Wechter Nashville-tuned Elite

Just recently bought a Wechter Nashville-tuned Elite in Hazelnut Brown (NV5413BR). Haven't taken any pics yet (I take lousy pictures anyway :oops:), so here's one off Sweetwater's site:

http://www.sweetwater.com/images/closeup/xl/1600-NashECMHNB_detail1.jpg

Having a lot of fun with it, but as I'm borrowing a computer right now, this is just a kind of notice. Details/review to follow.

Love Wechter guitars. I have a Pathmaker 3100 with the triple pickup setup-I've replaced the undersaddle transducer with a JJB bridge plate piezo. Great live tone, great player.

I've had this one for a little over a week now. I say "this one" because there was a problem with the first one they sent me. Sweetwater's customer service is excellent, and they sent out a replacement with a label for return shipping at their expense.

I had wanted to try one of these for some time now, but never had a chance to play one first. Then Sweetwater sent me an email listing some sale items, among them this Nashville, marked at just $299 w/ hardshell case! I jumped on that. When I checked online, they had 7 of them at that sale price. A couple of hours after making the purchase, I checked again, and they were all gone.

I wanted to get the acoustic/electric with the cutaway, but this was just too good a price to pass up.

What do you use the Wechter for?

We use Nashville tuning a lot in recording. But we don't have a specific guitar for it. When I get four or five songs that can use a high strung sound, I string my D18 for Nashville tuning, record the parts, then put regular strings back on the Martin.

It really adds a lot of depth without taking up a lot of room.

If I get what you're asking, I also plan to use the Wechter primarily for recording, to just have something extra that will sit a little differently in the mix.

Gordon Lightfoot had this sound in a lot of his recordings. For example, Red Shea is credited as playing "hi-string" guitar on the album Don Quixote. I've been working on several songs from that album using the Wechter: "Don Quixote," "Christian Island," "Ode to Big Blue" & "Second Cup of Coffee."

Mostly I play fingerstyle. I have done some strumming on it, on Alan Jackson's "Living on Love," for example. I play the instrumental break on that song one way when I play it on a Tele, and I've worked out another lead for when I use the Wechter for that song. That's part of what I like about this. It makes me re-think how I play.

Dumb question: what is Nashville tuning, and what is the idea behind it? Do you have to relearn your fretboard?

Your low E-A-D-G are replaced with much lighter strings and tuned an octave up. It almost sounds like a 12-string. Someone told me the intro to Hotel California was high strung guitar.

http://soundcloud.com/e-christina-herr/headin-for-a-wreckIt's low in the mix, strumming straight beats, on the right channel here.)

Your low E-A-D-G are replaced with much lighter strings and tuned an octave up. It almost sounds like a 12-string. Someone told me the intro to Hotel California was high strung guitar.



http://www.sweetwater.com/images/items/750/EJ38H-large.jpg

Right. The strings can be used on pretty much any acoustic, but the Wechter Nashville-tuned Elite is designed for this purpose.

Right. The strings can be used on pretty much any acoustic, but the Wechter Nashville-tuned Elite is designed for this purpose.

Could you put some light gauge strings on the Wechter and tune it to standard or would that cause problems?

I would bet it would be fine. The main thing is that they cut the nut slots to fit the lighter strings, if I had to speculate. If I didn't want to dedicate a guitar to this tuning, I'd cut a new nut and switch the nuts back and forth. I do have a standard acoustic strung high like this, and it really isn't a major problem, but it could be if the slots are too sloppy or if the lowest ones are too shallow for the skinnier string. I use half a set of 12 string strings for mine.

I believe you can hear a Nashville tuned guitar on the Stones Wild Horses.

Ever since I can recall it was a common thing for folks to take12 stringers and remove the three lower octave strings which gave you the thumping driving low end of a 6 string with the chorus like highs of the 12 string.

Ever since I can recall it was a common thing for folks to take 12-stringers and remove the three lower octave strings which gave you the thumping driving low end of a 6 string with the chorus like highs of the 12-string.

I'd love to do this with a Tele.

Could you put some light gauge strings on the Wechter and tune it to standard or would that cause problems?

I would bet it would be fine. The main thing is that they cut the nut slots to fit the lighter strings, if I had to speculate. If I didn't want to dedicate a guitar to this tuning, I'd cut a new nut and switch the nuts back and forth. I do have a standard acoustic strung high like this, and it really isn't a major problem, but it could be if the slots are too sloppy or if the lowest ones are too shallow for the skinnier string. I use half a set of 12 string strings for mine.

Yeah, it's done all the time, just swap out strings on a acoustic for the Nashville/high string tuning. The Wechter was just designed for this application.

In addition to the nut being cut so that the strings fit just right, w/o any buzz, to top on this Wechter Nashville-tuned Elite has a pretty thin top (solid cedar), so it really resonates. The top didn't need to be as heavy since the string tension was so much lighter, so the top and the bracing are different than your average acoustic. And it's a parlor-sized guitar.

I'd love to do this with a Tele.

Go for it.

http://www.daddario.com/resources/jdcdad/images/products/da_prod_EXL150H_main_2.jpg

http://www.daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=1&productname=EXL150H_Nickel_Wound__High_Strung_Nash ville_Tuning__10_26