David Lindley's tunings

[Andy Volk]

David Lindley sent me this via email way back in 2007:

"A lot of people ask me what tunings I use, especially on Jackson Browne's music. I had about four or five Rickenbachers, Nationals etc. tuned to the same relationship up one half step or down from each other. The tuning was, from low to high: EBEG#BE. or GDGBDG or FCFACF. I learned this tuning from Johnny Thompson way back in the 60's. The third is where it is to fortify the fourths and fifths and not muddy up the bottom when it's played with distortion. In the E tuning it is also just like guitar positions, the 5th fret is an A major chord, the 7th fret is a B major chord. Then there are the three open string combinations that give you octaves. Cool runnings. D.L. "

[Peter Jacobs]

Very cool info, Andy. I’ll have to give his G tuning a try. Thanks!

[JB Bobbitt]

How would you string that G tuning: G D G B D G?

To get reasonable string tensions (25" inch scale) it looks like it would have to be: G2 D3 G3 B3 D4 G4.

I play in open D: D2 A2 D3 F#3 A3 D4.

Thanks a heap,

[Jack Hanson]

I use a similar approach based on C6, with separate instruments set up in G6, A6, C6, & D6. I had one in E6, but contrary to Don Helms and others, did not care for the feel or the sound of the lighter strings.

[Brooks Montgomery]

Open D and a capo gets those multiple Lindley tunings done quite well. 'G' does get kinda high. I do like a guitar in open E, though, as it is so familiar.

[Dave Mudgett]

These 1 5 1 3 5 1 tunings are the classic Vestapol tuning intervals. Lots and lots of blues slide guitar players have been using them for decades. Open E/D Vestapol is how I started a long time ago on slide. That and the Robert Johnson style 5 1 5 1 3 5 like Open G = D G D G B D or Open A = E A E A C# E.

I had this discussion with David when he was playing here right around that period of time - 2007 - I caught him after the show and talked for a while. He has stated in various places his use of Vestapol type intervals, and moving them up and down to suit the situation. Recent discussion here about him using open A Vestapol for Running on Empty - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=358567 - and it is definitely obtainable on a short-scale guitar with reasonable gauge strings. Open A Vestapol is tougher on a longer scale steel or slide guitar. But I always have one tuned open F# or G Vestapol which are easily re-tuned to 5 1 5 1 3 5 Open B or C, respectively, if I need to play something in B or C and want the root chords available open and the octave at the 12th fret. For me, that is more of an issue for slide guitar than lap steel, owing to the limited access to higher frets on some of my guitars. Old Danelectros and MIJ Kent/Guyatone/Teiscos work great for this purpose - either slide-style or with the action cranked up for lap steel. The old 60s MIJ stuff used to be super-cheap not so long ago - it was easy to keep a bunch around for different tunings - but not so much right at the moment.

I suggest using a string tension calculator to figure out what strings to use for the higher tunings. This one works well for me - https://tension.stringjoy.com/ - but there are various ones out there.

[Robert W Wilson]

https://www.americanbluesscene.com/lang ... -vestapol/

New term for me. Such a great forum!

[Brian Evans]

I just read this, grabbed my Dynamic and tuned to EBEG#BE, I have .013 - .056 Chromes on, and it's perfect. Nice tuning, feels natural. Aside from the major chords, how does one think of minor or 7ths with this? There is the nice minor third with the root on the G# string, that's all I can see at first glance.

[Allan Revich]

I just read this, grabbed my Dynamic and tuned to EBEG#BE, I have .013 - .056 Chromes on, and it's perfect. Nice tuning, feels natural. Aside from the major chords, how does one think of minor or 7ths with this? There is the nice minor third with the root on the G# string, that's all I can see at first glance.

The simplest way to minor 7ths is to think of them as having no root note. So you’re already playing the minor 7th chord anywhere on the neck under a straight bar. IE/ Open E = C#m7