The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic Dobro Tunings of Emmons, Burton, Young??
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Dobro Tunings of Emmons, Burton, Young??
chris ivey


From:
california (deceased)
Post  Posted 26 Oct 2007 3:26 pm    
Reply with quote

does anyone know which dobro tunings were favored by buddy emmons, james burton and rusty young? i've heard them all do cool stuff, but not necessarily traditional G tuning sounding.
View user's profile Send private message

scott murray


From:
Asheville, NC
Post  Posted 26 Oct 2007 10:24 pm    
Reply with quote

Buddy's dobro solo on "Hold It" from the Two Aces album w/Shot Jackson (and Vassar!) is one of the coolest things ever.

I dunno, I just always figured he tuned it standard. Same with Burton. Haven't heard much of Rusty's dobro picking.
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

nick allen

 

From:
France
Post  Posted 27 Oct 2007 2:54 am    
Reply with quote

I've read that James Burton tuned his to A - that is, standard dobro tuning but up a tone, for a brighter sound.
Nick
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jack Stanton


From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Post  Posted 27 Oct 2007 5:10 am    
Reply with quote

I seem to remember reading somewhere Buddy also typically tuned his Dobro (Sho-Bro) to A (perhaps he'll correct me if I'm mistaken) and Rusty often used an "E" or "D" tuning. Of course, it's been a long time, and I could be completely wrong! Smile
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

chris ivey


From:
california (deceased)
Post  Posted 28 Oct 2007 3:16 pm    
Reply with quote

thanx...bump up for one more chance...
View user's profile Send private message

Buddy Emmons

 

From:
Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 30 Oct 2007 5:10 pm    
Reply with quote

Jack… I may have tuned the Sho Bro to A at the time, I really don’t recall. The last session I used it on was an independent production and I got so upset with the sound of it on the playbacks, I gave it to the vocalist.
I now tune my Dobro to G. It’s a great horn I got from Mike Cass a long time ago and haven’t changed strings yet. I’d be interested in knowing how it would sound with new strings but then I'd have to change them to find out.

Scott… As best I remember I tuned Shot’s Sho Bro to A 6th for the solo on Hold It.
View user's profile Send private message

scott murray


From:
Asheville, NC
Post  Posted 30 Oct 2007 6:04 pm    
Reply with quote

also the coolest thing ever: the man himself responding to our queries... thanks Buddy!

The ShoBro was a 7-string, right? i play an 8-string tuned to G6... technically Em7 since the bottom string is tuned E.
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Stephen Gambrell

 

From:
Over there
Post  Posted 30 Oct 2007 9:17 pm    
Reply with quote

I always thought Rusty's playing sounded like he was tuned to "E."
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Buddy Emmons

 

From:
Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 31 Oct 2007 3:01 am    
Reply with quote

Yes, the Sho Bud was a seven string model.
View user's profile Send private message

Robert Cook

 

From:
Collierville,TN
Post  Posted 31 Oct 2007 8:18 am    
Reply with quote

I recently sold Rusty's book on pedal steel, but in it he had the tuning for 6 string dobro which he included in a section for those who wanted to work on pedal steel and only had 6 strings. I think the tuning was in E too, but if someone has a copy of the book they can dig it out.

Bob
_________________
Left-handed Pedalmaster-10, Nashville 1000, Fender Twin, Goodrich
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mark van Allen


From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
Post  Posted 31 Oct 2007 11:05 am    
Reply with quote

Hi, robert, I just looked at my copy of Rusty's book, and he uses an E7 tuning; E,D,E,G#,B,E low to high, but he seems to be saying that it's for the purposes of learning steel basics on "an old steel, a Dobro, an electric guitar with the bridge raised, or a pedal steel". No mention I can find of what his actual stage tuning was for acoustic slide.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Robert Cook

 

From:
Collierville,TN
Post  Posted 6 Nov 2007 12:15 pm    
Reply with quote

I received an email from Jack Sundrud of Poco that Rusty uses an A tuning for his dobro as follows:

E C# A E C# A

Hope that helps.

Bob
_________________
Left-handed Pedalmaster-10, Nashville 1000, Fender Twin, Goodrich
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP