The Steel Guitar Forum

I’m considering purchasing a 6 string pedal steel guitar that can come with either E9 or dobro style G tuning. Having difficulty finding any more information about how they compare and or if there are any video clips of such an instrument can be viewed on the web.
I am considering the G tuned pedal style due to familiarity with open G on lap-steel and years of banjo playing. That being said I am leaning towards the E9 as I thought the open G might lack some of the authentic pedal steel sound I’m after.
Thanks foe any advice, opinions or sources to view pedal steel with this dobro tuning.

I would buy a pedal steel with at least 3 floor and 4 knee levers. The tuning is of course E9. In my opinion there is no use in trying to reinvent the wheel with another tuning plus every instruction written in the last 4 decades is written with the E9th tuning in mind. just my two cents your mileage may vary.

I appreciate your input. I am settled on E9 for sure.
I understand your recommendations for the number of floor and knee levers but still am drawn to a smaller more practical and portable unit like the 6 string Hudson which had 2 levers and pedals. At least as a starter instrument
Amy experience with these?

It just depends on whether you want to play main stream pedal steel or go off in your own direction maybe rock blues etc. I definitely would not think of buying a single neck pedal steel without it having 1.10 strings 2. 3 floor pedals and at least 4 knee levers. Just my two cents YMMV

Tom,
Thank you so much for your reply.

Woody Lambert wrote:I appreciate your input. I am settled on E9 for sure.
I understand your recommendations for the number of floor and knee levers but still am drawn to a smaller more practical and portable unit like the 6 string Hudson which had 2 levers and pedals. At least as a starter instrument
Amy experience with these?

Be aware that much of the magic of what you hear on records involves the use of the 4 strings you won't have with a 6 string E9 tuning. I would never recommend a 6 string for an E9 tuning. Maybe a C6 or an open slide guitar tuning like open E or D. In fact, I wouldn't mind one for a slide guitar type application. But I would never be happy with such a stripped down version of an E9.

b0b has a copedant for a 6 string guitar that covers a lot of ground. It uses 4 pedals and 4 knee levers so the Hudson would not be a good candidate.

https://b0b.com/wp/2020/07/d-g-for-6-st ... dal-steel/

Karlis

I've just started paying attention to the D6-over-G threads from the last few years, as they relate to Duesenberg lap steels and Certano benders, equipped with palm pedals. I had a eureka moment when I realized that -- with the pedals engaged -- this is a GBDGBD tuning.

The base tuning is GBDF#AD. Our dear friend b0b has been an exponent of this tuning for a while now. More recently, he's posted several videos from Luke Cyrus Goetze playing in that same tuning with palm pedals.

Maybe that is not what you're looking for, but worth a look?

Woody,
Coming from the 10 string E9 world, I don't know a lot about 6 string guitars. I have done a little research since having my interest piqued by your post. The Hudson 6 string with 2 and 2 covers a lot of ground with its E F# G# B E G# setup. It is essentially the middle 6 strings of the 10 string E9. You could play this guitar for a lifetime and never exhaust all of the possibilities. Jimmie Hudson indicates on his website that he can do custom guitars as well. The GBDF#AD is also a good candidate for a Hudson custom. The two pedals could raise the F# to G and the A to B. This is the essential sound of the pedal steel. With the 2 pedals engaged it is the GBDGBD Dobro tuning.

b0b's extension of the GBDF#AD tuning to 4 and 4 takes this amazing tuning to another level.

I hope that you find a path to playing pedal steel that will give you pleasure for years to come.

Karlis

I appreciate your comments very much

Karlis and D Shubert,
Your comments have given me a lot of options I would not have considered. Thanks you for sharing your experience with me

I’m most intrigued as I do love the sound but my interest is applying the sound to other genres, so perhaps the middle 6 strings of E9 might not be the best option.
I’m also intrigued by the GBD#AD you mention as so far in the world of steel, I’ve only played open G lap steel. So this might lend a lot of familiarity, while lending to the function and sound of pedal steel.
I know Jimmy offers an option with Dobro G tuning, but this is the first I’ve heard of the #AD option.
I will try to find some samples to view
Woody

I watched the videos from Luke Cyrus Goetz and one from Troy Brennigmeyer which break down the GBDF#AD and am very interested.
As these videos show this tuning applied to palm benders i see how this would be applied to
A 2 peddle steel but my question is:
What strings/notes would one recommend the knee levers apply to?
Has Hudson made 6 string peddle steel with this tuning?
Thanks

Woody,
As far as the knee levers are concerned, I would follow b0b's lead and have the right knee lower both D's to C# and have the left knee lower the F# to E. I would prefer the knee levers be on separate knees. Actuating both knees would give you a V chord (you can't do this if both knee lever are on the same knee). In essence, I open, IV both pedals, and V both knee levers covers a lot of territory.
In addition there is the B minor with the A to B pedal, and the F# minor with the D to C# knee lever.
You would also have the complete diatonic scale on the same fret (D E F# G A B C# D) along with appropriate harmony notes for double stops (I use this a lot in my playing).

If you intend to follow up on this, I would recommend contacting Jimmie Hudson to see if he would be willing to build a custom guitar with this tuning.

Karlis

I’ve reached out to Jimmie and yesterday he has offered to build a 6 string pedal steel foe GBDF#AD with 2 pedals for the 3rd string F# > G and 2nd string A > B as based on the palm bender lap steel arrangement. I did not remember Bob’s copendent which included two knee levers. I plan to share this with Jimmie
Thoughts on having an instrument without knee levers?
I also expressed my goal of having a warm folk rock tone and he is recommending a pickup with stainless steel magnets as well as a combo mahogany cabinet w maple front abs rear skirts.

Thoughts?
Thanks

Woody, you might find these videos interesting.

Edit: oops. Wrong link. Nm.

If you are settled on E9 you should get a 10 string guitar and actually learn how those classic sounds were made. I’m all for individuality, being a Sneaky Pete(B6 8 strings) and Lew Houston (D9) fan. Look up their copedents and I think you’ll get some good ideas.
Getting a six string guitar is cheating yourself, I think, but a simple 10 string with a D9 tuning will give you G with A+B pedals down and could help you get oriented quickly. As a dobro player in the 70s I started on a ShoBud Pro1 tuned to D9 because I was impatient. Later I switched to E9 and now have two E9 guitars but also a Justice S-10 Jr with 2pedals and 2 knees tuned to D9 for certain applications. I’m very happy with it.
http://www.justicesteelguitars.com/S10%20Jr.html

Excellent suggestions thank you. This instrument is a custom design to accommodate a Gmaj9 tuning.

I have a Fessenden 6 shooter which I have tuned to strings 3-8 of standard E9 with A & B pedals. I added a single knee lever to raise the Es.

I really like it. After a while, I decided to get a 10 string E9 (3x5) but I found the 6 shooter to be very helpful in learning and a good stepping stone between non-pedal and full blown 10 string. Everything I learned on the 6 shooter transferred directly and it forced me to concentrate on the basick without getting distracted by all the pedal and lever comibinations.

Since getting the 10 string, I still get a lot of use out of the 6 stringer. I sometimes take it to gigs (well, when we used to have them) that don't really justify taking the big one - where I would only play steel on a few songs and the alternative would be a lap steel. It lets me get the flavour of pedal steel although, of course, it isn't really a substitute for one. but it does fit into the bag that I use to carry just the legs and pedal board of my Sho~Bud and doesn't take up nearly as much space on stage.

I have owned two 6 string pedal steel guitars. They are a lot of fun. I tune to middle 6 of e9. It is a fun guitar to play. You would be surprised how many country standards can be played on that exactly like the record.

I had a Lonestar 6 that was 3x4. Awesome guitar. Jim Flynn does quality work. I still miss it.

I had a Fessenden 6-shooter. Lots of fun. Light and easy. I got parts from Jerry and built it out to a 3x2. Lots of fun. I use it as a "guitar kit" and keep reconfiguring. I had forum member Sam Lewis make me a couple fingers and so its next incarnation will be as an 8. Perhaps I'll add reversers and set it up as a C6 guitar. Full disclosure: I also have a 10 string. Nonetheless I wouldn't hesitate to play country with a 6 or 8.

People who would tell you to get a 10 are people who want to play a 10. They know what they want and so it colors their thinking. If you are aware of the differences and still choose a 6 stringer, you obviously know what you want. I respect that. Make Music and have fun.

You all should take a closer look at what a Six string Hudson steel really offers.
Standard A&B pedals and raise and lower the E strings.
Watch a ton of you tube videos and you will see that this is what most pros are using on the 10 string guitars with every bell and whistle they can tote to the gig on the guitar that is a waste of a good back or bad back after carrying 90 lbs of guitar around .
Hudson ST6 2& 2 E9th tuning
14 lbs and will stand still better than a 90 lb monster.
Easy on the back and pull release tone to the bone.
Yes I may tic a few of you off. But I have sold over 6000 of these guitars so something about the Hudson Six string is real good. You can kick em to the curb if you want to , But my banker thinks they are the stuff.

Lol Jimmy that's like Pete Drake pulling out his money clip and saying, "Can you do this?" to Curly Chalker.

Jimmie Hudson Six string steels pull release steels sound incredible.
My thoughts are that myself an others would actually stand a a chance of mastering 6 strings with two knees an two pedals verses a 5 an 4 :::; 10 string.

Less is more on pedal steels for some of us”!!!!

Dave Dube wrote:Lol Jimmy that's like Pete Drake pulling out his money clip and saying, "Can you do this?" to Curly Chalker.

hehehehe LOL

Johnie King wrote:Less is more on pedal steels for some of us”!!!!

Sure works for me. 6 strings and 2 pedals is all I can keep up with.

Woody here is a link to some 6 string videos if you are interested. I tried to post above but ended up with the wrong link.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK ... 05SwkgS_36