Best Neck for Blues

Cameron Kerby · Post by **Cameron Kerby** » 17 Jun 2017 4:33 pm

Ive played E9th for about a year and a half and just started C6th a month ago and I'm loving it. A couple of groups I play with play a lot of blues and I thought I'd ask around and see which tuning is better for blues. Also do a lot of stuff with drop tunings, not sure how that correlates to the steel though.

Obviously blues can be played on both necks and I have been playing it on both. Thought I would just poll around and see what other players are doing and why you like which tuning better? So far after learning some C6th, I like some of the deeper tones that neck has to offer over the E9th. Thanks.

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 17 Jun 2017 4:50 pm

I play with a group that does some blues. If I want a more "bending" style of lead playing I use the E9 neck. For swinging styles I'm more inclined towards the C6.

Look for something called the O.B.A.I.L. position on the C6. It means "oh boy am I lost" and shows some places to find the pentatonic scale. It also works in the "pedals down" E9, because pedals down is roughly A6. On the E9 neck you can use the E-lower to have a basic B6, so OBAIL works there too. I used to play a Universal E9/B6 S-12, it's all one tuning, sort of.

It's all good. The drop tunings are not an issue. Just play in the key of the song. C6 will def be lower in register.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Jun 2017 5:39 pm

I play blues on whichever neck moves me at the time. Each neck both expresses and inspires different thoughts and moods.
As a general, but hardly consistent rule, the shuffle blues go on the C6th and the crying blues on the E9th. If I owned a single neck, it'd never go to a blues gig or blues jam.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 17 Jun 2017 5:56 pm

The music you play comes from your heart and mind. If you know your instrument, the tuning you use has little to do with the style you play on it.

(Btw, I've been using the "OBAIL" method for quite a while, I just didn't know it had it's own acronym.)

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 17 Jun 2017 6:24 pm

I saw OBAIL for the first time on a Jeff Newman video. It was the U-12 primer or the basic intro to pedal steel.

Jeff, though, for sure.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 17 Jun 2017 9:59 pm

My D6th copedent is great for blues (click 'Copedents' in my sig below).

On 10-string E9th, I find that there aren't enough low notes. Also, I tend to avoid the 3rd string as it sounds too thin for most blues licks. If I had to play a D-10, I'd use the C6th neck on most blues standards. The only exceptions would be when open strings in an E tuning are required.

I think that the key to playing blues is more in the technique than in the tuning. Take your foot off the volume pedal. Use a bar that has less sustain. Don't do obvious pedal licks. Think bottleneck. Sometimes you have to just forget about following the chord progression and play from your heart.

Dan Robinson · Post by **Dan Robinson** » 17 Jun 2017 11:51 pm

b0b wrote:I think that the key to playing blues is more in the technique than in the tuning.... Sometimes you have to just forget about following the chord progression and play from your heart.

I agree, the blues lend themselves to this approach.

I play pedal steel in a 6-piece country band, (acoustic 6-string, lead guitar, keys) so my contribution to blues numbers is not very demanding. But I'm discovering plenty of bluesy licks on E9th. My foot is still on the volume pedal, but moving less.

Copperhead Road (Steve Earle) played on strings 5 thru 10, with no pedals. We closed Friday night gig with SRV's "House is Rockin" Some moving phrases with B&C pedals on strings 2& 3 worked well.

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 18 Jun 2017 3:07 am

I'm thinking the best neck is the one just below your head... yep, it's more about you than the guitar in my book.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 18 Jun 2017 3:57 am

Scott Duckworth wrote:I'm thinking the best neck is the one just below your head... yep, it's more about you than the guitar in my book.

Excellent response, Mr. D.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 18 Jun 2017 4:44 am

That no-pedals, sound-like-a-bottleneck-armpit-guitar is one approach, and a fun one.
But this instrument is capable of <strike>stealing</strike> learning from just about any instrument, and not just the guitars.
I've heard licks from both Jimmy McGriff and Sonny Stith in Buddy Emmons' playing.
On the E9th neck, you can borrow harmonica licks (I guess you can find them on the back neck, but I find them on my front neck).
There are cool saxophonists playing the blues; learn their vocabulary.
Ron Levy and Jimmy McGriff play cool blues on the B3.

Cameron Kerby · Post by **Cameron Kerby** » 18 Jun 2017 7:29 pm

Definitely some great stuff there! I would like to find out more about the OBAIL method Rick was talking about just to simply things a little. I'm guessing the reason people play extended E9th and U-12's are so they can have those lower register strings?

That D6th tuning you've got bOb does look very interesting, would love to hear some sound samples of how versatile it can be. Universal tunings seem to be the way to go if you wanna lighten the load and only carry around a single neck. I personally love flipping a switch and cranking out a simple western swing lick and half the audience turn around and ask where that came from.

Will Cowell · Post by **Will Cowell** » 19 Jun 2017 1:13 am

Why throw a switch? With a Universal tuning you just do it, no action needed to prepare for it.