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Topic: 10-String Melobar Skreemr |
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 4:14 pm |
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I recently bought a 10-string Melobar Skreemr on eBay. I haven't received it yet. When I do, does anyone know what tuning players usually use on these ? My natural instinct would be to use C6.
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 5:46 pm
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I received it last week.
The strings seem to be arranged in two groups, of 6 and 4 strings. I have no idea why. Anyone any ideas ? |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 27 Apr 2007 7:27 pm
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Unfortunately it's been many years since I've seen one of the ten string models. I seem to remember they had the tuning marked on the fretboard, but your particular guitar may not have that.
Just as a guess, the four separate strings would be bass strings and the six separate strings would be for regular playing. I could be wrong - as I said, it's been a long time.
Good luck!
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Don Fox
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2007 9:26 am
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Hey Alan, I got one of these about six months ago with the same 4 and 6 setup. Didn't get much help from the forums re: tunings. I believe that there must be some instructional literature out there from the (now defunct) Melobar folks, at least some printed info that accompanied the purchase of a new instrument. Maybe a forumite has a copy in a drawer at home and could help us out?
For now, I have strung and tuned the four string group to an open E arrangement (E G# B E, lo to hi), six string group I tuned to a 6th tuning. Still experimenting, but this gives a nice variety. |
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Peter Cummins
From:
Bonny Hills, NSW, Australia
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Posted 29 Apr 2007 3:43 am 10 Str Melobar Tuning
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Howdy Alan,
Don is hot on the trail here, as far as my understanding goes. I should point out that I am not an authority by any stretch of the imagination, but here goes.
You can tune these 10string Skreemers into a key of E configuration, or key of G Configuration. Having said that I cant see any reason (except for actual physical size of the bridge & nut grooves)why you could not tune to any desired key.
Mine is in the Key of E
The bridge has 13 slots in it with the 3,5 & 9 slots(counting from the controls side of the neck)remaining vacant.
That puts my steel into a 4,3,3 string grouping.The string spacings are not equal across the bridge and are alittle cramped, which makes it a little harder to achieve clean pickin
Key Of E.
The Strings are; EGBD DEE G#BE(the last E is closest to the controls).Cant give the guages at this stage as my Digital Verniers have a flat battery.
From L to R above;
The EGBD gives you Eminor.(Relative to Gmaj)
The GBD gives you GMajor.
The DEE gives you E7 ( the two E's are in octaves).
The G#BE gives you E Major.
The DEE G#BE gives a bigger fatter E7th
So we have E Major, E7, EMinor & G Major all on the same fret. Sweet as a nut.
Key of G.
The strings are GBbDF FGG BDG.
From L to R above;
The GBbDF gives you GMinor(Relative to BbMajor)
The BbDF gives you BbMajor.
The FGG gives you G7.( The G's would be octaves)
The BDG gives you G Major
The FGG and BDG played together give a bigger/fatter G7th, than say the FGG just played by themselves.
that is my interpretation in a nutshell.
It would be good to hear from others who may be able to shed more light on the subject, Clarifications and corrections would be welcome.
What a great tuning config, all those chords right ther on the one fret.
Someone with a good knowledge of chord structure would no doubt be able to pick even more chords out of those notes.
Best regards gents,
Pete |
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Don Fox
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2007 5:52 am
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| Very helpful, Peter! The Melobar is a very strange beast, and not just because you can play it standing up! If you can get used to the string spacing, those ten strings hold a lot of potential. I'm going to try your tuning arrangement as soon as I can nail down string guages. |
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steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
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Posted 29 Apr 2007 6:09 am
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| Anyone know how to reach any of the former employees from the the defunt Melobar company? I have a 10 string skreemer as well but the bridge is broken & I'd like to get another. Did Rusty Young play one of these with Poco? thanks steve t |
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Peter Cummins
From:
Bonny Hills, NSW, Australia
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Posted 29 Apr 2007 1:55 pm
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Glad to share Don.
That info is printed on the neck of some of the older guitars. Mr Smith sure was on the Ball when he devised the tunings.So simplistic and obvious, but it took his vision to be able to see it applied to the guitar. I will post the string guages when I get the Verniers up & running again.
There are a few Melobars on Ebay right now, one has a home made conversion to an 8 string setup with a brass bridge slotted over the original, and one of those chrome stingriser/nut conversion thingys on the nut. No mods to the guitar as such. There is an older Mosrite with a BIN of $1200USD, a tad ambitious perhaps.
Pete |
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Peter Cummins
From:
Bonny Hills, NSW, Australia
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Posted 30 Apr 2007 5:05 am
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Here are the string guages in mm.
E G B D D E E G# B E
E(0.65), G(0.65), B(0.40), D(0.40), D(0.80), E(1.40)
E(0.60), G#(0.60), B(0.40), E(0.40).
Not 100% sure that these guages are as originally intended, but they seem to work OK.
Most strings tune nicely to the indicated pitch.
Good Luck
Pete |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2007 4:48 pm
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| I'm currently looking for a six string version- I really just want to use a basic 6 string E tuning on some of the rock stuff I'm doing, and the string spacing gets too uncomfortable for me with the 10 string setup. Anybody want to sell/trade one? |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 30 Apr 2007 7:39 pm
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| Mark van Allen wrote: |
| ... and the string spacing gets too uncomfortable for me with the 10 string setup |
I know just what you mean, Mark. For decades I played blues on regular guitars tuned open, and on lap steels which I had built myself. A few years ago I bought my first Sho-Bud and the first thing I noticed was how close the strings are. I have big fingers,and it's difficult to adjust to narrow string spacing. At least, with a bar, I don't have to get my fingers in there. Now I've gotten used to the pedal steel spacing, so I can handle a Skreemr 10-string with the reduced spacing. But the tuning makes no sense to me.......... |
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Larry Jones
From:
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
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Posted 2 May 2007 8:54 pm
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| I HAVE A MELOBAR YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE IF YOU DO STEEL GIGS. ITS A REAL SHOW STOPPER PEOPLE LOVE IT. IT TAKES SOME GETTING USE TO THOUGH STANDING UP AND PLAYING WITH A BAR AT THAT ANGLE. ITS ALITTLE TRICKY NOT LIKE PLAYING A DOBRO. YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE WITH IT. I BOUGHT MINE AT A GUITAR SHOW AND SOME ONE HAD CHANGED IT TO AN 8 STRING IT HAS A STANDARD STEEL FRETBOARD AND STANDARD SPACING BUT STILL USES THE SAME BRIDGE WHICH IS OK, THEY CHANGED THE NUT TO A BRASS 8STRING NUT TOO SO IT PLAYS REALLY NICE. THE ONLY THING I HAD TO REPLACE WAS THE PICKUP IT WASN'T PICKING UP ALL THE STRINGS . SO I HAD AN EMG STEEL GUITAR PICK UP PUT IN WHICH SOUNDS GOOD BUT I THINK IAM GOING TO CHANGE IT TO SOMETHING THATS NOT SO HOT. I USE AN E7 AND PLAY THE BLUES SONGS WITH IT. HAVE FUN |
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