Last time I looked there were 40 something tunings here... Joni Mitchell tunings - I wonder if she knows how to tune it 'properly'?

Think there's mention there of Stephen Stills C#C#C#C#G#C# tuning for Carey and Suite:Judy Blue Eyes which sounds surprisingly ok.

I can't help but feel it's what you do with the tuning rather than the tuning per se. Some examples -

* I went to see Chris Newman recently who I find an incredible accompanist. I think he drops the odd D string now and again but otherwise stays in a standard tuning (I think). But he plays chords all over the fretboard with such incredible fluidity that I would doubt he sees much advantage in open/modal tunings
* I went to see another performer recently who plays almost all his songs in DADGAD and usually in the same key. After the third song the similarity of style/progressions/sound made me yearn for some contrast
* There's a favourite tune of mine written by John McGann called Canyon Moonrise in which he creates a DADGADish sort of feel and sound using a standard tuning