I'm going to drop my E9 down to A9.
Two problems so far I lost my string gauge listing and the ones I find online are for guitar and just don't cut it.
I'm not sure this will make impossible adjustment problems for the pedals and levers
I'm just using the basic 3 and 4 Emmons E9 coped.
Any suggestions besides "don't do it" will be appreciated. Oh and where can I find that string gauge list? Don't do it
Last edited by Bo Legg on 1 Apr 2012 12:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Carter D10 8p/7k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup, Regal RD40 Dobro (D tuning), Recording King Professional Dobro (G tuning), NV400, NV112, Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open G slide and regular G tuning guitar) .
Guages for C6 would be a good starting point. Your 10th s. isn't going much lower than the 9th on the C6 neck.
Count on experimenting with string guages for your particular guitar and set-up. It could involve moving leverage adjustments underneath, but shouldn't be anything impossible.
I think it's an interesting idea that gets that low E into the mix.
Bo, that low E is is the same as a standard tuned guitar's sixth string, right? If so, then a 54 for 10, a 42 (or 44) for 9 and a 40 (or 42)for 8 should do the trick; you've got the other ones sussed fine, I think.
The tensions should be real close to stock E9, so I can't see any problems with extra wear & tear or drop. but I'd think you'll have to adjust some of the pulls for travel.
Let us know how it pans out, eh?
I went back when my bandleader not only asked me to, but bought my first three E9 sets of strings.
And, since I think there may be a difference between what I shared on the forum and what I actually used, here's my actual chart.
(first 4 plain, the rest wound)
B17
F#22
C#15
A20
E26
C#30
B38
A42
G46
E54
These gauges did not unbalance the changer and did not require any rerodding of my Zum.
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
17 24w 17 20w 26 34 36 42 46 48
Not too much different from your gauges Lane
17 22w 15 20 26 30 38 42 46 54
I'm a little bigger on the 2nd string because I had trouble adjusting the lever to pitch and the bigger string saved me a lot of adjustment.
My 3rd string is bigger simple because it's in-between a string with a 24w and a string with a 20w
and I don't use a real heavy bar. I’m thinking I may try bigger yet to solve my having to apply extra pressure to the bar.
I'm having trouble finding 20w. I really like a 21w but hard to find.
I'm glad it's been tried and works that helps a lot.
When you've played E9 for years it's hard to not get mixed up on the keys switching to A9.
So this is a temporary solution I have came up with.
E9 to A9 conversion
Let's say you want to play in the key of A on your A9.
The no pedal A chord position on the A9 is of course open which at that position would be an E chord on the E9.
So until you get used to the difference you simply block out the key of A and tell yourself you are playing in the key of E or if you're in G you think D and etc
So disregard the real key....and tell yourself you're in the 5th of that key.
Having played it for three years, I regard the experiment a success and no longer an experiment.
I'm not currently playing it out of inertia. And the fact that I still have 3 E9 sets.
I'm sure I'll go back to it. It sounds pretty
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
I had a Fender 400 set up in A9 tuning for a few months. I don't remember the string gauges, but I know I used 8 strings out of a standard C6 (D on top) set, and tuned it (low to high) EGABC#EAC#.
I wanted a Sneaky Pete type sound, but with a tuning I was familiar with. (I tried Sneaky's tuning and not having a 9th in the middle really threw me off.) A9 worked very well for that sound.
Bo Legg wrote:I'm just wondering if it will increase the cab drop and put extra stress on the mechanical parts.
Not appreciably. With most pedal steels, properly guaged strings run around 30 lbs. of tension for each string, for about 300 lbs of total force on a 10-string neck (and that's regardless of the tuning). Therefore changes in the tuning or pedal pulls would only affect that gross figure by about 10%, and that's not enough to change the guitars innate characteristics. (Also to be considered is that fact that a lot of "cabinet drop" problems are caused by things other than changes in string tension.) In short, a guitar with a lot of drop will have a lot of drop regardless of what tuning you use. And if the guitar is one with very little drop, it will maintain that characteristic, too.
With the A9 tuning every thing changed without having to make any mechanical changes.
I actually had to back off on the tuning nuts.
There also seems less string tension all the way through the tuning.
My only problem is I'm finding I have to put more presser on the bar.
Seems to be more unwanted harmonics than with the E9
It may just be that it is exposing that I have become sloppy with my bar hand technique.
I'm also beginning to understand why Lane used such a big string for the 10th.
Georg I notice a lack of good tone on that low E with the gauge I have on there now.
I just put on a mixture of strings brands and types. I'm using up those old strings out of my string box.
If I get real serious about this I will get matched sets with my new supply as soon as I settle on the gauges.
Rich, I've always preferred a slightly heavier bar, I didn't feel the need for more.
Bo, I chose the .054 because the C6 neck uses it for the 11th string F. The C6 use of the .042 on the A is why I chose the 8th, and why I chose a bit larger than that for the 9th.
I'd toyed with the idea of going A9 on one of my guitars now that I have two, but I've decided to sell my B guitar to acquire a U-12 in Bb6.
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
Lane I played this A9 thing for the whole 4 sets last nite and the harmonics drove me nuts.
The low strings sounded about an octave lower than they are on a guitar and had no clarity.
I tried everything in technique and amp settings and no matter what it totally sucked.
I got through the nite but I wouldn't want tp try that again. Back to the E9 for my Sunday gig. Thank God I have more than one PSG.
Odd. What kinda guitar? No clarity? Do you run through any kind of impedance buffer? I had splendid results. Maybe it was a function of that overly bright right hand of mine
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
