Mike Ihde's Remington D8

Brett Hodges · Post by **Brett Hodges** » 16 Dec 2024 8:25 am

I just acquired the Remington D8 Signature series guitar that belonged to long time forum member Mike Ihde. Since he was a prominent member of the steel community, I wonder if any of you know this guitar? Did he order it new or purchase from someone else on the forum. I'm looking forward to playing this fine instrument and I would enjoy knowing it's history.

Any thoughts?

--BH

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 16 Dec 2024 12:02 pm

I would love to see a picture

Brett Hodges · Post by **Brett Hodges** » 16 Dec 2024 1:57 pm

Here you go!

--BH

Brett Hodges · Post by **Brett Hodges** » 16 Dec 2024 2:04 pm

And here is a picture of Mike Ihde playing the steel that his daughter shared with me:

BH

David Laveau · Post by **David Laveau** » 17 Dec 2024 7:53 am

Good looking guitar,
Given it's a Remington - bet it sounds pretty great also

Brett Hodges · Post by **Brett Hodges** » 17 Dec 2024 8:19 am

David Laveau wrote:Good looking guitar,
Given it's a Remington - bet it sounds pretty great also

It would probably sound better if someone else played it but I'm working on it!

--BH

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 17 Dec 2024 1:59 pm

Nice,thanks for that. What tunings are you using?

Brett Hodges · Post by **Brett Hodges** » 17 Dec 2024 2:55 pm

Will Houston wrote:Nice,thanks for that. What tunings are you using?

For starters I've got A6 on the upper neck and I believe that is what was on it before I got it.

On the lower, I've got C6 with the third on top. I suspect it was tuned to something interesting that I'm not ready for.

I'm likely to change it to: C6/A7 on the lower neck and change the upper neck to E13. It is so easy to re-tune from C6/A7 to A6 that it makes sense to me to have significantly different tunings on each neck. I'm a newby steel player but I've been playing guitar/mandolin/fiddle/bass/banjo for 50+ years. Much of that with really great steel players in the band (many of them long time forum members). Hand problems have led me to the steel guitar and I'm as excited about it as I would have been as a teenager.

--BH

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 17 Dec 2024 8:19 pm

Did Mike Ihde have his own special tuning he came up with or am I thinking of someone else? Enjoy your new guitar.

Roger Fletcher · Post by **Roger Fletcher** » 17 Dec 2024 11:15 pm

He was a strong advocate of Bill Leavitt's tuning.

David DeLoach · Post by **David DeLoach** » 18 Dec 2024 4:13 am

I learned a lot studying Mike's (and Roy's) arrangements in Leavitt tuning.

While I have lap steels that I keep tuned to C6 and B11, Leavitt tuning is what I find myself playing 99% of the time.