Fessenden 6-shootertuning options

[Tony Boadle]

I'm considering buying a Fessenden 6-shooter to pick as an occasional 'fun' diversion from my reso. If I tune it to standard GBDGBD, how could I best use the two pedals? Standard 6-shooter tuning is open E apparently, G#EBG#EB, and pedal A moves both B's to C#, pedal B moves both G#'s to A.

I'd love to be able to just jump from reso to 'mini-psg' so if I can keep the tuning the same it would be a bonus. I'm too old and stupid to start taxing my brain. Any ideas?

PS: This is just a home-fun project, I don't want to get into heavy PSG options, although I'm sorely tempted to get the 8-shot instead!

Cheers from Ireland, Tony

[Danny Bates]

Tony, If you decide to use GBDGBD and you only have 2 pedals, then I suggest these changes...

Pedal 1 = Both D's up a whole step to E (Em Chord)
Pedal 2 = Both B's up a half step to C (G sus4 Chord) and C Chord with pedal 1

You should get that nice pedal steel (I to IV) sound when you press Pedal 1 while holding Pedal 2.

If you get it adjusted just right, you should be able to half-stop the first pedal (while holding the 2nd pedal) and get a Cm chord.

Cheers back at you from California.
db

[Tony Boadle]

Hi Danny,
I'd just about given up on a reply here, so thanks for your advice, I've bookmarked the page already.
The guitar isn't ordered yet, mainly because I can't decide if I should go for a 6 or pay an extra $100 for an 8 string three-pedal model. I don't want to restrict myself to 6 if I progress faster than I expect!
Jerry Fessenden tells me that I can choose any combination of pedal set-up, as long as it's two strings per pedal.
So at the risk of taking advantage of your good-nature,
would you cancel all your weekend plans (LOL)and come up with a tuning set-up that would use the extra 2 strings? Ideally based on the GBDGBD, but if that couldn't be, then as close as possible.
Thanks in advance from a dull, damp Skibbereen in County Cork.
Tony

[Danny Bates]

Tony, when we add another 2 strings to the G chord tuning, we come up with two problems...

1) We run out of higher notes. This is due to the fact the strings won't get skinny enough to maintain the higher pitches.... But, we can add one string that's higher pitched and one that's lower pitched.

2) We no longer have the exact string correlation as the Dobro.

I think you would enjoy the 6 string, but it certainly sounds like you're leaning towards the 8 string.

So I will make an 8 string suggestion...

Add a higher G string and a lower D string. This will maintain (and fatten) your G tuning. BTW, He can add these strings with the same 2 changes as I suggested before.

The lowest string (not changing) will add a nice 11th chord.

Pedals 1 and 2 pressed: DGCEGCEG

This will make a nice D11 chord (aka C with a D bass) which is a (sometimes) very sweet substitution for a V chord.

Re: Your "Thanks in Advance"...

Your very welcome (from a nice, warm, dry & sunny California)

[Larry Haas]

I also have one coming and was getting ready to post the same question.
This is good to know when you want to change from dobro to steel. I have a lap steel that I have tuned to GBDGBD and it works great. Going to enjoy the pedals also.

Thanks
Richard

[Tony Boadle]

Thanks Danny, this is really useful stuff. I'ts good to hear from a picker who (with respect) doesn't automatically say 'you really need 3 pedals and 4 knee levers etc'
I don't expect to replicate a full PSG sound, but I'd rather play a compromise than not try at all.
I don't know how Richard feels, but to me, as a guitar and 5 string banjo player, GBDGBD makes so much sense. It's hard to sound bad! The 10-string PSG I tried for a while made no sense to me...it was hard to sound even half-good.
Maybe I left it to late in life...at least this way I can ease into the PSG world without needing counselling.
Cheers from a 'recession-weary, horse-meat-in-our-burgers' Ireland.
Tony

[John Billings]

1.-E-------------+F? or maybe raise the Gs to G#s?
2.-G
3.-D---+E
4.-B-------+C
5.-G
6.-D---+E
7.-G
8.-D------ -C

Not sure what second string to use for the 3rd pedal. Too tired to think. This tuning is based on Bottleneck Low G Bass tuning. Fuller range, and good for Rock and Blues. If, instead of pulling the F, you pull the Gs to G#s, you get G, Em, C, and E maj. I think. Heading back to bed,,,,,,,.........

[Danny Bates]

Yep Tony... I also ate Horse in Canada in the mid 70's. Not really very tasty. My carnivorous days are over... I've been a veggie now for 12 years.
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This tuning gives you the easy (syrupy) 1 to 4 chord.

Which easily becomes a 5 to 1 chord.

In other words, on the 2nd fret, you will easily go from an A to D chord by pressing the pedals. On the 9th fret, you would have an E chord... and by pressing the pedals, you go back to the A chord an octave higher. Without the pedals, you would have to go to the 14th fret to get an octave higher.

Getting the minor chord is important too. I suspect you currently hate dealing with those on a resonator.

Even this simple setup should have you "Busier than a one legged man in an *ss kickin' contest"

I don't think you'll ever get bored because you're gonna be moving that bar a lot. Once you learn the patterns you'll be awesome.

Best of luck... Let us know what happens.

BTW, I made most of my pedal steel giggin' money on a six-string pedal steel... Tons of fun... and I got paid... (Most of the time anyway)

[Tony Boadle]

OK, I'll try all these ideas out when the PSG arrives....it'll be an 8-string thanks to you all, at worst I can tale 2 strings off to start!
And the horse-meat, Danny? At least you knew you were eating it....unlike a zillion Europeans lately!!!(I'm assuming the scandal has made it to US newspapers)....

[Danny Bates]

I didn't know it was horse meat at the time... My American brain could never let me eat a horse. I asked some friends "Why do these Harvey's hamburgers taste so weird?" They explained that they were made from horses. Maybe I was also tricked by ignorance.... But hey, I'm smarter now.

[Jack Bowman]

OK, I'll try all these ideas out when the PSG arrives....it'll be an 8-string thanks to you all, at worst I can tale 2 strings off to start!
And the horse-meat, Danny? At least you knew you were eating it....unlike a zillion Europeans lately!!!(I'm assuming the scandal has made it to US newspapers)....

I have an 8 string tuning that can allow you to make some great steel sounds.
8th string = F#.G#.B.Eb.F#.B.Eb. & 1st string = F#
A pedal pulls Eb'S to D's resulting 1 minor.

B pedal pulls 3rd string B to C# and 4t string F# to G#. You might be able to add another pull on the B pedal via a stiff spring attached to the pull of the B pedal...taking the 4th string from F# up to G# and this will give you the full chord change from the barred 1st to the 4nd position...a slide up one full note from barred, with the B pedal down results as the 5th chord in the 1....4...5 thinking pattern. If you can get the third pull added to the B pedal then it will free up the A pedal to where you can tweak it to the minor as first intended.

[Tony Boadle]

Thanks Jack...that's really close to GBDGBD?
Can't wait to get my 8-shot and try all these options.
The next problem is to specify an initial pedal set-up that will best suit experimenting. I'm assuming it's not too difficult to switch pedals to different string pairs? Likewise, what would be the most suitable (i.e: tolerant)string gauges? Any thoughts anyone?

[Jack Bowman]

Thanks Jack...that's really close to GBDGBD?
Can't wait to get my 8-shot and try all these options.
The next problem is to specify an initial pedal set-up that will best suit experimenting. I'm assuming it's not too difficult to switch pedals to different string pairs? Likewise, what would be the most suitable (i.e: tolerant)string gauges? Any thoughts anyone?

Try this link for the string gauge guide. =

http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/gauges.htm

The setup that I use makes the strings a litte more firm so that the big ones are not so subject to pressure distortion. Have fun with that 8 stringer.

[Tony Boadle]

Excellent...I'm all set to go!

[Dean Parks]

Tony

In typical E9 playing, the real "home base" is with pedals down.

Also, a typical Dobro alternate tuning is open D, with the root on the top string.

So to me, the obvious 6 string tuning for you would be, top-down:

D
A
F#
D
A
F#

The B pedal would move F#'s to G
The A pedal would move A's to B

So, pedals-down = G Dobro tuning.

With your 8, you could have a low D. Not sure what an extra top string would be... Maybe an E you could usually avoid, or a middle string E you'd learn to avoid?

[Jack Bowman]

Tony

In typical E9 playing, the real "home base" is with pedals down.

Also, a typical Dobro alternate tuning is open D, with the root on the top string.

So to me, the obvious 6 string tuning for you would be, top-down:

D
A
F#
D
A
F#

The B pedal would move F#'s to G
The A pedal would move A's to B

So, pedals-down = G Dobro tuning.

With your 8, you could have a low D. Not sure what an extra top string would be... Maybe an E you could usually avoid, or a middle string E you'd learn to avoid?

I hear folks speak of top strings and for the life of me, as a standard guitar player, it has always been the big E string. Most musicians speak of it as the highest pitched note on the cleff. In a pedal steel, what is the top string? They are all of the same height, as you view down on them. How about the one farthest away from the picker. Is that the top string? shrugggg? what are we talking about here? Thanks