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Topic: New setup for my six string lapsteel................ |
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 27 Dec 2008 11:44 am |
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I bought a six string Chandler lapsteel a while back which I really like. I've had one of my Dobros set up with a G6th tuning D B G E D B (high to low for a while now which also incorporates Keith/Scruggs banjo tuners on strings one and three so I can raise string one to E and string 3 to G# to give me an E7th tuning.
I've been tuning the Chandler to B6th which is D# B G# F# D# B (high to low) and liking it a lot but when asked to do "Steel Guitar Rag", I can do it in the B6th but I thought an open E tuning of some sort would work better for that. Yesterday I put a set of the banjo tuners on strings one and 5 so I can raise both D# strings to E which works very well. I took it to the gig last night and was very pleased with what I was able to get out of the two tunings.
I'm thinking of adding another tuner to the 4th string F# to lower it to E and then just lower the fifth string D# (which I'm now raising to E) down to D so I'd basically have the same E7th tuning which I use on the Dobro.
I've tried to take some pictures of the guitar but I just can't my digital camera to work right. I have a gig later today so I think I'll have my wife take some shots at the gig of the rig with the regular camera...........Anyone else ever try anything like this?........JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Posted 27 Dec 2008 11:59 am
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Jerry -
I use an 0.036" on my lower (4th string) D, and used to raise it to an E to get the G6th. I found that I was breaking that string frequently, so I stopped doing it.
Furthermore, I use an 0.026" plain on my upper (3rd string) G, and can't imagine ever being able to raise that even a semi-tone, without breaking it.
I'd be interested in knowing what gauges of strings you use in each of your tunings - the G6th, & the B6th, & anything else you might come up with. I'm interested in your gauges for 2 reasons:
1) Minimizing string breakage.
2) Understanding what abuse Keith/Scruggs banjo tuners will take. It would seem to me that since these tuners are made for banjo, they would be built for light gauge strings, no? |
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Mike Harris
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 27 Dec 2008 7:52 pm string gauge for tuning D to E
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Bryan--
on her website Cindy Cashdollar recommends using a .034 gauge string if you want to alternate between D and E. |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 28 Dec 2008 10:26 am
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On my Dobro, I just had a regular set of Dobro strings and eliminated the low G and bought a .034 bronze wound for the E string in the 4th slot. For my lap steel(s) I just use the mostly normal pedal steel sizes for the different notes, ie. the 3rd string G# would be a .022 plain, etc.
Here's a couple of shots of the Chandler with the banjo pegs........JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Posted 28 Dec 2008 1:09 pm
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Well Mike, it seems that Cindy’s gauge recommendation coincides with Jerry’s experience and preference for the E string gauge.
Jerry – I see that you have wound the 6th string in reverse, to get a straight line run of the string over the nut; however, you have run the 1st string in the conventional path into the Scruggs tuner. Will a Scruggs tuner not work in reverse? Or is it that the intuitive changing of the frequency on that string requires clockwise rotation to raise and counter-clockwise rotation to lower?
I suppose the fact that you (as well as others, I believe) use Scruggs tuners with heavy dobro strings, the tuners must be substantial enough to take the extra stress. |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 28 Dec 2008 2:55 pm
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Brian, the Scruggs tuners will take a lot of stress! In the seventies I used a .060 string on my low E string on my electric guitar which I lowered to D and it held up fine. As far as the small holes in the tuner(s) for larger strings, it's no problem, you just grap the end of the winding with a pair of needle nose plier and pull enough of it back until you've got enough to go through the tuner. No tone loss at all.
As far as the tuners going in reverse? They'll do that, I just wanted these to move in the direction they were intended to go. Before I put the banjo tuner on string one, I had it reversed also for the straight string pull but I have the nut slot well lubed so it doesn't hang up. The tuners on this guitar are Schaller banjo tuners. They have a black thumbscrew to tune the high note and a silver one for the low which can't be changed. On the higher priced Keith/Scruggs tuners made by Bacon Banjo Co., you can just reverse the position of the screws but on the Schallers I have, it won't work.....JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
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