The Steel Guitar Forum

I've been playing for about three years on my Carter SD-10 E9th tuning. A friend of mine has started using his C6th neck. He said it is eaiser to play and more fun. My favorite music is Santo and Johny, and 50/60 rock and roll. My goal is just to play along to old rock & roll records and band in a box. I've had carpal tunnel and can only strum and play fills like bandstand backup by Jeff Newman. Any opions or suggestions? Thanks, Dick

C6th could be a great fit for you. There's a lot of strummable chords. You can treat the 5 and 6 pedals like a home base, using one or the other or open to play a lot of music.

And C6 is much more like the tuning used on those on those old instrumentals than the E9 you're using. The bad news is you might be even happier without pedals, with an extra neck.

KP

Can my single E9th be changed to a C6th?

lower Es and play B6th
Pedals down with 7th string play A6th.
Herb Steiner' s Swing on E9th.
Many others have C6th on E9th courses.
This is what led me to Universal 12 string.
Good Luck

"What works for what" is different for each player, so it's hard to speak in absolutes. That said, all but a very few old rock-n-roll numbers sit very comfortably in the E9th tuning, probably because it relates so closely to the "E" position on straight guitar, and that position is sort of the backbone of the vast majority of old rock music.

E9 has a re-entrant tuning, whereas C6 doesn't. There's nothing to stop you taking any E9 neck, changing the strings, and tuning it to C6. Of course, the pedals then won't do what you want them to, so you'll have to change the copedant.

You didn't mention which Carter PSG you have. If it's a Carter Starter forget any idea of changing the copedant.

Why not just get yourself a C6 with no pedals and put the Carter in storage ? You can actually build a lap steel in a weekend. I've done it. After all, it's just a plank with tuners and a pick-up....

The SD-10 Carter is probably the pro-level guitar, and could be modified, but the expense might be only slightly less than trading + cash for a double neck.