6 string tunings and gauges

[Fred Brown]

It's been a real long while since I have been here. But got fired up the other night after watching a pedal player at a local place here in Austin.

So I decided to put a better effort into my lap steel playing, especially other tunings. Currently I have my old Dickerson student model and my Oahu Tonemaster tuned like my Tut Reso ...for convenience sake. But I think I am ready to take the plunge and take the lap stuff into other tunings.

This is my playing environment. I play various instruments as part of a worship band. We do hymns, contemporary christian, old gospel, a few Randy Travis type songs, a variety of stuff. The lap steel shows up in songs that need a "country" sound or just to cover for the lack of piano or a string section. So mostly I use the instrument as a way to add background "feel" and environment instead of licks and fills. That seems to be the need for what we are doing.

So what I am looking for is which tuning would be best to use in that context and the string gauges. The Dickerson is a short scale and the Oahu is a more standard scale. So I am assuming the string gauges might be different. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

thanks a bunch,
FredB

[Roger Shackelton]

Hi Fred,

Here is the C-6th tuning. It's a good all around tuning.

C-6th Tuning

1. E------.014
2. C------.017
3. A------.021
4. G------.024w
5. E------.030w
6. C------.036w

[Ray Montee]

You might try tuning that 6th string to C# I think it will provide you with much more flexibility. You can hear it at its best on Jerry Byrd's Mercury release of "Cocoanut Grove". You have options on string selection too. Straight package string sets are not always best. For lots of string slants, having a wound 4th string is not always best as the butt end of the bar will definitely make noises that you won't want to hear.
JERRY BYRD made it nearly impossible to determine what he was playing because it was nearly impossible to identify what strings he was picking...........all plain strings for 1,2,3 and 4.

[Roger Shackelton]

Hi Fred,

Here is the C-6th tuning. It's a good all around tuning.

C-6th Tuning

1. E------.014
2. C------.017
3. A------.021
4. G------.024 plain or wound*
5. E------.030w
6. C or C#*------.036w

*changes per Ray

[Rick Aiello]

I'm with Ray ... even named my choice of string gauges ... the "half Montee" ...

22.5" scale
[tab]
E = 0.017
C = 0.018
A = 0.020 Plain
G = 0.022 Plain
E = 0.032 Flatwound
C# = 0.038 Flatwound
[/tab]

I gave the "Full Montee" a try ... when Ray first suggested it ...

Ie ... the top three strings being all the same gauge (0.016 or 0.017) ... a plain 4th ... and the rest flats ...

Ala ... early Jerry Byrd ...

But I don't have the touch that Ray has ... and couldn't pull it off ...

[Ray Montee]

I'm very flattered there.

I hadn't known........

My goodness, what does one say?

I'm honored!

[Fred Brown]

Gents,
Thanks for the help. I'm gonna go out and get some strings and try both tunings and the plain 4th string also. I'm guessing I should add on a few points for the longer Tonemaster scale (~26") ...ie: E = .034 => .036.
Thanks again,
FredB

[Fred Brown]

Gents,
Thanks for the help. I'm gonna go out and get some strings and try both tunings and the plain 4th string also. I'm guessing I should add on a few points for the longer Tonemaster scale (~26") ...ie: E = .034 => .036.
Thanks again,
FredB

[Rick Aiello]

I'm guessing I should add on a few points for the longer Tonemaster scale (~26") ...ie: E = .034 => .036.

Just the opposite ...

The longer the scale ... the smaller the gauge ...

[Rick Alexander]

TUNINGS

[Fred Brown]

Rick Ai, thanks. I did get that backwards. I have read that doc on the Jon Ely page and still get cornfused! thanks again.

Rick Al, thanks for the link. Lotsa good stuff there. This will be real helpful.

Now I better go track down some strings and get ta tunin'. Again, thanks to all the folks who have helped. I do love this page and hope to be able to participate more.

Fred