| Author |
Topic: My 8-string Reso C6 Tuning |
Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
|
Posted 6 Mar 2017 7:59 pm |
|
Hey, all. Advice needed:
I'm trying a C6/A7 Low F tuning on a Gold Tone Paul Beard 8-string resonator.
The reso was designed for a G6 tuning but I prefer C6 so I adapted strings from a Beard G6 (high D) tuning. Had to add three new strings where appropriate.
Here's me playing it: https://youtu.be/cijLdSUwSXk
I'm a steel player so this acoustic approach is new to me. What are your thoughts? Are my strings right?
The tuning spelling and string gauges are:
E - .015
C - .018
A - .024
G - .028
E - .032
C# - .035
A - .054
F - .060
Here's the relation from the G6 to C6/A7 Low F
 |
|
|
 |
Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
|
Posted 6 Mar 2017 8:40 pm
|
|
Great stuff, Nate. I love the demo. What an excellent reso tuning! I am wedded to A6 at the moment but you can see how close the pitches are. What I love about your tuning is getting the C# in there on the 6th string. I've tried raising the seventh string in A6 to get the same result but it is just too low in the voicing to work that well. Your idea looks great!
These are my deliberations to get to A6. My final is the column on the extreme right. The middle is a bit heavier than yours and the bottom, a bit lighter. I am getting it out of a six string set of Pearce's with a couple of extras in the middle.
I find this cuts through pretty well 'in traffic'. Tuning it down to G6 is ok but 'loading the cone', as Mr Eaton would have it, gives it more poke.
 |
|
|
|
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 4:26 am
|
|
Body and Soul on resophonic; so cool, Nate!
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
|
|
|
Gary Meixner
From:
New York, USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 8:08 am
|
|
Nate,
Very nice arrangement. I can't speak to the specifics of the string gauges but the chord voicings sound balanced and clear.
Great playing!
Gary Meixner |
|
|
|
Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 10:03 am
|
|
I was using a little different set up for D6 on a 6-string sq neck...
D
A
F#
D
B
A
I now use a variation that makes it E6 on my lap steel, and I love it...
E
B
G#
E
C#
B
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
|
|
|
Judson Adair
From:
Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 1:49 pm
|
|
So I also got a Gold Tone 8 string recently. I just restrung the whole thing and moved it to standard 8 string C6.
Here are the gauges I ended up going with.
C6th
G 0.012
E 0.014
C 0.017
A 0.021
G .024w
E .030w
C .036w
A .042w |
|
|
|
Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 2:31 pm
|
|
| Judson Adair wrote: |
Here are the gauges I ended up going with.
C6th
G 0.012
E 0.014
C 0.017
A 0.021
G .024w
E .030w
C .036w
A .042w |
Interesting! Since Nate's post I've been thinking of trying this tuning on my Goldtone. My arrangements rely on the 5 being on the top string so I would go with the high G. Your string selection seems to be based on John Ely's recommendations, Judson. That is a safe choice but I would think his string gauges have electric instruments in mind. 'Loading the cone', or keeping sufficient pressure on the bridge is essential for reso projection. Even more so with 8 string than with six, in my experience. I think I will be tempted to go one size higher and move everything over a string with the top G on 0.014. Of course you don't want the thing to collapse, but by the same token, if you can't be heard above the fiddles and guitars then you may as well not be there.
I'd be interested to hear some of the real experts on this subject. Is Howard P around? |
|
|
|
Judson Adair
From:
Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 2:50 pm
|
|
| It seems to have plenty of tension and is way louder than any other guitar that I have ever played. To be fair I play in a trio so I don't have to be super loud. My trio is pretty great we have an upright bass player, I sing and switch between acoustic and dobro, then another guy sings and plays either mandolin or banjo while I am on acoustic or acoustic while I am playing slide. So I never have to much to get over. And honestly I am not great so might not be bad if folks can't hear me. |
|
|
|
Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 2:59 pm
|
|
| Interesting. My experience was getting blown away with G6 by a bunch of 'la pomp' gypsy jazz players but just by tuning up to A6 with the same strings I was back in the game. |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 3:09 pm
|
|
My name was dropped 
Any of the gauges +/- .002 mentioned above will get you where you'd like.
The issue with resonator guitars is that those skinny C6 high strings can't excite the cone as well as a lower G6 or A6 tuning.
That being said, if you like the way the guitar sounds in C6 just go for it. 
FWIW, Audridge's "Eight String Swing" album was all G6. He added C6 when he played the MA-8 but over time settled on the ballsier A6 tuning in addition to the G6 guitar.
That's all I got!
h
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
|
|
|
L. Bogue Sandberg
From:
Chassell, Michigan, USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2017 4:57 pm
|
|
For those of us too set in our ways to move away from a G based tuning, there's the Bb6/G7:
D - .016
Bb - .018
G - .028
F - .030
D - .036
B - .046
G - .056
F - .058 (Eb to match Nate's intervals)
using the same gages as my G13. I haven't fooled with this for awhile, but it gives those nice chord voicings Nate was demonstrating. It's a way to try the tuning without restringing. |
|
|
|
Judson Adair
From:
Oklahoma, USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2017 7:00 am
|
|
Guy,
Here is a video of us playing. It was one take just messing around on my back porch and I mess up in a few spots but I think you can hear me just fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTofJS0UnEU |
|
|
|
Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
|
Posted 8 Mar 2017 6:37 pm
|
|
| Howard Parker wrote: |
My name was dropped
Any of the gauges +/- .002 mentioned above will get you where you'd like.
The issue with resonator guitars is that those skinny C6 high strings can't excite the cone as well as a lower G6 or A6 tuning.
|
Howard, take a close look at my post and sting gauges. My thinnest string is a .015 on the high E. That's very similar to a high D string on a standard Dobro tuning. In fact I've adopted almost all the strings from a Beard G6 set give or take a little on three of the strings.
Thoughts?
I wish I could compare to other tunings but I'm pretty set on C6/A7 Low F.
Nate |
|
|
|
Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
|
Posted 9 Mar 2017 2:15 am
|
|
Nate. My brother from another mother.
I've been listening to steel in a duo vs full band setting. You will be fine.
your tuning has the flexibility to do both.
When playing in a duo - don't play in the same octave as the other instrument continuously . Alternate your lower and higher voicings.
In a band setting you definitely need to use your higher register to stand out.
Your tuning is fine.
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
|
|
|
Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
|
Posted 9 Mar 2017 5:04 am
|
|
Just to be clear, I'm mainly interested in the string gauges. I love my tuning! (As you well know, Bilal, my brother!)
What's tough for me is understanding a new-to-me realm of acoustic string tension for an instrument only a handful of people on this planet seem to be interested in playing! Ha. |
|
|
|
Bosse Engzell
From:
�ppelbo, SWEDEN
|
Posted 12 Mar 2017 11:50 am
|
|
Hi Nate, nice to hear and "old" song played in that way, so cool, love it.
Bosse in Sweden |
|
|
|
