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Post new topic Eight string E7TH PSG
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Author Topic:  Eight string E7TH PSG
Tony Boadle

 

From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2022 12:08 pm    
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When I eventually finish and re-assemble my Fender 400, my initial plan was to string and tune to the lower eight of the standard E9, with the regular copedents.
BUT....I was just thinking, I have a kind of blank canvas here, four pedals and two knees.
What if I decided to transfer my lap-steel E7TH tuning to the Fender?
My present tuning is lo-hi B C# E G# B E, and I use 'benders on the G#(A) and top B(C#) to mimic the PSG.
So suggestions please as to how best to extend my lap-steel tuning for eight strings, and how best to utilise the available pedals and levers. Maybe two pedals and one lever to start with, then more to follow in time?
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J Fletcher

 

From:
London,Ont,Canada
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2022 3:19 pm    
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All depends on what style you are shooting for on your pedal steel . Also , your E7th tuning doesn't contain a 7th . Is the 7th string tuned to a D perhaps , not a C# ?
Personally I would go with your original plan , and tune to E9 , and use the levers to raise and lower the E's a half a tone .
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Tony Boadle

 

From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2022 4:31 pm    
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Apologies, my lap-steel tuning is E6th (I think!)
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Richard Alderson


From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 5:04 am    
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I agree with your first idea to learn E9th. The E9th tuning is a modern marvel that covers everything from Country Western to Mozart and Bach. By far the most versatile tuning option. Save lap steel tunings for the lap steels. You can consider either the bottom 8 strings to learn the basic tuning or the top 8 strings to match a lot of instructional material that uses the A-B-C pedals and E string lowers. I think its natural to start with the bottom 8 strings which is how the tuning itself developed. But eventually you will want the two chromatic strings, so why not just start there instead? Being able to tap into all that instructional material will open up the most doors for your musical expression and development. All that body of learning and instruction, all those tabs, are only available with the E9th tuning.
_________________
Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500.


Last edited by Richard Alderson on 28 Dec 2022 5:07 am; edited 1 time in total
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Tony Boadle

 

From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 5:25 am    
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I was 90% heading that way....now I'm 100% !!!
Many thanks for the nudge I needed, Happy New Year.
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Richard Alderson


From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 6:50 am    
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Well Thank you very much Tony, and Happy New Year to you too !

Yes, A and B pedals, and the E string lowers, are the first and most important changes for E9th. After that its something of a more difficult choice between having the C pedal or having the E string raises. The Fender 400 has four pedals (4 changes), you have to choose one or the other. An example of instruction in this regard is the Winnie Winston book which was written for A-B-C pedals and E lowers, (as well as the two chromatic strings, 1 & 2). There is an enchanting minor chord you can only get with the C pedal, so I would always choose the C pedal myself. More experienced players would miss the E raises more.
_________________
Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500.
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K Maul


From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 7:28 am    
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You CAN have both a C pedal and E-F raises on a 400. You tune that half step raise using a stop for the knee lever. Figuring out what you want for the fourth pedal(and where to put it, first or fourth position)is a harder choice!
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KEVIN MAUL: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Donner, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, GFI, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing.
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Richard Alderson


From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 7:43 am    
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Hi Kevin ! Well if there is a knee lever, that settles it. A-B-C pedals; plus E lowers on the floor, and E raises on the knee lever. I would put the A-B-C pedals, 1,2,3, and just double foot the E flat pedal occasionally with the right foot, and get used to having the A-B-C pedals in a standard format, 1,2,3 left to right, and the E lowers in position 4. Fender cable players have to be double footers sometimes!
_________________
Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500.
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Tony Boadle

 

From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 8:43 am    
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Hold your horses....there are TWO knee levers ready for action!
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Richard Alderson


From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2022 9:23 pm    
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Jeez... Two knee levers on a Fender! Thats unusual. In that case normally one knee lever lowers the E's to Eb, and the other raises the E's to F, so you can avoid the double footing. Those five changes (A-B-C pedals plus E raises & lowers) would take you a long way, they are all basic and essential for E9th. I wouldn't have a recomendation right away for the 4th pedal, but with two knee levers, you would want those for the E raises and E lowers. And those five changes by themselves will take a while to learn.
_________________
Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500.
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