Looking for tips on 8 string E13

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 20 May 2000 6:51 am

I just recently discovered the beauty of non pedal steel. I have one of the 3 necks tuned to an E13 with E, C#, B, G#, F#, D, G#, E. I hear a lot of pretty chords but I have no clue what I'm doing or what the chords are. I get around OK on A6 and C6. Any advice on books or video would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Dave Z

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 20 May 2000 10:02 am

Hey Dave tune it like this:
G#
E
C#
B
G#
F#
E
D
And you will find it is the same kinda intervals you are used to in the C6 and A6 tuning; and it will make more since to ya.
If you are interested in this particular E6/9 tuning as opposed to the E6/9 tuning you have there; and your not sure of the string guages; tell me your string length from nut to bridge and I can help you out.
Ricky

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html
sshawaiian@aol.com

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 20 May 2000 10:37 am

I've always been baffled by that tuning, Dave. The lack of a middle E confuses me.

If it's any help, you can get the same intervals out of your C6th pedal steel if you use P5 and the knee lever (high C to B) together. This gives you a D13th, one step lower than your E13th.

Your E13th was made popular by Leon McAuliff with Bob Wills' Texas Playboys. Leon played with all 4 necks open, and switched necks frequently to get different chords. Look at his tunings on Scotty's tunings page. It's easy to imagine comping chords in a western swing tune just by going back and forth between the 3rd neck (A6th) and the 2nd neck (E13th).

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0bstamp.gif" width=72 height=72>Bobby Lee quasar@b0b.com gigs CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra S-8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 20 May 2000 at 11:47 AM.]

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 20 May 2000 11:02 am

The key to understanding the E13 so-called "Hawaiian version" w/no E in the middle for me,was to look at the tuning as the 5 chord of a given song and work from there.The odd thing about that is that the root chord position of a song is often a slant.Once I got past that,I was ok.But after 5 years of fooling w/it,I'm still nowhere near fluent.It's just too "restless" sounding.The other version like Ricky and Tom Morrell play has a more balanced layout and is much easier to pick up on. -MJ-

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 20 May 2000 11:28 am

Thanks guys! All responses were very helpful. I think I'll try Ricky's tuning on the Fender Custom and put Leon's tuning on my s-8 Magnatone so I can still fool around with it and see if I can make sense of it.
I think I like the tone of non pedal guitars more than pedal guitars. How about you guys?

Dave Z

CHUCK BRATTAIN · Post by **CHUCK BRATTAIN** » 20 May 2000 11:53 am

We always tuned E13th this way;

G#
E
C#
B
G#
E
D
B
Have a Great Day, Chuck

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 20 May 2000 12:23 pm

Hey Chuck now that's an E13th tuning. The other tuning in question is actually a E6/9. Anytime you have the ninth tone in with the b7th tone the nine takes precedence over the sixth tone and is called a 6/9 chord when the sixth is in there also. But the color tones of just the 6th and b7th make it a 13th chord.
Just a little trivia on calling chords that's all.
After I get back from the weekend I'm gunna post my new SS HAWAIIAN 10-string tuning; that without changing strings you can alter between two very good tunings; and I can transpose it to the popular 8-stringer also.
Have fun. Oh and b0b your gunna love this; but I bet you already do it?
Ricky

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html
sshawaiian@aol.com

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 20 May 2000 8:31 pm

I used to play a 10 string E13 that was just like what Chuck Brattain mentioned above, plus a low G# and E. It was great for rock-a-billy!

For monster chords, get Maurice Anderson's western swing cassette. That's a 12 string lap steel!

Dave, I think that the non-pedal steels sound better because there is greater string separation. Just my theory...

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0bstamp.gif" width=72 height=72>Bobby Lee quasar@b0b.com gigs CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra S-8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)

Tele · Post by **Tele** » 21 May 2000 3:36 am

I think I like the tone of non pedal guitars more than pedal guitars. How about you guys?

I could not agree with that, whats the difference between the c6th neck on a pedal or non-pedal guitar?? I think the sound depends on too many factors, PUs, wood ...

I have a fingertip tuning Sho-Bud D-10 which has a great sound , I always prefer it over my Fender steels when I play non-pedal C6th.
But that's my preference.

Hows about the Don Helms E13th although he called it E6th:
G#
E
C#
B
G#
E
C#
B

Andy

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 21 May 2000 7:46 am

I agree. Old Sho-Buds do sound great! I guess that comment I made about tone was due to the fact that I was in a rut with the E9 A/B pedal thing. The humbucker on my Sho-Bud sounds good through my Webb, but when I plugged my Fender Custom into my Fender Twin Reverb it sounded so clear and bright and made me want to play again. I would love to have an old Sho-Bud again (with single coils).

Dave