A13 Vs C13

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

I wonder why a lot of player use C6 and C13 but A13 seems a lot much rare?

Wich are the advantage of of C6?

To me the advantage of A6 are the high 5th and 3 fret more off low register.

Just curious why lot of player prefer C6

I personally use C13 : E,C#,A,F#,E,C#,A,G

[Billy Tonnesen]

Isn't what you are calling a C13th tuning, is actually an A13th tuning ? If the bottam string was another F# it would be an A6th tuning which is very common with Western Swing players.

[L. Bogue Sandberg]

Don't you hate it when you mean A and type C? The intervals of your A13 are the same as Juniors Brown's high C13 and the G13 I play on 8 string resophonic. I love the growl of the low 7th chord and a sparse 13th chord makes a very nice passing or resolving chord. Which tuning you use depends a lot on the keys you regularly play in. I'm a dobro player and our band plays in G a lot.

I'd encourage 8 string reso players currently in straight G6 to experiment with bringing the low E up to F.

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Don't you hate it when you mean A and type C?.

YES!

[David Matzenik]

Hi JS, the tuning you have spelled out in your opening post is A6th with a low G. This is my main tuning and was often used by Billy Hew Len. A6th was a popular Hawaiian and Western Swing tuning in the 1940s and 50s, and still has many followers today. It retunes to B11 in a flash. If you are looking for basic TABs in A6th, check out 9th Island Music on Ebay for downloads. Basil H. pointed out to me that the choice of tuning has to do with the tonal center of the piece, but a compromise is needed unless we change our tunings all the time. The popularity of C6th today also has a lot to do with availability of material, going with the flow, and the worship of all things Jerry Byrd.

TABs here http://www.ebay.com/sch/aquilii19/m.htm ... 7675.l2562

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Thanks David.

[Mike Neer]

I think as we evolve as a players, the less of a "set it and forget it" mentality we have. There's always going to be a bit of tweaking with the tuners. Billy Hew Len is a perfect example of this. Another trick he did was to tune the low F# up to G and then tune the low A up to A#. What a great sound he got with that!

I like to play with C6/A7 for dominant chords, but have found that on certain tunes I prefer C13, because it affords me that classic moveable minor triad that is such a big part of the 9th chord sound, as exhibited on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.

Maybe that doesn't apply to everyone, especially 6 string players, but once you get into 8 strings you start to see a lot of other possibilities--as least that's how it is for me.

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Yes Mike I agreed for sure. Since Im just a beginner I try to stick to one tuning and really learn it but I found myself this morning retuning the same neck to A13, C13 and E9 just because certain tune seems to really need a different tuning! Maybe its part of the fun.

[Edward Meisse]

That is exactly why I keep going back to the C6 pedal guitar. Instead of retuning, ya just push a pedal. Thinking of getting a pedabro, too. My fascination with resonator guitars is what keeps me playing non pedal for now.

[David Matzenik]

Thats fine in theory Ed, but what you end up with is that hat-act whine. One may as well play a Wurlitzer.

[Edward Meisse]

I used to think that too, Dave. But listening to forum member, Basil Henriques convinced me that it doesn't have to be that way. I have his double CD, Live at the Castaways." But he has studio albums as well. Most of the time you can't tell he is using a pedal guitar. And I'm sure that most of the time that I can tell he is using a pedal, the untrained ear hears a slide. He plays mostly Hawaiian music with a little swing thrown in. He also pointed out to me that Billy Hew Len recorded at times with a pedal guitar. I went back and listened to a CD that I think was called, "Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style," and sure enough. I can hear it. Billy was playing a pedal guitar. I have an S10 C6 guitar. I DON'T HAVE an E9 neck. I share your disdain for the sound generally speaking. But after all, anything does sound good in the right context.

[David Matzenik]

Ed, to be honest, I'm not really against the use of pedal guitars. They are not for me, but when they a are played like Basil its a different story. I guess I just don't like the sound I hear in what passes for country music these days.

[Steve Ahola]

Maybe that doesn't apply to everyone, especially 6 string players, but once you get into 8 strings you start to see a lot of other possibilities--as least that's how it is for me.

At least for me it took awhile for my ears to get accustomed to intervals such as a major 7th (like the Bb up to the A in your C13th tuning) but once I got a taste of those intervals it is hard to go back to less complex tunings. Of course you can get any interval with any tuning by using slants but having it right in your face with a straight bar position you need to learn when to use it and when to avoid it...

Steve Ahola

[David Matzenik]

Come to think of it, there is something else I really don't like about the pedal guitar. The whole contraption of it is like something a mad scientist would create for a guy like the Phantom of the Opera to play. In the pursuit of total efficiency someone should try doing away with picks and bars too, and go to a keyboard, sort of like an electric harpsichord.

[Edward Meisse]

I'm mechanico-phobic myself. My biggest challenges occur when I need to tune a pedal or lever or worse yet, adjust ANYTHING. I'm gritting my teeth and trying to get it done......somehow.