I touched on this thought in a thread not too long ago, but I've had so much fun with this new guitar-type toy that I've ust got to share!

I took my son's Martin Backpacker (he left it behind when he went to NYC), and I restrung it for the "Nashville Tuning" configuration I heard about here at the Mudcat. I used the Backpacker for tw reasons; 1) I didn;t want to restring any of my other guitars just to fool around with a tuning about which I was only modertately curious 2) the Backpacker has some serious design problems, one of which is its distinct inability to produce the bottom tones; I though tuning it to the higher notes of the Nashville tuning might possible give the Backpacker a chance to sound its best.

Well, I was right about the tines. The Backpacker's ability to create warm, sweet tones from strings tuned above middle C (actually E or D, and I'll explain) is a pleasant surprise. IT has a wonderful dulicmer-like quality. But then I tuned the guitar to an open D tuning, and I use banjo chord forms (for a G tuning) inside the four middle strings, leaving the low and high D's as drones (mostly). Wow - what a treat!!! I do both flatpicked chords and finger picked (banjo style) - and its sounds great!!

You have the very unusual sound of the bottom strings being much higher then the top two, and top two give you a warm, pseudo-drone quality. I have to say, since I set this guitar up this way, I haven't been able to put the damn thing down!!

Now there are some drawbacks; the backpacker has some serious design flaws, as I mentioned earlier. One of the major flaws is its balance. I cannot play the thing without it waning to roll over from my left hand work. You have to stand to play it and use a strap. It helps if you tie the strap to the head, rather then hook the neck at the body around the strap peg. If you capo up the neck (which you'll do a lot using and open tuning) you get a little more control. Anyway - these things are pains-in-the-ass, but not major obstacles. The other drawback is strings. I have restrung the instrument using from low to high (6 to1) all light guage strings; D string, G string (remember it's tune a whole step high to an A), a B string tuned high to a D), an E string (again tuned high to a G), and the two normal strings B and E tuned normally. This tuning description is for normal tuning, then I move that to an open D.

Try it; you'lll like it!! I hope to call in to the radio show Wed and play a song so y'all can hear it. Has anyone had experience with this?? I'd love to your feedback!