6-string lap steels as opposed to 8-string

Jim Kelley · From: Ravenna, Ohio USA

Hi, I'm brand new to steel playing (although I play swing fiddle pretty well). I just bought a Slingerland 6-string and I'm wondering if I'm missing out on anything by not getting an 8-string lap? Will I be do almost as much on a 6-string/ What's the difference?
I also ordered cindy Cashdollar's videos.

Any comments? Thanks, Jim

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

You do miss the extra chord voicings offered by the two additional strings. For example, the Cindy Cashdollar videos use C6 tuning. On a six string guitar, that would be (bass to treble):
C E G A C E
On an eight string guitar, that would be:
A C E G A C E G
The extra high G and low A are very useful, especially the high G.
The disadvantage of the eight string guitars over the six string guitars is that the string spacing is much narrower, so it takes a bit of adjustment to avoid hitting the wrong string.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Start with a 6 string ... you can always 'graduate' to more strings at a later date. Depending on what style you wish to play, C6 for c/w and/or Haw'n; E7 for Haw'n or E6 for c/w and/or Haw'n are good 6 string tunings to get you going. Too many strings become too confusing to the beginner steel guitarist. Commence with the basic and learn it well. The truly great artists of 'yesteryear' never went beyond 6 strings...Sol Ho'opi'i, Dick McIntire, Andy Iona, et al. It's not how many strings you have, but what you bring out of them that really counts.

Lew Collins · From: Boulder, Colorado, USA

I've been taking lessons from Sally Van Meter. (lucky me!) Sally plays a six string Sheerhorn dobro and tunes to either G: GBDGBD or D: DADF#AD. But in G tuning she sometimes tunes one of the two D strings to an "E" for a G6 tuning. You can raise either one, depending on the tune. Lew

Tony Harris · From: England

I've only been playing steel for a year or so (although guitar for much longer). I find that 6-string C6 is great for hawaiian, country, jazz, and instant western swing. I've also got an 8-string. In theory by tuning the string below to A it gives me a root to minor and seventh chords. By tuning the string above to D, the 'missing' note for licks on the top strings always seems to be right there, under the bar.
In practice though, the narrower string spacing and the fact that my right hand is used to 6 strings not 8, means that 6 comes more naturally to me. Good Luck!

Dirk B · From: Harrisburg, MO, USA

I suppose it depends on the person and the type of music, but within a few months after starting on a 6-string I found I needed an 8 to get the extra licks and notes for playing western swing. Of course, not long after that I found I needed pedals to get other changes.....so where does it stop? (bottom line: great players can make any guitar sound great!)

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

I'd recommend the standard C6 tuning for your 6-string lap steel:

(string 1 is the thinnest, string 6 is the thickest)

C6 (Am7)

1) E .014
2) C .017 plain
3) A .022 wound
4) G .024
5) E .030
6) C .034

I've been playing a D-6 Oahu on my gigs this summer and I'm really enjoying it. The 6-string C6 tuning will give you major, minor, and 6th chords nicely. (My other neck is tuned to the Leavitt tuning... for diminished, 7th, 9th chords, etc).

I do miss having the high G on my C6 tuning for certain licks, but hey, I use what I've got. Besides, if I want more, I just hit a footswitch and sit down at my D-10 pedal steel!

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www.dougbsteel.com

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 14 July 2000 at 05:45 PM.]

Ian McLatchie · From: Sechelt, British Columbia

In my experience, the matter of string spacing isn't a big concern. Within days of playing a new instrument with different string spacing to what you're used to, the new spacing comes to feel like the "correct" one. At most, it may be necessary to change the bend on your finger picks slightly.

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

Hi Jim,

I agree with most here -- it's not how many strings, it's how you use what you've got. I've been getting used to playing 8, so trying to go back and play 6 just doesn't seem...like it's enough. However, in actuality, there are very few harmonies/voicings you can get on the 8 that you can't get on the 6 -- just a few on the lower frets. However, with 8 strings, those harmonies/voicings are a lot closer to where you're playing, whereas with six, you have to dip back down to get them, which if you've learned it on 8 using your last two strings, it makes it tougher (but doable) on 6. I'm sorry, but that sounds confusing, but that's my best description!

As for tuning, I agree with Doug, except I use the Jerry Byrd style of using a C# on the bottom string instead of a C. I don't know what his reason was, but for me, it allows me to use a forward slant harmony instead of a reverse slant -- now it doesn't matter to me, I can do both just as well, but when I was first learning, the forward came a lot easier. Does anyone know why Jerry put the C at a C# on the 6th string?

Al

Billy Jones · From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

I have to agree that, in many cases, 6 strings could be all you'll ever need if that's all you want. Like most of the old timers, I started on 6 strings: graduated to 8 strings after discovering that, in a big band, I could get fuller groupings and less slants. I felt comfortable with that. I now play a 10 string and it does more for me although I can still play the same tunes on my 6 strings but I have more slants and a thinner sound.
Both my 10 string non-pedal and my 10 string pedal guitars have the same string spacing. This is also a plus for me. I play an A6th tuning on all guitars as well so they are all common to one another.
I have to say that I enjoy the posts on this subject and in my 60 years of playing, I've tried almost all of the tunings for one reason or the other for arranged or session tunes which included Bigsby's book of 60 (some wierd ones there).
I've had more success with the A6th because it covers just about everything from the classics to jazz without too much trouble.
Roy Thompson has introduced me to the Leavitt tuning. Now here's a challenge that I think I can have some fun with. I like to use it on a gig but not this weekend.
... Billy

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