E tuning, 8 string steel?

[Peter Leone]

I'm just beginning on a double neck steel, no pedals.

Can someone break down what the notes for each string should be for me? I'm confused by all of the E variations. I finally bought a set of E13's. They say to start with first string as G#, but the chord thingy I have from Cindy Cashdollar says first string should be E. I get it that it's my choice, but I want to start with whatever combo is that will have the most resources online to get started on...

I hope I'm making sense here...

[Allan Revich]

I'm just beginning on a double neck steel, no pedals.

Can someone break down what the notes for each string should be for me? I'm confused by all of the E variations. I finally bought a set of E13's. They say to start with first string as G#, but the chord thingy I have from Cindy Cashdollar says first string should be E. I get it that it's my choice, but I want to start with whatever combo is that will have the most resources online to get started on...

I hope I'm making sense here...

Something to be aware of when you are browsing tunings, is that pedal steel players and many older lap steel players list their tunings from high to low. Most players today list tunings from low to high like Spanish guitars. The least confusing way is to stack the tuning vertically with the highest string on top and the lowest on the bottom.

[Peter Leone]

Thanks for the info.

I'd just love to know what the standard tuning is, the strings I bought say:

1st- g#
2nd- e
3rd- c#
4th- b
5th- g#
6th- e
7th- D
8th- b

The strings that were on were:

1-e
2-b
3-g#
4-e
5-d
6-b
7-g#
8-e

Cindy Cashdollar says this is her preferred for E13:

1-e
2-c#
3-b
4-g#
5-f#
6-d
7-g#
8-e

Is there really this much variation in tunings? Am I supposed to just try them all and decide what's best? I'd just like to be told what the most common E tuning is to get started on straight steel, no pedals.

[Paul Strojan]

What is the tuning on your other neck? And what sort of music do you want to play. Unfortunately there isn’t a standard lap steel tuning. Each player developed their own style as sort of a trade secret.
The set of strings that you bought are for getting the Hank Williams sound. Buy the book and have fun.

[Peter Leone]

The tuning on my other neck is c6 (acegaceg). I'm having fun with it, and totally excited. I'm mostly into first generation country music.

I'll guess I'll just tune this other neck to what it says on the strings.

[Roger Fletcher]

The tuning on the guitar is the old E7, which was popular in the 1930s as a six string tuning. It can be argued that more versatile E tunings are possible with 8 strings.
The string set you bought is the E13 as used by Little Roy Wiggins, who backed Eddy Arnold in the 1950s. It is also similar to the tuning of Don Helms, who backed Hank Williams. The Cashdollar tuning is from Leon McAuliffe, who played with Bob Wills. I would say this is too complicated for you at this stage.

[Allan Revich]

…

The strings that were on were:

1-e
2-b
3-g#
4-e
5-d [drop to C#]
6-b
7-g#
8-e

Is there really this much variation in tunings? Am I supposed to just try them all and decide what's best? I'd just like to be told what the most common E tuning is to get started on straight steel, no pedals.

Yes, there really is this much variation in tunings! I have more than 100 tunings on the web page in my signature

If you drop the D in your original tuning down a half step to C#, you’ll have a very useable and fairly simple E6/C#m7 tuning.

[Tom Wolverton]

My favorite E tuning for 8-string is this (low to high):

E, F#, G#, B, C#, E, G#, F#

[Tim Whitlock]

Is there really this much variation in tunings? Am I supposed to just try them all and decide what's best? I'd just like to be told what the most common E tuning is to get started on straight steel, no pedals.

The answer is yes to both of your questions. There are several variations of the E13 tuning with no consensus as to which is the standard tuning. Any of them should get you that first generation country sound. Welcome to the rabbit hole.

By the way, the Cindy Cashdollar tuning is known as the Leon McAuliffe tuning.

[Ben Alt]

I'm in a similar spot here - trying to figure out an E tuning. I can't get any string of any gauge up to a g# without it snapping - the highest I can get (using a pedal steel-strengthened 11) is a G and it sounds super plinky and unsatisfying up there. I'm using a long-scale Stringmaster. Sort of wondering if maybe part of the reason Fender made the choice to abandon the 26in scale was because players couldn't get the intervals they wanted.

Right now, using the strings I've go on hand I'm poking at one that kind of like what you all are calling the Leon McAuliffe Tuning, but with a root in there - Like an E9 and adds a 13th. (G# D E F# G# B C# E). I'm finding the 3rd and flat 7 on the bottom open up some interesting chord options, and when I sat down to try to learn Ain't Misbehavin' the melody was all right there on the tonic fret!

[Paul Seager]

E13 is fun but my only real use for it is to emulate a Big Band playing one huge power chord!

I use A6 on my main neck and vary between an extended B11 (I add a G# & E on 7 & 8 ) and a version of E13 on the second neck.

Thing about these and a great many lap steel tunings is that they all have an E on top and the strings that follow (going down) are relatively close in their pitch. So ...

A6, B11, E13, and C6
1 E, E, E, E
2 C#, C#, C#, C
3 A, A, G#, A
4 F#, F#, F#, G
5 E, D#,D, E
6 C#, B, B,C
7 A, G#, G#, A
8 F#, E, E, G

Point I'm making is that you dont have to buy or stick to how sets are described; you can get a lot of tunings from a single set. And also that E13 works well although the strings may not be in order a given player discusses.

One learns quickly that steel guitar demands compromise with each tuning. I love B11 for the chord variations but tread carefully on solos. I retune B11 to E13 for a swing blues. When one hits the big band effect, it puts a smile on everyone's face!

One more thing about E13. It's often discussed but rarely documented for educational purposes and I have never understood the often mentioned "affinity to C6".

A6 is a simple transition from C6 (just detune) and B11 does have an affinity. Andy Volk and Doug Beaumeier have B11 material available and you may find my extended version of B11 rewarding for some more jazzy chords.

No matter what, experiment and enjoy!