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Exploring alternative Tunings with an illuminated Fretboard

A project log for ElektroCaster

An open, modular guitar-design with some nifty features.

frank-piesikFrank Piesik 03/21/2021 at 09:090 Comments

Alternative tunings can provide new perspectives on the instrument. I especially like open tunings because I like to play rhythmic patterns with open strings involved that move across the fretboard. But I rarely changed my tuning in the past, because it seemed hard enough to me to learn the fretboard as it is in standard tuning. This has changed since I implemented a polyphonic tuner function and the ability to change the root notes of each string with the corresponding encoders. See a first demo here:

I really do enjoy the ease with which I can now discover foreign tunings and just play them immediately. I think using open tunings may now become an important aspect of my playing technique.

Thinking one step further, I would be quite cool to utilize motor tuners to let the guitar completely tune itself. Since it has a Kickup, it could even excite the strings by itself. I actually already bought some motor tuners a while ago but I’m skeptical if the practical result will be worth the effort. It also would make the guitar even more top-heavy than it already tends to be. 

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