After the D string on my 30-year-old Matrix acoustic broke, I realized it was time for a re-string. But instead of putting a set of my usual acoustic lights on it, I stumbled across something called Nashville, or High-Strung tuning. Essentially, you take the “high” octave strings from a 12-string set and use them for the bottom four strings (E, A, D, G), tuned up an octave.  This isn’t new, nor is it unique.  I just found it to be an easy way to get a whole new sound out of an old guitar.

Here’s a video describing what I did:

D’Addario, Martin, GHS and others make a Nashville Tuning/High-Strung set, or you can do like I did and pull apart an existing 12-string set (note: this can get expensive in the long run…) Check with your local music store or favorite online site for sets like these.  For more information on Nashville Tuning, visit Guitar String Guide.

While a Nashville-tuned guitar is fun to play on its own, it is more fun — and musically satisfying — to jam with others playing standard-tuned guitars.