I just had one of those moments. I've been playing 12-string DBR w/ the melody side tuned up a half-step so fret marker relations are uniform...and I just relised the interior 10 strings are the Classic relationship (with the melody one octave lower). DUH.

Yes...!!

put another way,
its the Deep Baritone tuning...but for the Grand Stick.

I've been toying with the idea of using this tuning on one of my Sticks.
It enables the low "E" of the guitar to be comfortably played at fret 10 of the lowest 6th F# melody string,
whilst not getting in the way of the left-hand low bass notes.
I call this my "Rhythm Stick" tuning, for obvious reasons!
Although I must admit, I struggle with having a 12th. string that's higher than the 1st. melody string
But that's just me being silly!

A few years back I was working with guitarist Jerry Donohue
and struggled to play unison guitar lines
because the low guitar "E" wasn't conveniently positioned when using classic or MR tuning.

You may recall seeing Greg play a DBR Stick with miss-aligned linear inlays.
He did a similar thing to you.
He raised the bass back up to the CGDAEB tuning
simply because (like us all I suppose) he was used to that tuning.
So it was really an MR Stick with the melody dropped 8vb.

It goes to show how related all the Stick tunings are!

All the best

Steve in the UK

It's just funny I agree w/ you hole-hardedly but I think I have gone thru every abberation of tunings and bastardisations of my own to come to this place - again. the 12 was bought as a DBR and all I've wound up with is tuning the melody up a 1/2step. haha. It all started with that Ironwood #1212 I got in '83 from SamAsh NYC 'cause I'd seen Tony one too many times...

On a tangent.
I am tuning my 10 string grand, with the tuning of the outside strings of a 12 string classic tuned stick. Basically strings 1-5. And 8- 12.
I am not much of a bass player so i do not mind losing the 2 inside fat strings of a 12 string classic.
It seems to help me bar or slide across all 10 strings, easier than having that big drop off on the center strings.
The tuning can also be considered, 10 string classic melody/bass 5ths with removed 6th string and added fifth high, or something like that. Basically an alto stick tuning, just longer.

My low 6th string tappable is a g1. Anyway, if anybody cares. Just throwing it out there. Soon I hope to have something, when I make time.

I still love the fat strings, and use them on my other Sticks, and may go back to it, on my original 10 , when i get my "The Stick". Pretty easy change over ala Mr. Howard.

I love having different tunings on all my Sticks. It helps me learn where my notes are, and where my patterns are, and the relationship of sounds between the two sides, and how they work together. There is a long road ahead.

Rock n Roll.

Great idea! I was thinking about to try the same on my 10-String ...

I am doing exactly the opposite on my Alto extending to the lower register:
http://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?p=122551#p122551