Unusual Emmons 8-String Lap Steel

[Stewart Campbell]

Hi Slim that was fantastic blew my mind, and Doug that Emmons sounded pretty good to my ears and not unlike a lap I myself built using Teak wood for the body fitted with an Entwhistle XS 62N pickup, and finally Doug I enjoyed one of your books very much, keep up the good work.
regards Stewart Campbell.

[Doug Beaumier]

Thanks Stewart!

[Nelson Checkoway]

Thanks for all the replies to this string and no worries about "hijacking" - that what these threads are for ... to go in the directions they take us.

The Emmons lap steel should arrive this week - dealer says it's set up as "C6" but will see exact tuning when it gets here.

I'm interested in hearing from any of you suggestions as to what tuning to start with to get some of the same chord options as on a 10 string C6th pedal steel neck. Here's one example of the style and sound I might be trying for on the 8 string lap steel (pardon the fidelity - a 2 chorus songwriting demo - my Emmons 1972 Fatback directly into GarageBand and an old hardtail stratocaster played acoustically into the GB mike for rhythm):

https://www.soundclick.com/html5/v4/pla ... D=13770349

Without the pedals (mostly 5-6-7) accessing some of the 9s and maj and dom 7s what are the most practical tunings to work with? (and if you have string gauge suggestions to go with 'em, even better!!) I look forward to fellow forumites weighing in!! Thanks again.

[Nelson Checkoway]

Hi all - see my last message - if anyone has some tuning suggestions please bring 'em on! Guitar arrives this week.
Many thanks, Nelson.

[Jack Hanson]

...if anyone has some tuning suggestions please bring 'em on!

I would opine you can't go wrong with one version or another of C6. Depending on whether you prefer a high "G" or a high "E," I would recommend (high-to-low):

G-E-C-A-G-E-C-A, or:
E-C-A-G-E-C-Bb-G

String gauges would be dependent on the scale length of your instrument. Here's a link to John Ely's handy String Gauge Chart:

http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/graphics/p ... _chart.pdf

[Slim Heilpern]

Edit: Apparently Jack and I were typing our responses around the same time .

Hi all - see my last message - if anyone has some tuning suggestions please bring 'em on! Guitar arrives this week.
Many thanks, Nelson.

Hi Nelson -

When I was trying to decide what to put on my LS8, I went to my old pal John Ely's hawaiiansteel.com site and found this quite helpful:

http://hawaiiansteel.com/tunings/my_tunings.php

I ended up with his C13, but one inversion up (which puts the Bb on the bottom string). And then I ended up tuning it down to a B13 after I switched to a U12 as my pedal guitar (simply to avoid a bit of confusion when switching instruments).

Hope that helps...

- Slim.

[Nelson Checkoway]

Thanks, Jack and Slim, for the suggestions. Looking forward to trying them out!
-Nelson