Double neck w/dobro

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 30 Aug 2002 2:59 am

Why don't the mfr's offer a double neck guitar with a 6 string open G tuning in place of the C6 neck?
Maybe it could be furnished with MatchBro electronics already built in for a perfect dobro sound, or it could be tuned open E for rock/distortion sounds. Of course, it would have to have the same wide string spacing as a 6 string istrument.
It's pretty much of a consensus that the C6 neck is underused by most and not even played at all by a lot of others.
On the other hand, I could see a lot of use for a tuning like this and it shouldn't be as expensive as a full pedal double neck.
I think I'd order one right now if it were available!

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 30 Aug 2002 3:58 am

I toyed with this idea and convinced myself I wasn't thinking straight. Then I ran into Jeff Surrat who works with Duane Marrs. He had a Marrs double neck with a cat-can dobro simulator (RGS) on the back neck. He also had two pedals on it that were hooked to pullers at the keyhead end. He said it worked great. I sure could use something like that on my current gig (no C6, but some dobro fills here and there).

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 30 Aug 2002 6:49 am

My experience is that the E9 neck with A&B pedals down while using your "normal settings" gives an acceptable dobro simulation for contemporary country music....but bluegrass does require some tweaking.
www.genejones.com

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 30 Aug 2002 6:54 am

I cannot imagine a double neck guitar with different string spacings on each neck. One of my first electric guitars was a Gibson. I then went to a triple neck Fender. The Fender had closer string spacing than the Gibson. After I played the Fender for quite a while, I had trouble going back to the Gibson because of the wider spacing. But, then again, sometimes I get my tongue wrapped around my eye tooth and can't see what I'm saying. It's not easy going through life as a left-handed Norwegian!

Uff-Da y'all!

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 30 Aug 2002 9:09 am

I wouldn´t make it a six string neck. First, as Erv said, it might be troublesome to jump back and forth between different string spacings. Second, by just using the regular neck and extending the normal Dobro tuning to 10 strings you´ll get some extra high and low range that is unavailable on a regular 6-string Dobro. You can also add some interesting pedal combinations. One example, Ralph Mooney has a tuning like that on his front neck (since E9 is his rear neck). Third, an instrument like that would most likely have to be a custom job and therefore more expensive. And last, if you put an "extended" Dobro tuning on a regular 10 string neck, you´ll always be able to change it back to something else (who knows, maybe someday the "C6 bug" hits you!)

Regards, Joe H.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 30 Aug 2002 2:14 pm

Click here to see Jeff Surrat's Marrs doubleneck. It's exactly what you describe, Tony.

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Gil Berry · Post by **Gil Berry** » 30 Aug 2002 3:09 pm

Knew a guy once who bolted a couple of old 8-string Fender (stringmaster?) necks on to the front of his D-10 PSG. Had one tuned to I think a G7 tuning, the other had all bass strings on it - don't know what tuning that was. Sure was an ugly thing, but then, this guy wasn't into "purty"......you still out there, Chuck?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Aug 2002 3:39 pm

Tony...one manufacturer does! If you (or anyone else), is interested in a D6/10 (that's a double neck guitar with one 6-string neck and one 10-string neck), just call Roy Thomas at Pedalmaster Steels. He will custom-build to any configuration. He's even makes D6 pedal steels!

Call him at his shop in Louisana. 337 893-6418

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 30 Aug 2002 5:37 pm

I think I'd order one right now if it were available!

Nothing says you have to put 10 strings on that neck, just string it up however you want, it's your guitar and you could take off the pedals, knees and the mechanism and save a bunch of weight.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 31 Aug 2002 3:07 am

At the Dallas show last March, Gene Fields had a unique steel. The back neck was standard 10 string and the front neck was a standard 6 string guitar neck where he fretted the strings with his fingers a la Thumbs Carlile(spelling?). I forget how many pedal and levers he had, but he played raher well.

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 31 Aug 2002 4:50 am

De Witt Scott (of Scotty's Music and ISGC) has a double neck steel that has diferent spacing on each neck.

It is an EXCEL. The fron neck has standard 10 string E9th neck spacing. The back neck is 6 string with the exact spacing of a Rickenbacker Fry Pan non pedal steel. I don't believe that the back neck has a changer. It is just strung across a bridge in the same fashion as the fry pan guitar.

It even has the 'horseshoe" style pick ups that were found on the old Ricks.

I have played it before and it is a wonderful guitar.

I would imagine, if one wanted, they could run the guitar through a matchbro and get the desired tuning and effect...for Dobro sounds

Scotty uses his to simulate the sound of the Rick ...the spacing also allows him to utilize the same slant style he is used to on the original Rick Fry Pan ....

FYI

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 31 Aug 2002 6:17 am

I think it could be a great idea. There's lots of guys that would never use the C6th. neck and putting the Matchbro guts in there is a stroke of genius. A different string spacing wouldn't be bad cause lots of guys switch mid-song onto a dobro anyways. Personally, I'd miss the C6th. but for many others, great idea.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 31 Aug 2002 8:27 am

Doesn't anybody play an 8 string dobro?
I have an 8 string "Dobro" (the real thing)
and use an A6th tuning on it. The string spacing is the same as on my Emmons.
The only way to go!

Erv

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 2 Sep 2002 9:47 am

Gene Fields had a unique steel. The back neck was standard 10 string and the front neck was a standard 6 string guitar neck where he fretted the strings with his fingers a la Thumbs Carlile

Gene has made lots of those, and I have one. Most of them actually have 12 stings on the steel guitar, and 8 strings on the fretted side.
Gene's tuning on his 8 string fretted neck is the standard 6-string Dobro tuning, plus an added high G and low D.

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 2 Sep 2002 1:39 pm

Wow! It IS being done. Thanks for the picture Bob.
Guys, it's immaterial whether the other neck is 6 string or 8 string, the thought here is providing a useful, alternative to the C6 neck. For some, it will be a 6 or 8 string dobro with wide spacing. For others, it could be a 6 (or

string lap steel open tuning.
The point is, for simplicity's sake, it wouldn't have to be pedal activated (thereby saving cost) and it could POSSIBLY serve a more useful purpose than a C6 neck does for a lot of country music.
I just think a lot of players would find having the equivalent of a "dobro" and all its playing style allows you to do, right at your fingertips as a doubleneck, would be pretty darn useful.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 2 Sep 2002 10:21 pm

Especially if they could learn to take their foot off the darn volume pedal!

Michael T. Hermsmeyer · Post by **Michael T. Hermsmeyer** » 3 Sep 2002 1:39 pm

I want a doubleneck Franklin Pedabro! Anybody in the loan business out there? LOL

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Emmett Roch · Post by **Emmett Roch** » 3 Sep 2002 2:43 pm

At the '98 ISGC, Paul Franklin Sr had a guitar in his booth that was a PedaBro that also had an E9 neck on it. It would probably be expensive to have one built, but it sure would be a handy tool to have.

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