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Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:30 pm
by egosheep
I have seen Ric 12's in open tunings like G or E, but has anyone had any success tuning the octave strings to a different interval, like a fifth? Seems like it could be really strange sounding, like 6 little power chords.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:18 pm
by jps
Let us know how it works out!
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:44 pm
by tennis_nick
Well, not sure how that would sound... I suppose you could tune it to 4th and have everything you play sound like it belongs in the middle ages! it is God's intervall after all! hahaha!
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:45 pm
by egosheep
jps wrote:Let us know how it works out!
Send me a 12 and I'll get my notebook ready to record my findings!!
But seriously... no one has tried anything like this? 12 strings tuned to anything non octave? I guess maybe the tension would be too much.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:46 pm
by egosheep
tennis_nick wrote:Well, not sure how that would sound... I suppose you could tune it to 4th and have everything you play sound like it belongs in the middle ages! it is God's intervall after all! hahaha!
Yes! That's the sound!!!
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:56 pm
by jps
egosheep wrote:But seriously... no one has tried anything like this?
I used to do that a lot when I had a dulcimer; it works great, really.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:51 pm
by britinvasion
It never occurred to me to try a non-standard tuning with my 12's. I always thought it would be too much on the neck. Interesting thread.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:54 am
by jimk
I have thought of it, but never actually tried it. Maybe I've been too hasty, but I just don't want to spend the time messing about with retuning a 12 string. And if I were serious about this retuning thing, it would probably mean having a second 12 string guitar strictly for alternate tunings.
JimK
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:10 am
by egosheep
Maybe the neck could take the pairs being tuned in 5ths or something if it was downtuned a little to compensate.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:55 am
by doctorwho
egosheep wrote:Maybe the neck could take the pairs being tuned in 5ths or something if it was downtuned a little to compensate.
+1
IIRC, there is an old (perhaps very old) thread on this subject.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:58 am
by paologregorio
In the 1950s there was a "Stratosphere 12" string guitar that had alternate tunings for the harmony strings. I saw one during NAMM at the guitar geek festival , IIRC.
Re: Alternate tunings for 12 string pairs?
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:11 am
by jps
jimk wrote:And if I were serious about this retuning thing, it would probably mean having a second 12 string guitar strictly for alternate tunings.
JimK
And the problem with that is?
