What's the best tuning, A6,C6 or E13

Morgan Scoggins · From: Georgia, USA

I started playing the non pedal 8 string steel in august of 2007. I bought a Remington Steelmaster S8 from Herb Remington.
I also purchased Herb and Rick Alexanders "Fun Tab" to get me started.In Shocked

a few weeks I learned most all of the songs( Sorry Herb, I skipped "MY Buddy").
later I got involved in E 13 tuning from Don Helms book of Hank Williams songs.For the last year I have switched tunings every time I change strings( both tunings require different string gauges).
I recently discovered that A6 tuning will also work for songs I play in E13 tuning. You just use strings 2 thru 7 and you have the same relative tuning. Of course the keys won't be the same, but I can still play the melody.
I also experiment with C6 tuning and Its the same as E13 but 4 frets lower.
The obvious choice is to buy a double or triple neck guitar. For now that's out of the question due to the
economic downturn(the cabinet business needs to get better)
Maby I can get som help or advice from some of you pros out there.
_________________
"Shoot low boys, the're ridin' Shetlands"

Anthony Minstein · From: Kentucky, USA

I have also recently started devoting myself to non-pedal steel: The U-12 is sitting a lonely and forlorn in the corner.

Because of my background in Universal tuning, I use a single 12 tuned with C6 on the bottom 8 strings, the top four tuned to Bflat Major 7.

This gives you the traditional western swing C6, plus a Dom 7, a Min 7 and a Major 7 in place. Allows you to play western swing and modern jazz...if you sweep the top 5 strings, you get a ninth chord...handy if you want to pretend to be Count Basie.
_________________
Carter S10 Professional
JazzKat Solid State Amp

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

If I had to stick with one 8-string guitar, I'd think more in terms of gauges than tunings. I don't mind changing the tuning for a song as long as the gauges work. Consider these:

Jon Nygren · From: Wisconsin, USA

There is no one tuning that is the 'best' for everyone- just find what works well for the songs/music you like to play.

I tend to do stuff like b0b- that is, look for tunings that can easily be retuned. Right now on my double 8 I use an a6 and e13. I can easily retune my e13 to f#9..on the a6 I can go to b11 or c6.

If I had to have one 8 string, my favorite is c6 with a 5th on top. Tons of tuning possibilities there, and the range is in the middle between a6 and e13.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

The approach to tunings is one for which everybody seems to have a different answer. It does depend partly on what you want to do with the guitar. There does seem to be a general consensus that it is best to play one tuning well before venturing into others. As you mentioned, the middle 6 strings of an A6 tuning give you the Don Helms E6 as well as the low C6. The high C6 is the exact same intervals as A6 cranked up 4 frets higher. You can use all those learning materials to help you master one tuning. And then you can branch out. And it doesn't matter which of those 3 you start with. They're all good choices. My favorite quote from Jerry Byrd goes, "If you don't know how to play, it doesn't matter what tuning you use. And if you do know how to play, It doesn't matter what tuning you use." Very Happy

BTW, the Remington was an excellent choice.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

Josh Cho · From: New York, NY (orig. Honolulu, HI)

I like B0b's idea of the string guages, that way you can get the most outta one set o' strings

The following, sold by b0b here, gets you C6, A6, and also B11 (also been recently turned on to the A9 tuning, and it words here as well)

C6th/A6th
---------
G/G .011
E/E .015
C/C# .017
A/A .020
G/F# .024w
E/E .030
C/C# .036
A/A .042

the above is from b0b's 6 string set, just add the high .011 and low .042
_________________
Lap-n-Console Steel Guitar Lessons

Morgan Scoggins · From: Georgia, USA

Thanks for your help guys.
I think im going to settle for the A6 tuning for now, simply because it is more versitile and I can easily change to C6 or B11 without restringing. I am not a big fan of the high octave sounds of E13 or high C6. Most of what I already know is A6.
But I'm going to work on getting a double neck for an E 13 tuning.
_________________
"Shoot low boys, the're ridin' Shetlands"

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I too have found that A6 w/a 5th on top as per Bob's chart is a real nice one-size-fits-all tuning w/a deeper range than C6. The thing I do though is tune the 8th string up a half-step from F# to G giving a 7th on the bottom and making the tuning a quasi-13th. With just that one tri-tone,you can get a lot more going on with chords and intervals. And it's easy to tune it back and forth but I just leave it as a 7th like Junior Brown except in A instead of C. If you want to get kinky you can put a .024w as the 8th string and tune that to G but an octave higher - like Freddie Roulette. Once you're comfortable with that,you can experiment with tuning your 7th string A up a half-step to A# giving you an A6/F#9 tuning. Now you're in Joaquin Murphey territory and can get some really nice tightly voiced chords and scales similar to what a Leavitt tuning offers all whilst leaving the top of the tuning intact for plain vanilla stuff. These mods take an 8-string 6th tuning about as deep as it gets.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

A6th always sounds real old-timey to me.

Morgan Scoggins · From: Georgia, USA

you are right b0b, a6 is old timey, and I love it!!! Very Happy

_________________
"Shoot low boys, the're ridin' Shetlands"

Drew Howard · From: 48854

If I had only one neck, A6/C6 would be the way to go.

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

A6th was the favored 6 string tuning of the immortal BILLY HEW LEN ... man, could he ever swing in that tuning !

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

He could swing in any tuning (see Jerry Byrd quote above).
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

John Groover McDuffie · From: LA California, USA

Hi b0b - in your post above re thinking in terms of a set of string guages which work for several tunings what is the scale length for which you selected those particular guages? Thanks

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

A big determining factor for my choice of tunings has been the vocalists I am playing with and their choice of keys that they sing their songs in.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I string my guitars up with the intention of retuning as necessary. On my Clinesmith S-8, I have it tuned primarily to E9, but it's really easy to get to E13, C6 or A6. I pay attention to the gauges because I don't like when the strings feel slack and I also don't like the way they sound--they vibrate too widely.

On the front neck of my Fender Custom T-8, I keep a thin 1st string and I can go from C6 (high G) to an E tuning (usually E13) or better yet, F#9. I make these changes always without a tuner and quickly. I use a tuner at the beginning of the evening and, unless something disastrous happens, I tweak by ear.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

Multiple tunings are great, when you are a professional who does it for a living. Jumping around to various/different tunings will hamper progress if you are learning. Sticking to a tuning that does it for you is the only way to get there if you practice it. A lot of different tunings and deluxe equipment don't cut it. Get comfy on one tuning first.

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

Bob - Yes, I do use open strings from time to time. Like in this tune (A6th tuning):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4SwWTXCshs

But most of the time, it has to do with what part of the neck I want to play a particular lick on. Slants being easier up the neck, for example. Also, the tonal spectrum of the guitar has to be considered and if it conflicts with the singer. So depending on the key of the singer, I switch to different tunings......along with other aspects, like having the 3rd as the top string vrs the 5th of the chord as the top string. Makes for more variety, don't you think?
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

As you progress at some point you probably will not be satisfied with a single neck lap steel regardless of what tuning you have learned in. If you can move up to a double neck I would suggest an E13th on the outside neck with a high G# and a A6th on the inside neck. The tunings are relative to each other and you can get more voiceings of chords. They both use strings in the same gauge range and if you move between necks the sound will be similiar.

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic