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Topic: What is Ian Ufton's lap steel tuning? |
Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 19 Jul 2022 9:08 pm |
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| I really like Ian Ufton's relaxed style of Hawaiian lap steel playing. Does anyone know what tuning he uses and where you can buy his Hawaiian Music CD's? Thanks... |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 20 Jul 2022 5:40 am
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I don’t remember for certain, but when I went to Ian’s place, the steel he gave me was tuned to Sol’s C#m7, which is E C# G# E D B. He also gave me his CD ‘Beached’, which is really quite good. I don’t know how you would obtain a copy other than emailing Ian, which you might be able to do through the forum.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 20 Jul 2022 8:53 am
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Thanks Mike, that's what I was thinking after reading he was influenced by Sol and was given one of his Panda's by Sol's wife. Great style, very relaxing and reminiscent of what soldiers probable heard in the bars in Oahu back in WWII. I have a nice Magnatone that's always tuned to Sol's C#min7 tuning. listening to Ian playing at the recent Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association Virtual 3 Session 1 (Near the end of video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPW4u2M3rM , inspirers me to study his style. Hawaiian Steel Guitar was made for summer jams...Wasn't Sol's C#min7 tuning low to high: EBEG#C#E...Did Sol change his tuning down the road when he switched from Acoustic to Electric? The difference between our tunings Mike is the two lowest notes...EB verses BD? I had researched Sol's tuning years ago and only found evidence of the EBEG#C#E version being used by him along with Dick McIntire. Dick McIntire's F#9 tuning is the same in the upper 4 strings, just the two bottom strings are different...F#A#. Mike, are you saying Ian is using the tuning you posted...low to high...BDEG#C#E? Mike, I can see how your tuning tightens up the tension on the bottom and gives a nice straight bar E7 chord. Do you know who came up with that tuning?
Last edited by Jesse Pearson on 20 Jul 2022 9:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 20 Jul 2022 9:14 am
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| Jesse Pearson wrote: |
| Thanks Mike, that's what I was thinking after reading he was influenced by Sol and was given one of his Panda's by Sol's wife. Great style, very relaxing and reminiscent of what soldiers probable heard in the bars in Oahu back in WWII. I have a nice Magnatone that's always tuned to Sol's C#-7 tuning. listening to Ian playing at the recent Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association Virtual 3 Session 1 (Near the end of video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPW4u2M3rM , inspirers me to study his style. Hawaiian Steel Guitar was made for summer jams... |
I wish I could spend more time with Ian, he is an interesting guy. I met him in Canada while I was off to visit Don Rooke and catch Ry Cooder at Massey Hall. Ian gave me that guitar that was Sol’s a few years ago. I’m its current caretaker.
Ian is humble and extremely knowledgable about the history. We talked about favorite players and believe it or not, his favorites are Paul Franklin and Rudi Wairata. And of course Sol.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 20 Jul 2022 9:21 am
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| Man, that's cool he gave you Sol's old Panda. Mike, I edited my previous post with another question I thought of. |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 20 Jul 2022 10:56 am
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OK, reread your first reply Mike and I understand that the Panda steel Ian Ufton gave you that Sol used to own and was tuned low to high...BDEG#C#E...is probable the tuning Ian Ufton was using on 6 string steel...(Got It)lol. I know Sebastian and I think you as well, use this tuning for your standard C#min7 tuning. I went back and read some older posts from 2014 where you said Sol never made any recordings with the BDEG#C#E tuning that you had conclusively found and instead stated Sol used EBEG#C#E on all of his electric steel recordings. That's what I thought as well. I'm going to change some string gauges on my C#min7 steel and try this BDEG#C#E tuning. John Ely's site says both tunings are Sol's tunings. And Basilh thinks Sol might of used a 7 string and a double neck as well in the studio at times for tuning variations when recording to do trick stuff. Thanks for the info...
Last edited by Jesse Pearson on 20 Jul 2022 11:02 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike A Holland
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 20 Jul 2022 10:58 am
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| Good call Jesse. I watched this on YouTube and also enjoyed very much Ian Ufton's playing. Great Hawaiian touch and feel! I knew nothing about him and after a bit of research I found out his father Ken Ufton was quite a well known Steel player, and in the style of Sol Hoopii. Other than that I could not find very much. Reading Mike Neer's reply was the most information I found about Ian. Very cool that Mike is the Custodian of one of Sol's guitars. I bet there is some serious mojo in that guitar. Interesting to read any other comments about Ian and his father. |
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