don helms tunings?

Michael Phillips · Post by **Michael Phillips** » 24 Apr 2011 3:25 pm

Would anyone know what tuning don helms used when
he played with Hank?

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 24 Apr 2011 4:55 pm

Gene Warner · Post by **Gene Warner** » 24 Apr 2011 5:59 pm

Most of those guys used different tunings at different times in their careers. This is probably a perfect example.

I was fortunate to get to talk with Don Helms many years ago, when I was playing a little non-pedal steel myself. At one of their concerts, I got an old 45rpm EP record autographed by all of Hank's band members. I asked Don about his tunings. He grabbed the record, and wrote the following tunings down for me, in the margins of that album.

inside neck B13th (high to low strings)
A E C# A F# Eflat B A(bass)
I think he meant that he used a larger string for that low one, as this would be three octaves worth of A strings.

outside neck E6th (high to low strings)
G# E C# B G# E C# B

I find on the North West Steel Guitar Association web site, the following tunings attributed to Don Helms.

inside neck B13th (high to low)
E C# A F# D# B A F#

outside neck E6th (high to low)
G# E C# B G# E C# A

A little more research on your own, might turn up date periods for these tunings, and probably even other tunings that he used as well.
Gene Warner
repairman

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 24 Apr 2011 6:02 pm

It doesn't get any better than this

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 24 Apr 2011 6:34 pm

Interesting- don notes his g# as a .026 unwound

also - shouldn't there be a g# in that B13 tuning? There is no 13 in there- looks like a B11

Morgan Scoggins · Post by **Morgan Scoggins** » 25 Apr 2011 11:44 am

Michael,
All you really need for Hank Williams songs played in the Don Helm's style is a 6 string E6, (G# E C# B G# E) hi to low. There is book of Don's arrangements of ten HW songs. It is called "Your Cheatin' Heart and is sold here on the forum or you can get it from Mel Bay or Scotty's Music in St. Louis.
the arrangements are pretty simple with no bar slants and really have the authentic "honky tonk" sound.

Michael Phillips · Post by **Michael Phillips** » 25 Apr 2011 4:42 pm

Thanks for your help! If the tunings would be 440 or would they be tuned high or low of 440? Also what would be a good tuner? Any advise on this?

Brian LeBlanc · Post by **Brian LeBlanc** » 26 Apr 2011 5:17 am

any packaged sets come CLOSE to the E6 line up?

& also Cashdollars C6..

0.052 to 0.11

Matt Berg · Post by **Matt Berg** » 27 Apr 2011 10:45 am

Jerome Hawkes wrote: also - shouldn't there be a g# in that B13 tuning? There is no 13 in there- looks like a B11

Yeah, and it hurts my brain less to think of that as a D# rather than Eb.

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