| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2011 : 10:23:11 AM
|
|
Go to the Slack key/Hawaiian music and select "Acustic--Wessenborn style guitar playing" from fred d. It really should be here, but we got carried away.
|
keaka |
|
|
Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 11:20:29 PM
|
Jack,
I start Skype lessons with Alan Akaka tomorrow (today, Tuesday) and need to tune my taropatch Weissenborn up to C6. I have .14- .60 strings on it now; I understand the heavier gauge strings give better tone, but can i tune the bottom strings, especially the 6th, all the way up that high? If I tune it low, down from the low D in taropatch, it sounds muddy, as does the 5th string tuned to E down from G. I assume i need to go an octave higher. As it was, the 4th string tuned up to G from D was already a "stretch". Your suggestions for string gauge would be much appreciated.
Mahalo |
Karl
Frozen North |
 |
|
|
Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2011 : 03:05:07 AM
|
Hi Karl!
I really don't think it's a good idea tuning a .60 all the way up to a C. It'll have a lot of tension and will be likely to break. I'd suggest nothing heavier than a .40 on the low string, and also replace the next strings up with something like 30 ish and 24 ish. Your top three strings should be OK, though. |
|
|
|
Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
|
|
Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2011 : 07:02:15 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by slipry1
Go to the Slack key/Hawaiian music and select "Acustic--Wessenborn style guitar playing" from fred d. It really should be here, but we got carried away.
Thanks for the heads up. I moved it. |
Andy |
|
|
|
Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2011 : 09:17:40 AM
|
Good on ya, Karl. I wish my steam-powered 'net connection would allow that. No, I just have to fly to Hawaii and study with him in person.
Check out Bob's string gauge suggestions elsewhere on the site, or go to Brad's Page of Steel for more.
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
I strung up my Weisenheimer with the suggested gauges (don't recall which at the moment), substituting phospher bronze for the wound strings. Sounds great.
I keep it in A6, mostly, cuz I like the fifth on top.
Heck, I like a fifth even when I'm in the middle, but that is another story.  |
|
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2011 : 10:17:30 AM
|
Eh, Karl - welcome to the Dark Side. Alan has an .060 on the eighth (low) string of his C6 neck, and an .014 on the first (the E above middle C on a piano). On my 6 string steels & Dobro I use a Bb on the bottom, .035 as I recall. When you get on line with him, he'll help you out. He may have a low C down there, too. So - from the top, E C A G E (Bb, A or C). If you look at what you have (Top down D B G D ? ?), you'll see that the notes are close enough for the top strings, but you'll have to change the bottom ones. btw, I learned my tuning from Henry Allen about 8 years ago. It's the one he uses in all of his teaching material.
I'm going to be skyping lessons as well when I get home (I'm in Kailua, Oahu right now. Had a lesson last Saturday, sat in with him and the Keawe family at the Moana Terrace). Also, if there is any way you can afford it, come to Aloha Camp next month. Alan will be the steel teacher, and Mark, Konabob, Chris Kennison from HSGA (anyone else, Mark?) will be there for an intensive week of learning, jamming and rumpusing. Oh, boy!!!!!! |
keaka |
|
|
|
Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2011 : 12:29:51 PM
|
Alan's suggested string set for 6 string, C6, top to bottom (why do steel players go top to bottomwhen teh rest of the world goes frombottom to top; is this what slipry means by the "dark side"?);
.14
.18
.20 Plain
.24 plain
.30 - .32
.34 - .36
Getting the hang of the tuning for the one song he gave me to practice, Makalapua, but will need a lot of work to transpose that knowledge to other tunes; not nearly as intuitive tome as taropatch for slack key.
Konabob, i met another lap steel player/builder in town; actually I have known him for years but did not know about his afflction for steel; i just thought he was another weird Alaskan bush rat. THis explains a lot!
Anyway, here is a link to his stuff; he makes his own designs, similar to what I do; all out of our own heads. But, he does a better job of executing his work. I just beat mine to death with blunt instruments of destruction "}
http://www.pacettiinstruments.com/ |
Karl
Frozen North |
|
|
|
slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2011 : 3:53:19 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Karl Monetti
Alan's suggested string set for 6 string, C6, top to bottom (why do steel players go top to bottomwhen teh rest of the world goes frombottom to top; is this what slipry means by the "dark side"?);
.14
.18
.20 Plain
.24 plain
.30 - .32
.34 - .36
Getting the hang of the tuning for the one song he gave me to practice, Makalapua, but will need a lot of work to transpose that knowledge to other tunes; not nearly as intuitive tome as taropatch for slack key.
That's pretty much what I've got. btw, I always go from bottom to top - it seems to be more natural for me, although you are correct about most steelers (and some ukists and guitarists, too) starting from the top. |
keaka |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Steel stuff on the slack key page
