Ray McCarthy
From:
New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2008 3:12 am |
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Can someone explain split tuning? I supposedly have that capability on my Derby SD-10, and I see the little set screws on the end plate, (that I think have something to do with it)but I have no idea what it's all about.
Derby SD-10, NV112, Truetone, Goodrich 120 |
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C Dixon
From:
Duluth, GA USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2008 5:15 pm
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The link that Steve provided should answer most of your questions. The info on that thread is very good, especially the post with those awesome graphics.
You also may wish to know WHERE you might use this:
1. If you have cases where you raise a string a whole tone: and you lower it a half a tone; and you would wish to make use of the "split" tone; then follow the suggestions in the linked posts.
2. The same applies if you lower a string a whole tone and you also raise it a half a tone, and you wish to use the split tone.
An example is this:
On Standard E9th tunings, there is a knee lever that lowers the 6th string G# to and F#. Buddy came up with this change in the early 70's. He used it on an album called "Suite Steel"; on the song "Yesterday" at the very end of the song.
Not all PSG's have this change.
But suppose you did, and you would like to have the G note while you engage that knee lever and the B pedal at the same time. Then you can use the "split" techniques in that other thread. Disregard the extra rod method; since you already have the "set screw" feature on your guitar.
The reason you have to "tune" this split note, has to do with a phenomenon that takes place on all stringed instruments. IE: It is not equa-distant between any two notes from a mechanical standpoint. That is: it takes MORE movement to raise a string a half a tone, than to lower it a half a tone. Thus splits are always sharp if you can't tune it.
So what all of those diagrams do is; you compensate for this by deliberately using the normal lowering adjustment to TUNE the SPLIT. But when you just want to lower that note it is TOO flat*.
So you then have to tune either a set screw or extra raise rod, to sharpen the lower note up to pitch. Thus the reason for the odd way of tuning when you make use of the split feature.
c.
* There is an exception to this: When you wish to split the A pedal with the knee lever that lowers 5 and 10 a half a tone. What you are after is a "C" note (in the open tuning).
But....
IF you tune to JI (Just intonation) the whole tone raise is far less than it would be if you tuned it straight up (ET-Equal temperament).
So in this case, on some guitars, the split note is NOT too sharp, rather it is too flat. I have this problem because I tune "harmonically pure". I know of no way to tune this split, and have the B to Bb come out in tune.
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A broken heart + † = a new heart. |
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