posted 10 March 2000 07:43 AM         

It's no sin to not play the C6 tuning. Jay Dee told me he knew enough about the C6 tuning to fill a thimble, and I'm sure Lloyd.Green wouldn't hesitate to say as much in a different way. Yet it has never kept Jay Dee or Lloyd from being acknowledged as two of the finest players ever to have played the instrument.

So if I were starting out today and career minded, I'd probably go with a 13th tuning that would cover country, western swing, and with a little manipulation, jazz. That and a little musical training should get you through any studio job you'd ever have to tackle. Of course if you had limited musical training, you could flounder around until you're 63 and then start spouting out advice.

For pedals and knees, I would have eight on the floor and eight knees. Five of the eight knees (rights, lefts, and one vertical) would be the same as my E9th. They would also change some of the same strings I change on the C6 tuning of my D10. That would leave three remaining knee levers (LL, V, and LR) that would be positioned in the middle of the guitar as they are on my D10 (except there is no middle vertical on my D10). Pedals one through four, and five knees, would work the E13 tuning. Pedals five through eight, and five knees, would be for the E6th.

But I'm not starting out today, so the single twelve I have is leaning toward the C6 tuning again. I use two of the pedals for a whole tone raise of the G (5) and a half tone raise for the Es (2 & 6). I've been slipping some E9th style bends on some jazz tunes and it sounds pretty cool. I don't know where it will take me but it's different, which in turn makes me sound a little different, and I could use some of that.

When all is said and done though, the money is still in the gliss sound using one to three notes, and mostly on the top of the tuning; and for that, you can get by with eight strings or less and a creative mind. Long live Jerry Byrd!

[This message was edited by Buddy Emmons on 10 March 2000 at 07:52 AM.]

posted 10 March 2000 08:01 AM         

Now my second idol just did the same thing!

What a blessing.

Wow!

posted 10 March 2000 08:01 AM         

Bob, use the "profile" command at the top right of the page to update your email address.

Great reply, Buddy. Thanks for the insight.