Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Thought this interesting and to share, don't know if you guys have ever heard of this. Apparently they do it in Nashville. The Stones used a 12 string and a 6 string highstrung on "Wild Horses". I was reading about it in Guitar Player Mag. I had never heard of it. Highstrung guitar is where you leave the B & E string standard gauge but replace the other strings with the octave strings from a 12 string set. Some string companies even sell sets particularly for this. Ever heard of it?

Yep, 'Nashville tuning'. I dont' know why you'd use it when you've got a 12-string playing, too, but it makes sense to make a 'different sound' when played in conjunction wiht a standard 6-string. Obviously you need to cut a new nut for the guitar, too, otherwise the strings would be slipping all over the place.

I met a player in a club one night that used a Fender 12 string electric with 9 strings mounted - it sounded pretty good. I thought that might catch on but as usual - I was wrong!

You don't see many of those guitars around these days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Electric_XII

Talbot

if i'm not mistaken...."high G tuning" only involves the G string where ya string up w a real skinny one (like an .008) and tune it up one octave. same as the G note on the E strng 3rd fret. rest of thes strings the same.

that other tuning.....changing the G D A E to an oct higher is pretty cool too.

No sir Mark, according to an article in GP January 2015 entitled "Scott Mathews On Producing" subtitle "texturizing guitar parts with Nashville tuning", my computer illiterate self can't find the article on line but it goes something like this.
E (first) .010 to .012
B (second) .013 to .017
G (third) .008 to .010
D (fourth) .013 to .017
A (fifth) .017 to .024
E (sixth) .025 to .032
sometimes using the same gauge on the sixth string as the First for a little more top end.

Planetguy wrote:if i'm not mistaken...."high G tuning" only involves the G string where ya string up w a real skinny one (like an .008) and tune it up one octave. same as the G note on the E strng 3rd fret. rest of thes strings the same.

that other tuning.....changing the G D A E to an oct higher is pretty cool too.

My bad Mark, I'm guilty of being in a dang hurry again, I think you are right and we are in fact saying the same thing! Must be this big city living always in a hurry LOL!

J-HALEY wrote:My bad Mark, I'm guilty of being in a dang hurry again, I think you are right and we are in fact saying the same thing! Must be this big city living always in a hurry LOL!

no worries jeff, but nah, those are two different things i think. your previous post mentions this tuning....

E (first) .010 to .012
B (second) .013 to .017
G (third) .008 to .010
D (fourth) .013 to .017
A (fifth) .017 to .024
E (sixth) .025 to .032

....i've heard that referred to as "high string tuning" and "Nashville tuning".....i'm still going with "High G tuning" being ONLY the G string changed out for a skinnier one that gets tuned up an octave.

btw...THESE are the disagreements i DON'T mind having w you.

sounds overly complicated to me

I have always loved the acoustic guitar tones in "Wild Horses" by the Stones and just assumed it was a couple of 12 strings. When I read this article I learned something that I had never heard!
Mark as much as we disagree politically if I lived in your town and you are a teacher you have the musical knowledge I seek and would definitely take lessons from you. We would have to keep politics out of it!

J-HALEY wrote:Mark as much as we disagree politically if I lived in your town and you are a teacher you have the musical knowledge I seek and would definitely take lessons from you. We would have to keep politics out of it!

gee, jeff what's a few hundred miles of driving for someone as musically curious and thirsty as yourself??!!??!

if you're ever passing thru the midwest it'd be a gas to sit down, pick some, and consume some adult beverages. no politics!

yeah, i've been giving lessons on gtr/mando/bass for 35 yrs or so. i still charge the same $25 per hr cos we're out in the country and folks have to spend some time driving to get here. the good thing is that it weeds out the serious students from those "just passing thru" and "trying it on for size".

as long as i've been doing lessons politics hasn't come up yet!

seriously though, if you have ever have a question about theory or whatever, don't hesitate to ask here or shoot me an email. i've never pretended to be some all knowing music guru perched atop a mountaintop handing out kernels of knowledge, but i do enjoy sharing what little i know (as all musicians should).....and if it's something i can help you w, i'm happy to do so.

stay thirsty my friend!

The Stones have always been all about having as many guitars on a track as possible, yet still making it sound good. This stringing technique just provides more separation between the multiple guitars. Have you seen the tab on this song (Wild Horses)?

Mark, I have been taking some online vocal lessons trying to improve my tone and range. Though I have been singing for a long time I am self taught and consider myself slightly above average but not of the caliber I would like to play with LOL! I am singing now out of necessity. When we first started this band we auditioned several singers. They were just to Pre-Madonna. I'm not singing such and such song (because they didn't like it) Or I only want to gig 2 times a month. With my full time career 6 kids, and 2 grandkids I just don't have time to play in two bands anymore. As a result I am putting all my time in making Daze Of Nite successful. I am strongly considering taking some guitar lessons from a jazzer!

J-HALEY wrote: I am strongly considering taking some guitar lessons from a jazzer!

well, the oft repeated cliche is that "if you can play jazz, you can play anything". i dunno know about that!

but one thing i can agree w is that if you have the theory chops to understand what's going in jazz tunes....THAT will translate across the board.

if you do study w a jazzer make sure they can TEACH as well they play! good teachers don't always make good players and the opposite is just as true.

XhaDoW-6 wrote:sounds overly complicated to me

no more complicated than learning to handle a 7 string! much easier, i'd think.

you change a your G string to a skinnier one and tune it one oct higher.

then, you change nothing about how you physically play, but pooof ....you've got a different sounding axe!

what could be simpler?