the chords are different...so what? I don't play folk songs. The basics are there: major/minor chords, I can easily add a 4th or a 6th, diminished chords, and that fun one that's a fifth-and-then-a-fifth (maybe a sus2 or something?). Metal! Lastly of course, the modes are different. That won't be hard to learn though. Some time ago I found online a symmetric pattern that makes navigating the fretboard easy. Since then I haven't been able to find the website...perhaps it got taken down. But this symmetric pattern is centered on the Dorian mode. It's awesome: ||--------------------------------------------------------- ||--------------------------------------------------------- ||--------------------------------------------------------- ||---------------o----o----o--o----O----------------------- ||------------o--o----O----o--o---------------------------- ||-------O----o--o----o----o------------------------------- ||--------------------------------------------------------- ||--------------------------------------------------------- ||--------------------------------------------------------- ||---------------G----A----B--C----D----------------------- ||------------B--C----D----E--F---------------------------- ||-------D----E--F----G----A------------------------------- If you learned to play a violin, viola, or cello, you wouldn't need this. Anyway, the pattern is centered on D Dorian (i.e. major scale). From here I can navigate my usual Aeolian & Phrygian modes but also I could just visualize this one pattern and I'll know where I am. *P.S. the high e-string snapped twice while sitting in the case, years apart. The gauge is probably too high. I should master the science of string tension. I've read blog & forum posts about people using "New Standard Tuning" which starts on C and ends in either G or B on the high string. The former case is the NST by definition, because a B is so high it's hard to prevent a string from snapping. People of course don't like this because it breaks the all-5ths pattern, so several have tried a really light gauge string and tuned it up to B. After reading this, for whatever reason, I thought a higher gauge would be better on my all-5ths to help add enough overall tension so the low F isn't so floppy. It works for a while, but as noted eventually snaps. I'll either try a lighter gauge or omit it entirely, restricting my upper range.