Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Maia on May 16, 2011 at 11:36am

.

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Permalink Reply by joe cerroni on May 16, 2011 at 12:46pm

My fave is use strings 1234. the smalest 4 strings and tune to EG#BE. open E major.

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Permalink Reply by pauljcote on November 18, 2011 at 11:47pm

I just got in two fretboards which are set up for 25.5" scale and want to build some CBGs. I made a 3 string slide CBG with no frets and love it.  

 

I don't play regular six string guitar much so never got too good at all their chords although I can play an F but instead I spent a half year learning ukulele.  The Ukulele chords are easy for me now (Barre Chords and Jazz Bar Chords) .  A small uke is GCEA or a guitar fretted at the fifth fret.  A Baritone uke is DGBE which is just like the bottom four strings of a guitar.  The scale length on a Baritone Uke is 19 and so if I build a 25.5" scale CBG instrument, seems I could drop the pitch a bit.  Nevertheless it seems DGBE might be the way to go or moving that down in pitch a bit since the neck is so long and there are so many frets anyways.  I guess it doesn't matter but to just build the thing and then figure out the tuning later. 

 

Otherwise what other tunings make sense if you want to make all the fancy chords?

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Permalink Reply by Mike McDonnell on May 13, 2012 at 11:57am

Try this website to find lots of possible tunings. Experiment til you find one you like. http://www.get-tuned.com/online_guitar_tuner.php.

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Permalink Reply by BenBob on May 13, 2012 at 3:37pm

I'd like to try a uke tuning converted to 4-string guitar - so DGBE but with an octave D. I think it would be a cool voicing, and really, cigar boxes don't seem resonate much below the G below middle C. Might make some sweet sounds.

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on May 13, 2012 at 4:30pm

Here's a great resource for working out what string gauges to use. Put in your scale length and choose strings that are close to what you plan on tuning to, then put in your changed note. Adjust gauges up/down to get them around 11-12kg tension (probably your highest string will be about 9kg tension).

http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html

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Permalink Reply by Grease Stains on May 14, 2012 at 2:21am

Witchita Sam already recommened D-A-d-f#, figured i'd second it. 

I've found it very easy to play slide, and pick with. I've used light acoustic and light electric strings with great results, it gives a nice heavy sound.

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Permalink Reply by BenBob on May 14, 2012 at 5:49pm

Check out http://www.studybass.com/tools/chord-scale-note-printer/

 

You can put in a tuning for 1 to at least 10 strings and automatically print a lot of different chords and scales. It's really helpful when getting your bearings in a different tuning. Sometimes I'll print to a file with PDFCreator, open in Inkscape and color-code it too.

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Permalink Reply by robert jones on May 14, 2012 at 2:52pm

DGbd - link to chord charts

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on May 15, 2012 at 11:05pm

I'm building a 4 string  and have never played one but I don't here much on open E  e-g#-b-e on the high strings and e-b-e-g# on the low strings. This is my best 6 string tuning for blue then G for country.  What about dobro sets? trial and error.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on May 15, 2012 at 11:16pm

I just turn those knob things up top there..

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on March 25, 2013 at 10:27am

If you tuned it like a mountain dulcimer you may as well have 3 strings since the high one is just doubled right?

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