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Topic: Rookie Questions on E9 Tuning |
Keith Barron
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 6 Jul 2015 7:19 pm |
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Please excuse my ignorance, and multiple questions. My "Learn To Play Lap Steel Guitar" book is due in on Thursday. Until then, I keep reaching out for help anywhere I can get it. I have spent a fair bit of time seeking info out on this web site, and other places. Yet I can't seem to find the answers that I am looking for. There seems to be lots of info on 6 string lap steel, and 10 string pedal steel, but instruction for beginner 8 string console steel guitar seems more limited.
I have a 54 Fender Dual Pro 8 model. I bought a pack of E9 strings for pedal steel to instal. They are D'addario PS490. The details on the strings can be seen here:
http://www.woodstockguitars.dk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/daddario_prosteels_ps490_13-38_bag.gif
I used 8 strings from top to bottom, and left off the last 2 low strings used on a pedal steel 10 guitar. I tuned them up with a tuner as well as followed some instructions on a You Tube video. The guy in the video was re-stringing a pedal steel. After all was said and done, I noticed a few things. The 3rd from bottom string, G# is a higher string than strings 1 F#, and two D#. Is this normal? I am used to standard six string tuning so this is certainly different. On standard tuning, each string from top to bottom is lower than the previous.
I also noted that the second from top string, D#, has considerably less tension than all the other strings. Is this normal? I am thinking I have done something wrong here. I can play my slide guitar along with a standard guitar, 12 bar blues in E. Most of the strings seem to fit, some others not. I have much to learn, but am certainly having lots of fun so far. As soon as my instruction book comes I am sure I'll be moving along fast. Thanks, Keith |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2015 8:30 pm
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The E9th pedal steel tuning isn't very good for 8-string non-pedal, for a variety of reasons. If you want to get that same high timbre on your guitar, I recommend the Little Roy Wiggins E13th: B D E G# B C# E G#. For strings, try these.
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 7 Jul 2015 12:28 am
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Keith - As Roy said, E9, whilst definitely the most common tuning for pedal steel is not so often used on non-pedal instruments. The pedals and levers that change the tuning on various strings are a very important part of it which, of course, you don't have.
The best way for us to help you pick out a tuning would be for you to tell us what type of music you want to play, but from what you've said so far, I'd suggest getting a standard set of 8 string C6 strings - these strings can be tuned to quite a few of the popular lap steel tunings (including my favoutite - A6).
For the other neck, why not stick to more familiar territory with the classic open guitar tuning on the middle 6 strings (E B G# E B E from high to low) and extend it by putting a high G# on top and a low B on the bottom. This will let you play a lot of the bluesier licks you are familiar with. I find that if you are learning a new instrument (and a new tuning is almost like learning a new instrument on its own, let alone the new techniques with the bar and picks) it can be frustrating if you can't quickly get something musical sounding out of it. As you have a double-neck you can always spend some time sliding that E major up and down the neck and having fun with it during those times when your brain can't handle any more of that funny jazzy tuning. |
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Keith Barron
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 7 Jul 2015 5:31 am
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| This is good info. Thanks very much. I will try some of your suggestions. I knew something was up. I have been playing around with blues licks but I do want to learn some old country as well. I neck tuned for blues other for Hank Sr kind of thing? |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 7 Jul 2015 6:29 am
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For Hank Snr, one of the 6th tunings is what you want.
I prefer A6 - as a guitar player I find it easier to relate to and can work out that I'll find D6 at the 5th fret and E6 at the 7th without thinking about it too much - I'd have to do some counting starting at open C6.
But C6 is great too or E6 which is pretty much what Don Helms used (he pretty much only used the top 6 strings which were - High to Low - G# E C# B G E C# A (the low A gave him an A major chord along with the E and C#).
If you get a standard set of C6 strings you will be able to use either C6 (of course) which is E C A G E C A G or A6 which is E C# A F# E C# A F# - as you can see they are very close to each other so the same strings would work for both. There are a few other cool tunings you can try out with the same string gauges.
But if you go for one of the ones I mentioned, you'll be well set up for the Hank stuff. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 7 Jul 2015 9:17 am
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| Keith Barron wrote: |
| This is good info. Thanks very much. I will try some of your suggestions. I knew something was up. I have been playing around with blues licks but I do want to learn some old country as well. I neck tuned for blues other for Hank Sr kind of thing? |
The Roy Wiggins' E13th I mentioned above is used for Don Helms' steel parts on Hank Sr records. The top 6 strings are the same as Don Helms, and he never played the bottom 2 on Hank's recordings.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Keith Barron
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 7 Jul 2015 7:25 pm
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| I tuned up my 2nd neck to Roy Wiggins E13 as suggested. It's certainly different than anything I have tried before. I definitely hear some Don Helms/Hank Williams in there. I had never Heard of Roy Wiggins before. He sounds great. I'll plan to study both players with this common tuning. The other neck I'll tune to a blues setup as suggested. Thanks again. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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