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Topic: Who first put on the two top strings of E-flat and F# |
Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 22 May 2012 3:45 pm |
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I can relate to the F# String, but when was the
inverted strings of E-Flat and F# added above the G# string. Who first came up with this, which eventually was called the E9th tuning ? I'm sure this has been discussed before but I missed it.
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Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall of Fame, 1992 |
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Mitch Daniels
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Posted 22 May 2012 3:55 pm
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 23 May 2012 6:34 am
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I'm sure Mitch is correct.
Buddy originally had the chromatic strings on the bottom and then moved them to the top. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 23 May 2012 10:08 am
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Buddy talked about it once in an old post on the forum. What Erv said is correct--he had the chromatic strings on the bottom first to get used to them. I think at the time he had some recording sessions and didn't want to interfere with what he knew, but his intentions were to move them to the top all along.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
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Posted 23 May 2012 1:03 pm
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D# is the 7th interval in the E major scale. F# is the 2nd and 9th interval in the E major scale.
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Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
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Kirk Eipper
From:
Arroyo Grande, Ca.
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Posted 24 May 2012 6:07 am
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Buddy
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www.kirkeipper.com |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 24 May 2012 1:26 pm
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For years on my non-pedal 3-neck I used a tuning given to me by Herb Remington in the 40's where the bottom three strings (8-string neck) were tuned back up the scale as follows 8th string = F#, 7th string =Eb, 6tring Bb. The top five strings was a C#minor tuning with a high G# down to a middle E. I wonder if this tuning gave any ideas to Buddy as he started out as a non-pedal player.
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Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall of Fame, 1992 |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 May 2012 3:56 pm
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Here's what Buddy Wrote on the subject about 10 years ago...
Carl has pretty much of the history nailed except that I added the F# and D# at the same time, which was after Jimmy Day added an E to the middle of the tuning and Ralph added the high G#.
As for the Herb Remington story, my 1954 triple neck Bigsby came with the same inverted tuning that Joaquin, Speedy West and Herb all used, so I too had the tuning before I ever played a Sho~Bud. It was somewhat limited in its use so I removed it after a year or so and used the third neck to experiment with.
It makes a good story to say that I got the idea from someone else or from the inverted tuning itself, but the thought behind the F# and D# notes was to fill the gap between the G# and C# pedal note of the E9th tuning. The old West/Murphey/ Remington inverted tuning was structured around an F#9th chord or Bb m7 b5 chord and never came close to serving that purpose, with or without pedals.
The reason behind the F# and D# ending up as 9th and 10th strings of the Sho~Bud is because I was touring with Ray Price and played a Sho~Bud permanent model that was impossible to change without a blowtorch. I felt that the E9th diatonic theory was a good idea and putting it on as soon as it hit me would give me time to test it on the road and either scrap it or keep exploring. The only logical place to keep it apart from the rest of the tuning was on strings 9 and 10, so that's where they went until I got off the road and could take the guitar to Shot to change.
As it turned out, I liked the sound but a recording session with Ray was scheduled before I could get to Shot, so I recorded "You Took Her Off My Hands" with the strings in the 9th and 10th positions. Had I been playing a road guitar with a changeable mechanism, I would have originally structured the tuning as it is today and the bottom string controversy would have never existed. |
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Jerry Roller
From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 10:55 pm
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Before the F# and D# strings were used, someone, and I suspected that it was Buddy put the high octave F# down under the I think 5th string G# So as far as I know the F# came before the D# was added. I was so far out of the loop with no one to show me anything this may not be correct at all but that is the sequence as I recall. At that time I used the high octave F# under the G# for a while as it seemed to be the current thing and I was without the 8th string E, as I recall it was a D-8. On second thought I believe it was an 8 string D9 tuning so it went F#, D, A, F#, high E, C, A, D. (I think). That was in the late 50's. The high E was first a lower octave E but someone put a high octave E in its place for a unique lick but otherwise it was pretty much in the way.
Jerry |
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