My D13TH 12 string tuning

[David Munson]

I'm pouring a Stella and going to the studio to study this breakthrough....

The main reason is string breakage on G# and I'm always up for the latest break through.

Do you have any chord grips in chart form? Your video is wonderful but it's complicated if you haven't played all your life.

I have a slight visual learning problem on my Uni 12 and put a bronze string on 7 (F#) and I also change the fret markers to the C and D frets.

Don Curtis came over one night and started to play and stopped and said WTF.... I replied "You told me anything goes"

I convinced him to go to a Uni-12 from his double neck. He had Excel build him one better than mine with 2 see saw levers. HOWEVER...

Your tuning might be the cats meow..... I will study it tonight. Thank you for the inspiration

[Johnny Cox]

I'm pouring a Stella and going to the studio to study this breakthrough....

The main reason is string breakage on G# and I'm always up for the latest break through.

Do you have any chord grips in chart form? Your video is wonderful but it's complicated if you haven't played all your life.

I have a slight visual learning problem on my Uni 12 and put a bronze string on 7 (F#) and I also change the fret markers to the C and D frets.

Don Curtis came over one night and started to play and stopped and said WTF.... I replied "You told me anything goes"

I convinced him to go to a Uni-12 from his double neck. He had Excel build him one better than mine with 2 see saw levers. HOWEVER...

Your tuning might be the cats meow..... I will study it tonight. Thank you for the inspiration

I don't have anything in tab or chart form. All the E9th type grips are pretty much the same except you skip over the 5th string. It's really easy to adapt to. I wish I had time to do an instructional video but I don't right now.

[Johnny Cox]

Wow, this tuning looks great. I've never been tempted by the standard Universal tuning becuase, like many pros point out, you're missing out on a lot of D10 sounds. What has always bugged me about the D10 is that it's really two different instruments. None of the pedals or knee levers do the same thing on either neck. This D13 looks like it really captures everything from both necks of the D10 into one tuning. You can just play what you want without switching necks and having to re-think everything.

Steve, it really does capture everything. The timbre is so great too. With the configuration I'm using now there is more than a D10 8x5 on S12 6x6.

[David Munson]

I'm a B6 - E9 half-ass player.

I went down stairs and played the notes and the lever pulls and I hear a lot of dissident notes.

I have to admit I'm not a single note player, and more of a rhythm guitar player.

How about someone showing some simple songs keys of E - D - A and G with 1-4-5 chords?

Then C6- Chords of 1-4-5 Route 66?

Sorry if I don't get it.

[Stefan Robertson]

As a non-pedal E13 geek I have to say that this seems all a little bit more complex than it needs to be.

For reference check my tuning on my site.

If I had a 12 pedal steel I would do the following. probably not need so many pedals and levers.

12th string F < down to E and then down to Eb - giving 7th with no slants/ Aug on the bottom end

3rd and 8th B string would go down C giving Aug & 7th alt

High F#s would go to G# on a pedal at the same time D would change to D# Giving more chord and high speed single string stuff.

That is it. Its more a question of how easy do you need it to be.

My 2

[Johnny Cox]

As a non-pedal E13 geek I have to say that this seems all a little bit more complex than it needs to be.

For reference check my tuning on my site.

If I had a 12 pedal steel I would do the following. probably not need so many pedals and levers.

12th string F < down to E and then down to Eb - giving 7th with no slants/ Aug on the bottom end

3rd and 8th B string would go down C giving Aug & 7th alt

High F#s would go to G# on a pedal at the same time D would change to D# Giving more chord and high speed single string stuff.

That is it. Its more a question of how easy do you need it to be.

My 2

There are a multitude of setups one could use on this tuning. I've had as low as 6 pedals and 5 knees but 8x6 is what works best for me.

[Roger Rettig]

Bumping this to the top simply because I think it should be kept current because of its importance.

I checked MSA, but their lead-time for a new guitar is off-putting at 'at least 18 months'.

How about Excel? Is there a website and does anyone know the price of a new 12-string with the required '8+6'?

How much would it be?, I wonder.

[Dale Rottacker]

Bumping this to the top simply because I think it should be kept current because of its importance.
How about Excel? Is there a website and does anyone know the price of a new 12-string with the required '8+6'?

How much would it be?, I wonder.

Here's their website Roger... you may want to call Johnny Cox as well... he had his D13 For Sale recently, but it may be gone. I'm not sure.

https://fuzzypsg.com/int/

[Roger Rettig]

Thanks, Dale.

I messaged Johnny but, so far, haven't had a response.

[Roger Rettig]

Johnny:

You have a chart on the previous page of this thread showing a 6 + 6 set-up.

However, just above on this page you said:

"There are a multitude of setups one could use on this tuning. I've had as low as 6 pedals and 5 knees but 8x6 is what works best for me."

Have you got a chart showing your 8+6 set-up? (I'd want 'Day' pedals.)

I'm considering a new guitar for this venture: I don't want to come up short on pedals and knees. I'm just beginning to assimilate the scope of this tuning so all its advantages aren't immediately apparent to me.

The required 'splits' would be useful, too.

Thank you,

[Lee Gauthier]

Hey Roger, this thread https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=372290 has a bunch of good examples of possible D13 copedents. I play day and this is what I have on my guitar right now:



P7 and RKR split string 12 to B
P3 and LKVR split strings 6 and 11 to Bb
P6 has a half stop to D# on string 4

Down the road when I'm more cozy with the "C6" side of things I'd like to make a website or youtube channel of D13 learning materials.

[Dave Magram]

Check out the demo video Johnny posted on YouTube:
"D13TH on SD12 MSA Legend"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O50XMV0Wbyk&t=707s

- Dave