Lap Steel Tuning - C6? | Telecaster Guitar Forum

• Forums New posts Search forums
• Newsletter
• What's new New posts New media New media comments New profile posts Latest activity
• Media New media New comments Search media
• Members Registered members Current visitors New profile posts Search profile posts
• Classifieds Guitar Classifieds Guitars (Complete) Guitar Bodies Guitar Necks Guitar Pickups Misc Guitar Parts Amp Classifieds Amplifiers (complete) Amp Speakers Amp Tubes Misc Amp Parts Accessories Classifieds Guitar/Amp Accessories Effects Classifieds Effects & Stompboxes Published Materials Music/Lessons/Books & Videos Recording Gear Classifieds Studio / Recording Gear
• Subscribe

Log in Register What's new Search

Search

Everywhere Threads This forum This thread Search titles only By: Search Advanced search…

• New posts
• Search forums

Menu Log in Register Navigation Install the app Install More options Contact us Close Menu

• Forums
• Other Discussion Forums
• Tab, Tips, Theory and Technique

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Lap Steel Tuning - C6?

• Thread starter JTM45blues
• Start date Jul 27, 2009
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

JTM45blues

Tele-Afflicted

Joined May 14, 2003 Posts 1,192 Location Iowa Ok, so a really dumb and yet easy question, probably for any of your lap steel players. I just bought my first lapsteel an early 50's Oahu, with a killer sounding string through pickup. I would really like to play more old country and western swing on it, so I read that C6 was THE tuning. I know the notes of C6 are recommended as (low to high): C,E,G,A,C,E. My question is this: Do I tune "up" that is sharpen, from A440 standard pitch? Or do I flatten or tune down from there?

Tim Bowen

Poster Extraordinaire

Joined Mar 17, 2003 Posts 7,478 Age 65 Location Atlanta/Rome, Georgia, US No dumb questions. Generally, you want to tune "up" for C6. The tension is really tight (part of the sound), and when I first strung up in C6, I was actually shielding my face for fear of string poppage. They didn't pop. Conversely, the Supro six string that I tune to open D is comparably loose and floppy, so I go with heavier gauge strings for it. I use a Gold Tone eight string for C6 tuning, which, as I understand it, is based on the old Oahu Tonemaster. I went with the C6 eight string gauge recommendations at Cindy Cashdollar's site: http://www.cindycashdollar.com/tunings/ However, if you look at her six string tuning for C6, it's not C,E,G,A,C,E, low to high. It's E,G,A,C,E,G, gauging from .034-.010. If you're starting from C instead of E, that .034 gauge would likely need to be closer to .044, or thicker. Clear as mud, right?! Further, if you check out Brad's Page of Steel and other sites, there are loads of variations on C6 tunings. For what it's worth: As mentioned, I use exactly the eight string tuning and recommended gauges at Cindy's site for eight string C6 tuning. My low A string is the same pitch as the fifth fret 'A' on the low E string of my guitars, and my high G string is the same pitch as the third fret 'G' on the high E string of my guitars. T

tonyguitargoat

Tele-Meister

Joined Sep 3, 2003 Posts 171 When I investigated tunings a few years a go when I discovered lap steel (and this great website!), I found C6 (CEGACE) was the one for me. Good for Western swing, Hawaiian, jazz, and country. I'm now playing in a band and using it to sound pretty much how a pedal steel would sound. One thing worth checking out - maybe later - is raising the bottom string to C# instead of C. This gives a bigger seventh chord on the bottom, a diminished chord (if you play any music that uses these) and a few more options. Of course, you lose the big 6-string chord with the root on the bottom, so stick with straight c6 if you're playing 3-chord country. T

tonyguitargoat

Tele-Meister

Joined Sep 3, 2003 Posts 171 And check this website - http://bb.steelguitarforum.com

JTM45blues

Tele-Afflicted

Joined May 14, 2003 Posts 1,192 Location Iowa Thank you very much gentlemen, tuning up, seemed like those strings were going to pop at any second! Also any thoughts on Cindy's videos for a beginner? Has anyone tried the Don Helm's book, "Your Cheatin Heart"?

Mojohand40

Tele-Afflicted

Joined Oct 17, 2005 Posts 1,686 Location manassas,va

JTM45blues said: Thank you very much gentlemen, tuning up, seemed like those strings were going to pop at any second! Also any thoughts on Cindy's videos for a beginner? Has anyone tried the Don Helm's book, "Your Cheatin Heart"? Click to expand...

For strings try here: (link removed) I've tried a few brands and I like the Scotty's sets best. Good strings go a long way in getting a clean country sound. The second thing you want is finger picks and a thumbpick. Yeah, you can play without, and some do, but most players in this style use metal fingerpicks and a thumbpick. It's worth sticking to them awhile to learn if you want "that" sound. Cindy's DVD isn't bad, I got the first one awhile back. However, I recommend getting the "Mel Bay Basic C6th NonPedal lap Steel Method". You can get it from Amazon, or the steel guitar forum. http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=95666BCD Don Helms' book and CD is great, though it's not C6, so if you order it get appropriate strings, (e13) like these: (link removed) The Don Helm's book is worth spending a lot of time on. Which book/dvd etc. to start with depends on what you want to do with steel. If you want to get the how's and whys of C6 just get the Mel Bay C6th book, work all the way through it, then get the others. IMO, you'll learn a lot more this way. Currently I'm focusing on sight reading standard music notation and applying it to C6. I allready could sight read a little, and the Mel Bay book (which also has tab, BTW) was a big help in learning slants and string pairs and chords.

JTM45blues

Tele-Afflicted

Joined May 14, 2003 Posts 1,192 Location Iowa Mojohand, thank you for the info on lap steel stuff. I went ahead and bought some strings from Hank's, but out of curiosity, is it really necessary to use special lap steel strings? Couldn't you just use guitar strings? Like 10's for example?

Mojohand40

Tele-Afflicted

Joined Oct 17, 2005 Posts 1,686 Location manassas,va

JTM45blues said: Mojohand, thank you for the info on lap steel stuff. I went ahead and bought some strings from Hank's, but out of curiosity, is it really necessary to use special lap steel strings? Couldn't you just use guitar strings? Like 10's for example? Click to expand...

Sure, a string is a string..you COULD use banjo strings...but these are nice in that they are "Semi-Flat" wound, which means less bar "zinnng" and they come prepackaged in the right gauges. For example, for a C6 tuning the Scotty's set comes with a .015 for the high e. Now a .010 string, like in an electric guitar set, would not offer the right tension. It would seem a little floppy. (on a Lap steel a .010 string would be good for, say, a high G). See what I mean? Also the low string in the lap set (C6) is .036, where as a guitar set of .010's, the low string would be .046 which is great for a longer scale low E, but not so much for a shorter (lap) scale of C. Anyway, I'm not affiliated with Hanks' house of Steel in anyway, or Scotty's strings, but I've always got quick service from HHOS, and I think you'll be happy with the strings. have fun!!

Tim Bowen

Poster Extraordinaire

Joined Mar 17, 2003 Posts 7,478 Age 65 Location Atlanta/Rome, Georgia, US That Mel Bay book that Mojo mentioned has been collecting dust on the shelf of a music school I teach at for over a year. I look over the text every time I'm in there, and as Mojo mentioned, it does seem to have a fairly comprehensive presentation. Nobody's ever gonna buy that book in that location but me. Every once in a while, the school will blow out books that haven't moved - for a buck - and I've been hanging out for that... I might look at forcing the issue when I'm in there again on Thursday! Also, I get what Mojo is saying about "zing" with the strings. I currently am using typical guitar strings, and I think I'm working way too hard with behind-the-bar damping to limit extraneous noise, especially with big, sweeping slide moves. So I'd like to try some of those semi-flats. I've found the Cindy Cashdollar vids quite useful. She illustrates classic moves from Hank Williams and Bob Wills tunes, and provides general technique guidelines and workouts. I took those moves and applied them to songs that I gig, and also started experimenting and dinking around to find my own stuff. It's a good idea to go ahead and memorize the major/relative minors up and down the board, just so you're not floundering around when visiting a new tune; beyond that, you start to get an idea of what string set groupings are appropriate for different applications. The other thing I'd suggest is to also start working on arrangements for tunes that are slightly outside the immediate classic genre, and/or don't include a steel part on a well known recording to call upon - meaning that you have to make up your own parts, which is great education. The first one of this sort that I did was a C6 arrangement for The Stones' "Wild Horses". I do mostly use C6 for western swing and honky tonk sounds, but the more I learn about it, the more universally it'll be applied. You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

New member! I've been modding my Player II Telecaster. EXTENSIVE gear rundown and mod list included.

• nickbari
• Nov 19, 2025
• Welcome Wagon

2 3 Replies 59 Views 2K Friday at 10:41 AM nickbari Cheap Thrills: Two New IYV Guitars in One Week

• Tim S
• Nov 18, 2025
• Other Guitars, other instruments

Replies 13 Views 609 Dec 1, 2025 Tim S Share: Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link

New Posts

• Best low-tension flats for Hofner Beatle Bass?
  • Latest: Telenator
  • A moment ago
  The BASS Place
• Please Recommend a Clean Solid State Combo Amp (No Modeling)
  • Latest: tweedtone
  • 1 minute ago
  Amp Central Station
• AVII ‘63 Tele with finish issue
  • Latest: Televisions
  • 3 minutes ago
  Telecaster Discussion Forum
• I drank the PRS kool-Aid…. And now….
  • Latest: Tim S
  • 6 minutes ago
  Bad Dog Cafe
• Can Cap question
  • Latest: King Fan
  • 8 minutes ago
  Amp Tech Center

• Forums
• Other Discussion Forums
• Tab, Tips, Theory and Technique

Top