Pretending my Zum is a 6-Shooter

[Lane Gray]

One of my FB friends has a 6-Shooter and was frustrated with its limitations.
Yes, there's a lot my Zum can do that a 6-Shooter can't.
I think the biggestproblem is that it is hard to think like pedal steel until you know how to play one.
I actually enjoyed the challenge of making these two.
Playing suitable for a 6-Shooter, country: http://youtu.be/T8YAvEXw4-I
Blues suitable for the 6-Shooter: http://youtu.be/OHSRmNColRA

[Charlie McDonald]

Very instructive; thanks.

I'm glad I got a ten-string, but for purposes of starting over (re-learning), I'm taking the middle path (the six string approach).

I think the biggest problem is that it is hard to think like pedal steel until you know how to play one.

Good wisdom.

Are you hooked up to the Milkman yet?

[Lane Gray]

Yup. That's the Milkman in the video.

[Charlie McDonald]

Sounding good, and I do like your approach to the subject.

[Lane Gray]

I think I could probably play a lot of my vocabulary with this if I removed the low B, put the low E on 6 and added an F# on string 5.
This was actually kinda fun.

[Daniel Policarpo]

The flags are a great idea for video representation, Lane. The Milkman? Sweeet!

[Charlie McDonald]

With respect to F# on 5--my thinking about six-strings psg's is about a guitar that will bring guitarists into the fold, ones that, to paraphrase,
don't think pedal steel because they don't know how to play one. The layout of G# E B G# E B seems more underarm or lapsteel guitar friendly. Perhaps I shouldn't speak, because you've accomplished more with the middle F# than without it, whereas I've tried it again and abandoned it again. It's practically heresy so I don't mention it elsewhere, and it's one of those things that a player will have to come to grips with when he moves to a ten/twelve string (the object of an introductory guitar, it seems to me).
When I mentioned looking at six-strings, Larry Bell said the high D# is the one he couldn't do without.

It's a good conversation, one that I hope will get more play in the future.

[Jeff Mead]

With respect to F# on 5--my thinking about six-strings psg's is about a guitar that will bring guitarists into the fold, ones that, to paraphrase.

I come from a lap steel background (I think of A6 as my main tuning) and when I got a six shooter, I strung it as (high to low) E B G# F# E B with the normal A and B pedal changes meaning that with the pedals down I had my familiar A6.

Playing the 6 stringer was definitely a useful stepping stone when I decided, earlier this year to go for A 10 stringer. I have since re-strung the Fessy with a high G#, discarding the low B - giving me the middle 6 strings of a 10.

A couple of weeks back, a friend of mine was over from Australia and was doing a few gigs down in Cornwall - this was going to involve train rides, camping and squeezing into an already overcrowded car so using a 10 stringer was really out of the question. He borrowed my 10 stinger but opted to use the top 6 strings of a 10 string tuning. He ended up tuning the 2nd string to D instead of D# though, I think.

I've got to say, it sounded pretty good when he played it although it looked a bit strange with 6 plain strings.

[Lane Gray]

Actually, I haven't tried to play just those 6.
I might try one, but I certainly see your point about trying to keep a tuning "underarm-friendly".

[Jeff Mead]

With respect to F# on 5--my thinking about six-strings psg's is about a guitar that will bring guitarists into the fold, ones that, to paraphrase,
don't think pedal steel because they don't know how to play one. The layout of G# E B G# E B seems more underarm or lapsteel guitar friendly. Perhaps I shouldn't speak, because you've accomplished more with the middle F# than without it, whereas I've tried it again and abandoned it again. It's practically heresy so I don't mention it elsewhere, and it's one of those things that a player will have to come to grips with when he moves to a ten/twelve string (the object of an introductory guitar, it seems to me).
When I mentioned looking at six-strings, Larry Bell said the high D# is the one he couldn't do without.

It's a good conversation, one that I hope will get more play in the future.