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Topic: Fender 8 string pedal steel |
James Taylor
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 3 Jun 2013 12:34 pm |
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How many people have a Fender 8 string pedal steel and what tuning do they use? JAMES TAYLOR  |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Roger Guyett
From:
San Francisco, Ca.
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2013 11:31 pm
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I have an older long scale 400. Right now I have an E9 tuning minus strings 2 and 3. The long scales don't handle the high G# to A pull and string breakage is a problem. The later short scale 400s don't have that problem.
I have two pedals .1 pulls high B to C# and 2 pulls G# to A. I have a knee lever that pulls high F# to G. I can still play the intro to Jukebox Charlie with out the high G#! 
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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James Taylor
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 4 Jun 2013 1:37 pm
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| Thanks everyone for the input of expert knowledge. I have my one tuned to E9 chromatic to get the proper feel of this tuning, as I have on order an Encore which I expect soon. However, I was thinking of keeping the Fender as it is also very, very light and may change it to C6, B6, or some of the ideas that you all have kindly floated. Thank you so much you have all been very helpful . JAMES TAYLOR SCOTLAND |
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George Macdonald
From:
Vancouver Island BC Canada
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Posted 4 Jun 2013 1:49 pm Fender 8 string
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| James, When I bought my Fender 400 new in the 60s, it came from Fender tuned to A6th with E as the high string. I ordered it with 6 pedals and later added an improvised knee lever to lower the Es to Eb. I enjoyed that guitar for several years before going to a 12 string MSA universal [ B6th/E9th ] I still use that tuning today on my Carter universal. By the way, on that A6th tuning, the first two pedals lowered C#s and As to B and G# to get me into the E tuning, just the opposite of todays first two pedals raising the G# to A and B to C#. |
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James Taylor
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 6:03 am
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| Thank you George I will take note of your kind information.It all looks so interesting and I just hope my very small BRAIN can cope with it all. Thank goodness there is such a bright lot in this form; I do love the banter sometimes. YOURS AYE JAMES TAYLOR |
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Paul Redmond
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2013 12:19 am
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I use the same "short Uni" tuning I use on all my other guitars minus the front two strings. It has 6 KL's on top of the four original factory-installed pedals. Then I tuned the entire works down to D# rather than E. It also has the Sacred Steel lock and changes on it. That guitar draws more comments from more people in the audience than anything I've ever played in my life!!!
PRR |
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Roman Sonnleitner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 20 Jun 2013 1:30 am
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| I just got a Fender 400 - still experimenting around with copedents; mine is tuned in C6 (ACEGACEG lo to hi) - currently I have th 1st two pedla set up to mimic the AB pedals on an E9 PSG, the third one raises strings 3 and 5 a full tone, and the fourth pedals lowers both E strings to Eb (for diminished chords). |
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James Taylor
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 22 Jun 2013 12:58 pm Fender
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| Keep it coming it is all so interesting. I wish I had been into this many years ago. Many thanks to you all JAMES TAYLOR |
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Ronnie Boettcher
From:
Brunswick Ohio, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2013 5:05 pm
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My first pedal steel was a Fender 400. I had no clue about anything. I found a E9 basic tuning, and set it up omitting the 9th, and 10th strings. Piddled around with it for about 6 months, sold it and bought my LDG. I sold my 400 to a woman who knew nothing about pedal steels, and I showed her some simple country licks, and she was impressed. She said it will be a challenge, and loved it. This is all I need till I refuse my harp, and keep my LDG, (and hope a good 5-string banjo too), if they have any up there.
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Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142 |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Jun 2013 3:27 am
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| I played an early 1000 for many years, but now my "simplistic cravings" are done on an early model 400. I chose a D-based tuning, but decided that since I play mostly classic country, that the chromatic top strings were far too useful and popular to do without. Instead, I've dropped the 7th and 9th and am quite happy with just two major triads. |
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James Taylor
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 23 Jun 2013 10:33 am
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| Hi Ronnie, I am sure they have all the sweet sounding instruments up yonder . I'll bet the were actually invented up there before we got the ideas in the first place. I would not exchange a good pedal steel for a harp in any case. JAMES TAYLOR |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 23 Jun 2013 2:38 pm
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Missing from my collection of steel guitar instruction stuff is the Ernie Ball Steel Guitar Method book series that dealt with the pedal A6 tuning. I'd love a copy of those.
I almost bought a Fender 1000 from Ernie himself back in the late 60's when he had a music store in Tarzana CA. He showed me a bunch of A6 stuff which was probably great western swing, but I had my head too full of E9 country in them days to pay much attention. I was NOT in my Spade Cooley period. 
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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