The Steel Guitar Forum

so far, the net searches are turning spanish electric guitar string gauges and tuning, not console steel guitars.
looking for a player of the 11 string be it pedal or non that can give me some insight on gauges for different tunings, all the info i have is not specific enough.
i want to do an open g on this console i just finished and try to sell for the cajun player.
the scale is 24" as it uses pedalmaster parts.
do not have the finished picture yet, waiting to string it up

https://www.hawaiiansteel.com/index.php
The string gauge menu is right at the top of the home page. The list is very comprehensive. As far as 11-string tunings go, you might have some trouble finding one on that page, but there are a ton of 8- and 10-string tunings that you could add onto.

Also, right here on the forum links:
https://b0b.com/wp/copedents/tunings-no-pedals/
Reece Anderson’s 12-string C6 may be of interest to you.

When choosing string gauges, it DOES matter whether you intend to use pedals and levers with your guitar. For that, you can just use standard pedal steel gauge charts for E9 or C6.

Open G tunings are a bit of a rarity beyond 6-string bluegrass dobro. There are a few G6 8-string tunings (on that John Ely site) that you might be able to extend out to 11 strings somehow.

thanks mr. fred.
i did run across this site.
my father made several 11 string guitars but at 100, does not remember with certainty. i have run across several adaptations but the gauges are pretty stiff. i know one gauge can cover several pitches but i would like to stay in the middle 60's. i guess in the end, will just give it a wild guess. that is the problem most sites are the dobro or lap with heavy gauges mostly in the 6 string area although i did see some 8's thrown around.
if i have to get into the 70's, i going to have to re-engineer my string guides which is pushing it with .068.

I have an 11 string RusLer steel with 5 and 4. I tune mine to E-9th with an octave low E, gauge .068,for the 11th string. Of course, this is not a Cajun tuning. I've used many different sets of strings, standard gauges, on it with no problem. However, the Cajun tuning is different I believe. So, I'm sorry I can't help you with the different string gauges.

jeeez...
You’re the son of Roy Thomas! Who the heck am I kidding trying to give you advice? That Pedalmaster your dad built is one beautiful guitar.

As far as tuning and string gauges go, forum members Lucky Oceans and/or Daniel Cormier may be the guys to send your question to in a private message. That’s about all I can (and should) suggest.

no mr, fred i will take all the advise i can get. a man who stops learning is a dead man.
i just was a parts maker mostly although he had me make a few ground up, mostly ones for display and for sale at the conventions. he was the guru of the undercarriage.
i gave up on the open "G" and just went for the "C-6th".
now to fit the case to it after giving time for the lacquer to fully cure.
keyless head working nicely, that was a challenge, but will do things differently on the next one, always the first one is a learning curve.

I would look at Zane Beck's tuning and guages. J.R.