Most Popular 8 String E13 Tuning?

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

I've been playing the Noel Boggs E13 8 string tuning for awhile on a D8 steel and I just put the Leon Mcauliffe E13 on an S8 steel that I have. I haven't decided which one I like the best so far. The only difference is whether the B is on the 6th string or on the 3d string, but an octave higher. I know there are other tunings but these two seem to be the most popular, so I am using "other" for the third choice. I want to see which tuning is the most popular, how many people are using different E13 tunings and I'm hoping to hear comments on why you use the particular E13 tuning you are using.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I've only played my own guess at an E13 tuning. I like the dominant 7th note near the bottom of the tuning. Depending on the song I may tune the bottom 7th note to a 6th note and just pull up on that string when I need a 7th.

Here's a song played on my E13 tuning:

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/E13%20Lap%20Steel%20Tuning/28.mp3

Some more info on it here.

E13 Tuning
Gage Note (Scale In Key Of E)
.011 G# (3rd)
.015 E (Root)
.018 C# (6th)
.020 B (5th)
.026 G# (3rd)
.032 E (Root)
.036 D (7th)
.042 B (5th)

Bo Parker · From: Alabama, USA

I use the McAuliffe E13 tuning. Basically it's the first one I tried, and I like it. There are some tunes that sit very nicely in McA E13 - Night and Day, Cherokee, Cantaloupe Island.

I also play in high-G C6/A7, and I like the way that the quartal dominant 13 chord voicing is the same grip in both tunings - it's on strings 2, 4, 6 in McA E13 and on 3, 5, 7 in C6/A7.

-Bo Parker

Thiel Hatt · From: Utah, USA

I like the dominant 7th on the lower strings also..But I like the chromatic strings on the standard E9th also, so I came up with this version..High to low : F# -D#- G#-E C# -B - G# -E- D ...You counted right, that's nine strings...My guitar is a triple neck nine string...I love this version of the E-13th tuning, for me it's a keeper

David M Brown · From: California, USA

Well, I guess I use the "Noel Boggs" tuning but I never really listened to much of him - I know it as the "Jules Ah See" tuning.

https://www.hawaiiansteel.com/tunings/setups.php?link=1019

Scott Thomas · Posted 20 Feb 2019 12:20 pm

"Other"

E C# B G# E D B G# (hi to lo)

Not too far from A6 (or most C6) and you can get them all on a single neck without changing strings.

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I'm near Ah See:
E
C#
G#
F#
E
D
G#
E
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Other:

G#
E
C#
B
G#
E
D
B

Little Roy Wiggins.
Greg Cutshaw.

This was my favorite tuning for many years.
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Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

Thanks to all of you who participated in this poll so far. The "other" E13 tunings that have been posted are really interesting. I noticed that a lot of them didn't have the 9th (F#) in them. I find myself strumming a 9th chord on the tunings I have been using quite often, usually on a 4 chord, which produces a cool bluesy sound. I also use a strummed 13th chord on the V chord a lot and sometimes on the root chord. I feel having the 9th in the mix of a strummed 13th chord gives it more depth. Strumming these chords seems to be a real crowd pleaser. The "other" tunings that didn't have the 9th in them had a root (E) instead, which I'm sure would be very useful and something I will have to try. Thanks again and keep the comments coming.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

The 9th note is really awesome and gives you some nice 6/9 chords and more single string ruffs. I was able to pull the top E up to F# by pulling the string behind the bar. A 9 string tuning with the right spacing for bar slants would be pretty AWESOME.

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

Greg, I will probably buy an S10 non pedal guitar someday and try the Tom Morrell E13 tuning. I have a few of the old Fender 8 string non pedal steel guitars, so right now I'm wanting to try to figure out which E13 works best for me. It has always been somewhat of a mystery to me why two great steel players like Maurice Anderson and Tom Morrell, both way into playing Jazz, both wonderful pedal steel players, switched to non pedal steel guitars later on in life. Perhaps it was just because they were getting older and didn't want to carry around a heavey psg anymore, but something tells me there was more to it than that.

Tom Campbell · From: Houston, Texas, USA

Low to Hi

B, D, E, F#, G#, B, C#, E

Tried others and always wind-up back to this one.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

For what it's worth, low to high:

D E G# B C# E G# F#

It's lacking on the low end but feels a bit more like a pedal guitar and seems good for "lead playing."
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

In every other way I'm an Ah See acolyte so it is fitting that my third Stringmaster neck is in his E13...that said, while C13 and B11 come more natural to me, I'm still a ways out of being an "E13 player". The extra 9th is quite lush!

I also used a version of E13 Basil H had in a tab...skipping the 9th. I think it was (low to high) E B D E G# B C# E. I quickly realized that I could shift the entire tab down by a string and my C13 neck would do just fine...shift the key (to a better one for a female vocalist) and easy! So yeah, still not hitting E13 much, although some of the wild comping Jules did on the Tapa Room Tapes, I need to learn it at some point!
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Tom Cooper · From: Orlando, Fl

I use the basic Don Helms tuning with 7 th in bottom and G# on top. But I have F# also.
D E F# G# B C# E G#. For my ten string which I play mostly itâ€™s same but with B on bottom and F# on top. I play this tuning exclusively now.

Steve Knight · From: NC

I use what I think is a Vance Terry tuning: Lo to Hi G#,B,D,F#,G#,B, C#, E

Rick Winfield · From: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos

I like Leon's E13.
low to hi E G# D F# G# B C# E. 8 str
Rick

Steffen Gunter · From: Munich, Germany

I voted for Boggs / Jules Ah See although I have my E on string 5 instead of string 8 because I retune from A6 switching between A6 / B11 / E13 (C#m9).

But I flatten string 8 from G# to G.
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Paul Strojan · From: California, USA

I play the Little Roy Wiggins E13: B,D,E,G#,B,C#,E,G#. Mainly because I bought the Don Helms book when I started playing and I like the idea that apply the material available for the E7 with the same tuning.

Based on my experience, if I were starting again; I would have gotten a ten string practice board and add the 9th and low E.

K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

Mine is (lo-hi) EBDF#G#BC#E if Iâ€™m playing Rockabilly. I sometimes change 5 to E and 6 to C#. For classic Honky Tonk I use the Helms AC#EG#BC#EG#, but thatâ€™s not really E13. I have a 10 string tuned EG#BD(orC#)EF#G#BC#EG#. That covers lots of ground.
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