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Anyone struggling to tune up a 12 string? Here's a little help from Mr. Pythagoras
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| Captain Black |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 270 Location: Yorkshire, England | Pythagoras discovered the ratios of frequencies that made up the musical scale. A Pythagoran tuning method would be to start at a key other than C, so that the really bad sounds are all distant from C - In this method, F (our bad 5th) is closely related to C and so causes problems. So, we could start at (for instance) F#, or B perhaps, or some key like that, and tune pure 5ths from there! (Yes! Really!) This means we would get some nice chords in C and related keys. Again though,we would get one really bad 5th. You must be warned that this is no substitute for not being able to play the guitar properly, or being tone deaf. Another alternative to getting the tuning right, is to keep swapping tailpieces and/or altering intonation, until you are physically sick. If all else fails, go out and buy a really good guitar - eg. a Rickenbacker. Hope this helps! | ||
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| stephent28 |
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Joined: April 2004 Posts: 13303 Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | and you're trying to sell us on this concept? Is that why are you are in the "For Sale" section? :p | ||
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| Old Man Arthur |
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Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777 Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | "You must be warned that this is no substitute for not being able to play the guitar properly, or being tone deaf."---Add to that 'having no rhythm'. So, what you're saying is that this will do me No Good. | ||
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| Paul Templeman |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750 Location: Scotland | This applies to any instrument using equal temperament, not just 12-string guitars. Equal temperament, is always a compromise. The skill of the guitar maker pretty much determines how much of a compromise. Simple tricks like moving the nut a little closer to the first have been used for years by savvy luthiers to sweeten up lower position chords. Then of course there's Buzz Feinten's "System" The alternative is to have the guitar tuned and fretted in "Just Temperament" as opposed to equal temperament. The problem then is you need a different fret layout for every key, so it's hardly practical, though it has been attempted by several bulders. Some have made guitars with interchangable fretboards. Others have divided the scale in 31 instead of 12 frets which, if you can figure out how to play it, allows you to find the sweet spots in almost every key. | ||
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| 2ifbyC |
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| Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6268 Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | ... and waning... | ||
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| Jeff W. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039 Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I'm with Moody... 4 frets are enough | ||
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| Steve |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900 | I wonder if Pythagoras ever discovered harmonics? With a straight neck and dressed frets my guitar tunes very well everywhere when I tune by harmonics. | ||
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| MWoody |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13996 Location: Upper Left USA | Pie are round, Cobbler are square - or rectangle. Hippopotanus are River critters and Walmart Mommas. Ask Miles what a Bremolo is. | ||
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| Steve |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900 | ..Gesundheit!... ;) | ||
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| Captain Black |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 270 Location: Yorkshire, England | OK ! So I've posted in the wrong section ! | ||
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| Capo Guy |
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Joined: December 2004 Posts: 4394 Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by Captain Black: You drive on the wrong side of the road too. :DOK ! So I've posted in the wrong section ! | ||
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| AussieJames |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 3084 Location: Brisbane Australia | So do we!! Not to mention upside down as well!! :D :D AJ | ||
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| Captain Black |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 270 Location: Yorkshire, England | Thanks for your support, Jim ! (I was just following on from the `Items for sale' article, where the discussion went onto 12 string tunings.) I love to bore you all with `Well tempering' and 'Meantone tempering' ...... but you are all my friends and have done nothing wrong to me. By the way, guys & gals, keep it musical in the general secton or risk being excommunicated. | ||
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| bvince |
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Joined: September 2005 Posts: 3619 Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Hey Clyde, It didn't really bother me at all. Just a simple oversight. I find myself doing that kind of thing a lot now that I'm getting older. (; | ||
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| Trader Jim |
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Joined: June 2006 Posts: 7307 Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Captain Black: :DBy the way, guys & gals, keep it musical in the general secton or risk being excommunicated. | ||
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| 2ifbyC |
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| Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6268 Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Captain Black: By the way, guys & gals, keep it musical in the general section or risk being excommunicated. ![]() | ||
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Anyone struggling to tune up a 12 string? Here's a little help from Mr. Pythagoras