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Topic: Dobro sound from C6th tuning? (Faux-Bro?) |
Tony Harris
From:
England
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 6:19 am |
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| I play C6th tuning lap steel. How realistic a Dobro sound could I get using a Dobro, but tuning it C6th? Or do I have to learn GBDGBD tuning on it? Thanks, Tony. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 6:30 am
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Tony, if you use a real Dobro you're 100% guaranteed to get a realistic Dobro sound.
Do you really mean: "Will a 6th tuning sound wrong on a Dobro?" My answer would be no - unless you have a lifetime's worth of mental associations based on listening only to very traditional players who used G tuning. In that case, it could take you some time to get used to that 6th note ringing in there. Check out this recording by Barney Isaacs recorded on C6th Dobro - it's about as far from Bluegrass Dobro as one could get.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000030MB/qid%3D1099147640/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-2625961-7046322 |
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Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 9:50 am
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Good thread.
Nice link!
Related questions:
How would you set up C6 on a Weissenborn (note sequence - EGACEG vs ACEGACE etc., allowing that the hollow neck might not want too much stress).
And which string guage sequence would be safest?
Many thanks. - Bob
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 11:27 am
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| Bob, I play C6th intervals on my Weissenborn using a standard set of dobro strings tuned down a whole step to Bb6th or a step-and-a- half down to A. |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 11:30 am
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Sounds good, Craig
[This message was edited by Dan Tyack on 30 October 2004 at 12:32 PM.] |
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Bill Blacklock
From:
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 1:35 pm
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| DOBRO G6 Tuning - GBEGBD, it swings. |
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Bob Markison
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 30 Oct 2004 5:10 pm
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| Many thanks! Craig - beautiful mp3. I'm convinced these acoutic steels can swing like crazy. - Bob |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 31 Oct 2004 5:52 am
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Craig -- that sounds really nice! Are you using a 5th on top or 3rd? Also, what brand of strings and gauges are you using?
Your dobro has a sweet tone, too.
Thanks for posting that.
TJW
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Todd James Weger/RD/RTD
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, E13); Melobar SLS lapsteel (open D); Chandler RH-4 Koa semi-hollow lapsteel (open G); Regal resonator (open D or G)
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2004 10:11 am
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Hi, Todd.
That Dobro continues to amaze me because, in spite of the "tinker toys" they can be, that one really records well.
My tuning for that one was (lo to hi) C# E F# A C# E. Just a small variation on standard C6 tuning.
Here's the same guitar tuned to C6 for the tune My Rose of Waikiki:
http://members.cox.net/swingbros/Mp3s/Rose%20of%20Waikiki.mp3
...based on the Casey Olsen version. I really didn't understand much about recording when I did this one and I'm not real crazy about the finished sound ... you know how it is.
By the way, I keep replaying your "experiment" on the other thread. I wish I could sing like that!! Sounds fantastic!
Craig. |
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Tony Harris
From:
England
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Posted 1 Nov 2004 1:30 am
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Thanks everyone for your replies - and some great clips. Of course I knew that a dobro would always have the dobro TONE, whatever tuning. Those Hawaiian tunes sound wonderful with that tone. But what I really meant, and didn't explain properly was could I play a C6th-tuned dobro in a traditional bluegrass line-up and sound authentic - I guess that 6th note would just sound wrong?
Basil H - I love those clips, and will be checking out your CDs right away. And I'm very flattered that you've even HEARD of that terrible Steel Beginner Harry Snoit! |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 3 Nov 2004 2:37 am
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Tony, I understood that Harry Snoit was your "Right Hand Man" so to speak.!!
E-Mail me your address or call 0121-682-2315..
Baz[This message was edited by basilh on 03 November 2004 at 02:38 AM.] |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 3 Nov 2004 5:39 am
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An interesting G6 voicing above,
but you can also easily try GBDEGB
like the PSG's C6 neck.
You get it's major and minor components in vertical blocks. with fat roots. And still keep the drobro tuning sound on the lower chords
Or for a bouncing bass line DGBEGB
drop the B to A and get a G69 chord
Raise the E to F and get a dom 7th with 9th
Which can also give yiu smoe more minir stuff[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 03 November 2004 at 05:59 AM.] |
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Tony Harris
From:
England
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Posted 3 Nov 2004 7:51 am
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| David, your first suggestion looks great for me - it's the same intervals as the C6 tuning I'm used to, so no new shapes to learn, but as you say with the standard dobro tuning on the bottom. Thanks. |
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