Which way is Up?

[Bill Sinclair]

This is a bit embarrassing that I don't know this bit of guitar nomenclature after 2 years, but when someone refers to a string as being "on top" are they referring to the string farthest away from the player, on the outside of the neck?

[David Knutson]

Yes, that is correct. For example, if referring to a tuning - C6 with the 5 on top - then the "5 on top" would be the 5th note of the scale as the highest pitched note of that tuning. Or that's how it has always worked for me around here.

[Doug Beaumier]

Yes, the "top" string is string 1, farthest from the player. It's usually the highest pitched string in the tuning.

[Roger Shackelton]

Like This: In C-6 Tuning.

1 E
2 C
3 A
4 G
5 E
6 C
7 A
8 F

[Bill Sinclair]

Thanks guys, makes sense. Unlike Front and Back neck, which I always have to stop and think about. Inner and Outer is a little more intuitive for me.

[Doug Beaumier]

There should be no confusion with front-back neck if you're playing a console steel. Where is the front of the guitar? You are sitting behind the steel guitar, not in front of it. In other words, the front neck is located at the front of the guitar, and the rear neck, or back neck, is closest to the player.

[Bill Sinclair]

Where is the front of the guitar?

Why, the part that's right in front of me - of course! I know, I know, I make it harder than it should be.

[Doug Beaumier]

In front of you is the rear... and the front is nowhere near.

[Kekoa Blanchet]

Interesting. I guess I never thought it through.

So this means that you sit behind a console guitar when you play it, even though you sit in front of a piano when you play it. But it does make sense in a way -- you do sit behind the wheel of a car.

I guess there's no need for consistency.

[George Piburn]

Some of us use a "D" on top or sometimes called the outside string.

In C6 Tuning is would be a 9th scale note , lower in pitch than the High "E"

This came from Buddy Emmons - Paul Franklin , Pedal Tunings when they replaced the High "G" -- both use it as a Chromatic like function less as a chording and more as a single note.

Many of the advanced players with 10 - 12 + string steel guitars use these so called Chromatics. For example Maurice Anderson - Billy Robinson -

[Doug Beaumier]

Regarding the front/back of a double neck steel guitar... I think we can all agree that the front of the instrument bears the logo and faces the audience. i.e. the front neck is farthest from the player.

[chris ivey]

you probably won't need to ask these questions after you've played a dozen gigs.

[Bill Sinclair]

you probably won't need to ask these questions after you've played a dozen gigs.

Why? Because they become irrelevant or because I'll somehow "know" without asking? If I can't ask you guys, who am I gonna ask? By the way, I'm certainly not arguing about what's front and back, just noting that it isn't as intuitive for all of us - for the reasons that Kekoa stated above. I don't think I'll have any problem remembering now!

Chris, in the two years since I've started lap steel I've played a lot more than a dozen gigs but my band only lets me play it on three or four songs. I'm not sure I've even reached the "suck" level yet but I sure am enjoying myself. This certainly won't be the last of my stupid questions.

[Kekoa Blanchet]

If you're looking for more questions to ask, I'd recommend staying away from "Should strings be listed low-to-high or high-to-low?"