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Topic: Please help! trying to string up C6 lap steel |
Jason Schofield
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 4:31 am |
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| I just got a new 6 string lap steel and it was strung up and tuned in G. I want to use c6 tuning. I have the correct gauges of strings for this and I know it's CEGACE low to high, but I don't know what to reference them against. Is the high E the same as a regular guitar ect and is the low c up or down from a regular guitar. I'm new to this so I hope I don't sound to stupid. Thanks. |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 4:51 am
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Jason,
The low C is higher than the low E of a regular guitar tuning.
Then follows E (one major 3rd up from the C), G (one minor 3rd up from the E), A (two semitones up from the G), C (one octave higher than the first C) and E (one octave higher than the first E).
I hope that roundabout explanation is to any help! 
Fred |
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MUSICO
From:
Jeremy Williams in Spain
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 5:46 am
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So in "6 string acoustic guitar speak"
High to low
E 1st string open
C 2nd string 1st fret
A 3rd string 2nd fret
G 3rd string open
E 4th string 2nd fret
C 5th string 3rd fret
Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain |
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Mark Vinbury
From:
N. Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 6:13 am
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Not stupid at all.
I had the same question when I first started.
You had the sense to ask.
I stupidly busted a bunch of strings trying to get squared away.
The high E is the same as regular guitar and low C is above low E on regular guitar.
I find I can use a regular set of 10-46 gauge strings for C6th which also allows me to drop down to E tuning, but I get better C6th tone with 14-38 gauge (.014,.017,.020,.026,.032,.038)[This message was edited by Mark Vinbury on 15 December 2005 at 06:16 AM.] |
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Jason Schofield
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 1:33 pm
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| Thanks a lot guys, I'm gonna string her up right now and get to learnin' the c6. Jason |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 2:03 pm
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With 3 easy changes, you also have A6th.
C to C#
G to F#
C to C#
Ron
That's better now that I put my glasses on!!![This message was edited by Ron Victoria on 15 December 2005 at 02:12 PM.] |
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Patrick Newbery
From:
San Francisco, California, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 2:06 pm
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Ron-
don't you mean G to F#?
(Ron fixed it.)[This message was edited by Patrick Newbery on 16 December 2005 at 11:45 AM.] |
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Craig Stenseth
From:
Naperville, Illinois, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 7:12 pm
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| Gerald has some secret method of going to B11 from C6, but I was apparently not paying attention. |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 15 Dec 2005 9:47 pm
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I try often to defy the law of averages, etc.
On the C6th tuning, short scale, for the first and second strings, I use .16 for the high E and .18 for the high C. Why? It gives a more mellow sound and avoids the thin, tinning effect, and sometimes the distortions of the thin string.
Aloha,
Don[This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 15 December 2005 at 09:48 PM.] |
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Tony Harris
From:
England
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Posted 16 Dec 2005 2:27 am
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| Jason, you'll have great fun with that tuning. When I started steelin' a few years ago, I decided that I would choose one tuning only and pretty much stick with it (so much to learn, and only one brain!). C6th was the one I went for - it's great for straight country, hawaiian, jazz - and it's instant western swing. Check out Cindy Cashdollar's teaching videos. The only change I've made since then is to make the bottom string C# instead of C if ever you're playing jazz and need low diminished chords or sevenths. I still can't believe how many chords you can get with this tuning - thanks JB. When I tried dobro recently, I felt so restricted! |
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Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 16 Dec 2005 2:28 am
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| I'm with Kona... I like thicker strings up there. However if the scale is over 24", heavier gauges on the first two strings can get a little stiff and dead sounding at the 12th fret. [This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 16 December 2005 at 02:29 AM.] |
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John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 4:08 am
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Jason,
Pick up a copy of Scotty's book - Basic C6 Nonpedal Lap Steel Method. When I got mine it was twenty bucks with a CD. It covers everything you need to know to get rolling with this tuning.
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John Drury
NTSGA #3
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George Manno
From:
chicago
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 5:09 am
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I remember reading that Jerry Byrd used
three .018 for the top three strings A C E
GM |
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Roman Sonnleitner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 6:08 am
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Jason,
I can also recommend the Melbay book that John mentioned - I'm a beginner just like you, and have just started to learn playing the lap steel using this book about one or two weeks ago - and I can already play a few simple tunes without sounding too bad...
Roman |
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Paul Honeycutt
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2005 8:33 pm
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| I asked the same question here a few months ago when I got the C6 bug. I also tune the low C to C# to get those 7th chords. I amazed my bandmates when I explained all the chords I could get from this tuning. They thought I was in open E or G. I've already gigged with my C6 acoustic lap steel, but luckily no one from the Forum was around to hear me! |
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