D-8, D-10 "NON" - what's the other tuning?

[David Mason]

I'm curious as to what people do on their other neck, besides the venerable C6th tuning (B6th, Bb6th incl). I got so used to a single neck that now that I've revived a D-10, I can't seem to find a second tuning that really adds DIFFERENT flavors, useful chords, some sense of direction(?)

[Paul Seager]

One question in reply would be; What does the music you play require? And/Or: What are you missing from your C6?

My homebase is A6 and I "upgraded" to a D8 and added B11. The reason for that was that the music I played evolved from old Country / Western Swing to more Hawaiian and 30's Swing and I couldn't get some of the chord voicings, as I heard them, from A6. I've since developed B11 by adding G# and E on strings 7&8 and now I have a II-V7-I maj7 in every position (not to mention a lot of other chords as well).

Now I can comp on that neck but prefer to solo on A6. As the first 4 strings are tuned the same, I tend to learn melodies on those strings and then decide which neck I prefer for a song or, simply use both.

I recently changed to a T8. The reason there is that I was using E13 for that classic big chord - I call it my Big-Band effect! On the D8 I could re-tune the B11 to E13 (I don't use the McAuliffe variation) and I kept forgetting to tune back to B11

But to conclude, it's the music that brought that need.

[Fred]

I always had the McAuliffe E13 on one neck. I never had a 10 string, but I would add a G# on top and a B on the bottom between G# and D. I was always changing that 7th string from G# to B and back and always wanted both.

[Nic Neufeld]

I do C13 (basically C6) as my main tuning, B11 as my second neck. It's different enough that I find myself bringing a second guitar in B11 when I'm using single necks...for certain songs, its the right tuning.

It's even better for Paul's situation because the top 4 strings are the same...easier to get comfortable jumping between the tunings I would think. B11 is basically a split tuning, B7/9 on the lower strings, A6 on the top strings.

On a D10 though, who knows! I think I would maybe put a high G# in a light gauge as the top string, extending the A6 to a AMaj7 kind of thing. I always miss not having that note when I play songs like Mapuana. But lots of potentials.

[Ricky Davis]

I always put a form of Tom Morrell's E13; but different options only on bottom 10th string>
1. G# 3rd
2. F# 9th
3. E root
4. C# 6th
5. B 5th
6. G# 3rd
7. F# 2nd
8. E root
9. D 7b
10. E-low root; or B 5th or A 4th
Ricky