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Topic: Two 6-string tunings on a 12 string? |
Peter den Hartogh
From:
Cape Town, South Africa
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Posted 15 Apr 2013 7:24 am |
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I made a 12 string lap steel, on which I would like to try 2 tunings next to each other.
Each tuning has 6 strings, one group of 6 strings on the players side and another one on the audience side.
Ideally these tunings should be working together nicely.
Which 2 tunings would you recommend?
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1977 Sho~Bud D10 ProIII Custom; Sho~Bud SD10 The Professional ; ETS S10 5x5;
Fender 1000; 1993 Remington U12; 1978 Emmons S10 P/P; GeorgeB Weissenborn;
Fluger Cat-Can; Asher Electro Hawaiian; Gibson BR4; Fender FS52; Guyatone 8str;
Fender Resonator ; Epiphone Coronet 1937; Rickenbacher Ace; Rickenbacher NS;
Dynalap 8string; Harbor Lights 8string; Aiersi Tri-Cone; Fender Stringmaster |
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Karl Fehrenbach
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2013 4:53 am
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| Peter, I have been wondering about the exact same thing. I will be interested to see the responses of those who chime in. Because of the band I play in and the type of music, contemporary and classic rock, I thought that I would need something in an "E" tuning with its relative minor, "C# min" coupled with it. But I would like to have the two tunings discreet, assigning the top 6 to "E" and the bottom 6 to "C# min". The variants of 6th, 7th or 9th are not figured out yet, but going this way, I probably would not want a 6th on the top 6 strings. The blend of the two tunings would really be fat. Individual string assigments are not figured out yet, however I am going to experiment with two 6 string lap steels and see how they couple up tone and sound wise. The two laps are identical so the blend should be OK. Thanks for posting this question. |
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Frank Welsh
From:
Upstate New York, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2013 10:19 am
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Peter, the type of music you prefer to play might influence the choice of tunings you would be satisfied with. Country, Hawaiian, Blues, or some other kind? With Hawaiian you might consider C6th and B11th. Western Swing might go good with A6th or C6th and some kind of E tuning such as E7th or E13th. Blues or Rock might benefit from an E Major or E7th and more typical dobro types such as G or D major.
Whatever the choice, I suggest that you pick tunings that compliment each other, that is, each of the two tunings has strengths that the other one may be lacking in but together they offer a powerhouse of options on a single twelve string instrument.
It would be interesting to know what your decision will be. |
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Peter den Hartogh
From:
Cape Town, South Africa
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Posted 16 Apr 2013 6:46 pm
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Frank, I was thinking along the lines of Blues and Rock, so some kind of E tuning would be great.
I think the Low E string should be closest to the player, so the bottom 6 strings could be something like E B G# E B E (HI to LO).
The top 6 strings could be the four chord or similar.
Maybe that is too far removed from the E tuning and the top set should be some E6th or E9th tuning? But that low bass string should not be an E.
Here is where I need some guidance to what exactly the complementary 6 strings could be. |
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Frank Welsh
From:
Upstate New York, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2013 6:36 am
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Peter, you might consider an A6th tuning for the other tuning to compliment the E major. This would give you an instant "fourth" if you go from playing on the E tuning to playing the A6th during the course of a tune.
Another idea crossed my mind. I've been using the B11th for not only Hawaiian, but some bluesy and swing stuff - it has great chordal possibilities including a knock-your-socks-off fat ninth chord on strings 2 through 6. Come to think of it, Don Helms, steel player for Hank Williams, used a B11th tuning on one of his guitar's necks and got a real bluesy sound for some of Hanks tunes that called for that. The first four strings on the B11th still give you the top strings of the A6th which provide a major sixth, minor seventh, and a major ninth. Strings 2, 3 and 4 give you a minor and a major seventh. Strings 3, 4 and 5 give you a diminished chord. All without slanting.
You could tune the top tuning to a straight A6th and just tune the fifth string down from an E to a D# when you want the B11th and you would still have a nice six string B11th tuning by re-tuning that one string.
Don't worry about the second tuning being too far removed from the E tuning - it's the differences between the tunings that will add "spice" and interest to your performance and you will be amazed at how you can become comfortable at jumping from one tuning to the next. It's like being truly bi-lingual and being able to instantly speak and think in two different languages that are not necessarily closely related. |
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Peter den Hartogh
From:
Cape Town, South Africa
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Posted 17 Apr 2013 7:47 am
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Frank, your advice is awesome, thank you so much.
I am familiar with A6/B11 so that will help. I even have some tuning keys that can retune with the flick of a little handle.
_________________
1977 Sho~Bud D10 ProIII Custom; Sho~Bud SD10 The Professional ; ETS S10 5x5;
Fender 1000; 1993 Remington U12; 1978 Emmons S10 P/P; GeorgeB Weissenborn;
Fluger Cat-Can; Asher Electro Hawaiian; Gibson BR4; Fender FS52; Guyatone 8str;
Fender Resonator ; Epiphone Coronet 1937; Rickenbacher Ace; Rickenbacher NS;
Dynalap 8string; Harbor Lights 8string; Aiersi Tri-Cone; Fender Stringmaster |
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Rockne Riddlebarger
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 2:36 am
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I have done this before and my current tuning contains E6th and A6th.
*****CAUTION***** If you have the skinny (top) strings right next to the fat (Lower) strings of the other tuning, you will have rattling buzzing problems from the bar bridging the gap over the skinny strings. Heavy bar pressure helps but is not practical, so you'll have to file the nut and bridge string grooves to alow the fat strings to sit at the same height ast the skinny ones.
Dom
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Peter den Hartogh
From:
Cape Town, South Africa
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Posted 28 Apr 2013 5:47 am
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Thanks, Dom, that thought had crossed my mind and I thought maybe I could use shims on the skinny strings on a temporary basis, just to see where this thing would take me.
Or maybe have two 6string nuts and bridges with the correct hights. We,ll see.
Where is your E6th? Player's side or audience side? |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Niels Andrews
From:
Salinas, California, USA
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Posted 2 May 2013 6:34 pm
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You might want to look at Reece Andersen's C6 12 String tuning . Pretty awesome you can find it here under copedants.
_________________
Die with Memories. Not Dreams.
Good Stuff like Zum S-12, Wolfe Resoport
MSA SS-12, Telonics Combo. |
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