I just found out there are 6-string pedal steels

Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

OK, I play guitar and just got into lap steel over the past couple months. I love it, but I'm smitten by the sound of pedal steel and hope to one day get one. Anything more than 8 strings seems too complicated for my brain. But, to my surprise, I found out recently there are 6 string pedal steels!

Not looking to buy one right away, but wondering if anyone has suggestions for a good 6 string pedal steel...and, conversely, anything to avoid.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Out of production and hard to find, but I loved my Cougar Slidemaster 6. All pull changer and good number of knee levers, 3 pedals.

This is the one I had. I'd like to buy it back but can't access the new owner. If you can find one of these for around $1000, buy it. Hopefull lower, but with the obscene prices of pedal steels these days, doubtful.

There are currently others, but I don't know enough about them to comment.

On the high end, Jackson Steel guitars heritage with the original Sho Bud guitars seem very nice.

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Bill McCloskey · Posted 2 May 2024 5:48 pm

It is more difficult to move to 6 string pedal steel rather than go to 10 string at the beginning. Tons of instruction for 10 string, zip for 6. There is no advantage in going to 6 strings first. I played six string guitars for 50 years. It isn't that difficult to move to 10.

That said, there are a number of brands out there. The Fessenden Six-Shooter is another one to keep an eye out. Jackson makes one I believe as well. Here is AJ Ghent playing his https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CzhNQGTYk

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Depends on your immediate goals. If you just want to get into the feel of bending strings and moving changes with pedals, you can do that with a 6 banger. Most of them I knew of were tuned in octaves of 1,3,5 or EBG#, EBG#. That gives you some idea of how pedals behave. You also need at least one, better with 2 knee levers to help overcome some of the limitations of a 6 stringer.

I would suggest one that can be expanded or upgraded for additional changes as desired.

If, in the future, you want to delve into the intricacies of chromatic 10 string pedal steels, you can probably return your investment.

Some guitar players are happy with basic 6 strings...Rocker Joe Perry, f.i., used one sparingly with Arrowsmith and there are several others.

Good luck on yout search. JO.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

My own view, as a non-guitarist who has only ever played bass and pedal steel, is that the pedal steel is a totally different 10-string instrument and that there are no transferable skills that you can bring from a guitar where you make chord shapes with your hand to one where you make them with your feet.

The sounds you've heard that have awakened the urge to break out into a pedal guitar did not come from a 6-string instrument. They're not even the same six strings. If you decide to leave your comfort zone the number of strings will be your least worry anyway.

Not trying to put you off, just pointing the way!... Smile

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Abe Levy · From: California, USA

If I were you I’d buy a ten string and leave the top two and bottom two strings off. You’ll have the most used 6 strings to start with, and then you can add the others as you find you need them. Which, I would guess, you will want to do sooner than you think. This way you won’t have to upgrade when you realize you want all 10 strings. There are many beginner grade 10 string guitars available and the quality will probably be higher than a six stringer.
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Ron Hogan · From: Nashville, TN, usa

Here ya go.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=399290

Jacob Yergert · From: Centennial, Colorado, USA

This was the route that I thought I would go down first. It was deep in the pandemic, I wanted a new guitar, and I bought a Harlin Bros 6 string steel in C6 from 1954.

Huge mistake. It just slowed me down. E9 makes way more sense in my head coming from the guitar and bass world, and the instrument could only really get sorta-close to being in tune for it's age. The pedals struggled. I couldn't find very many resources online.

Granted, it was only like $400. I bought it because it was the cheapest thing available. Now that thing is sitting on consignment at a local store after I bought a 10 string steel three years later. It cost more than 2 grand, but it's what I should have bought the first time.

I would echo Ian's comment that it's a totally different thing-- transferrable knowledge is pretty minimal. If your eventual goal is to play 10 strings, I would start with 10 strings. I just wasted a few years.

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

If you have any aptitude for pedal steel at all, you'll probably waste time (and money) on a 6 string guitar. You'll blow past the need for it within a few months.
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Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Sort of a Catch 22 or circular logic problem is that it is difficult to know how much of the essential sound that we know and love lives in the first two strings (high) until you start to learn the instrument and find things that you recognize as sounds in your head.

"I want to make some simple stereotypical pedal steel sounds in 2 songs on the setlist at our 3 hour gig" is a far cry from "I want to learn how to play pedal steel guitar".

If I'd been pointed toward a 6 stringer when I started (I don't know that there were any in 1983), it would not have taken long to discover the number of things that I could not do with it. I would have been pissed.

A good musician can most certainly make music with one. If someone gave you one, I'd say "fantastic! Congratulations!"
But that's not the question.

Paul Strojan · From: California, USA

I agree on the the merits of starting with a full sized pedal steel. I would take it a step further and start with a twelve string in d13. Everything will be there and it will be learning one set up rather than E9 and c6.
That being said I do really like my Jackson Slide King with the edge benders. The advantage is that it is convenient to move around and tuned into a open tuning all the dobro and lap steel material will be applicable.

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I had a Jackson 6-string briefly when getting back into pedal steel after 5 years away...the Jackson is made like a real pro steel, metal rails to hold the cross-shafts, etc., and the pull-release system sounds lovely (very Sho-bud).

Most 6-stringers tune differently than the Jackson, which is BEG#BEG#, a wider range than the others (EF#G#BEG#)...it gets the F# with an RKL, which works fine.
And the three identical sets of strings make it really easy to know where the notes are. the string spacing also is similar to regular guitar.

So it is a quite reasonable way to get into pedal steel without having to learn everything all at once to get sounds out of it, and not discourage the player...which is a huge thing.

And sure, if it sticks, the player will move on to E9 10-string, as I did once again, but the 6-string was a great way to get back into it with very low stress...and not a bad way for a regular guitar player to dabble and make some good music...
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Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I contend a lot depends on how you have it tuned. Look online at some of Zane King and Troy Brenninger et al videos. For some really interesting tunings, check out b0b's listings in his blogs. There's a lot you can do with a 6 banger to help you scratch that itch.

Now, if you're having to pay as much for a six as you would for a S10, then I'd have to rethink and as ridiculous as prices are getting, they just might.

A basic 6 value, 2 & 2 should be under a grand IMO, otherwise not a good investment in the case where you might want to move on.

Also, you can put any tuning on it you want. You just have to adjust the string gauges and retune the pedals. C6 works just fine with 3 pedals but you really need 4....but...if you have 2 kls, you can put one of the pedal changes on that as the basic C6 setup only uses one knee lever.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Luckily, there are 6 string pedal steels out there, and there are a few players of them on YouTube. While it’s true there are almost zero learning materials right now, that would change if they caught on just a little. The fact that I learned to play 8 and 10 string pedal steels with absolutely no learning material proves it can be done. And while you couldn’t play everything done on more complicated models, it’s the same with some other instruments. What you have to do is ask yourself if you’d be happy playing what these players are doing. If so, a sixer may be for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQlDqhaV32s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKdeid_MBqo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CzhNQGTYk&t=24s

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I traded my Jackson 6-string 2x3 to a guy who had an E9 10-string sitting in his living room for 5 years and never got over the hump...he's real happy with the ease of transfer of his guitar knowledge to the Jackson...

the tabs and training materials are mostly transferable, but with some effort...e.g., on the Jackson, getting an E9 4th string F# is done by using the 2nd string with RKL...the notes are all there, ..so it is easier to understand and play, BEG#BEG# is mentally simple, but you do have to work harder to get it all...

Some folks aren't happy till they get s 12-string double neck...E9 10-string clearly is a good overall balance...
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Andrew Goulet · Posted 5 May 2024 2:47 pm

All steel guitars are cool, but I think it's a red herring that a 6 string steel will be easier to play for someone used to a 6 string guitar. It's a different set of skills, and I think more strings, levers, and pedals makes a steel guitar EASIER to play. As others have mentioned, the price is probably comparable, and you can ignore strings and changes you're not ready to use. I started on an 8 string and only used 5 of those consistently for a couple of years. I wish I had started on the 12 string tuning I have now, though, because I learned a bunch of workarounds to play what I wanted with less strings, and had to unlearn some of them when I was ready for a more comprehensive tuning.
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Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

An apology:

I broke one of my own rules.

"Did this person ask anyone's opinion of what he has chosen to do?" No. He has asked a specific question regarding comparisons and opinions of the 6 stringers that are out there.

All the rest of this discussion is noise. I have contributed to the noise. I have no useful information that might help you to chose and buy a 6 string pedal steel and therefore I have nothing to add to the discussion.

I sincerely apologize.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Jon, sometimes (especially when we're feeling alone in something), what some might judge to be "noise" can be a good thing. Valuable information can occasionally be gleaned from apparently unrelated discussions. Cool

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I had an uncle who was a sleazebag lawyer. Even my dad, his brother, didn't care for him.
I once did what I thought was the respectful thing to do and went to him with a couple of very specific legal questions about some country real estate I was thinking about buying. Instead of even acknowledging my questions he launched into a bunch of crap about "what do you want to do that for? Get a good job. (I had a good job). Marry a nice girl (I had a wonderful girlfriend). Forget about a house in the country!"
He was a creep who stank of cigarettes and Scotch and nobody in the family was happy when he was invited to dinner.
I try not to be my uncle.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I've played a few 6-string pedal steels, and they all sorta' felt like starter guitars to me - and I suspect that's because that was their intented usage. They were quite inexpensive, and probably got a number of people started. And as a starter guitar, probably just fine.

I think there are some solid, professional 6-string pedal steels out there, but I haven't played them simply because I haven't ever seen one in person. Lonestar (Jim Flynn), the Jackson mentioned earlier, and there was one made by Martin Weenick up for sale here a few years ago that I seriously thought about buying as a travel guitar. Never played one, but the Cougar Jerry mentioned above looks like a pretty good mid-level guitar, and probably not too expensive if you can find one.

As a long time guitar player, and especially since I've pretty much always played slide guitar in open tunings - I'm gonna somewhat disagree that there isn't a fair amount of transferable knowledge from 6-string, especially if you have any experience with slide guitar. Also, OP points out that he's playing lap steel now with (I presume) 6 strings and is concerned about more than 8 strings being too much. I think a 6-string pedal steel is a lot better than no pedal steel at all. Only thing I'll add is that I agree with others that it's really not a stretch to go to 10-string. I think one can get a pretty nice 10-string for about the same as a quality 6-string. For example, a Justice Jr. 10-string is a fully professional all-pull with 2 pedals, 1 lever at a grand and I think it's $150 for each addditional pedal or lever up to 3+4. Not hard to remove top two and/or bottom two strings to start, although I can't see the point of doing that. I think the initial shock of 10 strings wears off pretty quickly if you're serious about pedal steel. Most people wind up starting out focusing almost completely on the middle 6 strings anyway.

BTW - I've played Harlin Multi-Kords and owned one of the dreaded 50's Gibson pedal steels. IMHO, don't waste your time and money. Nothing like a modern pedal steel at all. Any of the inexpensive 6-bangers I played were better than these by a country mile. I traded the Gibson to a buddy who wanted a vintage console steel for cheap. He just yanked the pedals off. It did sound good and worked for that use case just fine. And it definitely was cheap, I couldn't get rid of that thing fast enough.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Not to worry Jon. You are one of the most thoughtful and considerate members this forum has. Your entries are well thought out and most helpful. You set a good example for having intelligent and pertinent discussion. Don't be so hard on yourself. Your uncle, you're not.

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

The Jackson Steel Guitar Co. makes a high quality 6 string pedal steel.

Check out Chris Glass's youtube channel......he makes beautiful music on his Jackson 6 string....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4I18Z7wGWQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIB4dfWoMHI

Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

Hey, I appreciate all the opinions here and don't mind hearing the arguments against going with a 6-stringer.

I favor simplicity, and doing more with less, so I'm not inclined toward anything with more than 8 strings. I suspect I also lack a lot of the music theory knowledge others here seem to have, and which seems prerequisite to knowing what one is doing on a pedal steel. I'm more of a "play by ear and feel" type.

I think I need to experience a pedal steel in person before I make any decision. Trouble is, I've never seen one in ANY music store I've been to and I've only seen one or two come up for sale locally in the past few years.

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