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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
 Posted - 01/23/2005 : 07:21:56 AM
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I was wondering, as a newbie, if there is a convenient site where I can research the best string gauges for the different tunings for steel guitar. I'm playing a Gold Tone Weissenborn- scale 24 3/4 inches.
Somebody posted something once, but I lost it.
Mahalo!
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Whee ha!
Larry M |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1154 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 09:58:23 AM
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| Larry, if you don't get your answer here, try the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association's website at http://www.hsga.org/. |
Dusty |
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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 6:04:25 PM
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Also: http://www.goldtone.com/products/pages/weissenborn_article.asp
ear Box from that April 1996
Weissenborns and related Hawaiian guitars can be found in the hands of a variety of contemporary musicians. Here's a rundown on the instruments, strings, and tunings used by seven prominent players. Mike Auldridge plays a Weissenborn Style 1 and strings it with D'Addario phosphor bronze single gauges (a custom set, "somewhere between medium and light," with a .014 on the first string). He tunes to open E (E B E G# B E).
Bob Brozman's Hawaiian instruments include all four styles of Weissenborns (his Style 2 is a Mellotone brand, with a thin body), as well as a Hilo. He tunes to C (C G C G C E), B (B F# B F# B D#), G (D G D G B D), and D sus (D A D G A D). As for string gauge, he comments, "I don't want to say what I use because it might be misused. People will tear up their guitars if they use the strings I use. Let's preserve the instruments."
Jerry Douglas plays a Weissenborn Style 1, a wall-hanger in its previous life, and tunes it to open D (D A D F# A D). He uses D'Addario phosphor bronze strings with gauges of .014, .016. .026, .036, .044, and .060.
Ben Harper's road instruments are a Weissenborn Style 4, Style 2, and teardrop, and a Kona "Style 4." He uses D'Addario phosphor bronze lights on instruments tuned with a D or higher on bottom and mediums for tunings with a C (or lower) on the bottom. His tunings include low G (D G D G B D) and a secret tuning that he uses in three different keys--one for each of three instruments.
Greg Leisz plays a Weissenborn Style 2, Style 1, and teardrop model with an original metal tailpiece (anyone seen another?). He uses phosphor bronze light strings and tunes to open D (D A D F# A D).
David Lindley's "A-Team" Hawaiians are two Weissenborn Style 2's, one Style 1, a thin maple and spruce Style 2, and a Kona Style 3. A Bronson Brazilian rosewood square-neck sometimes substitutes for the Kona. For strings, he uses Guild bronze lights or mediums, depending on the tuning. Instruments tuned with the sixth string lower than D have .059 Darcos ("I have a nice stash of these," he says) on the sixth string. Lindley's tunings include F (F C F A C F); G (D G D G B D); an open-G variant, G G D G B D (used on "The Jimmy Hoffa Memorial Building Blues"), with a mandocello sixth string tuned an octave below the fifth string; C6 (C G C G C A); and D6 (D A D A D B).
Sally Van Meter has a Weissenborn Style 1, a Kona Style 4, and a Hilo Model 640. She uses phosphor bronze strings with gauges of .014 ("maybe a .015 or .016 on the Weissenborn, depending on the tuning," she says), .016, .026, .036, .046, and .056. She plays in open D (D A D F# A D) but says, "My Weissenborn seems to have a preference for Eb [Eb Bb Eb G Bb Eb]." She also experiments with modal tunings and high G: G D G B D G. |
Whee ha!
Larry M |
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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2005 : 08:07:20 AM
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Larry -
Mahalo nui! And here I thought I had it figured out....
I found a reference to Ken Emerson using the same Gth I've dinked on: G-B-E-G-B-D, (like high bass dobro with the 4th string up a second). no string guages mentioned.
The same site had lots of lap steel tunings, including this for David "Feets" Rogers: LowD-D-F#-A-D-F#
Now that's one I'd like to know the guages on! He's the guy that made me want to play Hawaiiann music in the first place.
When I get a chance, gotta tell you about the '37 Ric Silver Hawaiian & original amp I just scored....
wee ha indeeed!
cheers,
Mark |
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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
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