| Author |
Topic: One or many lap steels? |
Mark Helm
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 25 Aug 2020 12:36 pm |
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| b0b wrote: |
[*]A heavy 8-string stand-up for recording or gigs in my preferred tuning[/list] |
What's your preferred tuning, b0b?
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Remington Steelmaster S8 w/ custom Steeltronics pickup. Vox MV-50 amplifier + an 1940's Oahu cab w/ 8" American Vintage speaker. J. Mascis Fender Squire Jazzmaster, Hofner Club bass, Ibanez AVN4-VMS Artwood Vintage Series Concert Size Acoustic Guitar. 1920s/30s Supertone Hawaiian-themed parlor guitar. Silvertone parlor guitar. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 25 Aug 2020 2:12 pm Re: Preferred Tuning?
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| b0b wrote: |
- A heavy 8-string stand-up for recording or gigs in my preferred tuning
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| Mark Helm wrote: |
| What's your preferred tuning, b0b? |
6-string G B D F# A D
8-string G B D F# A B D F#
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Steven Paris
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 5:40 am
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What do you CALL that tuning?
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Emmons & Peavey |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 5:43 am
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| Steven Paris wrote: |
| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| I've bought and sold many over the years, but I currently have two 6-string lap steels, one 8-string, one D-8, and one pedal steel guitar. |
Doug, what brands are your steels? You sure do make 'em sound good! |
Thanks Steve, the only steels I have now: Gibson Century 6, Airline 6-string, Fender Deluxe 8, Guyatone D-8, and an Emmons S-10. A couple of years ago I decided it was time to sell the guitars and amps that I rarely play.
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My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Mike Schway
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 6:34 am
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| Jack Hanson wrote: |
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I like that control cover on the BR9. A LOT. A definite improvement over the original; pickup adjustment is much simplified and can be done without de-tuning or scarring the face with the pot bodies, and string damping over the bridge ("popcorn chicken") becomes possible.
Last edited by Mike Schway on 26 Aug 2020 6:38 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Paul McEvoy
From:
Baltimore, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 6:37 am
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| Steven Paris wrote: |
| What do you CALL that tuning? |
Proper names
6-string G B D F# A D
Guh-bad-Fushad
8-string G B D F# A B D F#
Guh-bad-Fush-ab-du-fush |
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Paul McEvoy
From:
Baltimore, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 7:03 am
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Seriously though D6/Gmaj7?
Is that a version of your PSG tuning Bob? |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 9:26 am
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| Mike Schway wrote: |
| I like that control cover on the BR9. A LOT. A definite improvement over the original; pickup adjustment is much simplified and can be done without de-tuning or scarring the face with the pot bodies, and string damping over the bridge ("popcorn chicken") becomes possible. |
Agree 100%. Most postwar Gibson lap steels sound and play great, but the fancy molded Plexiglas pickup/bridge covers have always hindered my playing. On many models, the cover is removable. But not on a stock BR-9. The control mounting plate was relatively simple to fabricate, once I made a suitable routing template. The template took a little longer. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2020 10:18 am
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| Paul McEvoy wrote: |
Seriously though D6/Gmaj7?
Is that a version of your PSG tuning Bob? |
Yes. It's the middle 8 strings of my pedal steel. I call it D6/G, pronounced "D6th over G". Easier to remember than "Guh-bad-Fush-ab-du-fush". 
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Paul McEvoy
From:
Baltimore, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2020 7:10 am
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So it's like C6/F which is not uncommon I think?
I'm not playing much of any kind of steel these days but I was always fascinated by the D6 tuning you were or are using. Someday if I figure out all of the 18 things I'm working on at the time maybe I can try that too. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 27 Aug 2020 8:18 am
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To the original question - right now, many. Every one of them 65+ years old except for a cast aluminum long-scale Clinesmith 8-string with Bigsby-style pickup, and an 8-string McKenna resonator. Vintage lap and console steels are so inexpensive in comparison to comparable vintage guitars that sometimes I forget myself. At a guitar show, I traded a totally garden-variety recent HD-28 that I got in a trade for a ca. 55 quad Stringmaster, one of the coolest consoles ever made.
| Quote: |
| 8-string G B D F# A B D F# |
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| So it's like C6/F which is not uncommon I think? |
This is just strings 2-9 of the standard 10-string pedal steel C6 tuning (C F A C E G A C E G/D), except tuned up one whole tone. I've never seen anybody in the pedal steel world call that standard C6 anything but C6. But in the nonpedal world where people seem to make more distinctions, I guess I'd call b0b's tuning D6/Gmaj9 to acknowledge the maj9 function of the A note. Not that it matters - the tuning is comprised of the individual notes. A name is just one person's interpretation. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 27 Aug 2020 7:54 pm
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| Paul McEvoy wrote: |
Seriously though D6/Gmaj7?
Is that a version of your PSG tuning Bob? |
Bob’s tuning can also be called Gmaj9. My preferred tuning is very close, G9
GBDFAD for 6 string, gGBDFAD for 7 string.
I own 7 lap steel guitars and one dobro. I consider myself a player, with a small collection 
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Current Tunings:
6 String | G – D G D G B D
7 String | G9 – D G B D F A D
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Don Barnhill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2020 11:18 pm
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I have an SX, Gretsch, Dues and a Supro. I’m always lookin. I guess cause I like the history along with playing them. They do all sound a little different.
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Current Lap Steels: 1953 Supro |
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Daniel McKee
From:
Corinth Mississippi
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Posted 29 Aug 2020 10:44 am
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| I dont like to have too many because I end up not giving them much attention but I cant resist buying something unique if it comes along. That being said 3 is about my limit. |
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Lee Holliday
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 31 Aug 2020 11:31 am
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I have seven or so electric Lap steels with two being in construction or repair. Too many but I find each one takes you somewhere else, some stay in cases and a couple are always to hand . I will try to assemble the family for a photo when the wife is not around as it is all smoke and mirrors with regards the numbers.
Lee |
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Paul McEvoy
From:
Baltimore, USA
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Posted 11 Oct 2020 5:23 am
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Bob
I was just wondering, do you feel like your tuning bridges the gap between a 6th tuning and a triadic open tuning (like open D)? Can it function as both?
I've been interested in playing some more rock oriented music and was wondering about trying open D but was just wondering if your tuning splits the difference in some way.
Also interested in what gauges your using for the 8 string. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 11 Oct 2020 9:01 am
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Paul,
The basic advantage D/G is that you have 2 major chord positions at every fret. One is a low voicing and the other is high. You don't have to jump 5 or 7 frets to go from I to IV. Also, it makes it easy to play a melody in the high register for one verse and in the low register for another, a technique I used often in Stella.
The m7 and M9 chords are icing on the cake.
Here are all of my string gauges. For 8-string D6th, I use the middle 8 of my D6th pedal steel gauges. I use nickel wound strings.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Paul McEvoy
From:
Baltimore, USA
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Posted 12 Oct 2020 6:03 am
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| Thanks Bob. I'm going to try it on 6 string. I appreciate it. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2020 3:53 am
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| Bill Groner wrote: |
| You may wish you had a boat soon. I hope you ride out the storm and stay safe! |
You can always use a lap steel as a canoe paddle. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2020 3:56 am
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I have three. My favorite is one I made. I also have a 1950 Supro Comet, and a 1963 Fender Champ.
I have a "Tremoloa" from the 30s I believe. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 13 Oct 2020 8:51 am
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Lap steels and ukuleles are very sneaky. If you don’t stop them, they just keep breeding. Heck! Mine have even interbred, producing a beautiful little baritone ukulele lap steel.
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Current Tunings:
6 String | G – D G D G B D
7 String | G9 – D G B D F A D
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2020 10:05 am
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| Allan Revich wrote: |
| Mine have even interbred, producing a beautiful little baritone ukulele lap steel. |
What do you call that thing, Allan? A BR-.9? It's cool! |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 13 Oct 2020 7:52 pm
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| Jack Hanson wrote: |
| Allan Revich wrote: |
| Mine have even interbred, producing a beautiful little baritone ukulele lap steel. |
What do you call that thing, Allan? A BR-.9? It's cool! |
I call it a lap steel ukulele. But you’re correct. The builder, Brian Fanner, modelled it on my Gibson BR9.
https://reverb.com/shop/fannerguitarworks links to Brian’s Reverb page. He also does custom work at very reasonable prices. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 17 Oct 2020 1:37 pm Inquiring Minds Want to Know...
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| Since the title subject of this discussion is, “One Steel or Manyâ€, is there anyone on this board who makes do with only one lap steel? |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2020 3:58 pm Re: Inquiring Minds Want to Know...
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| Allan Revich wrote: |
| Since the title subject of this discussion is, “One Steel or Manyâ€, is there anyone on this board who makes do with only one lap steel? |
While I have several, there is only one that I play in public. I could make do without all the others. I love this little guitar.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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