I recently acquired a 10 string Alkire EHarp, C. 1950, and I've been experimenting with Tom Morrell's 10 string E13 lap tuning. The only change I made was string 10 (B instead of low E). The bottom 6 strings are the same as E9 pedal steel, which is pretty handy!
[tab]
1. G# 3
2. F# 2 (9)
3. E root
4. C# 6
5. B 5
6. G# 3
7. F# 2
8. E root
9. D 7b
10. B 5
Doug--that is fine. Puts another twitch in me to get back at my 10 string (home mangled). It's currently got a C6 on it---I set it up for a Reese NYC workshop but I never warmed up to it. I had originally set it up to that E13 tuning except that I interchanged strings 1 & 2 a la "chromatic" out of sequence E9 PSG. I'm going to put it back on.
One thing I kept hemming & hawing about---did I want an F# or a D# on top (or as string 2, per your/Tom's setup)? The objective for me was to have something as comfortable as possible in relation to E9 pedal steel. Any thoughts about the 'lack' of the D# on your tuning? I expect that 12 strings would give me what I want but it's not gonna happen right now.
Sorry for the digression---1st and foremost, again, that's beautiful, Doug.
Once again beautifully played, Doug. I seem to recall you saying you wouldn't play a lap steel through anything but a vintage tube amp. I guess that's one such?
Ian, I use an old Fender tube amp for live gigs, but for this recording I didn't use an amp. The chain went like this: guitar --> Black Box ---> Goodrich volume pedal ---> Boss DD-6 Delay ---> computer. The recording program is Audacity, and the backing is band-in-a-box. I made a BIAB WAV file, imported it to Audacity, patched the guitar into the computer and played. I think the smooth even tone has a lot to do with the black box, the delay, and the volume pedal.
Rick, the pickup is single coil, original, and the output is actually a little weak compared to my other lap steels. DC resistance measures about 5.40K. I'd be interested to know the resistance of other Epiphone made EHarps. I'm thinking I might have the PU rewound. Thanks again, I appreciate the kind comments.
Jon, I never really warmed up to C6 either. I feel more comfortable on an E tuning. Yes, I did try a D# on this tuning (like on pedal steel), but it just seemed to get in the way. It took a while to get used to the current setup on the upper strings, but now I like it. There are a lot of fast scale licks available on the first 4 or 5 strings.
It seems like there's always a trade off with lap steel tunings. I miss having a full (3 note) diminished chord with no bar slant, like on the Leavitt tuning. It would be nice to have a full augmented chord, and a couple of other things… but this setup works well for most of the music that I play and the bands that I work with.
Sleepy Lagoon works well on this tuning because the first 16 notes of the melody are found on the same fret! No bar movement, no slanting. Just lay the bar on fret 8 and pick across the strings, and let everything sustain. Sometimes a song lays out just right on a certain tuning!
Very nice job on that Doug. The guitar (to me) has a pedal steel sound. Very interesting fretboard, which makes good sense on the high register. Looks like you are gonna enjoy that instrument
Well, let me look at my notes, personally I liked your first one better. The arrangement was quite a bit neater... er... what? he hasn't played the second song yet? Thanks Simon...
Thanks Bill, Gary, and others. Bill, yes, it does sound a lot like a pedal steel guitar with this tuning.
Gary, as far as 10-string C6... I think most players would add notes beyond the four C6 notes... C, E, G, A, and tune the guitar to C13 or some other extension of C. I would want the 2 note and the 7b in there somewhere. Some players might want the 4 note (F), like on pedal steel C6 tuning. There are a number of ways to set it up.
C13 set up like the E13 I am playing would look like this:
[tab]
1. E 3
2. D 2 (9)
3. C root
4. A 6
5. G 5
6. E 3
7. D 2
8. C root
9. Bb 7b
10. G 5
Good playing Doug. I borrowed a few note intervals from the Alkire tuning when I strung up my 12 string with the exteded Leavitt. It really made a difference playing melody over the chords. Keep at the Alkire tuning. Your doing great at it!
Just to place everything where it can be found easily I've included ALL the versions I can find of this song, but I can't find ONE version that has the middle section SUNG !!
There's more to the story, originally entitled "Midnight in Wolverhampton" dedicated to his wife, Eric wrote it after an evening out together.
Here are many versions including Eric conducting the London Symphony orchestra himself.
It was adopted by the BBC as the signature tune to their hugely successful and long running "Desert Island disks"..broadcast since 1942, it must be one of the longest running radio shows ever 66 years !!
I thought that it may be of some use to post the COMPLETE tune. No slight on Doug, the Hawaiians and MOST recordings omit the middle section.
So just for posterity :-
Very interesting thread. Now I'm just starting on this E13 tuning since I just got a 12 string BMI with ZB tuning and strings 1 to 9 are exactly that tuning.
On the BMI site : www.beckmusicalinstruments.com, there is a section called ZB lessons, where Dan gives the basic facts about this tuning. Sofar mainly the open tuning so it's good for non-peddlers.
My question about that is :
Is there any tablature around written for that tuning.
Thanks for the help.
Bernard
Thanks Bill, Basil, and Bernard. I didn't know that there was a middle section to Sleepy Lagoon... interesting. I got this version from a fake book, and I just played what was written in the book. The only "Sleepy Lagoon" I ever heard was Sneaky Pete's on his 1979 solo album. I was really blown away by Pete's sound. He got some incredible tones on that old Fender 400!
Bernard, as for as I know there is no tab available for Tom Morrell's E13.
Well knowing Tom Morrell used E13 is great to me, eventhough there is no tablature around.
I'll work on his stuff with my BMI E13 tuned.
I'm a big fan, over a few years I had my children offer me all of the "How the West was swung" CD's, 15 of them, for Xmas, birthdays. What a musical project and treasure.
So I have material to work on.
Bernard
