How many guitars do you use in your setup?

[Monsta-Tone]

So far, we are playing stuff in C, D, & E.
My McCarty is great for changing tunings quickly since it has a fixed bridge, but to go to C, I have to re-tune all of the strings.

Here is my setup so far:
McCarty or Custom 22
Planet Waves tuner pedal
Bad Horsie II
DC-10 head
Mesa 4x12 Traditional

I have been keeping the CU22 tuned to 440 for all of the E stuff.
I have been keeping the McCarty tuned to 440 and dropping the E for the D stuff.
So, that leaves me with the C stuff?????
Should I just take 3 guitars? I would just tune the CU22 to C, but most of the E stuff needs a tremolo so the McCarty won't do it.

I also have a G-Major 2 that I will start using next week once the Ground Control pedal arrives. I don't want to throw it in the mix until I have my presets ready so that I'm not wasting time at practice.

 

[b0nkersx]

Do you mean drop C? Or open C? If it's the first, I would tune one guitar to drop C# or C and just use that for both of your C/D songs. It's just going to shift the key a little bit. Like, I use two guitars, a Les Paul tuned to standard, and an ESP tuned to drop C. I play a few drop D songs (Tool stuff) on the ESP in the key of C instead. It works really nicely, for me anyway. I've actually found a few of the songs I play in this manner sound really awesome.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

What gauge of strings do you use for the C guitar.

It's Drop C.

I used to have a really bad problem with tendonitis, so I use 9's now for standard and D tuning with ease, but larger strings start to hurt after a while.

I tried the 9's in C and it really sucked. Felt like I had slinkys for strings.

 

[b0nkersx]

I can definitely empathize with tendonitis. My wrist gives me a hell of a time some days also.

I really like Ernie Ball skinny top heavy bottom.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ernie-Ball-2215-Nickel-Slinky-Skinny-TopHeavy-Bottom-Electric-Guitar-Strings?sku=100615

I also really like the beefy slinky.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ernie-Ball-2627-Nickel-Beefy-Slinky-Drop-Tune-Strings?sku=100871

I tend to find that the skinny top heavy bottom works the best for me. They feel just right across all six strings. The solos are pretty smooth and the riffing is nice and fat. The third string on the beefies can be a little overwhelming when you bend at times, especially if your wrist flares up. Or you could cocktail strings, and use .11, .15, and .18 if you want the bottom three to be just a little bit fatter. I do this at times too depending on how many strings I need to replace.

Edit: These are also great, and they're a bit cheaper
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/GHS-GBTNT-Boomers-ThinThick-Electric-Guitar-Strings?sku=100516
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/GHS-GBLOW-Boomers-Low-Tune-Electric-Guitar-Strings?sku=100517

 

[MusicManJP6]

Check out the Morpheus DropTune pedal! It's supposed to be awesome. I'd love to be able to play 7 string stuff in standard tuning...

 

[TimeSignature]

String tension and to a lesser degree, intonation, are going to be your enemies here.

I prefer looser strings.

I have a bunch of guitars.

E and Drop D: 09, 11, 16, 24, 32, 42
Eb: 09, 11, 16, 26, 36, 46
C: 11, 15, 22, 30, 42, 54

I use, for the most part, Slinky's or D'addario

 

[kekam35]

Check out the Morpheus DropTune pedal! It's supposed to be awesome. I'd love to be able to play 7 string stuff in standard tuning...

+1, seems life would be alot easier to just stomp on a pedal to change tunings.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I can definitely empathize with tendonitis. My wrist gives me a hell of a time some days also.

Yeah, that's why it's only the PRS Wide Fat Neck carve for me from now on! It's just so comfortable for my particular style and hands.
I used to use a Jackson Soloist and an Ibanez Radius guitar. The Radius was way more comfortable to play, but the Soloist just wanted to fly! Such a great name for that guitar. Chords sucked *** on it, but leads were super easy.

I'm no shredder and don't have the talent to ever be. So, for my style (Jimmy Hendrix hanging out with Frank Zappa, Alex Lifeson and Santana at a party in a mushroom bar in Amsterdam hosted by the Allman Brothers and Infectious Grooves) the Caddilac is much more user friendly than the Ferrari these days.



I was thinking of trying out some heavy bottom sets that I have. .09 to .48 (I think) instead of the .09 to .42's that I usually use.
I tried the McCarty last night with the 9-42 set tuned to drop D (just the E string) and it sounded great, but just a tad mushy. I'm thinking that the heavier low strings will sound better.


I'll look that pedal up right now. But, for the time being at least, I'm not doing extremely well financially. It would have to wait. That would solve all of my problems though if it worked well!

 

[Turumbar82]

I can definitely empathize with tendonitis. My wrist gives me a hell of a time some days also.

Yeah, that's why it's only the PRS Wide Fat Neck carve for me from now on! It's just so comfortable for my particular style and hands.
I used to use a Jackson Soloist and an Ibanez Radius guitar. The Radius was way more comfortable to play, but the Soloist just wanted to fly! Such a great name for that guitar. Chords sucked *** on it, but leads were super easy.

I'm no shredder and don't have the talent to ever be. So, for my style (Jimmy Hendrix hanging out with Frank Zappa, Alex Lifeson and Santana at a party in a mushroom bar in Amsterdam hosted by the Allman Brothers and Infectious Grooves) the Caddilac is much more user friendly than the Ferrari these days.



I was thinking of trying out some heavy bottom sets that I have. .09 to .48 (I think) instead of the .09 to .42's that I usually use.
I tried the McCarty last night with the 9-42 set tuned to drop D (just the E string) and it sounded great, but just a tad mushy. I'm thinking that the heavier low strings will sound better.


I'll look that pedal up right now. But, for the time being at least, I'm not doing extremely well financially. It would have to wait. That would solve all of my problems though if it worked well!

Thick and Thin strings are definitely a good option. You'll get that added tension and extra thump on the low end but your top end will still feel great for solo's

 

[Erotomaniac1928]

I use 2 guitars live for my prog band. My Ibanez rg7420 7 string in standard tuning is my main guitar. The only problem is that my band has one song in drop A on the 7, so I have to retune the 7 quickly in a live situation (locking nut and floating trem, mind you). If we play anything after that, it has to be a 6 string song so I can switch to my rg4ex1. Right now I'm saving for a EBMM John Petrucci 7, so that will rememdy that problem.

In jazz band, I use a Peavy t-60, very simple setup.

Btw, string guage is Ernie Ball regular slinky 10's on my 7 and super slinky 9's on my 6's

 

[Vigo1999]

Just for the matter of being practical, we in the band tune everything in Eflat, if the vocals doesnt fit we change the tune's key.

now im only bringing my PRS SC (or my beloved V) and my Stiletto Deuce (or MKIII) and a 2x12 stiletto copy cab loaded with warehouse Veteran 30s. my board has a PW tuner, Micro POG, a MXR Phaser and a delay, simple as that (and light!!! ).

im using Ernie Balls 10-46s

as for tendinitis . . . man i dont even want to talk about it . . . i had a crisis a couple months ago and hurted SOOOOO bad that even the nurse at the hospital felt pitty for me . . . only thinking about the pain make me itch :x

 

[Cleekster]

we just tune down to D and drop the low string to C for songs that require it much simpler than using a bunch of different guitars.......i use GHS boomer .009's

 

[Monsta-Tone]

we just tune down to D and drop the low string to C for songs that require it much simpler than using a bunch of different guitars.......i use GHS boomer .009's

That's not a bad idea! I just might try that.

I did pick up an Epiphone Flying V 7 string for $340 though! I really don't like skinny necks, but the Gibson V I used to have felt like a good baseball bat. Hopefully the Epi will too!
If that doesn't work, the McCarty is going into D!