Hello everyone,

I recently acquired a new-to-me SB8 stick bass with straight 4ths tuning. I played it and try to adapt to the tuning, but I realized that I missed the 5ths. So having already a Stick in classic tuning and based on Emmett's recommendation, I decided to give Dual bass reciprocal a try.

Since I'm already used to the 5ths starting on C, I kept that side as CGDa and went 4-string bass on the other EADg. I liked it for a few minutes, but then I felt the strings of the melody side too tight, so I drop the tuning a whole step, therefore ending up with DGCf. Again, I tried it for a while only to find out that the two middle strigs were too thick and close to each other, also way too close in pitch which seemed redundant. So I removed the lowest string of the melody side and brought the other strings up and added the highest string at the 1st position. Then I tuned the side two how DBR was supposed to be, only one 4th higher. so I ended up with:

Melody: in 4ths
1. c highest
2. G
3. D
4. A lowest
Bass: in inverted 5ths
5. C lowest
6. G
7. D.
8. a highest

I quickly realized that I had a matched reciprocal tuning! As opposed to the interior MR in which the pitches are taken from the 10-string MR which does not translate to an MR in the bass. I found this very easy to play and giving me a lot more range than DBR.

What do you think? Have you experimented with other bass tunings? I do feel that I lack some high end for chording on the 5ths, but for bass arpeggios, scales and chords is great! I couldn't try this (or DBR) only 10-string Poly as the bridge cannot accommodate strings that are so thick. I had the idea of doing DBR on 10 strings, but with the bass on C, which would end up again on 10-string MR, only with the melody an octave lower. Also since the low A that I have is the same as the A on a 4-string bass, which is only a whole step away from the low B of a 7-string guitar, made me think that tuning my 10-string to Deep Baritone Melody would have a very similar low end but with added highs.

Also, I'm considering the idea of a Grand Stick tuned to MR which would be like the 10-string DBM with two higher strings, one on each group. Or with DBR with the bass in C, which would give me 2 higher bass strings + 1 higher and 1 lower melody string in comparison with what I have now on my bass.

One last question: In order to try DBM or MR on my 10-string Poly, can I use strings made for other tunings? I have a brand new set of Medium Gauge Classic tuning that I haven't installed in order to prevent the neck from bowing. But, can I install them and tune to MR or DBM?

Thanks for reading!
Walter

Awesome! I think Greg Howard recommended a similar 8 string tuning to me a while ago when I was looking to acquire a Stick and an 8 string was a possibility.

I’ve just put my Railboard in DBR and enjoying it very much. I’m not exploiting the shared low B aspect as much as I thought I might, but I’m enjoying the super thick melody sound, and leads me into playing nicer higher range chords on the bass side. Also nice knowing I can resort to solid bass lines, either with Stick approach or normal bass approach, at any moment.

Not sure whether I’ll stay with it long term, but fun for the foreseeable future.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a 10 string Grand in Dual Bass Reciprocal. Greg got me thinking about this and said it would be an awesome instrument. I have a 12 Grand in Classic and this would be a nice addition, in that I am a bassist at heart. Also contemplating a Gk3 as well so that I can trigger acoustic/electric bass sounds on my Gr55.

Walt, this is indeed an interesting tuning which you have come up with.
I must say that I am an absolute fan of the C G A D tuning as far as your bass side goes, and your melody twist is very very enticing... but because I am stubborn, I am sticking with E D G A

Cheers, Walter, always good to read your posts..........

Big George W

Over the course of...years...I have gone back and forth and ultimately wind up back to DBR (12-string). The last incarnation was 7+5 utilizing a set of DBR strings starting with string "12" being string "1" then having the first string in the set being "2", etc. (get it?). I missed the 6th string on the bass side more than having a higher string on the melody side! So...I'm back to DBR, but with the melody side tuned up a half-step for "true" matching reciprocal (sort of). It makes sense to me, the notes line up at the markers this way more than the "DBR Tuning" as stated on the website. I enjoy the redundancy of DBR I can play double bass lines often having the right hand closer to the headstock than the left. And rhythm guitar parts/melody traditionally w/ the right hand. But I still secretly dream of a 13-string Stick...