F# Deep Re-entrant Tuning: A Low-End Sonic Landscape

This unique tuning plunges your guitar into a realm of deep, resonant power and intriguing harmonic possibilities. Named "F# Deep Re-entrant," it's engineered for players seeking an expansive tonal palette, ranging from crushing low-end riffs to atmospheric, open voicings. The design, as described by its creator, draws inspiration from "AGCFAD or standard seven string tuning but without the 6th string," aiming to deliver a potent low register on a six-string instrument.

Verbal Analysis: The Sound and Feel

Imagine a tuning that can deliver bone-rattling low frequencies while simultaneously offering bright, ringing open strings. This is it. The F# Deep Re-entrant tuning feels incredibly open and spacious, with a vast range between the lowest F# and the highest F#. The very close interval between the 6th (F#) and 5th (E) strings creates an immediate, almost dissonant, "growl" perfect for heavy genres like doom metal, progressive metal, or djent, allowing for massive, chugging power chords that retain clarity. The most distinctive feature is its re-entrant nature: the 1st string (B3) is actually tuned lower in pitch than the 2nd string (F#4). This unconventional arrangement opens up new melodic and harmonic textures, reminiscent of some folk or classical tunings, providing a surprising depth to arpeggios and fingerstyle passages. It encourages exploration beyond typical guitar chord shapes, rewarding players who are willing to experiment with wide intervallic jumps and unconventional voicings.

Technical Analysis: Unpacking the Intervals

The tuning notes are F#2, E2, A2, D3, F#4, B3 (from 6th to 1st string).

• String 6 (F#2) to String 5 (E2): A Major 2nd (or Minor 7th) interval down. This half-step relationship between the two lowest strings is the foundation for a profoundly heavy and resonant low end.
• String 5 (E2) to String 4 (A2): A Perfect 4th.
• String 4 (A2) to String 3 (D3): A Perfect 4th. The sequence E-A-D across strings 5-4-3 maintains familiar perfect fourth intervals, making power chords and scale fragments accessible within this section.
• String 3 (D3) to String 2 (F#4): An Octave and a Major 3rd. This is a dramatic, wide jump, creating a very open and bright contrast to the low strings. This interval spread is key to the tuning's unique sonic signature.
• String 2 (F#4) to String 1 (B3): A Perfect 5th down (or Perfect 4th up if string 1 were B4). Critically, this is a re-entrant tuning where the 1st string (B3) is lower in pitch than the 2nd string (F#4). This inverted relationship on the higher strings offers unique possibilities for arpeggios and cascading melodies, allowing for lower notes to ring out on the highest string.

Open Chords and Playability

While strumming all open strings (F#2-E2-A2-D3-F#4-B3) creates a rich, complex cluster, it doesn't form a conventional consonant chord. However, this tuning excels in other areas:

• Power Chords: The 6th and 5th strings (F# and E) are only a semitone apart, allowing for extremely heavy two-note power chords by barring a single fret. Similarly, strings 5-4-3 (E-A-D) are tuned in perfect fourths, making standard power chord shapes easily adaptable.
• B Minor Triad: The open 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings (B3, F#4, D3) collectively form an open B minor triad (B-D-F#), offering a ready-made minor tonality in the higher register.
• Extended Voicings: The wide interval between the 3rd and 2nd strings, combined with the re-entrant 1st string, invites open, ethereal voicings and allows for interesting arpeggiated patterns where lower notes can appear on the "highest" string, creating a unique textural depth.

Tuning Notes Overview

Below are the specific notes for each string of your guitar in F# Deep Re-entrant tuning, from the lowest (6th) to the highest (1st) string.

• 6th String: F#2
• 5th String: E2
• 4th String: A2
• 3rd String: D3
• 2nd String: F#4
• 1st String: B3

How to Tune Your Guitar

To achieve the F# Deep Re-entrant tuning, you will need to adjust each string from standard E Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). Please follow these instructions carefully. Important: As most of these movements involve significant detuning, we strongly advise considering a heavier gauge string set to ensure optimal playability, intonation, and string tension. Tuning down by more than 4 semitones can result in very loose strings and potential buzzing with a standard gauge set.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune down 10 semitones to F#2. (Note: This is a significant drop; a heavier gauge string is strongly recommended.)
• 5th String (A): Tune down 5 semitones to E2. (Note: A heavier gauge string is recommended.)
• 4th String (D): Tune down 5 semitones to A2. (Note: A heavier gauge string is recommended.)
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 5 semitones to D3. (Note: A heavier gauge string is recommended.)
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 5 semitones to F#4. (Note: A heavier gauge string is recommended.)
• 1st String (High E): Tune down 5 semitones to B3. (Note: A heavier gauge string is recommended.)