The British Steelies Society

you owned this, what tunings would you use for western swing hillbilly bop styles?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281005942879? ... 1497.l2649

yep shes coming to daddy at last...

please bare in mind ive only ever played 6 string C6...L-H[CEGACE] and 8 string E6 don helms stylee [AC#EG#BC#EG#] so as simple as can be... cheers terry

Nice guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You won't go far wrong if you use the 8 string version of C6 L-H - G A C E G A C E and the Don Helms tuning on the other neck.
Alternatively you could useC6 with a high G on top L-H - A C E G A C E G which is the same as the A6 I use but 3 semitones higher.

As a guitar player, I always found it easier to get my head around an A based tuning rather than C and it makes more sense to me to have the tunings on my double neck based around A and E rather than C and E but maybe that's just me.

Personally, I like A6 - F# A C# E F# A C# E with E13 on the other one L-H - E G# D F# G# B C# E (these are the tunings Leon McAauliffe used).

This page should keep you busy for a while.

http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/tunings/master.ph

thanks for the reply Jeff think i might go with your suggestions

I always have my steel in C6 and prefer Jeff's 2nd list - low to high A C E G A C E G. On Facebook earlier this year I asked Lee Jeffriess what he mostly uses (from Big Sandy's band, now playing with a band called the West Coast Ramblers) and he said... I personally use what is known as the Boggs 13, hi to lo, E C# G# F# D B G# E (but pitched in F). I think if push came to shove I would probably choose the 13 over the 6th. So he uses F13 with those intervals. He also said best to have a double 8 guitar (I wish!) and try another tuning...Hi to Lo, tune down your 3rd string( Hi C ) to B, then string 5 (G) to F, string 6 (E) to D, string 7 (C) to B and finally string 8 (A) to G, This give you the Noel Boggs inversion in G, G 13. But until I get a D8 - probably when I am retired, or remortgage the house - I am on C6, and it does me OK for most things in both bands.

i have all my 6 strings tuned to C6 Ruby [CEGACE] my homemade 8 string was tuned to E6 [G#EC#BG#EC#A don helms] but now ive got it tuned to A6 in anticipation i was chatting to Lee the other day he has recommended A6 + E13 and has sent me the guages and highly recommends GHS semi flat strings

OOh, please could you let me know what guages he recommended Tel? I had a hell of a game last year - I tried out some tunings from a book I got (Andy Volk's book of steel tunings that has just about every one in there) and everything sounded weird mainly because I had the guages all over the place I think.

here ya go Ruby...

A6 E13

E, 15 E, 15
C#,18 C#,18
A, 24 B, 22
F#,28W G#,26W
E, 32W F#,30W
C#,38W D, 36W
A, 48W G#,50W
F#, 54W E, 56W
Top 3 strings are plain, I also recommend GHS for these ! Lee

Not sure how much the GHS strings will cost or what the difference is between brands but I have just ordered some strings from Newtone Strings up in Derbyshire. Should be here tomorrow (ordered yesterday). In the past I have ordered specialist strings from them for my baritone guitar (and for a mate's Fender bass VI) and some for my Dobro and have been very impressed with the quality and service. Very nice people to deal with.

They charged me £8.56 a set plus postage.

Out of interest. the gauges I went for are as follows (a little on the heavier side than Lee's). I'll probably spend the day tomorrow re-stringing (5 necks in all).

A6

E .015
C# .018
A .022
F# .026W
E .032W
C# .038W
A .044W
F# .052W

E13

E .015
C# .018
B .019
G# .024W
F# .026W
D .036W
G# .046W
E .058W

Ruby,

You might find this page useful - I did.

http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php

That's great thanks.