The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi all. I am working on a homemade PSG with 6 strings and bicycle cables pulling directly down on the strings to change pitch. Much like a pedal activated Hipshot or Duesenberg. My aim is to make this very cheap and easy to build with only hand tools if that's all you have.

The limitations are:
- Only 6 strings (just to keep parts cost down by using mass-market pickups and tuner sets)
- Only raises are possible (to simplify things, no return springs for lowers)
- Pedals only (knee levers maybe later)
- Maximum of 2 raises per pedal (simple construction - each cable goes from string to pedal, there are no intermediate joins, so there are only 2 places to hook up)

I've looked at the threads on the Fessenden 6-shooter and the Jackson 6-stringer. Both of those go for a lap-steel like tuning. I was hoping to be able to come up with a tuning and copedent that can get me as good a setup as possible for playing classic pedal steel repertoire, though.

By examining and playing through some TAB online, this is what I have so far:

String numbers correspond to 10-string E9 numbering:

2 - Eb
3 - G#
4 - E
5 - B
6 - G#
8 - E

Pedal A - raise 5 to C#, raise 2 to F
Pedal B - raise 3 and 6 to A
Pedal C - raise 5 to C#, raise 4 to F#

I like that I can grab Eb or F on the 2nd, and that the A pedal is often down when the F lever on a 10 string would be down anyway. I don't like that I'm "wasting" a change by having pedals A+C both raise the 5 string. I also don't like that I can't change the 8 string, either to F or F#.

I'm looking for your opinions on any changes I could make to improve on this tuning. The pictures show some of the details. This is very much a prototype/testbed, so it ain't pretty.

Thanks!

Iestyn

hi,friend!
looks like yer on a good journey with that 6--
i've been building some to order for almost three years now and they are really fun . i agree with the
sense that simple is good -- some need 10 , some need 12 , or whatever , but much can be played and enjoyed on 6 . my steels can be seen here on the forum -- i am not too tech minded with this machine so the address escapes me for these but you should be able to searh my name to see my posts -- some
photos are over a year old but worth a look.
the tuning i use on most of my steels is a
short e9 tuning mirroring the tuning on a 10
string at 3,4,5,6,8,10 strings. the pedals and
2 levers do the same as on a 10 as well.the levers
raise e to f# on 2 and 5 and lower 2 and 5 to e-flat.i'm glad more folks are seeing the benefits
of 6's - there are several - and while not for
every player , still there is room for these .
enjoy the build and keep us posted.
pastor bruce kiser

Hi Guys, here it is.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... t=#1927051


Enjoy !

Thanks Bruce, I went and looked up your sixes. Very pretty! I think I need to find a good way to do lowers, I like the 6 strings you have better than the ones I have. The Eb on top isn't very beginner friendly.

iestyn ,
instead of better , different may be a word to use because the magnificent way these instruments convey
feelings as music .
the e-flat lower is not too hard to do if you tune
the change first as a place to pull up from.
good luck! pb

by the way ,iestyn,
here is a peek at a 6 that my lovely wife loves lookin at. thank God for a patient life partener
who enjoys my work .i call this 'BLUE BOY' but she
calls it CRYSTAL WATERS . whatever the name , the fun's the same ! great sounds abound!
if there are other questions i can help with i'll try
as well as the many others on this forum .thanks,guys!
pastor bruce
keep in tune for the Lord