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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| After seeing the last question could one of you guy's tell me if there is alternate tunings that sound good on a 12 string I figure the high strings must be able to do other things I have tried a few ideas but I always go back to the only standard way I know? Thanks Randy |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Any alternate tuning used for 6-string guitar will work well on a 12-string, but light strings with down-tuning can sound weak. For regular tuning on a 12-string I like to use heavy strings and tune down 2 whole steps.
Another tuning option is, instead of tuning the pairs in octaves or unisons, tune some or all of the pairs in 5ths. You'll need to play around with the string gauges for this to work but it's a very cool sound. Speedy West famously played a Stratosphere doulbleneck guitar where the 12-string neck was tuned in 3rds. There's probably other intervals which will work, I guess a 2nd would sound pretty interesting. Watch out though, these "interval" Tunings are good for melodic stuff but make chords just about impossible to play |
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Location: Athens, GA & Gnashville | Take the "other" 6 strings off and tune to standard. ;) :D |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I often use a drop D tuning on my 12 string. I only know a few real songs that way but it sounds nice to noodle around. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | Paul
Are there any problems when you use the heavier gage strings down two frets? I have been somewhat possessed lately trying to figure which way to focus with the next instrument.
What would you say is the "perfect" 12 string set-up? |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | No problems at all. The heavier guages mean that the tension is about the same as a light set a concert pitch, so it feels pretty much the same & the strings don't flap about like they do when you tune down a regular set. Sounds huge.
I've pretty much settled on these gauges:
13/13 17/17 14/30 18/40 27/47 35/56 |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | What Paul is suggesting sounds similar to what Leo Kottke does on his 12-strings.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
1981 Ovation 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Ovation 1777-4 Legend 6-string |
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December 2003
Posts: 420
Location: On the beach in Southwest Florida | I have often thought about doing what Goober said (a very scary thought there)as I have wide fingers. Has anyone actually done this & what was the result? |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | 12-string guitars are braced heavier than 6-strings to cope with the extra tension, so they don't work particularly well with 6-strings missing. Ovation make some 6 string guitars with the same nut width as the 12-strings. |
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December 2003
Posts: 420
Location: On the beach in Southwest Florida | Would heavier strings help solve that problem? I've also always wondered what would happen with using 6 wound strings in that situation. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | The solution is a wider neck. The standard is 1 11/16 and I admit I've gotten to wherer I can't play that anymore. (Got spoilt on old Nationals and Collings) I like 1 3/4 which gives you 1 1/2 string spacing. Doesn't sound like much of a difference but it is. The wide neck Adamas and the folklore are already here. I'm having a new neck for my 84 C-Series made so I can play that one again. Now I just got to get rid of all these skinny necked round plastic backed gitters I've had for years and don't play anymore. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Bill, if you were serious, we'd talk.
I've got a buddy who has just special ordered a guitar that will have the Folklore neck on it just for this very reason. He found that his regular Ovations (and other guitars) had necks that were just a little too tight for his fat fingers. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | I'm not an expert but I've played around with alt tunings. I like Open G - DGDGBD.
In standard tuning I suggest playing with 3 finger chordings for E A2 B4 Cm4 Fm Gm etc. It brings out the heart of the instrument. |
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12 String Tuning
