Tom Morrell's tuning on 8 string

Bill McCloskey · Posted 23 May 2010 7:19 am

I've been playing with Tom Morrell's tuning on the back neck of the Dual 8 Pro and it is really a nice tuning for blues and jazz. I'm using just the bottom 8 notes of the tuning, since I don't have a 10 string. But there is so much just laid out for you for single note work. I've heard some people say they drop the bottom E, but for me, it is great to have that to do some alternating bass picking that I'm used to doing on an acoustic.

I'm thinking of moving it to the front neck.

Orville Johnson · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

what would that tuning be?

Bill McCloskey · Posted 23 May 2010 9:11 am

From bottom to top: E D E F# G# B C# E

Bill McCloskey · Posted 23 May 2010 11:38 am

I've decided to try an experiment. putting the bottom 8 strings of the Morrell 10 string tuning on my closer neck and the top 8 strings on the further neck. Means not having c6 to play with for a while, but I have the Clinesmith coming.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 27 May 2010 3:51 am

Well, gang. Here is the results of the experiment.

I split the Morrell tuning onto the front and back necks of my Fender 8 dual pro.

The first thing I discovered was that looking at the tuning in 8 strings, rather than 10, helped me understand the tuning better and it is really clear just how powerful a tuning it is. Everything is laid out for you.

The second thing I discovered, is that it doesn't work split across two necks. The difference in tones between the two necks and the difficulty of smoothly shifting between necks, kills a lot of the value you'd have if it was on one neck.

I guess I'll have to have Todd build me a 10 string next.

ebb · From: nj

can you say which compromise you think worked better

i would guess the lower

Bill McCloskey · Posted 27 May 2010 8:00 am

Both have their strengths and weaknesses. On the bottom part, you have that strong 7th chord and the alternating bass capacabilites. The high part of the tuning has nice a nice minor seventh laid out which is not on the lower part. Really need them both together.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

You could have both by eliminating the 2 lowest Es. You really don't need the 10th and 8th strings.
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Bill McCloskey · Posted 27 May 2010 8:28 am

I don't know. I loved having those two bottom e's. Creates a really fat chord and I like being able to do alternating bass stuff.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I know what you mean, but that's not really what that tuning is about. I don't think Tom used string 10 much at all.

If you want to try a great 8 string tuning, I recommend E9: E B G# F# D B G# E, from the top down. It is extremely versatile and you can actually play stuff on the bass strings, particularly riffs, like boogie woogie patterns and stuff like that. It's a tuning I learned from listening to Buddy Emmons and Speedy West. If you tune the 2nd string to C#, you get the E13 that Noel Boggs used, which is also excellent.
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Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Yes, it is. I transcribed Buddy's Boogie and adapted it for non-pedal (he played it on his Sho-Bud 8 string). Speedy used it, too.

Bill, here is the version of the Morrell tuning I use: E D C A G E C Bb.
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Bill McCloskey · Posted 27 May 2010 9:02 am

Thanks for the tip Mike.

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