Lap Steel Guitars: the pros and cons of 6, 8, and 10 strings

[Larry E. Thomas]

This is my first post. I'm a perpetually beginning lap steel player. I'm interested in any feedback from steel players on the pros and cons of going from a 6 string lap steel to an 8 string or 10 string lap steel. Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Noah Miller]

More strings allow for a wider overall range of notes, denser tunings, and more complex chords. You can always leave strings off, but you can't add them to an existing instrument without major surgery.

More strings may mean a tighter spacing depending on choices made by the builder. If string spacing is important to you, it may take some time to find the right instrument - though there are plenty of custom builders out there who will make you a 3000-stringed steel with the spacing of your choice. Certainly, 6-stringers are easier to find regardless of spacing.

[David DeLoach]

When I was a kid I played a 6 string lap steel tuned to open E (because that was how I learned to play slide/bottleneck guitar). It was relatively easy to learn a handful of licks and navigate the major and relative minor chords on that 6 string. I gigged with it a LOT back in the 70s/80s playing blues, rock, and country. Pretty short learning curve.

I got into playing 8 string lap steels about 4 years ago. Tuned them to C6, E13, A6, B11, and Leavitt tuning. This time instead of playing blues, rock, and country like I did when I was young, I am arranging more harmonically complex songs (not just playing licks). The learning curve has been MUCH steeper - working out the theory on the necks and finding the voicings that work well.

I think you could approach an 8 (or 10) string like I did the 6 string when I was young. Pick one tuning, stick with it, learn a handful of licks and some basic chord locations, and play blues, rock, and country and have a fairly short learning curve.

Or you could take a 6 string and really master the neck, knowing all the notes on the neck, and really work out how music theory lays on that 6 string neck, and have a pretty steep learning curve.

In a nutshell, it has a lot to do with the music you want to play.

[Bill McCloskey]

Well, you could always go with the Alkire tuning which works for 6, 8, or 10 strings. The basic chord grips (Major, minor, dom, dim) are all available on the top 6 strings and then additional voicings as you add more strings. That way you don't have to learn a new tuning every time you add strings.

Here is a work in progress which spreadsheets all the available chords and you can see what can be played on 6, 8, or 10

Here is an example of me playing a six string version: https://youtu.be/vL5Jo1gdUBk

And here: https://youtu.be/99yIf_8X4wk

And here is me playing the 10 string version of the tuning: https://youtu.be/aM9Ml8LoM5s

[Chris Clem]

When you are just learning to play almost everyone starts with 6 strings. You're really not looking to get overwhelmed with more strings as learning to play is hard enough. Don't bit off more then you can chew right from the get go. Stick to the basics to start with.....6 strings

[Jack Hanson]

In my opinion, it depends on what style of music you intend to play, and the tuning(s) you intend to use. I started playing overhand on a S-10 pedal steel, graduated to a D-10, but have mainly been playing 6-string lap steels for the last decade or so. I tried to get my head around an 8-string to no avail, but am getting fairly comfortable with 7, depending on the tuning.

For the $$$ investment in a quality pedal steel set up, one can obtain a handful of nice, vintage 6-string electric Hawaiian guitars, a couple smallish tube amps, and not need an F-250 or the like to haul 'em around in.

As a septuagenarian, I'm no longer interested in, and barely capable of, schlepping around an 85-pound monster, a 50-pound amplifier, and a pac-a-seat full of accessories. But that's just me...

[Howard Parker]

Careers are made with 6 string laps, 8 string laps and multi neck, non pedal guitars.

It's not a matter of "pros & cons". It's more like "what do I need to take the music in my head and make it audible".

There's already a lot of guidance here but I suspect you'll need to provide more info about your interests before you get more useful info.

imho & ymmv

h

[Allan Revich]

I’ve become quite fond of 7 string lap steels. They offer the simplicity of your favourite 6 string tuning PLUS the “missing” note for whatever style of music you enjoy playing.

Here’s a 7 string tuning master list,
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=363728

As for weighing "pros and cons", I think that Noah laid the pros out pretty well already.

More strings allow for a wider overall range of notes, denser tunings, and more complex chords. You can always leave strings off, but you can't add them to an existing instrument without major surgery...

Besides the string spacing issue that Noah mentioned, the main "con" is that with increasing choice comes increasing complexity. So, more to learn and more to practice.

[David Renson]

i've had 6 string laps around on and off for 40 years or more and would rarely use them. It wasn't until i bought my first 10 string Eharp that i got addicted to playing it. It took a few years until I found my own tuning and then it seemed to be much easier to play than 6 string lap. I wanted a versatile tuning for playing anything and everything. I started with this D 9/13 from John Bechtel.Low to high.......D A B/C D E F# A B D F#......I still wasn't happy with it until one day trying to tweak the tuning, I raised the middle F# to a G ending up with this....................D A B?C D E G A B D F#...With this tuning the 1,2,4,5,and 7 major chords along with the 1,2,3,5,6, and 7 minor chords are all within a whole step up or down. Also this tuning strummed open is a beautiful G-Maj7 run or an E Minor run. Also solos and melodies seem to line up really nicely.

[Tim Toberer]

I started with 8 strings. I thought I needed 10 strings, but after a few months of wrestling with that I realized I am not ready for it, maybe never will be. I love 8 strings, and lately I am really just loving 6. I have realized the limitations are mostly from me and not the instrument. I would try them all till something just feels right. Listen to Sol Hoopii and Bob Dunn!

[Bill Hatcher]

get 6 strings down. when you hear more things in your head than you can get out of 6 then you are ready for more strings. having more strings will do nothing for your playing until you hear what to do with them. been there...done that. best to you!

[Jim Kaznosky]

I started six months ago with 6 strings. I am making the jump to 8 strings early next month as I can see some clear benefits for the music I am playing with a few extras. I will say that I am certainly glad that I stuck with 6 through my initial steep learning curve in the tuning I hover around. While there are possibilities with extra strings, I probably haven't even scratched the surface with just six. There's a lot to learn and as an entirely new instrument, having less to concentrate on has been beneficial to me getting up to gig speed quicker.

[Nic Neufeld]

I agree with most everybody's advice in the thread...a lot depends on what you want to do, what music you want to make.

Not to overgeneralize, but if you want to play rock and blues mostly, six strings and simple tunings (eg major tunings) are likely ideal...mostly lead lines and simple chords. No one wants to hear a 13th chord being played through a fuzzbox

If you are at all inclined to jazz, or certain types of Hawaiian (the more chordal players like Barney Isaacs or Jules Ah See) 8 strings are going to give you advantages by giving you lots of chordal options with various tunings.

I guess those are the two areas where I'd say definitely pick one over the other...if you want to play like Megan Lovell, get a six string, if you want to play like Barney Isaacs, get an eight string...if you're really unsure at this point and are interested in other or more varied styles, you probably won't go wrong with either, but a six string will likely be cheaper and simpler for someone just getting started.

A ten string I'd say skip as a first instrument unless you've got a very specific reason why you want to go that route (eg Alkire, or a specific tuning style you want to pursue)

[Stefan Robertson]

10 strings is easy enough - I disagree with the idea 6 is easier.

A beginner pedal steel player starts with 10 strings plus levers and pedals - at no point does anyone suggest that less strings is better

a beginner lap steel can definitely digest 10 strings and no other moving parts and save years of frustration and limitations.

10/12 strings means chords 6-8 means dyads (two note chords most of the time) so skip it.

Also string spacing is not an issue as for a pedal steel player its all the same when you get used to it. Even bar slants are easily doable. So leave that thought out and go for more strings with close spacing and get to grips pun intended with that.

[Bill Hatcher]

chords. No one wants to hear a 13th chord being played through a fuzzbox

that should be added to the universal rules of the universe.

[Mike Neer]

Everyone has their own capacity for learning. If you find yourself not being able to play what you want on the instrument you have, that’s when it is time to change. The whole process is a personal evolution of its own, so take it from where you think you are. The more strings you get, the more you want to understand how the masters did it, because it can get complicated quick. Especially if you become a lunatic like the rest of us!

[Jim Kaznosky]

chords. No one wants to hear a 13th chord being played through a fuzzbox

that should be added to the universal rules of the universe.

McLaughlin sounded pretty good at it.

[Stefan Robertson]

chords. No one wants to hear a 13th chord being played through a fuzzbox

that should be added to the universal rules of the universe.

McLaughlin sounded pretty good at it.

Agreed last note of any blues song as a 13th Chord can't be sweeter with fuzz/distortion and a full band - at least to my ears I like it.

[Bill McCloskey]

If I can give you my best advice, it would be to ignore completely all the advice you will ever receive on this forum. Lap steel is a journey of self discovery and those who have advanced the instrument did so by ignoring the conventional wisdom. If I had listened to the advice I was given here, or got discouraged by the feedback, I would never have had the greatest musical adventure of my life.

[Tim Toberer]

I work in a grocery store cheese island, and people always ask for advice on what cheese to get. I always start with questions like "what kind of cheese do you like? Are you thinking of something sharp or mild?? Help me narrow it down." The response is usually "I don't know. What's your favorite cheese?" I usually say "oh, I don't have one. They are all good, here's a really good one. Its' amazing!" They smile and throw it into their cart. Then an hour later a co-worker brings it back and says. "I found this in the cereal isle"

[Erv Niehaus]

I played 6 string for quite a while.
It wasn't until I got into C6th that I wanted more strings.
When you start incorporating other notes into your tuning you need more strings otherwise your range is limited.
Erv

[Mike Christensen]

Jerry Douglas seems to be able to play any type of music with 6 strings and usually a G tuning. Like wise Mike Auldridge. Both making their living with 6 strings. My thoughts . Personally I like 8 with just A6 tuning. Plenty of music there whatever type of music is thrown at you.

[Larry E. Thomas]

Thanks for taking time to share your thoughtful comments. I really appreciate it. Based on your feedback, I'm sticking with 6 strings for the time being. I've got lots to learn and if six strings are good enough for Mr. Douglas, Mr. Auldridge, and countless others, I expect they will be more than adequate for me.