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Comments
Do you mean lap steel, or mixing in fretted notes too?
With lap style - It's very rare to use any kind of neutral tuning
As you say, you could just pick out the odd note, or pair
Nevertheless, I'd say if you are using lap steel, it might be easier to use something like C6 tuning, and use a slide capo to match the key. A lot of the more attractive intervals are possible with such a tuning, which has smaller intervals between the strings
I've watched my mate, who is a semi-pro player, and a pro player playing up close (3 feet away), and as far as I can see it can get harder using a tuning that works against the key in use
This gadget lets you temporarily change the tuning of 2 strings. I have one fitted to the same cheap lap steel as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaK44EX7fkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEzsoqtSbg
you don't have to do the country-style licks btw!
If you put enough time in to P4 you will be able to do less cliched improvisations, so I think it is worth the effort.
Personally I usually use the most popular slide tunings
Whereas I have done weird stuff for fretted instruments, e.g. tuning a 29 inch acoustic in 5ths, playing a 7 string bass as an extended range guitar, etc. I'd need to put in a lot more time in to be able to use a slide tuning that is not built around a specific key