What's the high string on your C6?

[Patrick Janka]

I recently got a Carter D10 from a forumite. I noticed all the strings were tuned as generally documented except the high string was tuned to D on the C6 instead of G, as I see it documented in most sources. When I tuned it up it snapped as the gauge must have been too light. The previous owner told me most people tune the high string to D nowadays, as opposed to G. Is that the case here? I saw nothing about it in the books I have or on Wikipedia. What are the cases for both turnings? I'm holding off getting a replacement string until I decide what to tune it to. Thanks.

[Roger Rettig]

That trend is about thirty years old now - a D on the top. It facilitates fast picking petterns just like those possible with the 'chromatic' strings (1 & 2) on the E9 tuning. It allows you to play a quick 3,2,1 scale by picking strings 2,1 and 3.

The old high 'G' note is replaced by moving the bar up three frets and raising the 3rd string a half-step on a knee-lever. Do that and grab 2,3 and 4 and there's your higher inversion of the '1' chord. Hit strings 2,1 and 3 with that 3rd raised in the 3-above position and there's a 5,4,3 scale there.

Many players still use a high G, of course - Herby Wallace is one notable player who does, and his excellent teaching material employs that 'older' set-up.

I found the high D helped me to asimmilate the C6 tuning and provided some familiar ground for this dyed-in-the-wool E9th player.

[Lane Gray]

The majority have used D for about 20-25 years. Although that means calling it the "high string" no longer applies, since the 2nd string now sits higher.
You can still get high-G sets, some folks still prefer it that way.
You failed to provide one bit of info: did the set come with a first string of .012 or did it come with an .015?
The twelve goes to G, the fifteen to D.

Hope that helps.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Whatever suits you. Many players like a D. Many others, including me, still use a G. Try both and see what you like better.

You need to gauge the string to suit the note as mentioned.

[Patrick Janka]

Lane, I'm not sure, as the steel was already strung when I got it. I was looking at the Winston/Keith book as I was tuning, and tried to tune to G. I'm now looking at the Carter manual I received with the steel, and in the back there's a Setup and Tuning form the original owner requested, and it shows the top string listed as a D. Someone should tell Wikipedia to include this tuning, or make it the standard

[Tom Cooper]

2 chromatic tunings? For me one is enough. As I am really into vintage sounds, I keep high G on my D10. But totally dig the fast pick/high D vibe. I want to get deeper into old west. swing and the high G seems to be more in keeping with that. As previous post says you may be able to have both with pedal action. I am just getting back into back neck, nice to have another tuning to turn to when song needs something else.

[Jack Stoner]

I use the G on top. Herby Wallace uses the G on top. There have been threads on this before (and maybe a poll). I don't recall actual results but the last one I saw neither G or D was predominant.

I've tried the D several times but go back to the G as I lose some licks. Being an "old time" player who started out on lap steel is probably my reason.

[Lane Gray]

If you either put P5 on a knee and have a pedal to raise 3&7 +½ or have a knee that raises 3&7 +½, if you engage both and go up three frets, you'll have, on strings 10-2, FACEGACEG, or the entire High G C6 tuning.
Since my high G licks aren't very pedal-dependent, this gives me both tuning forms, and although I don't have many other of the standard pedals when I do that, P6 acts like P5 and my 4-½ knee acts just like my B lever

[Thiel Hatt]

I am from the old school also and use G on the top on my pedal steel but on my non-pedal C6th I have D on the top. So in a way I have it both ways, and I might add ,That's my preference.

[Jake Gathright]

I just changed to the G on top tast nite, and Its a lot easier for me to implement into my altrenating thumbpicking stuff, as well as playing 3-string pinches on the more traditional swing stuff...

[Patrick Janka]

Tom, where in Orlando are you? I'm right near downtown.

[Ned McIntosh]

Being an old fossil (a fossil is older than a dinosaur!!) I still have the high G on my top C6th string.

[Brint Hannay]

I really don't play the C6th, just fool with it, but when I first got a D-10 (in '84) it was set up with the G and my first attempts to learn the tuning were with that setup (and instructional materials written for that). Learning a few years later of the D option, and that Buddy E and seemingly everybody else had switched to it, I put it on my guitar. I enjoy what can be done with it (such as I am able), but I haven't stopped missing the high G string. I've got the C# raise and know how that works, but it's just not the same for me.

I've speculated about ditching the low C and moving everything down one place, with G as 2nd string and D as 1st string. I find I never want to play anything on that low string anyway.

[Herb Steiner]

Paul Franklin told me about the D string at the DJ Convention in 1977. I put it on that year. Now, I can't do without it, for chords and single string both.

For the "5th on top" interval, I use both the C-C# lever, or pedal 7, alternately.

FWIW, Jim Loessberg doesn't raise his 3rd string to C#. But when you play incredibly like J.Lo, you don't need to.

[Tony Glassman]

On my U-12 the 1st string is an F# (which is the B6th analogue to G) and my 2nd string drops to C# which is the equivalent to a high D string on the C6th.

Best of both worlds. On the down side, I've had to re-learn to play all my C6th stuff one fret up.

[Brint Hannay]

On my U-12 the 1st string is an F# (which is the B6th analogue to G) and my 2nd string drops to C# which is the equivalent to a high D string on the C6th.

Best of both worlds.

That reminds me that before I changed the 1st string I had my RKL raise the 3rd string to D, with 1/2 stop for C#. I liked that and used it a lot; maybe I shouldn't have changed anything!

[Ryan Barwin]

I have a D on top, for all the reasons previously mentioned. With my setup, I can easily get most of the same chord voicings as I would with the G string. But I use a G on top for C6th non-pedal steel.

[Steve Hitsman]

a fossil is older than a dinosaur!!

Uh, Ned, I think you have to have the dinosaur first.

[Don Sulesky]

I like the G on top because it give my a high triad chord which i use for some bluegrass rides.
I've tried the D on top and don't care for it.
When I heard Herby uses the G on top that was good enough for me.
Don

[Bill Ladd]

I play a lot of non-pedal A6. When I got my first D-10 (8 and 5) it came set up with the more modern C6 with D on top. Didn't like it. Switched to G on top. Now I'm happy as a clam.

[Rick Barnhart]

one more vote for a G on top, I couldn't do without it.

[Jack Stoner]

The ideal would be to have an 11 string setup for the C6th with both the G and D. Those of us that use the G wouldn't lose it but also have the benefits of the D string.

[Greg Cutshaw]

I have the D on top and the C to C# changes. There are times when I miss the high G but with the C to C# knee lever I get a lot of the high G sounds back. In addition the high D adds a lot of new riffs that I wouldn't want to live without. My next steel will have 12 strings on each neck. That would be overkill but allows for a lot of fun explorations with tunings.

You might still want the C to C3 change even if you have the D on top. It acts a lot like the E to F knee lever on E9th and has a ton of uses.

I have seen Doug Jernigan while trying out a guitar at Bobbe's in Nashville, tune the high string between D and G in just a few seconds and still get good tone out of it. And you can still use the 1st string half tone raise on the 8th pedal with a bit of endplate retuning.

Here a page of tabs, sounds and discussion of the C to C3 change on the C6 tuning:


C to C# Tuning Change

Also here's a page with about 12 tabs for the C to C# change:


http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Tab/Tab8.html


Greg

[Richard Sinkler]

Jack, I would take it one step further. I would like to have a 12 string (a D12 I guess - the Doctor says I'm gonna die anyway, so totin' a D12 couldn't hurt - much). I would have the "G" on 3, a "B" on 2 and the "D" on 1. There are times when I am picking when I want the B note and don't want to have to hit a pedal or lever or move the bar. Sometimes that breaks the flow of the lick.

[Robbie Daniels]

I have a Carter D12 and my C6 I have top strings 1-G and 2-D and my 12th string is a low F under the C.
I have been using that style since my first D12 in 1968.