So, next year I turn 55 in March, and I'd really like to do something special for myself.

Over the past few months, I've been seriously considering adding a Grand Stick, an older one... to the collection of "newly aquired instruments which give me great joy", but just the other day I shifted gears dramatically, and inline with my "less is more..." approach, decided that was the wrong path to take and what I really should consider as my flagship instrument should be an 8 string Railboard, set up in a standard type tuning.

So, much musings, much research... and I got everything sorted except for the tuning.

The easy way out would be standard 4ths as this instrument I do not want as a divided fingerboard, I want all the strings in unison from low to high.

But then, I recalled a thread somewhere here on Sticklist where I mentioned in a comment how to my knowledge 8 is the maximum amount of strings one could ever have in 5ths [I read that somewhere...] and to my horror and surprise, Emmett mentioned more or less that this is not possible on all 8 strings, but on most 8 strings [*maybe the highest pitches would be in 3rds ??] with his instruments, which I now that I think of it would be completely satisfactory.

Anyhow, I'm looking for some ideas here, as I'd like to order this birthday present to myself next week, thinking maybe it will be complete sometime during or after this upcoming Spring....

So, originally I wanted standard 4ths.

I'd like to now go as close to standard 5ths as possible, and am hoping that either Emmett or Greg will jump in and say yes, with a couple of exceptions or perhaps offer some other suggestions.

Worst comes to worst I suppose I could make standard 4ths work, but there's just something about 5ths that has always appealed to me

*Oh, by the way - the color - I agonized about that for days and days and days, and then decided I should go with the color that resonates with me best:

Blue

I seem to have taken the more is more approach. Now, if an instrument has than 12 strings, I'm wanting more. I like having the extra strings around, just in case I decide to use them. I don't have to use all of the strings just because I'm bought a 12-string Grand Railboard. I once had a Camaro....I didn't have to keep my foot on the accelerator, …. but was comforted to know that I had some horse power in reserve, just in case I needed it.

Assuming you want to use SE strings, these officially cover the range Bb0 to D4, in which case you can only have 6 in fifths within that range and the top 2 intervals would have to be small intervals.
The Fripp/Crafty/Gunn/Warr Guitars/Touch Guitars 8 string tuning exactly covers this range and is:
BbFCGDACD
6 in fifths plus minor third plus major second.

Or, if you use a big non-SE string for the lowest you could do 7 strings in fifths plus a minor third (fifths plus minor third is also used by Fripp/Crafty/Gunn/Warr Guitars/Touch Guitars, it is Fripp's 'New Standard Tuning'):
FCGDAEBD
Nicely, this is the standard Stick bass-side tuning plus a lower and higher string.
The F0 would be very low, but functional, and would need to be something like .145 or .160 (D'Addario sell these as bass singles in a 'Super long' length).

8 in all fifths is possible, but would require going even lower and using non-SE strings for the lowerst 2:
DbAbEbBbFCGD
The Db0 is 17Hz, many find this too low to be usable, it would need to be around .190-.200. Kalium Strings, Conklin Guitars and Octave 4 Plus sell singles this size.

I suggest one of the first 2 options.

Using SE strings but starting on A0 another possibility is 6 in fifths plus 2 minor thirds:
AEBF#C#G#BD
A member here has been using the SE .128 tuned to A seemingly successfully.

Since the X fret on a railboard is a little shorter scale than the wood Sticks, the highest practical pitch is probably actually D#4. In which case you could do 7 strings in fifths but with the top fifth interval divided into a major third plus a minor third:
AEBF#C#G#CD#

BOOM !!


"Assuming you want to use SE strings, these officially cover the range Bb0 to D4, in which case you can only have 6 in fifths within that range and the top 2 intervals would have to be small intervals.
The Fripp/Crafty/Gunn/Warr Guitars/Touch Guitars 8 string tuning exactly covers this range and is:
BbFCGDACD
6 in fifths plus minor third plus major second."


ixlramp, i think you nailed it !!!

Thanks for your response, it's great appreciated.
Cheers.......

Well, just as an update - I have just ordered a Blue 8 string Railboard which I am hoping can be tuned as ixlramp suggested above:

Bb F C G D A C D
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

6 in fifths plus minor third plus major second

I got the confirmation email that S.E. got my order, so this is good.

While I am in no rush to see fall and winter go by, as I am guessing by possibly springtime this instrument will be completed - I'd by lying if I did not say I really look forwards to the day she arrives.

So, special thanks to ixlramp - you have provided me with the solution to what I was looking for, and also to Markussz for his comment regarding his Camero, as when I hear of such things I am reminded that in my garage sits my 1971 Plymouth Duster body which has the drivetrain from my 1970 Duster, which had to be junked due to severe body twisting from a lack of subframe connectors and a very potent de-stroked 360 w/340 j heads and a turbo action reverse pattern manual 904 that i used to tear the streets up in Brooklyn NY with back around 30 years ago !!

Markussz, I get what you are saying about having more options, and I have two very interesting 12 stringed instruments which serve me well, I am just looking for something simpler which - I know this sounds crazy, but you'll just have to trust me - something I can do more with.

Stay Tuned !!

Cheers..........

Good to hear about your Railboard order.
I should have clarified i always state tunings from low to high pitched strings.
Also, these tunings are for the X-fret (the lowest fret) not the nut/flaps. The Railboard page states that tunings are stated for the X-fret.

I think BbFCGDACD is a good choice as the tuning for your order. It will allow you to experiment a little, if you want, and try the 2 tunings from my second post in this thread, by tuning the lowest 6 strings down by a semitone, and optionally tuning the highest string up to D#4, which should just be possible on the Railboard's shorter scale, although it may be a good idea to order a spare top string or additional top strings gauged suitably for D#4 (a .008?).

Another possible tuning, by leaving the lowest 6 unchanged and tuning the highest string up to D#4 is:
BbFCGDACD#
6 in fifths plus 2 minor thirds.

We'll see what Emmett thinks, meanwhile I'll have a pint of Guinness in your honour tonight once the sun sets while out in my garden with my dog

*But that was a brilliant suggestion which you made, and make here again.

Cheers....

ixlramp.... I just got an email from S.E. that first tuning which you suggested the crafty tuning is a go, so excellent work on your part.

Thanks Again !!

PS: I'm going to be off-line for a bit, as I just got some real bad news concerning my father's health and I want to focus on my dad first and foremost for the time being.

Good to know that tuning is going ahead.