E13 variations

[Rose Sinclair]

Hi Formites-

Looking for variations of the E13 tuning. I currently use Leon McAuliffe's E13 (low to high: E G# D F# G# B C# E) but thinking about putting a 3 on top or something of that nature...

Chime in, please!

[Andy Volk]

Rose, here's the top 8 strings from Tom Morell's 10-string tuning:

G#
F#
E
C#
B
G#
F#
E

[Jeff Mead]

My E13 with high G# is:

G#
E
C#
B
G#
E
D
B

This is Don Helms' E6 on the top 3 strings with a 7th thrown in lower down. I mainly use it on "Hank Heavy" gigs. I mostly prefer Leon's E13 though.

[Dana Duplan]

My E13 with high G# is:

G#
E
C#
B
G#
E
D
B

This is Don Helms' E6 on the top 3 strings with a 7th thrown in lower down. I mainly use it on "Hank Heavy" gigs. I mostly prefer Leon's E13 though.

Same E13 I use--works good for Rockabilly kind of stuff too.

[Rose Sinclair]

All good stuff! Thank you!

[David M Brown]

There's the Jules Ah See version:

https://ilapsteel.wordpress.com/e13th-j ... rd-layout/

Thanks Stefan!

Jules Ah See (from Ely's site)

E13th
E (64)
C# (61)
G# (56)
F# (54)
D (50)
B (47)
G# (44)
E (40)

[Rick Barnhart]

[Stefan Robertson]

My E13#9/F

12 string

Lo - Hi

Notes

F- G - G# - B - D - E - F# - G# - b - c# - e -f#

[Stefan Robertson]

Intervals:

b9 - #9 - 3 - 5 - b7 - R - 9 - 3 - 5 - 13 - R - 9

in C it would be

Db - D# - E -G- Bb - C -D-E-g -a -c -d

[Abe Levy]

My 8 string E13

1.E
2.C#
3.B
4.G#
5.F#
6.E
7.D
8.B

I use it about 1/4 as much as C6 as I am still learning it. I really like it for single string stuff but find the C6 more versatile. On my 10 string I add a high G# and a low E.

[Bob Watson]

The Jules Ah See tuning is the same as the E13 tuning that Noel Boggs used. I like it because I can go to a G6 tuning without changing strings. I have an 8 string Dobro tuned to G6. Sometimes I'll tune the low E (8th string) in the G6 tuning to an F to make it a G13 tuing, or I'll tune the low G (7th string) to a G# to make it a GC/E7 tuning. Both variations give you a triad used for a 13th chord or a #9 chord. The D,G# and C# in the E13 tuning gives you the same intervals for the same 13th or #9 triad.

E13, Low to high, ( E G# B D F# G# C# E )

Here is the G6,....,( E G B D E G B D )

[Stefan Robertson]

My 8 string E13

1.E
2.C#
3.B
4.G#
5.F#
6.E
7.D
8.B

I use it about 1/4 as much as C6 as I am still learning it. I really like it for single string stuff but find the C6 more versatile. On my 10 string I add a high G# and a low E.

nice. That is my strings 2 - 10. Without the 9th on top you are missing out on the action

Also the #9 gives you sweet m9 chords that flow nicely in 7b13's. It would be good though if we stay in contact. As you are pretty much same as me

[Guy Cundell]

The Jules Ah See tuning is the same as the E13 tuning that Noel Boggs used. E13, Low to high, ( E G# B D F# G# C# E

That's very interesting. So the only difference between the Jules Ah See and the McAuliffe E13 (E G# D F# G# B C# E) is which register the 5th (B) is placed.

Are there any Boggs tracks in particular that lead you to that conclusion, Bob?

[Mike Neer]

I like the Boggs E13 tuning, for one because if you are using a 6th based tuning, you already have the 5th and 6th scale degrees on adjacent strings, so this tuning avoids that while still offering strings tuned a major 2nd apart, just at the 2nd and 3rd degrees.

The other thing I love is the ability to play great stuff on the bass strings. You can also easily tune the C# down to B for an E9 tuning, which is equally cool.

However, Russ Blake would be a good person to get input from. He does amazing stuff on the Leon tuning, I believe.

[Andy Volk]

I don't have a copy of my own Slide Rules book in front of me, but off the top of my head, the Jules version of E13th is what Ralph Kolsiana used for this performance of Night and Day:

https://soundcloud.com/aev/ralph-kolsiana

[Bob Watson]

Guy, I did a lot of research trying to figure out what would be a good E13 tuning to try out since it was such a popular tuning back in the day, and also because it seemed obvious that the popular non pedal D8 tunings were E13 for the top neck and C6 for the back neck, which must have been how the E9 and C6 tunings on pedal steel evolved. I discovered Noel Boggs E13 tuning from doing various google searches, most of which led me to steel forum threads. I just noticed that Jules Ah See's E13th was the same as what Noel Boggs used. Noel Boggs used a few different tunings. Try doing a search for "Noel Boggs", there is a thread that mentions a few songs he played on the E13 tuning. I have just started to scratch the surface of this tuning, I haven't tried it on a gig yet.

[Tom Cooper]

I posted similar question about E13 some yrs ago, actually about combination Hank/Bob Wills tuning, and got respond from Chris Scruggs. He suggested seversal one of which I still use to this day. It is E(heavy gauge low) D F# G# B C# E G#. I tried swing versions, Vance, Boggs, etc but really missed the high G#. I just gotta have it. I am not as sophisticate player thought. I do find that lowering F# to E helps for jazz standard melodies. But I am just getting into that stuff. Love E13. Really cuts and has pretty tone.

[K Maul]

I use (lo)EBDF#G#BC#E(hi) a lot because the low E and B are useful for backup riffs when there is only one guitar player and me up front. I sometimes change the F# to E. Very "vanilla" but melodic.

[Tom Cooper]

Yes. That is exactly my experience. I really wish I could get my high G# and low B as well. Would need a D10 non pedal I guess. Or a single E13 10 or 12 string guitar.

[Stefan Robertson]

Yes. That is exactly my experience. I really wish I could get my high G# and low B as well. Would need a D10 non pedal I guess. Or a single E13 10 or 12 string guitar.

Yep 12 will do it.

Join the party. Long live E13

[Thiel Hatt]

Here's what I came up with for E13th. Going from high to low.....F#-D#-G#-E-C#-B-G#-E-D.....You counted right, that's 9 strings. My non-pedal is a Triple neck 9 string. Bottom neck C6th - middle neck E13th- outside neck A6th....

[Webb Kline]

My 8 string E13

1.E
2.C#
3.B
4.G#
5.F#
6.E
7.D
8.B

This is what I've landed on for the last year and I'm loving it. You can get 1, 6, 2, 5, 1m, #9, m7, Dom 7, 9th, 6ths, and diminished all inside of 2 frets, plus you can do chromatic runs on 2 frets, pentatonics are a breeze, and you can to A, B pedal simulations up on the 5th fret from root, plus a plethora of great chords. Having the Dom 7 next to the root is great too. I don't know if you're still gigging with Wayne, but I think that tuning would work great with a lot of his material. I use it in conjunction with C6 on lot of songs.

[Abe Levy]

Webb- nice to know I'm not alone! Now if I could find all the chords you're finding!

[Stefan Robertson]

Webb- nice to know I'm not alone! Now if I could find all the chords you're finding!

I'm right here with you. Message me and we can arrange a video chat. I live solely on E13 which to me has all the voicings C6th I've come across. Just 4 frets higher plus some cool chords c6th doesn't have.

[Former Member]

Hey everybody, I've got a 10 string ..
E13 looks like a good choice. I've gotten some suggestions,
How would YOU set it up? In C , G ? I know I'd have to make my own transcripts, wish to do all kinds of music, in a chord melody sort of way...
1. - gauge?
2. ----
3. etc...
It would be nice to stop chasing the mythical tuning..