Help!-Will this tuning harm round neck resonator?

Lap steels, resonators, multi-neck consoles and acoustic steel guitars

Moderator: Brad Bechtel

Post Reply
Dave Sky
Posts: 279
Joined: 12 Jan 2006 1:01 am
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Contact:

Help!-Will this tuning harm round neck resonator?

Post by Dave Sky »

I tune to ACEGBD on my square neck and wondered if I could use this tuning on a Johnson metal body round neck using the string gauges of 42-36-30-24-18-16.

Thought I would ask before I strung it up.

Thanks for your help.
Dave
User avatar
Steinar Gregertsen
Posts: 3234
Joined: 18 Feb 2003 1:01 am
Location: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
Contact:

Post by Steinar Gregertsen »

I think that should work fine, a 'medium' set for standard guitar tuning (Martin SP) is 13, 17, 25, 35, 46, 56, so as far as I can see your gauges/tuning will actually have a slightly lower tension except for the top two strings.
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube
Dave Sky
Posts: 279
Joined: 12 Jan 2006 1:01 am
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Contact:

Post by Dave Sky »

Thanks Steinar!

I want to learn the ACEGBD tuning so I wanted to set up a few guitars to have one handy for those short impromptu practice sessions.
User avatar
Dom Franco
Posts: 1985
Joined: 16 Oct 1998 12:01 am
Location: Beaverton, OR, 97007
Contact:

Post by Dom Franco »

That's a very interesting tuning!
OPEN:
Am7-C6th-Cmaj7-Em7-G6th and Skiping the "B" C2 (All 4 note chords)

Then: Am-C-Em-G (3 note chords)
WOW...

Dom
Dave Sky
Posts: 279
Joined: 12 Jan 2006 1:01 am
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Contact:

Post by Dave Sky »

Hi Dom,
Here is where I got the tuning from Robert Murphy:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... ght=acegbd

Am11 is perfect for my style of playing or my style of fumbling. You can't hit a wrong chord without working at it.

A big thanks goes to Mr. Murphy as this tuning is the sound I have been looking for. I play solo lap steel mostly playing background music for folks enjoying dinner. This tuning gives me a relaxed jazzy sound.

Also the chords are close together just going up and down two frets allows you to play 1-4-5 and 2-5-1.
User avatar
John Colaneri
Posts: 25
Joined: 25 Mar 2009 11:39 am
Location: California, USA

string guages

Post by John Colaneri »

Have you seen this site?

http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php

I discovered it after I nearly killed my cheap acoustic...
Dave Sky
Posts: 279
Joined: 12 Jan 2006 1:01 am
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Contact:

Post by Dave Sky »

Thanks John,
I'll go lighter since it is a long scale.
This page has useful information.
I have bookmarked it now.

Dave
User avatar
Steinar Gregertsen
Posts: 3234
Joined: 18 Feb 2003 1:01 am
Location: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
Contact:

Post by Steinar Gregertsen »

Be careful not to go too light on a resonator, they need a certain downforce on the cone to sound good. Experiment and see what works best for you.
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube
Post Reply