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Mike Rutherford 12-string guitar tunings


Timbale
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I was watching an interview with Mike Rutherford where he talked about how he used to use alternate tunings for his 12 string guitar - instead of tuning the 2nd strings in octaves or unisons for the higher strings (like a normal 12 is tuned) he would tune the 2nd strings in different harmonies.  You can hear the effect at the top of The Cinema Show -

 

 

It is such an interesting effect, and really makes it seem like some other, more exotic instrument than it is.

 

I've never heard of anyone else using this technique, though I can't imagine that he is the only one to experiment this way.  (It seems like something Joni Mitchell might have done...). But it seems like it would kinda be a bigger deal...but I seldom hear people talk about it.  (And I have to say, it seems in general that Rutherford is a bit of an overlooked musician... he did some pretty amazing stuff in Genesis' heyday...)

 

Has anyone heard of other guitarists using this concept?

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2 hours ago, Timbale said:

I was watching an interview with Mike Rutherford where he talked about how he used to use alternate tunings for his 12 string guitar - instead of tuning the 2nd strings in octaves or unisons for the higher strings (like a normal 12 is tuned) he would tune the 2nd strings in different harmonies.  You can hear the effect at the top of The Cinema Show -

 

 

It is such an interesting effect, and really makes it seem like some other, more exotic instrument than it is.

 

I've never heard of anyone else using this technique, though I can't imagine that he is the only one to experiment this way.  (It seems like something Joni Mitchell might have done...). But it seems like it would kinda be a bigger deal...but I seldom hear people talk about it.  (And I have to say, it seems in general that Rutherford is a bit of an overlooked musician... he did some pretty amazing stuff in Genesis' heyday...)

 

Has anyone heard of other guitarists using this concept?

Wait that's how he did that???? I always assumed they just recorded everything with two different twelve strings or a twelve string and a six string layered over each other, with Rutherford playing one and Hackett playing the other.  That's incredible!  Are there any videos of him demonstrating the alternate tunings he used??

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32 minutes ago, Entre_Perpetuo said:

Wait that's how he did that???? I always assumed they just recorded everything with two different twelve strings or a twelve string and a six string layered over each other, with Rutherford playing one and Hackett playing the other.  That's incredible!  Are there any videos of him demonstrating the alternate tunings he used??

Not that I have seen, no!

 

I believe on that song and others that he uses that technique on, Hackett (or even sometimes Banks) will come in with a 2nd guitar so that it really gets to a point where you can't tell what is what.  

 

I also recall him talking about them pulling one of those songs out (Your Own Special Way) many years later after probably only playing it on the one tour...and he couldn't remember how he had tuned the guitar to accurately replicate it!  😂

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