Tuning your E9 down to Eb9 the advantages?

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Ian Rae
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Post by Ian Rae »

I'm still confused. I think two different things are being described here:-

Thing 1:- the steel player tunes down a half step to bring E to the first fret and avoid the twelfth. This is personal and no-one else needs to know.

Thing 2:- the whole band tunes down to get a different sound and maybe help the vocalist. The open chord is still called E by all the band but the singer and the audience get E flat.
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
Pete Burak
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Post by Pete Burak »

If you tune down a half step without changing string gages, your pedal/lever action will feel really nice (smooth and easy to engage pedals/levers) but tuning-stability might be a little unstable (you would have to try it and see/feel/hear).
MSA makes a Bb6th 12-string set of strings. You could check out thier string gages, or come up with your own by trial and error.
pdl20
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Location: Benton, Ar . USA,

Eb 9 th

Post by pdl20 »

I played that tuning for years and used it the whole time I was working for Dottie West and also when doing club work and session work in Little Rock. I went to E 9th when I bought my Emmons all pull back in late 90's. I liked the deeper low end and more mellow sound of the mid to upper strings and less string breakage also with the Eb 9th
. Rudy
Mullen G 2 D 10 8 & 6 , Emmons D 10 8& 6 Evans Amps , Revelation,MPX1,Steward PA 1000 rack, Steelers Choice Cross country Seat ,Hilton Pedal, Curt Mangan strings . When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
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Ian Rae
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Post by Ian Rae »

Pete - don't use trial or error - use this!

http://hikkyz.net/misc/stringassembler/
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
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