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Topic: Alternative tuning to E13th on my T8 suggestions ? |
Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 11:31 am |
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I have my fender stringmaster setup to C6th, A6th, and E13th. I play both the C6th and A6th quite a bit but I have found the E13th Don Helms tuning too "shrill" for my ears...part of that may be due to my playing...I acknowledge that  or  But I was curious as to maybe another tuning that you guys might suggest...I have heard of the E13th Leon McAuliffe tuning, but dont know anything about it. I have found that I can use the C6th for most of the "hank williams" sounds that I like to hear. I am open to suggestions for changing the E13th, but at this point I am content with having the A6th and C6th tunings, even tho it may seem redundant to have them both. Thanks in advance for suggestions. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 12:18 pm
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E9 is a great and very useful and full sounding tuning:
E
B
G#
F#
D
B
G#
E
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 6 Apr 2014 8:59 pm
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Mike's E9 has most of what I like about the Leon E13... the middle D F# G# B are a great 'Stormy Monday' chord, you get the dom7 too... but I'd be missing the 6 on the high course. Since you've got two 6 tunings you might prefer the E9, but the E13 is common for a reason. You won't know until you string it up and play with it.
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2014 8:47 am
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Rather than the redundance of 3 similar tunings, why not tune your third neck to either the Leavitt tuning or ....gosh....I'm having a senior moment here.......the scale tone based tuning.....what is that called? 
But anyway,that would give you some real variety in your sound. I only play resonator these days. But I use C6 with a reentrant D on top and am working some with G6 as well. As much as it is kind of the same tuning, it may seem to some to be redundant. But some tunes are easier to play on one than the other. And some keys are easier to get a better sound out of on one than the other. So I may very well end up keeping both of those in spite of their similarities.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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Chris Sattler
From:
Hunter Valley, Australia
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Posted 8 Apr 2014 4:48 pm
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Hi larry.
I too acquired a T8 stringmaster on the same day as you. I too have been wondering about tunings. I am running a C13, A6 and Levitt (With a D and G on top two strings). the levitt is real interesting and will stay on this guitar although the jury is still out about the top two strings.
I do find the C13 (which is basically a C6 with Bb for 8th string) very similar to the A6 and have wondered about the necessity of two similar tunings as well. I prefer the C13 to the straight A6 and the A6 may be changed to perhaps an E7 or E9 later.
Good luck. I'd be interested in knowing what you settle on.
Chris |
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Jamie Mitchell
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 8 Apr 2014 5:32 pm
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E B G# E D C# B A ?
I don't have an 8-string, but I'm dying to try that tuning on one... |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2014 10:06 pm
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When people write out their tuning the horizontal long way, it's often hard to tell what they mean. When I was casting about for a second tuning, complimentary to C6th for a D10, one adamant requirement was this relation of the top four, or 2-5 (3-6?) with a re-bass-ackward string or two:
8
5
3
1
or:
6
8
5
3
1
or:
7
6
8
5
3
1
The reason being that there's a specific repertoire of a half-jillion slide guitar songs that I already know that use that. Yes, I should learn better blocking on a 6th inside there. Yes, I know heavy bar/go-west-young-speedy/wrist strength etc. But, I have never, ever heard a steel player with a 10 oz. bar and a 6th note in the middle play "Statesboro Blues" with all the snap, tingle, barely repressed danger and AUTHORITY of Allman or Trucks.
Not even close... If it "can" be done, where'd it go?  I ended up with this 10-string tuning in G:
G
D
B
G
E
D
B
G
E
B
It's got my 8-5-3-1 on top, and the interior relationships of this:
B -5
G# -3
F# -2
D -7
can be had in a couple of ways with a few twists. And fortunately for an eighter, the lowest two strings are pretty much useless! Fortunately for me too, as the next time through I 'll tack a few of the bass-rack re-wardoer goofballs up top.  |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2014 3:48 am
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i agree about the Helms E13 being pitched high and when you have a T-8 and are sitting around at home after playing the C6 and esp the A6, then jump to the E13, it sounds way to tinny and shrill. but - when you are playing with a band you begin to understand the value in that high pitched tuning - it allows you to really cut thru the mix where the other 2 tunings are in the guitarist range so you can muddy up the band mix if you aren't very careful and selective. that hi E13 just pops right out and will raise the hair on your neck.
oh - one other thing i've discovered - you can't just leave your amp settings the same and then start jumping necks expecting similar tonal results. the ideal eq settings for C6/A6 and E13 are going to be different. if you play C6 most of the time and have the amp set that way, then jump to E13 its gonna sound thin. now if you eq for the E13 and then jump to the A6, its gonna sound too muddy. just the way it is. its just a small tweak thats needed, but you can hear it.
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 9 Apr 2014 7:07 am
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| Jerome, thanks for that suggestion...and you are right about the cutting thru part...I notice that even when playing regular guitar, that until I switch to the neck pickup, it is hard to cut thru the band, even tho in my "living room" I would prefer the sound of both pickups or the bridge pickup...I carry two amps, one for guitar and one for steel, and I will experiment with the settings on the steel amp per your suggestion...thanks again ! |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2014 8:30 am
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| Jerome Hawkes wrote: |
i agree about the Helms E13 being pitched high and when you have a T-8 and are sitting around at home after playing the C6 and esp the A6, then jump to the E13, it sounds way to tinny and shrill. but - when you are playing with a band you begin to understand the value in that high pitched tuning - it allows you to really cut thru the mix where the other 2 tunings are in the guitarist range so you can muddy up the band mix if you aren't very careful and selective. that hi E13 just pops right out and will raise the hair on your neck.
oh - one other thing i've discovered - you can't just leave your amp settings the same and then start jumping necks expecting similar tonal results. the ideal eq settings for C6/A6 and E13 are going to be different. if you play C6 most of the time and have the amp set that way, then jump to E13 its gonna sound thin. now if you eq for the E13 and then jump to the A6, its gonna sound too muddy. just the way it is. its just a small tweak thats needed, but you can hear it. |
This is exactly why I usually stick to the C6 tuning on my resonator. It has a good tonal range to sing out above the other instruments. The G6 has a tendency to get lost among the other sounds in the band.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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