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25 Apr 08 - 02:56 AM (#2325011) Subject: My dream guitar From: Phil Edwards I dreamed I'd bought a second-hand electric guitar (it was a Gibson SG copy in a weird gun-metal grey finish). When I got it home, it turned out to be a fat-body acoustic, with eight strings - not doubled, just eight strings instead of six. Is there such a beast, and what would you tune it to? (I don't even play the guitar, although I have been thinking for a while I ought to learn a few chords.) |
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25 Apr 08 - 07:36 AM (#2325188) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Dave Hanson On the recording by Narciso Yepes ' Play Bach ' he plays a ten string guitar,[ ten individual strings ] eric |
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25 Apr 08 - 07:38 AM (#2325191) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Jack Blandiver As I said elsewhere I dreamt my only instrument was an old cream coloured Fender Telecaster with all the trimmings - and I don't even play guitar! |
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25 Apr 08 - 01:25 PM (#2325555) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Don Firth Narciso Yepes' 10-string is one heck of a guitar, but I would go for the 11-string "Alte-Guitar," or "alto guitar" made by Georg Bolin of Stockholm, Sweden. I first heard about it when Barbara gave me a CD of Swedish guitarist Göran Söllscher playing music for the Baroque lute—on an 11-string guitar. Here's a clip from YouTube with Söllscher and his instrument. CLICKY. Another look at the guitar HERE. The guitarist in the photo says the following: "This is my 11 string alto guitar, made by Georg Bolin in Stockholm, anno 1979. A unique guitar, extensive as a renaissance lute. It's fantastic for playing music by John Dowland, one of my all time favourite musicians. For ballads and some Bossa Nova tunes, my alto is supreme. Generally, the alto guitar is unique for accompaniment. Bass lines one can but dream of on a 6-string can be made real on this harp!" I believe the top six strings are tuned like a standard guitar, but a minor third up (like a cap placed on the 3rd fret) and the basses just go down the scale from there. Basically, the same tuning as a Baroque lute. Imagine the accompaniments one could do on a monster like this! Don Firth |
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25 Apr 08 - 03:54 PM (#2325665) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: van lingle The great Brazilian guitarist Egberto Gismonti used to play an 8 string but if you check him out on youtube he seems to have added a few. |
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25 Apr 08 - 06:57 PM (#2325812) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Phil Edwards This is probably a stupid question, but wouldn't you need extra fingers - at least on the left hand? |
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25 Apr 08 - 10:32 PM (#2325903) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Don Firth Nope. Just watch Göran Söllscher on the YouTube link above. Normal number of fingers, both hands. Don Firth |
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26 Apr 08 - 03:01 AM (#2325994) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: cptsnapper I seem to remember that many years ago a guy called Rick Norcross played an 18 string guitar. Mind you most of his act seemed to be based on trying to tune the thing let alone sing & play! |
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26 Apr 08 - 04:50 AM (#2326037) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Phil Edwards Amazing clip. Not much strumming going on, though. I guess the tuning is something like G, C, F, A#, D, G, C, F, A#, D, G Or are the bass strings stepped down more consistently - G, B, E, A, D, G, C, F, A#, D, G ? If you had *thirteen* strings you could go right through the scale with the same interval, instead of taking a shortcut from G to B: it would go E, A, D, G, C, F, A#, D#, G#, C#, F#, B, E No, I don't know why you'd want to. |
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26 Apr 08 - 05:08 AM (#2326043) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Jack Blandiver This looks pretty cool; I wonder has anyone used such an instrument in any sort of folkish context at all? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHf7JqUmcBE |
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26 Apr 08 - 06:59 AM (#2326086) Subject: RE: My dream guitar From: Phil Edwards Ah, the Stick. Tony Levine, who's rather a fine bassist, plays it on some of Peter Gabriel's stuff. Unfortunately it doesn't sound as remarkable as it looks. I don't know about folk, but I did once see someone busking with a Stick. I wish I'd stopped to see what he was *doing* with it - the guy in the Youtube clip appears to be fingering one set of strings and plucking another, which (I'm no guitarist, but) it seems to me wouldn't generally work terribly well. |
