Hello, all! A couple of questions for the group:
- What tunings have you all tried on your tenors?
- Of those, what worked/didn't work/surprised you?
- Has anyone tried tuning a tenor down to cello range? (Obviously heavier strings would be required and one would need to pay careful attention to tension.) How did it work out?
I just picked up some heavier strings today (.020, .030, .045, .060, all PB) to try tuning my BR-40T down to cello range. I think the .060" string I got for the C is probably still going to be too light/floppy (I was hoping to get closer to a .070", but went with the heaviest the store could give me right away), but I figured it would be close enough to see what sort of tone I could get. (I'm also aware that I'll need to spring for a new nut and saddle if I want to really commit to this.) I know a 23" scale would be pretty short for a mandocello. I struggle with the stretches required for a 25" scale, though, and don't have the space or funds to add another instrument to the herd right now, so I figured this might be a more economical way to see if it's something I want to invest in at some point in the future.
All that to say, I'm curious what other tuning experiments folks have done, and their results. I look forward to your stories!
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