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Topic: C6 tuning instead of B6. What's the logic? |
George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 3 Oct 2019 5:11 pm |
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| I think most players are either strictly E9 players or maybe a little C6 for blues and rockabilly. We are very used to working off of frets 1,3,5,7.8,10,12 etc. When we go to C6, we are in unfamiliar territory, fret wise.When I had a universal, one big draw was I could play C on the first fret and use the same fret positions I was used to on E9. So why isn't B6 the standard instead of C6? Is it a case of because this is the way we have always done it? Is it a carry over from the lap steel tuning? The next time I change my C6 strings I am going to B6 unless somebody has a really good reason why I shouldn't. The only thing I can think of would be C6 course material would be off 1 fret but that would be easy to get used to. Some open string hammer on's could get thrown into B instead of C. Not a big problem. You just do them in B or if the band can't do them in B, just don't do the song. I'm thinking about Remington Ride, primarily. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 3 Oct 2019 5:48 pm
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It's just a carryover from the fixed tuning days I think and so it remained when pedals were added. I don't know enough about playing the no pedal tunings to know why C6 was frequently chosen as the alternate neck.
FWIW, I played 12 string Universals for some time E9/B6 tuning.
I also had a D10 that I played as well. I did what you suggest and tuned the rear neck to B. It made the transition back and forth easy.
I didn't change string gauges, I just tuned everything down a half step. Didn't need to made any changes underneath, just adjustments on the nylon tuners.
It does seem the tunings have a better relationship by tuning down to B which would be like lowering your E's on the E9th tuning.
BTW, there's no reason one couldn't use a bar capo underneath the strings to raise the tuning back up a fret to C if or when they felt it necessary. |
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Larry Phleger
From:
DuBois, PA
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Posted 3 Oct 2019 6:36 pm
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| I began playing non-pedal steel many years ago, and never mastered the use of pedals on the C6 neck. Playing Universal E9/B6 allowed me to get my old non-pedal stuff along with the contemporary country sound, so I decided to change to the Universal tuning. I have played E9/B6 for many years. Recently I bought a D10. I kept the E9 neck tuned like strings 1-10 on the U12, and left the C6 neck as is. By the way, the only reason I went back to a D10 is because of arthritis problems that makes holding my RKL in position for any extended period of time difficult. I can now easily change between my U12 and D10 without any problems. When I lower the strings 4 and 8 on the E9 neck, I can play Remington Ride and Steelin' The Blues in C. I can also work on C6 instructional material on the C6 neck without having to re-think everything. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 3 Oct 2019 6:51 pm
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As Jerry said, it's a carryover from the non-pedal steel era. The earliest Hawaiian lap steel tuning was A, with a high E string. Other tunings evolved from that... E7 (w high E), B11 (w/high E), C6 (w/high E). Those tunings were accessible without having to change strings. So C6 was a convenient "retune" from and to other tunings. Evidently when pedals came along a lot of the players were comfortable C6 so they stuck with it. By the way, many of the C6 pedal changes on PSG mirror the most common bar slants on C6 non-pedal steel.
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 3 Oct 2019 8:23 pm C6 tuning instead of B6. What's the logic?
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Having played universal for several years, my instincts tell me to put universal strings on, just not use the top two on a 10 string C6 neck. But then the grooves in my C6th roller nuts are not grooved for the larger diameter universal strings, especially the bottom two strings. I am ready to order strings and don't know if I should get a universal set or a C6 set and tune down. Any thoughts?
Last edited by George Kimery on 4 Oct 2019 5:53 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 4 Oct 2019 12:17 am
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I started out on a D10 and tuned the rear neck down to B right from the beginning, in case I swapped to a universal later. Sure enough I did and I was glad.
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