12-string Manifesto, part 4

Of the three 12-strings, one is currently in D tuning, comprised of all octaves and unisons.  The other two have been modified for and set up as 12-string baritones.  Currently both are in baritone G tuning.  X-2 is in an intervallic tuning, and X-1 is in octaves.

X-1 in various baritone A tunings was used in recording sessions for an upcoming album release, and worked quite well in that setting and for that aesthetic.

It has been an evolutionary process to achieve and arrive at G baritone tunings on these two instruments.  Both have gone through several tunings in various registers.  Both have required new nuts and bridge saddles. Both have had the bridge pin holes slotted and ramped.  Both have new sets of unslotted ebony pins that I've modified to enable much tighter course spacing at the bridge.  Truss rods have been adjusted more than once to accept the different gauges in different registers.  String sets have been created from scratch and changed repeatedly.  The current gauges range from .074 to .009.  I feel pretty confident now that both will likely remain in G, albeit with two different tunings.  

Tunings and registers for each instrument are evolutionary processes, and can take many years.  Not to mention the vast amount of strings that are consumed in special sets for each tuning.  Sometimes the process seems arduously slow and painful.  But it's always exciting and full of discovery.  Each new tuning is a key to unlock a previously unknown country or even an entire planet.  Tunings impact compositional directions.  Entire sets of compositions have grown out of a single tuning.  

The process of moving both of the X-12s into G baritone tuning has involved all those steps and levels of discovery.  It's at once exciting and encouraging, as two new voices have arrived.

To return for a moment to the 12-string that is currently in D octave tuning: I'm not sure where it's going to go.  It may stay in D tuning, as I've written some pieces for D 12-string tuning.  And yet my natural propensity is to move tunings ever lower into the warm and inviting darkness of the bass registers.  I suspect it won't always be in D tuning.  

But we'll find out.  It will tell me where it wants to go.

-kk