C6 with Dobro?

John D. Carter · From: Canton, Ohio, USA

Hi Fellow Forum Members,

I am thinking of purchasing a Dobro, but if I do I would prefer to stay with C6 since I have learned my way around the fretboard fairly well with standard non-pedal. Is C6 used very widely with Dobro? What would be the disadvantages of C6 verses the more common open G? Thanks for any input from the Dobro players here.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

There aren't a lot of players who use C6th tuning on a resonator guitar, but there certainly are some. For example, the late Barney Isaacs did a very fine job on C6th on his CD with George Kuo Hawaiian Touch.

The main thing is to be sure you're using the right string gauges if you intend to play C6th. A set of strings normally used for open G tuning will not work for C6th tuning, as the low C note of the C6th tuning is one step higher than the fourth string (B) on the open G tuning.

Here's a comparison of the two tunings:

1. D > E
2. B > C
3. G > A
4. D > G
5. B > E
6. G > C

There are many alternative tunings that work well if you want to use the same strings as you would for open G (for example, using A6th tuning which is C6th tuned down three steps), but a good set of C6th strings should be fine.

I personally feel that a resonator guitar doesn't ring out the same way when using C6th tuning, but that may be just my experience.

Here's a recent discussion of this same topic on the Resohangout website:
http://www.resohangout.com/topic/32492
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L. Bogue Sandberg · From: Chassell, Michigan, USA

Give the C6 string set a try. It shouldn't hurt anything. Like Brad said, it may sound a bit thin. You might need to use slightly heavier (an extra 0.002?) strings on the bottom three.

I've used a low A6 as he mentions, but with gauges of

C# - .017
A - .020
F# - .028w
E - .032w
C# - .038w
A - .050w

Right now that same guitar is in high G6 to match up with my regular 8 string. I use a standard G tuning set, dropping out the bottom string and inserting a 0.030w for the E:

D - 0.016 - D
B - 0.018 - Bb
G - 0.028w - G
E - 0.030w - F
D - 0.036w - D
B - 0.046w - Bb

The advantage of this is the string diameters are not radically different from the original open G sizes. So I don't seem to have any buzzing at saddle or nut.

Frequently, I'll drop the B's to Bb and raise the E to F to get a Bb6 tuning, as shown, a full step below the classic C6. I'm getting pretty good at reading C6 tab and playing it two frets higher 'on the fly.' Leaving the lower B as-is gives a Bb6/G7 to play C6/A7 stuff.

The only work-arounds are for C6 or C6/A7 arrangements using open strings. I should probably get one of the new Beard capos. Clamp it on fret two and instant C6 dobro, with a scale length similar to many lap steels.

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Watch these two go at it... one's in C6, one's in G... you decide if it works or not... really, you need both!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvYqGoPsE3g

I think they work well together... I know Eddie Ortego, somebody please help me with the other gentleman's name?
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Jeff Mead · From: London, England

I've always tuned my Dobro to A6 - the same as my lap steels. I tried open G when I first got it but just missed that 6th note too much.

Dave Broyles · From: Olympia,WA USA

I play C6/A7(E-C-A-G-E-C#,H-L) on my Goldtone PBS resonator. Since I double on elec guitar and lap the majority of the time, when we do acoustic sets it always me play that tuning. I think it works great on the Goldtone PBS. Not thin sounding at all. I do use a Bartolini pickup on it so I had to put a wound A string on it to match better with the other strings.

David

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Another C6 reso here
D
E
C
A
G
E
C#
A
altho I retune a lot.
For example low C# to C.
Or high C to B.
Or high C to C# and G to E.
etc etc

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

I have 3 resonator guitars: an 8 string Dobbro and an 8 and a 6 string resonator guitar, both koa with spruce tops, that Dave Karuse of Seattle built for me. The 8 strings are in C13 (G Bb E G A C E G), and the 6 string is currently in B11 (B D# F# A C# E). I play with bluegrassers, and they don't seem to notice, except when we play a Western Waing number, and then they ask "How did you do that?"
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8

Webb Kline · From: Orangeville, PA

Low to high, GCEGAC. Greg Booth shared this on the reso forum and it is tuning Junior Brown uses. I'm having a lot of fun with it and you don't have to change string gauges from regular G tuning. The problem with most C6 on a reso, especially with 8 stringers is that it puts a lot pf pressure on the cone and the tone is significantly sacrificed. But this tuning Greg shared works fine. Not a panacea, but pretty cool.

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

I dunno, Webb. My Dobros all sound fine. The loa ones don't have any plywood. The innards, well and such, are all maple, so they're stronger than Dobros and sound much better. I haveb't had a problem with cone collapse or strain, either.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

I have 2 8 string resos. I tune one to G6 but my main guitar is tuned to C6 with the chromatic D string at the number one position. The string gauges that the late great Mike Auldridge recommended for the middle 6 strings were 14, 18, 24, 26, 34, 45 respectively. I find that those heavy gauges work really well on resonator guitars. I had great success playing swing and other early jazz styles on a 6 string tuned to C6. But the 8 string tuning opens up a great many additional possibilities.
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

I tried the low A6 (high C#) today and I like it, I can play everything I know in C6 and it sound very nice.

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