The Steel Guitar Forum

help or advice....
would like to get a starter "non pedal" guitar
play dobro and lap steel so have some familiarity with playing steel......
not sure if 6, 8, 10, or 12 strings is best...
do not want pedals on this starter guitar.....
want to take what I know for c6th tuning and try it on something with "legs".....and no pedals....
have twin-reverb amp....so only need the guitar..
any help or suggestions appreciated..
ch

What's your budget? The amount of money you want to spend will help us give you suggestions on what to buy.

Get as many strings as you can. You can always leave some off, but it is harder to add them when/if you progress to that point.

I agree with "as many strings as you can", to a point. However I honestly feel that, as a beginner you should NOT purchase anything more than an 8 string guitar. As a beginner, you can start with the basic 6 strings, tuning doesn't matter. Whatever you prefer. But learn the instrument. Later on, you can add the 2 missing strings on your 8 string guitar.

C6th is great, however you should give some thought to the E6th. JMHO from an 80 year old phart.

the guys are right .get all the strings you can aford.i was scared to death of more than six strings
and within 90 days bought an 8 string,now a year
later i want a 10.

I started out in December with my first lap steel--a 6-string in C6 tuning. By April I bought an 8-string--also C6. I'd say get a 6- or 8-string. If you play a lot, your going to want a better guitar (better tone) and likely 8-strings before too long. I just got a GeorgeBoard, and the tone is TO DIE FOR!

All of my lap steels are 6 stringers and you can play it all with just six strings but the more I play my 8 strings console guitars the more I want an 8 string lap steel. I keep findin easier ways to play a lot of stuff with the extra string on the top and bottom.

Qualify the budget is indeed important, because there wouldn't be much of a market for 10 or 12 string non-pedals to beginners.

Carroll....Buying a 10 string (at the beginner level) is akin to purchasing a stretch limo as your 'learner' car. 7 strings were good enough for the Master of Touch and Tone. 6 srings took greats like Sol Ho'opi'i and Dick McIntire to worldwide fame. Purchase a good 8 string, leave off 2 strings for the present. Multitude of strings do not make the player. It all happens directly behind the picks and that steel bar...normally, unless you are a musical genius, this won't happen over night.

thanks to all for their comments...
learning a lot on 6 strings in c6....
but, I can sure see the times when a couple extra strings would save a "move" with the steel/hand..

and for sure...I aint no "musical genius"...
so I appreciate all the help and suggestions that you folks have provided.....

as I have said before...SGF...is so wonderful for learning and improving my skills....

thanks to everyone...
ch

I think it makes no sense in trying to go thru the history of the steel guitar's technical development at the same time of learning top play. The reason steel guitar evolved into 7, 8 and 10 (and some 12) strings from 6 strings, is purely historical - The instrument was developed off the standard (Spanish) guitar. And luckily so! Imagine it had been developed of the ukulele, we'd still have some starting out on 4 string steels today . The development to more strings (and/or necks) also did not come only because of the technical possibilities to build such instruments nor just because a few genius players became able to handle it. It was a MUSICAL discovery process and new players should take advantage from this evolution.
I think that eventually 10 strings should be the standard as it has become for decades for pedal steels. There are various reasons for it:
Yes, one can play anything on ONE string, as any string can offer all 12 semi tones over and over again. Still, the beauty of the instrument is not limited to single note and simple harmony lines but also chords and the ability to invert them along the neck in as many ways as possible. More strings can virtually convert a basic tuning into chord generator that can be more versatile than many multi neck approaches like D-, T-and Q-8's.
Changing to more strings afterwards is not all that easy... the grips change, the feel changes, so does bar and it's handling and even right hand technique, as the string spacing will change.
10 and 12 string is the ticket to a single tuning approach eventually. One also learns to play ONCE on one tuning and therefore to understand the other tunings too.

Yet, I understand that the offerings of 10 and 12 string guitars is still limited or expensive.
An other factor we have not yet discussed is the musical goal of a musician desiring to explore this instrument. Maybe 6 strings will after all remain the standard for some styles like blue grass, slide and blues(?).

Generally, I'd personally suggest to try to aim for at least a quality 8 stinger. If you can find a quality vintage instrument in good playable condition and at a very reasonable price, you will probably never regret your acquisition as you will most always be able to sell it within a reasonable time frame and without loosing money.

Just my opinion... J-D.

I agree with JD 100% given his approach to and vision of the instrument. Read his post carefully. If you agree with what he says the instrument is, you should definitely follow his advice.
I keep trying to expand to 8 strings from 6. I keep going back to 6. I think that the reasons JD mentioned are part of the problem. But another thing is that I see the instrument as more of a melody instrument that is capable of double and triple stops as well as the occassional full basic chord. I don't see it as a chordal instrument.
Part of the reason that this is such a difficult question is that it's not always easy to know what your approach to the instrument will be until you actually have been playing awhile. I'm doing something entirely different from what I first imagined I would.

Hey Carroll,,,I can add legs to any on my guitars,,,or you could just use a "scissor" type of keyboard stand for a lap steel.

I am a D10 pedal player but I just bought a 10 string lap top to mess around with. The reason I bought it was because the string spacing is the same as I have been playing for 40 years. Yes it can all be played on 6 strings. However the day may come that you will want to play something with the modern spacing and although we can learn or adapt to most anything at least your hand will know where the strings are. Just my take on the situation