The Steel Guitar Forum

I imagine that a great majority of steel players absolutely stink on C6, myself included. I'm considering turning my C6 into a second E9 neck of sorts, like an insurance policy in case I bust a string on stage, or maybe even have some different changes on there. Am I nuts? I've never heard anybody mention this on here, and it seems, to me anyways, to make a lot of sense. Eager to hear your replies. Thanks

I wrote a letter to the editor in Steel Guitar World Magazine many years ago, about this very subject.

Here is a link to a discussion that took place here on the Forum.

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/000625.html

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Why not just learn to not stink on C6? It's a great neck to play for swing and jazz tunes, fatter chords and lots more inversions for chords you can't play on E9. That's the reason you're carrying around a D-10 so why not put the time in on it?

I agree with Frank. If I break a string, I just finish the song on the other neck. In fact when I get bored with a tune, I switch necks to get in some practice.

Right! Learn that C6 neck. But change the strings to E6.

top to bottom-
F#-G#-E-C#-B-G#-E-C#-A-E
1--1--1----1--1--1------

You will learn a lot quicker as it is the same bar positions and a lot of the notes are same as E9....al
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 21 October 2002 at 07:58 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks for the link Lee! You made some very valid points there. I was thinking along the same lines as you. E6 sounds interesting, but it would present the same problems. I don't understand the pedal changes and the tuning with C6. E9 just seems so much more intuitive to me, and with the number of single neck guitars out there, I'm sure many would agree. The double E9 still appeals to me, but I'll give E6 a go. I'd still like to hear some more opinions if anybody wants to offer theirs.

Listen to Al Marcus

If you take the time to figure out how to play your E9 licks on the C6 neck it can really help your overall playing.

check this out:

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum8/HTML/001052.html

I could be way off beam here, but several years ago I think Sarah Jory had both necks strung E9, in case of string breakage.

I must admit that I have thought of stringing both necks for C6 just in case I broke a 2nd string while playing.... www.genejones.com

<SMALL>I must admit that I have thought of stringing both necks for C6 just in case I broke a 2nd string while playing.</SMALL>

Gene, your just jerking my chain ! Nobody's said I'm nuts yet.

Al

Will the same string gauges for C6 retune to E6 or do you have to change them?. Seems a long way to take them up.

Glenn....please don't think I was dissing your post. I REALLY did have the opposite situation than you when I started playing again after being away from music for several years.

I began playing during the era of C6, and after quitting music and not playing for nearly 15 years, the first thing I had to do after beginning again was to learn the E9.

I was so frustrated at first that I actually did temporarily change the E9 on my first D-10 to a modified C6 with pedals...but I finally "bit the bullet" and changed it back to E9 after admitting that I had to do that to survive in the contemporary music scene!

90-95% of my playing today is on E9 and I am completely comfortable with it....but, I still find it difficult not to think of the C6 as my "primary neck". www.genejones.com

If it's strings breaking you're worried about why not keep the extra ones you'll need close by or just put those new ones on before you start each night? I used to have an old Sho-Bud that was just about wore out and it would always break the 3rd, 5th, 6th and sometimes even the 10th strings. If it was a serious gig we were playing instead of just the ordinary bar gig I'd put new strings on before we started to be sure to get through the night. Right now if I keep strings close by I can usually change the broken string before the tune is over depending how far into the song it breaks.

Gene, I didn't think you were dissing my post, I thought you were pulling my leg! In hindsight though, it makes sense. Sort of a steel guitar generation gap

It's not just string breakage I'm worried about. I just want to find a better use for the C6 neck. I've never been a jazz guy, seems to be way over my head, plus I've always been more or less an ear player. When I hear E9 on the radio, I can pretty much visualize what pedals and knees are being used. C6 is like learning a whole new instrument. Just looking for something that's a little easier to fathom. BTW I did receive confirmation from a highlander that Sarah Jory does indeed string both necks E9, so go figure!

Why not just take that neck off, and put on a pad and have an SD10? That's what I did. I figured I'd never get around to the C6 neck, and was tired of accidently hitting the pedals that didn't do anything.
After doing this, the instrument became less intimidating to look at, and to play. Not to mention lighter and faster to set up....Jerry

I find it a good ear-training exercise to learn how to play the same licks on my steel as on my standard guitar. I could see the same argument for learning to play the same licks on both necks of a steel. Personally, I play a single neck C6 because I like the choices better and couldn't bear to learn two new tunings as well as keep up my standard guitar practice schedule.

Clive- In answer to your question. You can use the C6 strings if , you take them off and move them one string lower. The 10th string then will be the F note tuned down to E. then add a 1st string F# E9 to the 1st string E6.

I would use instead a set of E9 strings, they all will mostly work. Put the D# 2nd string on E9 on the 4th string E6 and tune it down to C#, then you pull that up to D# with the 7th c6 pedal. You take out the F# 7th string, so the only string you add to the E9 set is the 10th string low E guitar gauge.

Send me an Email and I will Email you some charts with gauges, pedal pulls , etc. Be glad to do it.....al <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 23 October 2002 at 09:45 PM.]</p></FONT>

Glen, When I started about 4 years ago, the C6 made no sense. now I find that in my practice sessions, most of my time is on C6.
I still have a long way to go but those chords and sounds just get under my skin. The song that got me hooked was "steel Guitar Rag". First playing it without pedals, then adding pedals as I found out how they could expand the song. Then I found I could use the experience from it to other songs. Lately at our little jamboree I find myself slipping in the C6 on a few songs, as I get my nerve built up.
Still loving E9 but getting fonder of C6.

Earl

ZUM & ZB D10's

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'm going to string up E6 this weekend, and really get down to understanding this a bit better. Thanks Al Marcus for your help.

..<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Keith Murrow on 26 October 2004 at 04:02 PM.]</p></FONT>

Glen I allso thought of the same thing and posted and was met with replys about why not learn C 6. Since then I have tried tuning my e9 neck a whole step down to D9,it uses the same pedals and knee levers just lower tuning.I am now considering changing my C6 neck to E9 so I can interchange much easer.The only problem I see is that if i use pedals 4,5,6 for the E9 on the back neck, my L knee lever will be too far out of reach....I may have to install secondary knee lever to make this work. You might do a topic search on D-9 tuning if you are interested,there was a thread regarding this

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Sho-Bud proII custom,Session 500,American standard Strat,Shecter tele,Peavy Classic 50