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Topic: Tuning your PSG |
Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 20 May 2009 6:42 am |
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Just a Short Question here. What order do you use in Tuning your Insterment. open strings first then the pedals and levers. and in tuning the pedals and livers do you have to go back and tweek the open strings again? I'm using a SABINE tuner.
Desert Rose S10 3/5
Goodrich
Peavey 110 |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 20 May 2009 7:52 am
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Here's the order I use.
To tune E9 10-string, all-pull, pedal steel by ear:
1. Take the root note of the tuning, E (strings 4 and 8 on E9), and tune that note alone to a tuning reference (tuning fork, electronic tuner, keyboard).
2. Now play an E chord on strings 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and tune all the strings so that chord sounds nice to your ears, without changing the Es on strings 4 and 8.
3. Play a B chord on strings 1, 2, 5, 7. String 5 is the reference. You have already tuned it in the previous step, so do not change it. Tune the other strings so they make a nice chord with string 5.
4. There are multiple ways to tune string 9, but the simplest is to play an E chord on strings 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and tune string 9 so it sounds nice as the 7th of the E7 chord. Or, make a Bm chord with strings 7, 9, and 10. Tune string 9 so it sounds good as the minor 3rd of that chord.
5. Press the A and B pedals to make an A chord on strings 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. Strings 4 and 8 are unaffected by those pedals, and have already been established as your reference strings, so do not change them. Tune the pedal stops on the other strings to make a nice sounding A chord with the unchanged strings 4 and 8.
6. Press pedals B and C to make an F#m chord on strings 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Tune the C pedal stops on strings 4 and 5 to sound nice with that chord, and do not change strings 3, 6, 7.
7. If you have an F lever (raises the Es ½ step), activate it with the A pedal to make a C# chord on strings 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. Tune the F lever stops on strings 4 and 8 to sound nice with that chord without changing any other strings or stops.
8. If you have an E lower lever (lowers the Es ½ step), activate it to make a G#m chord on strings 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. Tune the stops on strings 4 and 8 so that chord sounds nice, without changing any other strings or stops.
Any other pedal or lever stops are tuned by the above principles. Find the most common chord the change is part of, and tune the stops to that chord without changing any other strings or stops.
Mostly it is a bad idea to go back and tweak open strings to match pedal and lever stops. That’s backwards, and you will end up chasing your tail. The one exception is the F#s on strings 1 and 7. They can’t be right with both the open string B chord, and the BC pedal F#m chord. You can split the difference by tweaking it slightly flat for the B chord and slightly sharp for the F#m chord.
Normally, you will only have to go through the first 4 steps to tune your open strings. The pedal and lever stops on most modern steels are very stable and only have to be tuned occasionally to adjust for minor slippage or string aging.
Last edited by David Doggett on 20 May 2009 9:21 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 20 May 2009 7:54 am
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Never Mind,.. Man the David is a fast typist.
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MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 20 May 2009 8:13 am
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| Ken, this is such a recurring question, I have a Word file I just paste in. If anyone has any improvements or further suggestions, I'm always open. |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 20 May 2009 9:02 am
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David's method is right on, if your guitar is All-Pull.
Most Are.
With Push-Pulls you first tune the Pedals. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 20 May 2009 9:25 am
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| Yes, my steps are for all-pull pedal steels. The push-pull uses a different method, as do pull-and-release pedals steels such as the Sho-Bud Maverick. |
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Benton Allen
From:
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA
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Posted 20 May 2009 9:49 am
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What David said!
OR, just go buy a Peterson Strobo-Flip and be done with it.
Benton |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 20 May 2009 9:57 am
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Thanks David. That is the way I tuned my D8 Fender Lap steel. [Sold it, Dumb me] This will go in to the note book of vital PSG information.
Desert Rose S10 3/5
Goodrich Pedal
Peavey 110 |
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Jim Peters
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 20 May 2009 2:31 pm
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The other option is get any decent tuner, tune everything straight up, open strings first, then changes, and you are done. If it doesn't sound in tune to you after this simple method, investigate tunings that go more towards what Dave says.
Maybe 48 years of ET has jaded my ears, but the only time my guitar sounds out of tune is when my bar work is sloppy(too often)! Just an alternative that works for many, not all. JP
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Carter,PV,Fender |
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Tim Kowalski
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 21 May 2009 1:41 pm
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Dave,
You are saying to adjust the stops when tuning the pedal and levers. Do you mean tune the pulls by using the nylon tuning nuts, or change the physical stops?
I want to try your method, but want to be clear first.
Respectfully,
Tim
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Bad wine is better than no wine. |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 21 May 2009 8:57 pm
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| Click here for my tuning method |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 21 May 2009 9:56 pm
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| Tim, when I refer to tuning the pedal and lever "stops," I mean tuning the nylon hex-nut tuners at the endplate. |
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