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Thread: One more which tuning is best?

  1. #1

    Default One more which tuning is best?

    I am comfortable playing short scale bass. Short being around 23inch. I have messed with 3/4 and full size 6 string guitar with little success. Large hands with short fat fingers. I am comfortable playing tenor and baritone uke at a cavaquinho tuning of ggbd. I play strumstick dad or gdg well. I bought a blueridge br-40t to try. My wife did not like "the tinny sound" of cdga that it came with so i have slapped some acoustic dadarrio strings 42-13 for gdae or gdad on. Before taking to be setup, unless i do it, i need to pick a tuning as intonation bridge and nut issues both are in play now. Intending to learn gdad. Not going to play irish music. Mainly country old rock ore Christian in a campfire or church or jam or as only accompaniment for voice. Open canvas for melody, chord melody, or chordal playing. So suggestions and why appreciated...

  2. #2
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    The Blueridge is a nicely made instrument, GDAE is a nice tuning that I feel suits the guitar and the scale length, you will only need minor adjustments to the nut and saddle .
    The G is the most problematic string to get right but as most folk can either adapt or adjust to their chosen string set there is some wriggle room.
    I think we sort of subconsciously hit a string a bit harder or softer if it does not quite sound right and of course what sounds right to one might not be right to another! So everything is subjective.
    However ... personally I find a 45 or 46 works best for the G string.

  3. #3
    Registered User nmiller's Avatar
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    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    +1 for GDAE. I always use CGDA on tenor banjo, but the larger soundboard of a guitar - even a small guitar - just seems to work better with the lower tuning.
    www.OldFrets.com: the obscure side of vintage instruments.

  4. #4

    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    For me, its GDAE too-- but more based on my limitations. I'm a guitar player who can get around on a mando. I'm not real good on theory or transposing, so going to CGDA just messes with my mind. I can't get that the G chord shape on a mando/octave tenor is a C chord on a tenor, etc.

    Agree that the lower register works with tenor guitar very well.

    Another question is do you play by yourself or with others? When I've had it tuned CDGA and played with other guitars, it really mixes well and comes in at a different register. The GDAE tuning sits in the same place as the other guitars and doesn't add as much as the traditional tenor tuning.

  5. #5

    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    Thanks for replies. Will probably do some by self and some with others. Why gdae over gdad other than this is a mando forum?

  6. #6

    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    Yes, mando forum I guess. Plus, 5ths are pretty intuitive and are used by different instruments.

  7. #7
    Registered User nmiller's Avatar
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    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    Aside from appealing to mandolin players, 5ths tunings cover a wide range of notes with just 4 strings.
    www.OldFrets.com: the obscure side of vintage instruments.

  8. #8

    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    Looking at gdgd, gdgb, cgbd, and dgbd. Only tunings i have completely ruled out is cgda and dgbe.

  9. #9
    Lord of All Badgers Lord of the Badgers's Avatar
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    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    You can always capo at fifth for CGDA on a GDAE instrument of course..
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  10. #10

    Default Re: One more which tuning is best?

    Put on new strings last night. 11-26. Tuned c3gbd. I like the lower tuning of gdad but i like the chords of this tuning better. Considering g2g3b3d4.

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