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Post new topic C6 on Dobro
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Author Topic:  C6 on Dobro
Paul McEvoy

 

From:
Baltimore, USA
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 9:17 am    
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I'm really enjoying working on C6 on lap steel on an 8 string (low A high G).

My main outlet for playing these days is gypsy jazz/django kind of stuff. I play a selmer style guitar for that.

I was wondering how an 8 string dobro might work for that. I guess I don't hear a lot of people playing C6 on dobro but not sure if there is a reason for it or just stylistically it wouldn't work. The sessions are usually acoustic and regardless the lap steel would sort of be an instruction, but if the dobro worked and could be loud enough to cut through it would be cool and give me more opportunities to work on my playing.

Good idea or waste of time and money?
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Brad Davis


From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 9:33 am    
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There doesn't seem to be a standard, but a lot of people do G6 on 8-string dobro. C6 might sound a bit thin, so a good compromise may actually be A6. In any event your knowledge of C6 should transfer pretty easily.

Due to string gauges, cone load and whatever tuning you choose 8 string dobro may not always sound quite like an ordinary dobro (whatever that means). Not saying good or bad, and depends on what you want.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 12:28 pm    
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Definitely a 6th tuning -- not sure which one. Someone here will know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnXRahPmhlA
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Greg Cutshaw


From:
Corry, PA, USA
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 12:35 pm    
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I tuned mine to G13 which is just raising the 6th note on the bottom of the G6 tuning from an E to an F.


http://www.gregcutshaw.com/8%20String%20Dobro/8%20String%20Dobro.html
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Scott Thomas

 

Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 12:47 pm    
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On the album Hawaiian Touch, Barney Isaacs plays C6 on Dobro (E on top).

Lei Momi & 'Ili Puakea · Barney Isaacs · George Kuo
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Nic Neufeld


From:
Kansas City, Missouri
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 5:31 pm    
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I strung up my Republic tricone with C6 (E on top). It makes more sense for me and as long as you get your string gauges right, works just fine.
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Paul McEvoy

 

From:
Baltimore, USA
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 5:39 pm    
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Is there some structural reason the dobro is usually tuned in G?
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 14 Apr 2019 8:19 pm    
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I've never played an 8-string dobro, but I recently tuned my 6-string dobro to C6 and had some fun with it. I made this short practice video ---> https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7J0FBhJGB/

I just went back to G tuning though because I have a couple of bluegrass-y gigs this month. Over half of the songs are in the key of G and the band expects to hear the signature bluegrass dobro sounds of G tuning... hammer-ons, pull-offs, unison notes in the key of G. The G tuning also has the low rumble of the wound strings. C6 is missing that. But it does offer more interesting chord sounds and more convenient scale patterns IMO.
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Gene Tani


From:
Pac NW
Post  Posted 15 Apr 2019 6:31 am    
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Structural reason: that's an interesting question.

I can tell you in the bluegrass banjo world, people rarely stray from standard GDGBD except for minor variations(drop 4th string or use Keith detuners on 2nd and 3rd to drop half and whole step)

Whereas in the clawhammer/old time/associated genres of banjo world, there's many, many tunings used, this Art Rosenbaum book has "dozens" http://www.guitarvideos.com/Products/Books/art-rosenbaums-old-time-banjo-book#.XLSU0uipFhE
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Howard Parker


From:
Maryland
Post  Posted 15 Apr 2019 7:43 am    
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Jack Hanson wrote:

Definitely a 6th tuning -- not sure which one. Someone here will know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnXRahPmhlA



Mike tuned G6 for this.

h
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Stephen Cowell


From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 15 Apr 2019 11:34 am    
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I have my Gold Tone Beard tuned to E13... ir rocks at acoustic jams. DMinor Bennet plays a Benoit 10-string in C6 and kills it, search my YT channel for their videos. Don’t just re-tune, you need different gauges for a six tuning. My Beard came with G6, btw.
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Bill McCloskey

 

Post  Posted 15 Apr 2019 4:39 pm    
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Mike’s instructional video has some lessons on 8 string C6 dobro tuning. I put C6 on my Adams 8 string and it worked fine.
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Paul McEvoy

 

From:
Baltimore, USA
Post  Posted 15 Apr 2019 6:45 pm    
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As far as string gauges, would a set of normal c6 10 string pedal steel strings work?
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Stephen Cowell


From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 16 Apr 2019 8:19 pm    
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Paul McEvoy wrote:
As far as string gauges, would a set of normal c6 10 string pedal steel strings work?


I often string together sets from pedal sets... Guitar Center has pedal steel sets, but no lap steel or 8-string lap sets. I'll buy singletons of .024p to fill out the gaps, I like a fat plain for the middle strings.

For acoustic, I like bronze, or p-bronze, so I use a 12-string acoustic set to piece together 8-string E13 or C6. Beard sells a bronze 8-string set for their 8-string reso, it's tuned G6-Em7 (high 3).
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K Maul


From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
Post  Posted 18 Apr 2019 6:07 pm    
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John Pearse/ Breezy Ridge has quite a variety of sets for electric and acoustic steel taylored to lots of different tunings.
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Nic Neufeld


From:
Kansas City, Missouri
Post  Posted 19 Apr 2019 3:38 am    
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A fairly easy option...pick up one of these string sets:
https://www.juststrings.com/lab-rpg6-1034.html

...but ditch the top .010, and add a single .036 or .038 for the low C? Or keep it as high C6 (top 5th) if you prefer.
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Joe Kaufman

 

From:
Lewiston, Idaho
Post  Posted 24 Apr 2019 8:46 am    
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I have a Flinthill reso that was converted to 7-string by Beards at one time. I tune it A6 and it works great for me. My style is certainly more acoustic lap steel than typical dobro though. It seems to work well for me.
AC#EF#AC#E and easily retunes to C6/A7 with two strings: AC#EGACE. It seems to just stay A6 though.

I had experimented with E6 EBEG#BC#E which worked OK and was better for solo/rhythm work but not my favorite.
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Mark Addeo

 

From:
New Jersey, USA
Post  Posted 6 Jun 2019 9:00 am     Another great topic on SGF!
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I’ve been playing a lot of C6 steel (ACEGACEG) and for fun bought a lefty 8 string gold tone dobro which came tuned to G6. Finding my way around was easy but playing Western swing didn’t quite fit. Changing my approach on the dobro yielded much better results. 8 strings 6th tuning is useful for scales, and skipping the “6th” tone for chords sounds more like a dobro. Really, it’s the best of both worlds.

Then I found a Goodrich dobro pedal for steel and Lo and behold, all the same rules apply. Play steel like a dobro and the pedal helps it sound like a dobro! But scales are easy with 8 string! Best of both worlds!




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Dan Yeago

 

From:
Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 8 Jun 2019 2:15 pm     C6 Dobro string gauges
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What string gauges are working for your Dobro in C6 tuning? i'm deciding on a string order and would like to tune (low to high) CEGACE. Thanks very much....dan
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Mark Addeo

 

From:
New Jersey, USA
Post  Posted 9 Jun 2019 5:17 am    
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Hey Dan, my steel is tuned to C6 but the dobro is tuned a 4th below to G6. I don’t think the dobro could handle the tension of C6. Still, it is easy to find your way around since all the relationships are same.
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Dan Yeago

 

From:
Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 9 Jun 2019 10:29 am    
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Hi Mark. Thanks for writing.

There are string sets for non-pedal steels in C6, but the low end may be a somewhat light. For example, the Pearce lap steel set #7380, low to high is C 36, E 30, G 24(w), A 22(p), C 17, E 15. i've been hoping someone who uses this tuning of Dobro could describe the set, but it looks like i'm going to do a little guessing to get a string order i soon.

dan
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Nic Neufeld


From:
Kansas City, Missouri
Post  Posted 9 Jun 2019 12:40 pm    
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Well, I've got a Republic tricone strung up as described above (19 Apr 2019 post). Worked pretty well. The C6 Labella set are acoustic strings, but the set is intended for "High G" C6 which isn't my preference so I just added a low C phosphor bronze string a la carte.
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Dan Yeago

 

From:
Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 9 Jun 2019 1:33 pm    
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Hey Nick, what gauge is the low C you're using, and does the tension seem right on all the other strings? Thanks in advance...dan
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