I usually tune these guitars to an A tuning but sometimes a B tuning is preferable - particularly if you are going to strum hard on a 30" or 32". I have also tuned a couple of them up to C and you might be able to get the 30 and 32 inch guitars up to D but I suspect you will break strings - maybe a lot. You can also do the equivalent of a "Drop D" tuning that is really a "Drop G" with the guitar tuned to A and a "Drop A" when the guitar is tuned to B. I am also sure you can do many other alternate and open tunings that I am not familiar with. Also, since these guitars have one bass tuner on them, they can be tuned really, really low. I have tuned clear down to E - an octave below a regular guitar with no problems.
I am just giving the transposition for common guitar key signatures. If you are comfortable playing in Ab then I have no business telling you how to transpose.
A Tuning
A D G C E A
1 Flat - Everyone else plays: F Bb C7 Dm Gm A7 You play: C F G7 Am Dm E7
No sharps or flats - Everyone else plays: C F G7 Am Dm E7 You play: G C D7 Em Am B7
1 Sharp - Everyone else plays: G C D7 Em Am B7 You play: D G A7 Bm Em F#7
No sharps or flats - Everyone else plays: C F G7 Am Dm E7 You play: G C D7 Em Am B7
1 Sharp - Everyone else plays: G C D7 Em Am B7 You play: D G A7 Bm Em F#7
2 Sharps - Everyone else plays: D G A7 Bm Em F#7 You play A D E7 F#m Bm C#7
3 Sharps - Everyone else plays: A D E7 F#m Bm C#7 You play E A B7 C#M F#m G#7
4 Sharps - Everyone else plays: E A B7 C#m F#m G#7 You play B E F#7 G#m C#m D#7
3 Sharps - Everyone else plays: A D E7 F#m Bm C#7 You play E A B7 C#M F#m G#7
4 Sharps - Everyone else plays: E A B7 C#m F#m G#7 You play B E F#7 G#m C#m D#7
B Tuning
(gently ease up to this tuning to avoid broken strings - 34" scale in particular)
B E A D F# B
1 Flat - Everyone else plays: F Bb C7 Dm Gm A7 You play: Bb Eb F7 Gm Cm D7
No sharps or flats - Everyone else plays: C F G7 Am Dm E7 You play: F Bb C7 Dm Gm A7
1 Sharp - Everyone else plays: G C D7 Em Am B7 You play: C F G7 Am Dm E7
No sharps or flats - Everyone else plays: C F G7 Am Dm E7 You play: F Bb C7 Dm Gm A7
1 Sharp - Everyone else plays: G C D7 Em Am B7 You play: C F G7 Am Dm E7
2 Sharps - Everyone else plays: D G A7 Bm Em F#7 You play G C D7 Em Am B7
3 Sharps - Everyone else plays: A D E7 F#m Bm C#7 You play D G A7 Bm Em F#7
4 Sharps - Everyone else plays: E A B7 C#m F#m G#7 You play A D E7 F#m Bm C#7
Now that I have added a resonator model, here are some open tunings for playing slide or lap steel. They should work for any of my guitars, not just the resonators:
Try an open C tuning - G-C-G-C-E-G
3 Sharps - Everyone else plays: A D E7 F#m Bm C#7 You play D G A7 Bm Em F#7
4 Sharps - Everyone else plays: E A B7 C#m F#m G#7 You play A D E7 F#m Bm C#7
Open Tunings
Now that I have added a resonator model, here are some open tunings for playing slide or lap steel. They should work for any of my guitars, not just the resonators:
If you are used to playing in open G (D-G-D-G-B-D)
If you are used to playing in open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
Try an open G tuning - G-D-G-E-D-G
If you are used to playing in open E (E- B-E-G#-B-E)
Try an open A tuning - A-E-A-C#-E-A
Strings
For these longer guitars I use D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Mediums exclusively for normal tunings, 013, .017, .026, .035, .045, and I usually use the A (.080 or so) bass string that came with the bass as the 6th string instead of the .056.
A good rule of thumb is if your strings feel too slack either tune up higher or get heavier strings. If your strings feel too tight, tune down or get lighter strings.
String length is very important on all of these guitars - particularly the 34 inch scale guitars. Before I started making these guitars I ignorantly assumed that you could just walk into your favorite music store and buy extra long guitar strings, That turns out not to be the case (if you know differently, please let me know!). In fact string manufacturers don't even advertise the length of their strings. I have been testing various manufacturers and models of string and so far have found that Martin, Dean Markley, and D' Addario are the longest most consistently. If you have a favorite string that averages longer than 41 1/2 inches I would love to hear about it.Until then, if you have one of my guitars I recommend using either Martin or D' Addario strings but my current preference is D' Addario.
A good rule of thumb is if your strings feel too slack either tune up higher or get heavier strings. If your strings feel too tight, tune down or get lighter strings.
String length is very important on all of these guitars - particularly the 34 inch scale guitars. Before I started making these guitars I ignorantly assumed that you could just walk into your favorite music store and buy extra long guitar strings, That turns out not to be the case (if you know differently, please let me know!). In fact string manufacturers don't even advertise the length of their strings. I have been testing various manufacturers and models of string and so far have found that Martin, Dean Markley, and D' Addario are the longest most consistently. If you have a favorite string that averages longer than 41 1/2 inches I would love to hear about it.Until then, if you have one of my guitars I recommend using either Martin or D' Addario strings but my current preference is D' Addario.
About Baritone Guitar Strings....
If you have bought one of my guitars it was specifically designed to be used with normal guitar strings, NOT BARITONE GUITAR STRINGS!. The exception so far is the Alvarez MSB1 which is specifically set up for Baritone strings.
Baritone guitar strings are extra stiff strings that are used to tune 27 inch guitars to A – A or B – B -- lower than they would normally be able to be tuned without rattling around as much. Unless you want to tune your guitar substantially lower than A – A do not use them on your longer scale guitar. This is not just me saying it so don’t try to convince me - it is physics. If you have the same tension on a string that is longer the tone will be lower. If you tune to the same note over a longer scale, the tension needs to be greater. You can experiment with this principle on a regular guitar by putting a .017 on as your first string and trying to tune it up to an E. That is what you would be trying to do by putting baritone guitar strings on a longer scale guitar and tuning it to A - A or B - B.
Enough on that topic - please.
