12-string Manifesto, part 6

Of late I've been exploring C# tuning on one of the Martin 12-strings.  It's fascinating to me how much difference and even timbral distance there is between D and C# tunings.  Thus far, it's all in octaves/unisons; I've yet to devise an intervallic tuning for C#.  

When I start working with a new register, in this case C#, I find that I need to retain the octaves tuning to really get to know and understand the new register.  Once I feel that I know the new register, then I'll begin work on either devising new tunings for it, or adapting extant tunings for the new register.  Sometimes both.

It's exciting and challenging to delve into a new register.  It's also dependent upon the instrument, as some instruments speak better in some registers than in others.

For this instrument, a 2000 Martin D-12-28, I've always used either E or D tuning.  I didn't know if it would speak well in C#, but it's surprising me.  I'm not even using what I'd consider to be proper gauges for C#, as currently it's a stock set of John Pearse 1400L.  It will be more responsive in C# with slightly heavier gauges.

More to come.

-kk