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Topic: Another new member |
Dan Simard
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 8:46 pm |
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Hi everyone,
I lurked at this forum for too long so here am I. I'm from the province of Quebec, Canada.
I fell in love with lap steel around 2004 when I stumbled on SteelRadio.com but began playing seriously in January. Since then, I recorded one song for a band and I played a 45 minutes show with another band.
I have a musical background of playing bass, drum, rhythm guitar and sing so lap steel is not natural to me.
I have a 90 minutes show booked in July and I want to learn as much as possible from you guys.
Even though I was primarily a bassist, I now want to dedicate my life to lap steel. For a reason I never understood, its sound moves me more than any instrument I heard and my ear opens wide when I hear one.
I brought my lap steel from Tremblay Guitars ( http://www.tremblayguitars.com/products/steel/?lang=en ) and it's a 8 string.
The 8th string broke and I never replaced it because I'm not sure of the tuning I want to use and I felt uneasy to play with it at the first show I have done. My tuning is (low to high) :
C# - C - E - G - A - C - E - (broken 8th string)
What would you suggest for the 8th string? I thought of a G but I said to myself that I would have more option with a F#.
Thanks! |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 9:13 pm
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Hi Dan, welcome aboard. Personally, I like an A, especially, or Bb there. You can adjust as necessary. Don't be afraid to use those tuning pegs--you don't have to be locked in to just one.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Don McGregor
From:
Memphis, Tennessee
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 4:20 am
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Dan,
Did you break the 8th string (usually largest diameter), or the 1st string (usually the smallest?
What you've got is a C6/A7 tuning. Some people like to add an even lower bass note for the 8th string, such as an A, and some favor adding a high G instead. If you want to add a bass string, Mike is right. If a high string, you should listen to this.
Doug Beaumier recently posted this tune "Bye, Bye, Blues" done with your 7 string tuning plus the high G.
I personally find the high G very useful. Here's Doug's track. [/url]http://tinyurl.com/create.php[url]
I all depends upon what you want to do with it.
Good luck. |
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Keith Davidson
From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 4:53 am
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I just passed this link on to a friend who plays lap steel as well.
Tons of info here including a really good page on tunings, etc.
Hope this helps some.
http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/
Keith |
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Dan Simard
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 9:53 am
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| Quote: |
| Hi Dan, welcome aboard. |
Thanks Mike!
| Quote: |
| I like an A, especially, or Bb there. |
I didn't think of using a A or Bb because... I guess I'm afraid of having such a big interval between two strings. I played mandolin a couple of times and everytime, I get confused because it's a 5th between the strings. But I'll try the A or Bb and get back to you about it.
| Quote: |
| Don't be afraid to use those tuning pegs |
... that's exactly how I broke my 8th string, changing constantly from G to F# 
| Quote: |
| Did you break the 8th string (usually largest diameter), or the 1st string (usually the smallest? |
I broke the smallest string which is for me the "highest". Some of my guitarist friends are the opposite of me... I think we really are in need of an international convention about that!
| Quote: |
| Some people like to add an even lower bass note for the 8th string, such as an A, and some favor adding a high G instead. If you want to add a bass string, Mike is right. |
I just realized that he was talking about a low A or Bb. I thought he meant a high A/Bb!
| Quote: |
| "Bye, Bye, Blues" done with your 7 string tuning plus the high G. |
I listened to it a couple of times and was amazed by it. It would have been great to have the camera on the other side of the lap steel, that way, I would have seen much better what he is doing with his left hand.
| Quote: |
| I all depends upon what you want to do with it. |
I like to have the low C# so I can have a complete 7th chord (with a third) when I play alone. I just don't like that the third is so low, it gives the impression of a 7th chord with the third as base. I mean, if I play a D7, it sounds like a D7/F#.
Thanks for the link![/quote] |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 11:01 am
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Dan, I'm sorry, I misunderstood your post. If it's the first string that broke (the thinnest), a G would go there.
I was thinking you meant the 8th string (heaviest)--that's where I would put the A or Bb.
Sorry!
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 5:10 pm
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Hey Dan, I'm living in Quebec city! I have two 8 strings Tremblay steel to!
I felled in love with the steel to, used to be a guitar player (never professionally, I'm a geologist) but decided this winter to dedicated myself to just steel. Its very hard but very fun so I love it. If you come to Quebec I play with the band Damn the Luck, not for all gig because I work in the north in a mine but most of them.
Anyway its cool to know that there is an other steel player in Quebec! |
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Dan Simard
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 11:16 pm
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| Quote: |
| If you come to Quebec I play with the band Damn the Luck, not for all gig because I work in the north in a mine but most of them. |
Yeah, I saw your post before! It's great to know that there are at least 2 steel guitarist in the whole province. I guess there are more but not that much. I know another guy and I saw 2 of them on youtube. It sums up to 4 for the whole province
I'm from Trois-Rivieres. My last show was with a guy from Quebec City and played drums there a few times at the Ninkasi and Scanner.
I go in Quebec City a few times every year, it would be great to meet!
I really want to play so if you need a sub for your band, let me know. |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2012 4:52 pm
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| Good, let me know when you come to Quebec |
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Dan Simard
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2012 6:14 pm
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| Quote: |
| I have two 8 strings Tremblay steel to! |
On your avatar, I see a Fender double-neck. Is this your other lap steel?
What do you think of your Tremblay lap steel? |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2012 6:30 pm
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Thats an early 60's triple neck Stringmaster. I didn't try lots of lap steel but this Fender is very nice.
I bought the Tremblay for travel guitar, at first because they are cheap, less then 400$. He made me a first one with a shape and spec I ask I'm, a 22.5 frypan shape with the same kind of nut than my Fender. And when I receive it I was amazed of the quality, I really like this lap steel, way more then I expected so I ask I'm for a second one with a long scale and hollow body to be my king of dobro practice lap steel and again wow he made a very nice job.
With my band we make a little video, Im just starting on steel its not the best demo but I play with my Tremblay. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDW00pNEQoI
Do you like yours? |
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Dan Simard
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 4 Jun 2012 9:41 am
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Great! I unfortunately don't have a video... yet...
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| Do you like yours? |
To be honest, it's the first "real" lap steel that I played. At first, I thought of buying a cheap Gretsch that I tried in a local store but I didn't think much of it so I waited. Then I found Tremblay guitars and immediately ask him for a 8 string for less than 400$. Worst of all, I asked him on Tuesday but I needed it for Friday.
I still don't have an opinion on it, I'm not experienced enough to compare it to another one.
I own two other lap teels. The first one was built by a friend and it was his very first :
The second one is a cheap classical guitar that I use for practice. The strings are naturally high, I didn't even have to raise them.
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2012 5:49 pm
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I had the Gretsch and its pure crap. I end up putting it in the garbage, the plastic plate for the tone and volume broke, I broke an tuning peg, it was ugly and sound like shit.
For the same price you have a hand made in Montreal custom made Tremblay lap steel that are 1000x better then the cheap lap steel you find in store.
Last edited by Jean-Sebastien Gauthier on 8 Jun 2012 5:15 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2012 7:33 pm Re: Another new member
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| Dan Simard wrote: |
I have a musical background of playing bass, drum, rhythm guitar and sing so lap steel is not natural to me.
Even though I was primarily a bassist, I now want to dedicate my life to lap steel. For a reason I never understood, its sound moves me more than any instrument I heard and my ear opens wide when I hear one.
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Dan, this is so much like what happened with me! I have always loved Hawaiian music and western swing, and the sound of the steel, but I never really imagined playing one. Then about a year ago, it just hit me that I NEED to learn steel and dedicate myself to it for the rest of my life. I started out on drums, guitar, and voice, and play ukulele as well to accompany my steel playing and singing, so it's all good.
Welcome to the Forum and to the beautiful, crazy, obsessive world of steel! |
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Dan Simard
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2012 7:48 pm
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| Quote: |
| Then about a year ago, it just hit me that I NEED to learn steel and dedicate myself to it for the rest of my life. I started out on drums, guitar, and voice, and play ukulele as well to accompany my steel playing and singing, so it's all good. |
Great! Happy to hear that I'm not the only one coming from a very different place than Hawaiian music or western swing.
| Quote: |
| Welcome to the Forum and to the beautiful, crazy, obsessive world of steel! |
I saw people here saying that lap steel is like a drug... and it's so true. I think about it all the time. I don't even understand guitarist who play plain/boring guitar when they could play lap steel! |
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Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2012 9:05 pm
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I played damn near everything BUT those styles in the past - Brazilian, rock, funk, reggae, Afro-Cuban, the list goes on.
However, as a steel player I am going to focus on those two styles, so sorry if I've caused confusion about that.  |
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