The Steel Guitar Forum

I need some advice. I really want to start playing lap steel. Been playing PSG for a while. Should I get a 6 string or an 8 string. Don't know anything about brands, tunings OR having one built. Price range up to $750.Any advice would be appreciated. I'm anxious to get started.
Jim

8 strings
C6 tuning
There are any number of builders here on the forum who can make you a great 8 string for your price range.

What kind of music do you want to play?

Normally, I'd say "You can play a whole lot of music on a 6-string. After you've played for a while an 8-string would make sense" but coming from pedal steel, you're already acclimated to many strings so it's your choice. I find there's great satisfaction with just 6 strings but 8 can be handy, depending on what you want to hear.

good recs here, georgeboard, melbert, Rukavina, Hatcher, Asher Fouke etc (I would go 8 strings also)

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=2989525

Andy Volk wrote:What kind of music do you want to play?

This is my usual reply to new folks asking similar questions...what brings you to nonpedal steel, what inspires you about it...that will help folks guide you to where you want to go.

Andy, what brought me to the lap steel was the same reason that brought me to the pedal steel a few years ago and the guitar 45 years ago. I heard the sound and the sound spoke to my soul.....and I had to do "that thing". (Don't know if that made sense to anyone, but it does to me).

Similar experience for a lot of us, for sure! But the reason we might pry for more detail is that there are so many different styles, ultimately, of nonpedal steel guitar...my guitar recommendations would be potentially different if you were ensorcelled by the sounds of Sol K Bright or Andy Iona...or by Megan Lovell...or by Jerry Byrd, or Joaquin Murphey, etc. There's a wide range of sounds out there!

I'd echo what the others have said...if you're already used to PSG, having an 8 string will give you more flexibility in range/tunings. You can always just string up 6 strings on it were you to want to, can't string up an extra two on a 6 string. (again though, if you had a specific style in mind, like playing in the style of David Feet Rogers or the aforementioned Meg Lovell, maybe a 6 string would be optimal, but generically speaking, I'd say go for 8 ).

Good luck!

I started out on a 6 string lap guitar and stuck with it for quite a while.
However, when I got into alternate tunings, like C6th, I really needed an 8 string instrument otherwise your range is really limited.
Erv

sent you an email

If I were coming at this from pedal steel (I’m not), I think I’d go with 8 strings PLUS multibenders. A few builders here on the SGF will include them in their builds. IE, Chris Fouke.

If you wanna rock, get a 6 and put some slide tunings (E/D low bass) or dobro (G high bass) on it. Supros are some of the best for this, and cheap.

If you wanna swing or standards go at least 8 with two necks, a 6 and a 13.

If you've already learned C6 pedal steel go with a 10-string C6... lot of music in that guitar.

All IMO.

Allan Revich wrote:If I were coming at this from pedal steel (I’m not), I think I’d go with 8 strings PLUS multibenders. A few builders here on the SGF will include them in their builds. IE, Chris Fouke.

Thinking about this a bit more, I might pass on the benders, since you already have those on your pedal steel. I would go with 8 strings, and either use a tuning that you're already comfortable with on the pedal steel. or any 13th tuning.

Howdy. I have an 8 string Melbert and use an E9 tuning (the high 8 strings 1 -8) and lower it down a couple of tones so that I can bend behind the bar more easily. I combine with slants to get alot of pedal steel sounds. The Melbert has George Ls pickups - so more of a country tone. You can freestyle abit too by incorporating some open strings. Works for me but more as a solo fun sort of thing.