Verbal Analysis: The Ultra-Low Beast

The E.B. 2624 tuning is an audacious exploration into the lowest registers of an 8-string guitar, designed for players who crave a massive, earth-shaking sound. As its description implies, this isn't a casual retune; it's a meticulously crafted setup focusing on "Tension balancing Ernie Ball 2624 leaving off the .009, with a .115 d'addario on the 8th." This immediately signals a custom, heavy-gauge string set, essential for maintaining playability and tone at such extreme low pitches. This tuning promises a sonic landscape filled with deep, resonant growls and a foundation for highly experimental and heavy music genres.

Technical Analysis: A Labyrinth of Lows

This 8-string guitar tuning presents a highly unconventional and deeply downtuned configuration. Let's examine the open string notes from lowest to highest pitch, as observed across the instrument:

• F1 (String 7)
• A1# (String 8)
• B2 (String 3)
• A2# (String 6)
• C3# (String 5)
• F3# (String 4)
• C4 (String 1)
• F4# (String 2)

The tuning’s extremely low fundamental note (F1 on the 7th string) sets a powerful, dark mood. The overall arrangement of notes across the strings is not designed for conventional open chords, but rather facilitates complex voicings and resonant intervals. The intervals are wide and often dissonant in traditional contexts, lending themselves to experimental harmony, heavy riffs, and soundscapes.

Despite the overall complexity, some interesting relationships emerge:

• Strings 6, 5, 4 (A2#, C3#, F3#): These three strings form an F# Major chord in first inversion (F# - A# - C#). This provides a surprising point of consonance amidst the deep and often dissonant landscape, allowing for powerful melodic or harmonic accents.
• The relationship between String 7 (F1) and String 8 (A1#) is a minor third (F to A# being F to Bb), establishing a very deep, rich, and somewhat melancholic foundation.

This tuning emphasizes extended range and unique intervallic possibilities over standard chord shapes, making it ideal for instrumentalists looking to push the boundaries of extreme metal, djent, or atmospheric sound design where conventional harmony is often de-emphasized in favor of texture and low-end impact. The massive downtuning across almost all strings necessitates the specialized string gauges mentioned in the tuning description, confirming its intent as a dedicated low-frequency machine.

Tuning Notes:

Each string is tuned to the following specific notes:

• String 8: A1#
• String 7: F1
• String 6: A2#
• String 5: C3#
• String 4: F3#
• String 3: B2
• String 2: F4#
• String 1: C4

How to Tune:

Achieving this tuning requires significant adjustments from standard pitch. Please proceed with caution, especially given the large semitone movements. It is highly recommended to use heavier gauge strings than standard for all strings, particularly for those with movements exceeding 4 semitones, as indicated in the tuning description's mention of "Tension balancing" and specific string gauges.

• String 8: Tune to A1#. This involves tuning down 8 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 7: Tune to F1. This involves tuning down 6 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 6: Tune to A2#. This involves tuning down 6 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 5: Tune to C3#. This involves tuning down 8 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 4: Tune to F3#. This involves tuning down 8 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 3: Tune to B2. This involves tuning down 8 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 2: Tune to F4#. This involves tuning down 5 semitones. Given this substantial change (exceeding 4 semitones), a different, heavier string gauge is highly recommended for optimal tension and tone.
• String 1: Tune to C4. This involves tuning down 4 semitones. This is a significant change, and a heavier string gauge is advised for optimal tension and tone.