Speaking of 8-string dobros

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 17 Dec 2005 6:57 am

After listening to Pete Grant's wonderful sound sample of his 8-string reso and tuning, I was reminded of a brief experiment of my own on my plain ol' 6-string. After hearing famed steeler Weldon Myrick play an "8" on Jesse McReynolds latest CD, I re-strung my dobro DGBDAC to emulate the top (chromatic) part of Weldon's tuning. The ringing qualities of the chromatics are undeniable.
Anyone else experimenting with chromatic strings on their dobros? If only I had an "8": GBDGBDAC....

cheers,
Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Dec 2005 7:58 am

I have an 8 string original "Dobro" that I tune to an A6 tuning. I like it a lot.

Mark Switzer · Post by **Mark Switzer** » 20 Dec 2005 4:53 am

Hey Drew; What`s the name of Jesse`s CD?

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 20 Dec 2005 6:00 am

hearing Mike Aldridge's eight string dobor encouraged me to get a new National.
it only has six strings tho.
goota try your tuning.
thx.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 20 Dec 2005 6:10 am

"New Horizons"
Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys

Elderly Instruments's website

Last year I saw him and he had Bobby Hicks on fiddle and a great harmony singer Charles Whitstein.

Weldon Myrick was not with him, on the CD only.

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 20 Dec 2005 7:44 am

Speaking of 8 string Dobros, does anyone have any idea of the age of this one? I played it at Mass Street Music. It's an 8, currently set up for 6.

I think it needs some setup work - definitely some distortion-like buzzing now. It's going for $1,195. Unfortunately, I have no idea what market would be for this (otherwise I'd be tempted).

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 20 Dec 2005 9:02 am

Here's what I have been using: <pre>
D
E
C
A
G
E
C#
A</pre>
It would be nice to have a B string in there like Joachin M but I don't want to give up any of these strings.

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 20 Dec 2005 2:06 pm

Note to John B. - This 8 string Dobro looks exactly like the one I used to have, which was made in the mid 70's. Mine had the 8 strings on it when I traded it off. The white plastic nut was used in the early to mid 70's. The number stamped on the headstock won't tell you much. Sometimes a date was written inside, directly below one of the screened holes.

Thanx,
Jim

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 20 Dec 2005 3:39 pm

Earnest, where would you put the B?

Mark Switzer · Post by **Mark Switzer** » 21 Dec 2005 2:07 am

Thanks,Drew. I`ve seen that CD and it will go on my to-get list for 2006. Jesse is one of the world`s most underrated musicians IMHO.
I have an 8-string that looks pretty close to the one pictured. Made by OMI here in SoCal for sure. Not a great period in Dobro history. I plan to hot rod it with some Beard parts after I pay for the holidays. I`ve been using it to learn some of Mike Auldridge`s stuff in C6/9.
Twelve hundred bucks seems steep to me.

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 21 Dec 2005 12:21 pm

I paid about a grand for mine [new] in about 93 or 94. From So Cal Dobro. Since I now have a D8 Stringmaster, I just use it as a stanard 6 string for BG..Wouldn't take less than $1500 for it now..
PJ

Ambrose Verdibello · Post by **Ambrose Verdibello** » 23 Dec 2005 10:39 am

On my 8 string dobro I use the tuning that Ernest mentioned but tuned down a whole
step: GBDEGBbDc. (Bb6/G7) The advantage for me is that by tuning the 3rd string up a half step and the 5th down a half I easily get into a G6 tuning for doing typical dobro stuff. (GBDEGBDc) The c on top is very useful (as Drew noted) - with the E and G a full C chord is available plus nice melodic and pedal steel type things.

Howard, if you substitute the B as the first string instead of the D (in Ernest's C6/A7 plus D tuning), you get the Leavitt tuning on strings 145678 but transposed down 3 half steps. But you still have the old familiar C6/A7 on strings 2 - 8. I use this pretty frequently.

Whoops - should have mentioned that you have to tune the bottom string up a half step to get the full leavitt thing:

C13/A9? (low to high) = Bb C# E G A C E b

The b is a half step below the C.

Great to have the Leavitt chords there with the most of the familiar C6/A7 licks and slants.

-a [This message was edited by Ambrose Verdibello on 24 December 2005 at 07:26 AM.]

Jim Jasutis · Post by **Jim Jasutis** » 23 Dec 2005 5:46 pm

I was wandering around the web, and happened upon the Folk of the Wood site, and saw a post to Mickey about 8 string Dobros. In his reply he quoted a response he once got from Paul Beard -- he said --

Here's what Paul Beard had once written to me on the 8-String and the 7-String:

Just for your info, I do build an 8 string instrument as well as an 7 string. I have a 7 string in stock at this time for immediate sale. It is a thicker than standard body and its made from highly figured quilted mahogany. The nice thing about a 7 string over an 8 string is that I am able to put full standard string spacing on the instrument. Also, 8 strings tend to load the resonator so much that typically 8 strings never sound quite as good as a 6 string. The 7 string is a compromise between the two. You certainly can tune the instrument to any tuning that you would like. You can place a high G on top on a standard G tuning or a low D or you can turn the fourth string to an E for a G6.

The string spacing doesn't seem like a big problem, but I was wondering about the loading of the resonator. Any of you guys have any comments on this quote??? Thanks.

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 23 Dec 2005 10:57 pm

Yes I noticed mine sounds better as a 6 string than when I had it strung for an 8 string..Would like to get a pro set up..
PJ