There is more than one way to tune a Megatar, and new ones seem to get invented all the time!
In addition to the two standard tunings, we can provide the following tunings and string arrangements upon request. Shop fees may apply ...
The 'Simple Power' Tuning - 'Bi-Melody' If you wish to play dual guitar parts, we recommend this simple and powerful tuning, especially if you are coming from bass or guitar, because everything is in the fourths orientation that you already know.
It has the same powerful advantages as our BassBottom tuning, in that you can move your hands exactly identically to play identical passages, which greatly speeds learning because you can train both hands simultaneously.
The first set of strings are standard melody strings tuned in straight fourths, similar to a guitar, though slightly lower.
The second set of strings (normally the 'bass' set) are also a 'melody-weight' string-set, and tuned in straight fourths, but one whole step lower than the standard melody strings.
To keep the two sets of strings straight, we'll call the first set the 'hi-melody' strings, and we'll call the second set 'lo-melody' strings.
You'll now discover that the lo-melody strings have the notes falling exactly the same as a standard 6-string bass, though not as low-pitched.
In this tuning, your left hand just above fret 2 and your right hand just above fret 12 move in an exactly identical manner, and the notes beneath your two hands are identical.
The Bi-Melody tuning is the tuning of choice to play 'dual guitar' sets, where you chord left-hand and play melody right-hand. Left-hand chords are especially sweet and clear, compared to the same chords played on the lower-pitched bass strings in the BassBottom tuning. Playing two-part inventions is also simplified, as well as dual melody or melody-counterpoint in the range of guitar.
Not only can you use our standard Easy Touch-Style Method to learn the Bi-Melody tuning, and not only can you train your hands simultaneously for faster learning, but once you learn, you can always change to standard BassBottom tuning with deeper bass strings, and play it immediately with no re-learning, because all the notes are in the same place.
Mobius standard 'Bi-Melody' tuning, a no-charge tuning available on any instrument
'Uncrossed String Arrangement' Popularized by Daniel Schell of Belgium and Wolfgang Daiss of Germany, this is not a tuning per se, but a different way to arrange the two string sets.
The Mobius standard arrangement takes its que from normal bass and guitar, where in normal playing position, the musician finds the lowest strings nearest to his head, and the highest-pitched strings furthest to his left. Standard strings arrangement therefore places the bass set of strings nearest to the head and the higher-pitched melody string set furthest to the musician's left. The standard arrangement seems logical and feels good to the hands, but it also means that when your left hand is playing bass strings around fret seven, your right hand is blocked from playing melody strings at that same place.
The Uncrossed-Arrangement allows each hand full access to all positions on the string set without this interference. In the Uncrossed-Arrangement, you place the left-hand's string set (normally bass strings) to the player's left, and you place the right-hand's string set (normally melody) closer to the player's head. It feels different to the hands, but gives full access and many players prefer it.
Note: The Uncrossed String Arrangement can be installed on all models except the ToneWeaver.
Nonstandard 'Uncrossed-Arrangement,' an extra-charge option
'Mirror Tuning' and other Tunings The Mirror-Tuning is described by Daniel Schell in his method book 'My Space' and is designed so that an identical 'gesture' by each hand results in an identical musical phrase. It is a tuning that seems to work very well for musicians who will be doing a lot of reading, and has a muscular logic. It also had an inherent symmetry, because the hand-motion is identical for the two hands.
Several other tunings and variations are available on Mobius instruments including the tunings known as 'Crafty', 'Teed Rockwell Tuning', 'Low-A Bass', and others. On many of these alternate tunings, we can install the Feiten Intonation System so that the notes across the entire fretboard sound more completely in-tune than you've ever heard before. If you an unusual tuning request, please call to discuss how it can be supplied.
Note: The mirrored tunings can be installed on all models except the ToneWeaver.
Nonstandard tunings, many available as an extra-charge option
For more information about tunings, see the 'Mobius Owner's Guide' and our method books presenting the 'Easy Touch-Style Method'. For more information about the Uncrossed-Arrangement and Mirror Tuning, see June 2001 Newsletter for detailed article by Daniel Schell. You'll find Owner's Guide, method book, and Newsletter Archive in this website's 'Library' under 'Documents Archive.'
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