montana - Posted - 07/05/2012:  08:45:04

Considering taking up the dobro. Been a pro musician all my life but retired from performing last December. Been researching and think this could be a good instrument has a conbination of standerd dobro tuning and 6th tuning which seems to be a way to play all style without having to retune, What do you experienced players think?

Grizz - Posted - 07/05/2012:  09:27:56

First  to the hangout. I am not that experienced a player, but I know enough to ask you to please explain. Standard Dobro tuning for a 6 string is G B D G B D  Now you are talking about an 8 string 6th tuning. Which one? A6. C6. E6? None of these contain the standard Dobro tuning within them. So if you wanted it you would have to re-tune anyway and what about string gages?  I know Mike Auldridge uses C6 and C9. It is my understanding that these tunings and the 8 string are used for Western Swing. There are some examples on Mikes web site here mikeauldridge.com/  He uses both the 6 and 8 and don't think I am wrong in saying his main axe is the 6.

badger - Posted - 07/05/2012:  09:52:04

 Eight-string G6 incorporates the standard dobro tuning within it.  C6 is very versatile, but a lot can be done with a six-string and standard G tuning - listen to Rob and Jerry tear it up and ask yourself if you really need the extra two strings.  If you're heading into traditional bluegrass/fiddle tune territory, stay with the standard tuning.   I had an 8-string for awhile and could never get behind it, but that says more about me and my laziness than it does the instrument.  If you've spent time with steel guitar in non-pedal 8-string tunings, it would make for an easy transition. Just my $.02

jacknj - Posted - 07/05/2012:  10:14:07

Just to add my 2 cents here, I have an 8-string OMI Dobro (1980), which I tune as follows: low to high, EGDGBDAC.  Strings 7 thru 3 (GDGBD) make up all but one string

of the Open G tuning, which allows for more traditional "bluegrass/ country" playing. My 8th string, E, gives me the sixth scale note of the G scale. These lower 6 strings E thru D are similar

to Greg Booth's tuning, low to high, EBDGBD. The upper two strings on my guitar, A and C, are tuned lower in pitch than my 3rd string D. (Similar to the way an E9 pedal steel is tuned)

These two strings give more chordal possibilities, but I probably use them more to expand my selection of scale notes.

Jack

Jake Foster - Posted - 07/05/2012:  10:59:01

jacknj - Posted - 07/05/2012:  11:58:43

If I were delving into an 8-string dobro for the first time, I would definitely consider the Beard Gold Tone model (around $800). A great value, and probably sounds better than my OMI Dobro.

Jack

Webb - Posted - 07/05/2012:  12:05:06

quote:

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Originally posted by Jake Foster

 

I've always wondered why 8 strings aren't more popular...

 

If I could go back to when I first started playing, with what I know now, I would have started with an 8 string.  If you're going to be branching out a lot, like outside of the 'typical' dobro repertoire, or are just really into theory, you'll notice real fast that the 6 string has quite limited chordal possibilities and a lot of compromises have to be made (those two extra strings would change everything!)

 

Yeah, I guess it just depends on what you plan on playing though.  As mentioned, good players do pretty amazing things with only 6 and rarely play with 8 (there must be a reason for that).

 

For me though (when affordable), I'd choose an 8 string before I getting a better 6: beardguitars.com/Merchant2/mer...Code=GTRG

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I can play just about any chord there is with a 6 string G tuning. It's still the most versatile tuning there is in my opinion and I love 6 tunings. I've played a lot of C6 on steel and love it, but it has it's limitations. You can do a lot of 6th swing stuff on E9 with the D lever engaged. On the Dobro, I can play a lot of the same stuff by simply raising my 4th string D to an E. As someone else mentioned, the Drop E tuning where you lower the lower G to an E offers a lot of great possibilities as well. It would be just about impossible to do a lot of the popular riffs of today's dobroists with an 8 stringer. But, having said that, I willno doubt own an 8 string MA-8 Beard one day because of my love for the 6th tuning and swing. I think that particular guitar was made for swing and jazz--wonderful tone for it. But I would never have one as a stand alone guitar unless I only played in those genres.

hlpdobro - Posted - 07/05/2012:  13:01:19

I play 6 and (G6) 8 string. My .02 is that when playing straight ahead bluegrass you have strings that just get in the way and you have to develop "grips" that skip over strings. Makes it awkward to roll.

My interest in the 8 happened when Mike Auldridge released "Eight String Swing". I've stuck with the G6 path ever since. Like Mike I'll go back and forth between 6/8 strings as required. He's way more elegant about it then I am.

I concur that the Gold Tone PBS-8 is one heck of a guitar for the $$$. I've played a bunch of them.

h

jacknj - Posted - 07/05/2012:  13:21:38

quote:

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Originally posted by hlpdobro

I play 6 and (G6) 8 string. My .02 is that when playing straight ahead bluegrass you have strings that just get in the way and you have to develop "grips" that skip over strings. Makes it awkward to roll.

My interest in the 8 happened when Mike Auldridge released "Eight String Swing". I've stuck with the G6 path ever since. Like Mike I'll go back and forth between 6/8 strings as required. He's way more elegant about it then I am.

I concur that the Gold Tone PBS-8 is one heck of a guitar for the $$$. I've played a bunch of them.

h

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            I knew you would chime in on this one Howard. I concur, that if I'm doing "straight ahead bluegrass" I'll use my 6 string (Open G preference by me). The 8 string tuning came  about with

            the influence primarily from Steve Toth, who I guessed had some motivation from Mike A. Anyway I've changed what Steve had originally done to the tuning .  (see previous post).  I kept

            the  G tuning in the middle strings just because it was what I was familiar with, and as I stated, the other scale tones, E, A, and C are there to expand the vocabulary, not necessarily for

            chordal use.

            Even if I wanted a single guitar to do "everything", there is tonal differences between a 6 and 8 string guitar. The load on the cone being different, etc.  all add to the difference. Howard can

            probably speak further to this .

            Jack

Edited by - jacknj on 07/05/2012 13:24:37

Shifty - Posted - 07/05/2012:  13:43:56

A little while back I had a MA8 in my sights, ready to buy at an excellent price. I emailed Mike Auldridge for his opinion, and he saved me a good deal of money when he asked if I planned to play swing music, and said if I did it was just what I needed.

That answered my question!!

hlpdobro - Posted - 07/05/2012:  14:06:00

"I knew you would chime in on this one Howard. I concur, that if I'm doing "straight ahead bluegrass" I'll use my 6 string (Open G preference by me). The 8 string tuning came about with"



I guess I've become all to predictable



The 8 string is a curious beast with no real standard tuning. I was an early adopter and had mine built as soon as I heard Mike play it. I trotted over to him for lessons and I've been on a slippery slope ever since.



Although Mike started his journey on G6 he has other tunings:



C6 (D on top 1 whole tone higher then string 3)



A6



D9 or C9 (Like top 8 strings of E9 pedal steel)



Some have worked better then others as a live guitar because of string gauges and cone loading. As a 6th tuning I think Mike has settled on (for now) A6 because it is a bit more aggressive then the G6 and not as tinny sounding as the C6. I believe he puts the chromatic 2nd note on the top string (B in this case) as many C6 pedal steelers do.



To hear Mike play E9 steel licks on the D9 tunes reso is pretty amazing. Personally I cannot wrap my brain around it if I don't have pedals. That's Mike.



As for the guitar itself, I have Beard s/n 002, an 8 string mahogany E body. I love it...until I play an MA-8, which I admit just blows it out of the water. It sounds pretty much like an MA-6.



h

Edited by - hlpdobro on 07/05/2012 14:07:06

Webb - Posted - 07/06/2012:  07:44:25

quote:

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Some have worked better then others as a live guitar because of string gauges and cone loading. As a 6th tuning I think Mike has settled on (for now) A6 because it is a bit more aggressive then the G6 and not as tinny sounding as the C6. I believe he puts the chromatic 2nd note on the top string (B in this case) as many C6 pedal steelers do.

That's interesting and makes sense. Even on pedal steel, I tend to like B6, and I think my next steel is going to be a universal because of it.



To hear Mike play E9 steel licks on the D9 tunes reso is pretty amazing. Personally I cannot wrap my brain around it if I don't have pedals. That's Mike.

10-4 on the not wrapping your brain around it. I love E9, but can't imagine it without pedals, especially the top 8.



As for the guitar itself, I have Beard s/n 002, an 8 string mahogany E body. I love it...until I play an MA-8, which I admit just blows it out of the water. It sounds pretty much like an MA-6.



I'm going to have one someday. I think the MA 8 just has a quality to its tone that is made for swing like nothing acoustic I've ever heard.

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