The Steel Guitar Forum

Interesting thought, Karlis. Adding that A to B change gives you not only an extra minor, but with both levers engaged you’ve got a minor 6th on the middle 4 strings, and a nice diminished triad in there as well. Could be fun.

You may want to check out Melbert steel guitars. Great reputation and well priced.

Well, that was nice! I’ll leave it for someone else to guess your tuning, but in an otherwise sparse arrangement that guitar really fills it out nicely. AND . . . some pretty tasty moments in that bass line. Thanks for that.

Good eye, Michael. You can even see the rod going up into the tuner pan. Very clever fellow was Mr. Jackson.

You’ve got a real international mystery going here, Mike. Could it be a sympathetic harmonic from behind the bridge, only responding to certain pitches?

Well, this is a totally off the wall, wild guess here but . . . could it possibly be related to the through-rods that hold the necks together? Some kind of mechanical cancelling of just those notes in just those locations? I’m not a string master guy, so I don’t know how easy it is to adjust those. ?

I’ve used fish and chips as a reso simulator with lap steel. There’s a particular whacky setup you use, and it’s ok for things like dobro fills in a country song, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near anything bluegrassy with it. But I play my 8string steel in G6 (l-h EGBDEGBD) so I’m already in a more or...

Wow! Nice array of new steels. I’m a big fan of those Lollar “Console Grande” pickups. I have them on a single-eight and a double-eight that I built. Great balanced sound.

Everything Howard just said. I use a .032 for string 4, and .059 for string 8. JUST STRINGS makes it really easy.

I had a similar issue with an E13 tuning once. The high G# just didn’t fit in, tonally, so I dropped down to a thinner string and that worked. Maybe try a .012?

I use a Shubb SP1 for everything. The length is perfect for my 8 string laps, and reso, and I switch between the “bullet” end and the flat end for different styles of playing. My hands are not very large, so the grooved shape really helps with stability. And behind the bar bends are infinitely easier.

Oooh, snappy dressers. I’ll have to spruce up my image, I guess..

Welcome Sergio. You can order a C6 set of strings right here on the forum, up at the top of your screen. That will get you going. How are you planning to set up the benders in that tuning?

Yes, I would listen to this, over and over: not so much because it’s a musical style I particularly relate to, but because I enjoy the way you keep steering steel guitar into uncharted waters. “Beyond here be dragons”, but somehow you keep managing to tame them.

Thank you, Guy. This will be fun. And I just happen to have my 8 string in G6, so I can play along with YoYo . . . . eventually.

In my experience (and perhaps I’m just not very good at it) touching up little nicks never fails to disappoint. It’s not just the colour that needs to match, but the texture of the surface as well. That guitar looks lovely as it is.

Yes, playing what I hear in my head - always a goal, often elusive. One thing that I have definitely gained from taking advantage of tetrachord patterns is an ability to more easily see where a melody will sit best on the neck, both to learn it and to improvise around it.

Nice little demo there, Mike. I got a copy of your book back when you first brought it out, and after going through the exercises a bit I started doing exactly what you just did there: using the patterns to either play tunes I already knew, or make up new ones in free-form. It felt like just “noodli...

I like having the 5th of the chord on top, but I find the high G a little too “whiny” in C6. Much better suited for A6, or G6. I usually have a b7 on the 8th string. Lots of C6 players will stick with the high E and add two lower notes.

Oh . . . right . . . there’s keyboards there. I could barely keep my eyes off those two beautiful Clinesmiths.

My best guess is some kind of Eastern European zither. Chords at one end, melody strings at the other. I have something similar, and it’s a bear to try and play. Takes palm blocking to a whole different level. Great wall hanger though. Missed your reply while writing mine Jack. I know what you mean ...

I’ve seen a couple of converted 7-stringers with a regular guitar tuner added to the end of the headstock, but I wonder if that’s a good idea so close to the endgrain.

Nice one, Douglas. I always loved playing Louis Jordan tunes in the swingy, jump bluesey trio I was in. Fun being the faux horn section. Five Guys Named Moe is a blast to play. Love them rhythm changes.

Oh, is THAT what these things are called!?!?!

Nicely done, Doug!! That tune has some cool stuff going on, between the minor to major shifts, and the half tone key changes. Always been one of my faves. Thanks for that.

Leslie Gore was 17 when that song was released. What a voice.