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Topic: making a lap steel sound like a pedal steel |
David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2013 8:02 am |
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Billy Robinson tunes
D
G
E
C
A
G
E
C
A
F
Besides pulling strings behind the bar, a major "trick" he uses is a back slant that brings the C string up to unison with the D and even more often, a forward slant that brings the D string up to the E. I stared at those videos a lot. 
I would strongly suspect that Mike's special tuning* was the top 8 strings of Reece Anderson's non-pedal 12:
D
B
G
E
C
A
G
E
---
C
A
F
D
If it wasn't, that's still a bangin' tuning for this, with the two lower top strings and roughly four strings underneath for unison slants (depending on your bar length) - the opportunities for mischief abound.
*actually since he mentions C# and G#, his was probably the same relatively but with an E major base. Tonally you'd have -
2
7
5
3
1
6
5
3 |
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Dennis Burling
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 29 Mar 2013 4:20 am
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Do you know which Lap Steel was used in this clip? |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 30 Mar 2013 10:47 am
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| lots of instrument sounds can be mimiced by other instruments. or you can play the real thing. |
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Nicholas Dedring
From:
Beacon, New York, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2013 4:11 am
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The key is bolting about 50 pounds of lead weights to the lap steel. I find that the main thing to the sound of pedal steel is derived from the agony of carrying mine.  |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 4 Apr 2013 9:34 am
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| right! it develops soul and dedication. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2013 11:44 am
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| Dennis Burling wrote: |
Do you know which Lap Steel was used in this clip? |
i think that might have been a guitar made by chet wilcox. maybe a 10 stringer. if its a 12 string, then i made that. i did a lot of recordings with 8 10 12 and now 14 strings so they all run together. i didnt make any notes on the recording sheets except they were all recorded using an alembic f2B tube pre straight into a vmp II preamp and a LA2 copy compressor by dimario labs. all the steels i have or have had use mostly E66 pickups. extended leavitt tuning. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2013 8:00 am
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Loving all the examples. Been looking for a way to simplify my rig and still get the similar sounds!
You could always take a step further and add string benders to the lap steel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y88I5d1nEgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv1_IBraeSg
I'm guessing this has already been discussed on here before....
There's a guy around here that has a wrist and knee lever on a lap steel to get E9 A & B string pulls.
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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