The Steel Guitar Forum

Since there are a few threads going on double necks it might be time to poise a question since I am new to a double 8. The question is this, do most multi-neck players use more than one neck on a particular song in general, or just have two tunings ready to go for different songs on each neck?

Gary, if you need to use both of them, you do, if you can get everything you need from one, you don't. Whatever tools you need to do the job is what you use.

Although Chas is right on the money as usual, I've never found a situation where I used both necks on the same song. I believe there are people out there who do this, but I'm not one of them.

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Back in the olden days, Noel Boggs jumped back and forth across his 4-neck Fender thro-out a single song. Tuned differently, they gave him wide ranging chord variations not otherwise possible in a single tuning...
Speedy West, routinely played on more than one neck in a single tune in order to create the distinctive style that made his playing world famous.
As mentioned earlier..........use what you choose as you feel you need it. Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.

Pick a song, determine the best tuning for the sound you want then play it. If it lacks something in the chorus or whatever that your second tuning can offer, then apply that.....as required.
Be CREATIVE!

A lot of us played both necks on a D8
on the same song. I did it on most every song to get different chords....al

A common approach for a Western Swing player using an A6th & E13th setup would be to play a chorus of single notes or double or triple stops on the A neck then end with a strum run on the E neck neck across all 8 strings.
Hawaiian steeler, Duke ching, plays a Fender quad and often using all 4 necks in a single tune. I play only 6-stringers these days. "Ya use what ya got"!

Good insight to my question as usual on the forum. Needed some insight since moving from a 6 string to a double 8 was like going from checkers to chess. I have been doing the Jerry Byrd course which gives good exposure to different tuning. Thought I had seen some double neckers use more than one on a song and was interested in the replies.

Howdy Gary!I'll often use a different neck in the same song if I'm going to take two choruses in a row,just so the second ride sounds a little different from the first.

I like to go from my C6 or A6 neck to the E13 (tuned, l-h: E-G#-B-D-F#-G#-C#-E) when I want/need a really "messed-up" jazz sound, especially in a jump blues or swing tune. It contains some great chords, including one of my all-time faves, the m6 on strings 6-5-4-3.

I say use whatever tools, tunings, objects, etc., at your disposal. As long as something is musical in context, then it's all legit, in my book.

TJW