String configurations for twelve string guitar

distressed_romeo · 01-15-2008, 09:36 AM

Has anyone tried any string configurations on the twelve string other than the usual octave/unison arrangement? Here are a few I've found people have used in the past.

John Butler removes the high G and plays on eleven strings, which makes the instrument less trebly, especially in open tunings.
I just head about a singer-songwriter called Swati (check guitarplayer.com) who removes all the octave strings, and only plays with the top two strings doubled for a faux-chorus effect.
Old blues guys used to play nine-string guitars that only had the top three strings doubled. Matt Pike from High on Fire has a First Act guitar with this arrangement. I imagine it would be pretty cool for slide and clawhammer playing.
Pat Metheny and Chris Squire have both played double-course guitars tuned in fifths rather than octaves.
Ralph Towner and Michael Manaring have tried the same thing, but often have a different interval between the strings of each course.
Brian May apparently has an acoustic twelve with the octave strings on the bottom of each course rather than the top.

Has anyone tried anything anything else, like an all-octave tuning with octave4plus strings?

Ishan · 01-15-2008, 12:52 PM

I love what BC Rich do with those 10 strings bich, never tried one but I might get one of the korean made in a distant future

distressed_romeo · 01-16-2008, 10:59 AM

Just thought of another one...

Leave off all the lower octave strings, so it's like Nashville tuning, and then double each string with a unison one. Bet it would sound pretty interesting...

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01-15-2008, 09:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
distressed_romeo Sumerian 7string Sorcery Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Eleven-day Empire Posts: 9,474 Real Name: I have many... Main Seven: C7 Hellraiser/LTD M207 Main ERG: Aria bass tuned in fifths Rig: Sombras Que Corta Thanked: 170	String configurations for twelve string guitar Has anyone tried any string configurations on the twelve string other than the usual octave/unison arrangement? Here are a few I've found people have used in the past. John Butler removes the high G and plays on eleven strings, which makes the instrument less trebly, especially in open tunings. I just head about a singer-songwriter called Swati (check guitarplayer.com) who removes all the octave strings, and only plays with the top two strings doubled for a faux-chorus effect. Old blues guys used to play nine-string guitars that only had the top three strings doubled. Matt Pike from High on Fire has a First Act guitar with this arrangement. I imagine it would be pretty cool for slide and clawhammer playing. Pat Metheny and Chris Squire have both played double-course guitars tuned in fifths rather than octaves. Ralph Towner and Michael Manaring have tried the same thing, but often have a different interval between the strings of each course. Brian May apparently has an acoustic twelve with the octave strings on the bottom of each course rather than the top. Has anyone tried anything anything else, like an all-octave tuning with octave4plus strings? 'If one octave isn't interesting then who the hell cares about the others?!' Diamanda Galas http://farsideguitars.blogspot.com/

01-15-2008, 12:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ishan 0xDEADBEEF Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Paris, France. Posts: 1,697 Real Name: Yoann Main Seven: Schecter TwinTribal (2x6) Main ERG: 30" Intrepid Pro soon :) Rig: Koch Studiotone+2x12 Thanked: 10	I love what BC Rich do with those 10 strings bich, never tried one but I might get one of the korean made in a distant future Meshuggah's Drunken Sponge Extraordinaire About Ozzy and Zakk : "I much rather have the earth swallow them both up, and spit out a confused Randy Rhoads, talking about falling asleep in a plane and waking up in 2007." - Noodles Become one of us or die, fuckers. - Rick Bloody Murder #5

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01-16-2008, 10:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
distressed_romeo Sumerian 7string Sorcery Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Eleven-day Empire Posts: 9,474 Real Name: I have many... Main Seven: C7 Hellraiser/LTD M207 Main ERG: Aria bass tuned in fifths Rig: Sombras Que Corta Thanked: 170	Just thought of another one... Leave off all the lower octave strings, so it's like Nashville tuning, and then double each string with a unison one. Bet it would sound pretty interesting...


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String configurations for twelve string guitar