The Steel Guitar Forum

You may have been here before - but help anyway. I already play PSG D10, E9th/C6th (D on top) and have a 7 string lap in C6th (G on top) also resonator 7str. in G6th. What do you recommend for me to try on a project twin 8 console? I guess C6th on one neck (main tuning on front neck, yes/no?) but what's the 8th string over my lap 7? A "D" in first? And the other neck? Look forward to your posts, Tony.

With MORE THAN 350 tunings......it's difficult to suggest what another might want on his/her g'tar.

Do you expect to play lots of melody........? Like Don Davis did with Carl Smith; Johhny Seiffert did with George Morgan; Roy Wiggins with Eddy Arnold; Billy Robinson with Red Foley, Howard White etc., etc.

Do you prefer to bar slam lots of funky chords......?
Like Noel Boggs and countless others?

Do you want a particular SOUND, like all of the early day steel players used that made the rounds with Hank Thompson's band, or some of the steelmen with Cowboy Copas or Hank Williams, Sr.

Find what the limitations are with the tunings you currently use and then experiment until you find the 'right one' for your need.

That's how I'd look at it......IMHO.

Thanks Ray - 350 to check out, that's the problem. I don't play an 8 yet and have little idea what I might end up with but I need somewhere to start. There might even have been a couple of favoured tunings that these guys deviated from? Some have got to be more popular than others?
I can play plenty C6th on 7str. but what string, and where, would you guys add to the (C6th) GECAGEC I use on a 7? Also suggestions for a second tuning to compliment/contrast with that. Why such and such a tuning is recommended would be a great help too. After I play around with some I will figure out my own style (I hope). Tony.

Hi Tony, although any tuning still has all the notes you need to play music I think the type of music your most interested in playin will have an influence on which tunings would be better suited to the music. Tell us what your music preference is and maybe we can better recommend a tuning.

Get yourself a copy of Andy Volk's Slide Rules: Tunings for Lap Steel, Bottleneck, Resophonic, and Indian Slide Guitar. He covers all the tunings you'd want to use.

Then buy a bag of strings (different sizes, of course) and have fun!

Brad Bechtel wrote:Get yourself a copy of Andy Volk's Slide Rules: Tunings for Lap Steel, Bottleneck, Resophonic, and Indian Slide Guitar. He covers all the tunings you'd want to use.

Then buy a bag of strings (different sizes, of course) and have fun!

This is good advice! I just strung up my recently acquired Rickenbacker 208...my first instrument with 8 strings (and two necks). Andy's book is very cool tunings AND string gauges. I went with C6 (using the Herb Remmington stainless steel "high tuning set) available through the Forum store) and a variant of E7/E9 (using the L.T. Zinn nickel set for a differnet tone...also available here).

This forum and the folks in it are GREAT.

Yes, Andy Volk's book of tunings is a great resource.

If you are already familiar with E9/C6 PSG you would probably like E13 and C6/A7.

Here's how I set up my D-8:

[tab]
C6/A7

1. E
2. C
3. A
4. G
5. E
6. C#
7. C
8. A

E13

1. E
2. C#
3. B
4. G#
5. F#
6. E
7. D
8. B
[/tab]

There are many variations of E13. Some players prefer a high G# on string 1.

I agree partally, if not completely; with Doug. I would tune to Byrd's Tunings.
Inside-C6/A7:___Outside-C-Diatonic:
E - .015p_______*E - .015p
C - .018p_______*C - .018p
A - .022p_______B - .020p
G - .024w_______*A - .022p
E - .030w_______*G - .024w
C# - .036w______F - .028w
C - .038w_______*E - .030w
L0-A - .070w____*C - .036w, if you have 8-strings. *This tuning is not all too difficult if you are ‘very famiiar’ with the C6-Tuning! C6-Tuning is self-contained in the C-Dia.

Thanks pals, I got something to start with now. Let you know how it pans out? Tony.

Right fellas, here's what I've started to play with and so far (only a few days) it's lookin good, but there will be some changes soon to see what I'm missing elsewhere. Your comments will be appreciated. The C6th was governed by what strings (a pedal set) I had in the house so there's a couple of questions here in the hope that you've got the thread flagged.
C6th high G (the top 8 of a standard pedal tuning) like the Jagwire Remington set. I'm trying tuning low C up to C# for certain songs.
Question - why do you recommend going with an E on top, not G?
E 13 - Doug's tuning above, used for melodic runs more than chordal.
Question - being used to pedal E9, I'm missing a D# between the first and second strings, is there a workaround? I guess that introducing one and sacrificing the low B is a poor trade-off. I hope I still got you attention, best wishes, Tony.

For the C6 tuning, I'd recommend:
E
C
A
G
E
C
F
It's just the middle 8 strings from pedal steel C6.
You have both C major and F major in this tuning.

For the other neck, try this one:
F#
G#
E
B
G#
E
C#
B

It's E6 with a ninth on top...you can do a lot of E9 stuff on this, especially if you're good at finger pulls.

I found Rick Alexanders chart to be very helpful. Notice with an A6 as a base you can quickly make it many tunings. Only 2 or three strings to re tune if you want C6. Only 1 gauge of strings needed until you focus on a favourite tuning.

www.rickalexander.com/BigSteel/Tunings.html

I use a Pederson strobe tuner and tuning changes are made very easy.

"Only 1 gauge of strings needed until you focus on a favourite tuning."
Ah! Now you're talkin'. That's the kinda stuff I'm looking for - it's been a concern that I'd be buying loads of strings until I found the right one (locked into pedal thinking). I can see now that it's the intervals that are important, rather than the actual pitch - I get the "guage" similarity between E13 and C6th (high).
Thanks, Tony.

I use Scotty's E 13th, A6 and E7 string sets on my Remington and Stringmaster D 8's and on the T 8. On the D 8's I use E13th and A 6 so I can tune to C6 high or low. The A6 can also be E7. I have found them to be very serviceable and the price is good too. I usually order 12 sets at a time.

www.juststrings.com/sitstringsnonpedallapguitar.html

The gauges of the sets are very close to Rick Alexander's specs. However, you may want to experiment and tweek the gauges to suit your taste, but these are good starting points. Back in the 50's when I started playing we didn't have many options so I learned to be flexible. Good luck!

Thanks for that Bob; best regards, Tony.