Before we delve into the gauges for the top three strings to create a G version of C6, have you tried subbing either a 34w (might still break on some guitars) or to be safer a 32w on the 4th string and tune it up from D to E?

GBDEGBD or 136135 - so you have the 613 available to you, just moved one string down from having it on the top three strings to two, three, and four. 

You're not getting a full minor chord on the top three strings like C6, but you  might tune down the second string occasionally in the version I cited one half step to get a full minor chord on certain songs. You just have to be careful with the strings you choose to pick when doing that. 

My point is the G6 I use as written earlier gives me all the swing and/or classic Hawaiian sound that I can stand, and it is accomplished by just changing out the 4th string only, but it does lack the full minor chord. 

With the G based  135613 I would think you'll have to change out strings 2 and 3, but since I've never used that tuning, I'm not sure of the gauges required off the top of my head. 

Thank you for the response. I appreciate all of the details.

Currently, I only have one dobro so I'd like to be able to to switch between GBDGBD, Open D and a 6th tuning without having to change strings.

Also, I like to stick with the 1 3 5 6 1 3 low to high like in C6 (CEGACE low to high) because I have that on a lap steel and I don't want to learn a another tuning yet. The bluegrass group I play with does not allow electric instruments so I want to have a 6th tuning available on my dobro.

So you want to play in the bluegrass group using the G equivalent of C6 tuning? 

I'm not saying it can't be done, there are accomplished C6 lap steel players who can easily switch around to different genres and not always sound like  western swing or "Hawaiianish," but for myself, though I'm okay at C6 steel guitar, it might be a disaster trying to use a version of it in bluegrass. Sometimes in bluegrass you'll hear groups playing the likes of western swing classics like San Antonio Rose or Roly Poly. That's when I'd go for the G6 tuning with the 4th string tuned up from D to E provided I ahve the proper gauge on the guitar. I used to attend a regional jam where a guy had a beautiful 7 string Clinesmith tuned to GBDEGBD and he would let me play it. I loved it - you have the 6th note E in the middle with the full GBDGBD on either side.

This jam was sort of all comers, everything from bluegrass and traditional country to James Taylor, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and jazzy/swing numbers and blues. You had to be on your toes because you would often be playing on a song you're familiar with as a listener, but it was the first time in your life you were playing it on a dobro.

Do you have The Resocasters CD? If not, it's one of the best "dobrocentric" albums of all time, released in 2002.  Jimmy Heffernan with the late Mike Auldridge and on a Franklin Pedabro, the late Hal Rugg along with some great Nashville backing musicians.  Jimmy and Mike play dobros on some of the songs in multiple alternate tunings  instead of GBDGBD on everything. As a bonus, in the liner booklet they list the alternate tunings when used on the different tracks. Every dobro player needs this album.

https://www.jimmyheffernan.com/woocommerce/product/the-resocasters-cd/
 

My bluegrass groups is OK with some country, swing, etc. if it has simple 1,4,5 chords. They are not OK with electric (my lap steel).

I'm trying to find the best 6th tuning on my dobro without having to switch strings (with acceptable tension, unlikely to break strings, etc). I want a 6th tuning with the same intervals as 1 3 5 6 1 3 low to high like in C6 (CEGACE low to high).

I would suggest using A6 tuning, (bass to treble A C# E F# A C#). You could use the same strings you're currently using. If you really feel more comfortable in C6 tuning, use a capo on the third fret.

Doug, I didn't go to a string calculator for this, so it's based on general experience with dobros and steel guitars. 

You already have the strings for the low GBD (strings 6,5 and 4). You could certainly tune down the .028w 3rd string to E, and I'm not at home right now so I'm not sure about the feel (more than the tone), but it might be a little too wiggly, and some pressure from the bar might knock it out of tune. I would put something no thicker than a .034w as a sub for the 3rd string tuned to E, and to be on the safe side a .032w would be even better as far as breakage prevention. I've occasionally broken .034w 4th strings in the past when I have tuned them from  D up to E. I would replace the typical .036w with the lighter string when tuning to my version of G6 or GBEGBD, because the .036w that comes with the set will blow every time if you try to crank it up from D to E on the typical 25" scale reso. 

The 2nd string B can be moved up to the first string since that's where you want the 3rd interval. 

You might see how it goes by taking the normal 3rd string G .028w and moving it to the 2nd string position since you want a G note there. One thing to be aware of is the wound .028 might sit pretty high in both the nut slot and bridge insert because a 17 or 18 plain has lived there in the past. 

The long and short of it is I don't think there is any way with a set of EJ42s that you can leave them be and tune to GBDEGB. The top three strings all have to be moved, and you will likely need a new 3rd string for the E note for it to have a pleasing tone. 

If you try all of this, let us know how it goes, or if you come up with something different we'd like to hear about that as well. 

I switched to GDEgbd [6-1] on my old Regal 6 string years ago. I've always played Dobro in a bluegrass band and it works ok. I then switched to an 8 string D-63 [OMI] tuned DGBdegbd [8-1]. and it works quite well. It's like Mike Aldridge's "8 string swing" record. It's in "G" so normal bluegrass sounds ok- you get a minor and a minor 7th under the bar. It does sound a bit "swingy' but with a little practice you can avoid the 6th notes. I also have 2 lap steels in various tunings [open D/ E6-13] so I've tried lots of different tunings in the past and I kinda know what works.

"Auldridge"

One more option, for "sort of swinging":

I play an 8 string steel in C6, and besides the 6th tuning I have (to my ears) swing licks and bar moves. When at a jam with the dobro in high G or E, I don't have that 6th note but can still sneak in some swingy sounding licks. If it's just for the occasional swingy song, you might want to consider this. But if it's more than just a couple songs, the 6th tuning does swing more.

"Currently, I only have one dobro so I'd like to be able to to switch between GBDGBD, Open D and a 6th tuning without having to change strings.

Also, I like to stick with the 1 3 5 6 1 3 low to high like in C6 (CEGACE low to high) because I have that on a lap steel and I don't want to learn a another tuning yet. The bluegrass group I play with does not allow electric instruments so I want to have a 6th tuning available on my dobro."

Doug:

If you, like many of us, can live with the slacker feel of Open D tuning on a 16-56 reso string set, you should be just fine with G6 tuning, GBDEGB low to high. I made a scientific wild-a$$ guess and determined that Open D and GBDEGB would be about the same total tension. An official calculation with The McDonald Patent Universal String Tension Calculator says my SWAG is pretty close.  You can try it with no damage to see if you're okay with the feel.

quote:

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Originally posted by daver

"Currently, I only have one dobro so I'd like to be able to to switch between GBDGBD, Open D and a 6th tuning without having to change strings.

Also, I like to stick with the 1 3 5 6 1 3 low to high like in C6 (CEGACE low to high) because I have that on a lap steel and I don't want to learn a another tuning yet. The bluegrass group I play with does not allow electric instruments so I want to have a 6th tuning available on my dobro."
 

 

Doug:

If you, like many of us, can live with the slacker feel of Open D tuning on a 16-56 reso string set, you should be just fine with G6 tuning, GBDEGB low to high. I made a scientific wild-a$$ guess and determined that Open D and GBDEGB would be about the same total tension. An official calculation with The McDonald Patent Universal String Tension Calculator says my SWAG is pretty close.  You can try it with no damage to see if you're okay with the feel.
 

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Mrs. inSonoma and I are on vacation down in San Diego, didn't bring a reso but I did bring a flattop, and I just tuned the 2nd string from B down to G (you're not going to be able to tune a plain .018 up to G, you'd have to put on an 11 or 12 for that) isn't the worst thing in the world, if I were serious about making Doug's intervals my permanent tuning, I would change out some gauges as I wrote in an earlier post.  Trying to really like that tuning with a typical dobro set like the  EJ42  - I don't think I would.  But I also don't see myself using Doug's tuning for bluegrass, modern country, acoustic rock, folk or blues either. 

When I tune from G down to D, the only string that really stands out for me in terms of floppiness is the 6th string, but I'm with Jerry Douglas in that he's said over the years it doesn't bother him. 

I haven't checked in here in a while, but I'll add my two cents about swing tunings. You say that you'd like to add a swing tuning to your G and D tunings; I'm guessing that you might have a Doubleshot tailpiece? Either way, you can have a pretty legitimate swing sound by retuning your 2nd string in DADF#AD tuning up to B for D6. That will give you 151361 and a full Bm triad on all strings but the 2nd. I used this tuning on my Boot Heel Drag video.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I really appreciate it. Doug

I have not been a regular on here lately, but I'll throw my opinion out there. I am not an expert on C6, although originally from Hawaii, but I found you have to change string gauges to get a decent C6 on 6 strings. I played Ke Kali Nei Au, The Hawaiian Wedding song for my daughter as walked down the isle, I restrung one of my other dobros, then played the reception with my band on my main axe in G.

I tuned my lap steel to BDGBDE to have the sixth in the higher register and keep the G tuning on the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings (I rarely use the G bass when I play, mainly country or western swing). I'm curious to know if other musicians use this tuning?

I've toyed with a 1st string 6th, and a 1st string 6th or 7th in E tuning. It didn't suit me personally, but if one wanted to retune 1 string just for a song or two, that could work nicely.

quote:

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Originally posted by CountrySkinner

I tuned my lap steel to BDGBDE to have the sixth in the higher register and keep the G tuning on the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings (I rarely use the G bass when I play, mainly country or western swing). I'm curious to know if other musicians use this tuning?

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There's an awful lot of tunings out there, and though I have seen or heard plenty of them, I don't believe I have ever seen this one.

Happy New Year! I very recently started fooling around with a new to me tuning, while attempting to arrange Terry Baucom’s Knee Deep in Bluegrass for dobro. It’s not a 6th tuning, and I’m sure I’m not the first to use it, but it’s F# B D# F# B D#. Open B tuning, 513513. A way to play in the key of B without the horrible 4th fret capo sound and losing all your deep tone. And yes Mark, I know Rob plays very well in B without the capo in regular tuning, but this has a different sound and a lot of your normal licks work only shifted ahead one string. Kind of how D tuning works only the opposite direction. The tuning adjustment is just a half step up on your Ds and a half step down on your Gs. The overall tension is about the same and it can be done quickly.

quote:

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Originally posted by AK Slider

Happy New Year! I very recently started fooling around with a new to me tuning, while attempting to arrange Terry Baucom’s Knee Deep in Bluegrass for dobro. It’s not a 6th tuning, and I’m sure I’m not the first to use it, but it’s F# B D# F# B D#. Open B tuning, 513513. A way to play in the key of B without the horrible 4th fret capo sound and losing all your deep tone. And yes Mark, I know Rob plays very well in B without the capo in regular tuning, but this has a different sound and a lot of your normal licks work only shifted ahead one string. Kind of how D tuning works only the opposite direction. The tuning adjustment is just a half step up on your Ds and a half step down on your Gs. The overall tension is about the same and it can be done quickly.

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Wow - this is clever!  Definitely handy for Key of B heavy set lists.  Wish it was Hipshot DoubleShot friendly, but the lever only works when strings shift pitch in one direction.  But like you said, easy retuning to achieve.  Thanks for the eye opener.

I've used 351351 tunings (low to high) for doing Shot Jackson stuff.  (G# B E G# B E), which is basically standard Open E with a third on the bottom.  When I deciphered his Born to Lose instrumental, some of the fills clued me that he had his bottom tuned to a third, at least for this specific tune.

quote:

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Originally posted by AK Slider. And yes Mark, I know Rob plays very well in B without the capo in regular tuning...

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Wait a second Greg - you might have me mixed up with someone else when it come to Rob and capos.

I'm usually the guy who defends Rob's use of capos, because there are players who claim he never uses one, alluding to the old saw that capos are a "crutch" and you need to be able to play a song in any key without one blah, blah, blah.  Yet I have seen him use them on a number of occasions. 

I'd lke to try this tuning but a question about the 4th string tuned up to D# - no problem with breakage? I know when I have tuned my 4th up a whole step to E to play G6th the typical .035w or .036w would break every time. It only happened a couple times many years ago then I learned my lesson. I'm gun shy of adding any additional tension at all  on that 4th string in the typical dobro set, but there's no issue with tuning up one half step?

To add some context to Greg's post, here is the late Terry Baucom on Knee Deep in Bluegrass. I chose this video because the guy who shot it from the audience did some nice work on closeups. I'm looking forward to Greg's dobro interpretation in Open B. 

I’ve been going to a weekly jam w my son and some other fine players and have been looking for an excuse and motivation to get my banjo chops back up a little. I picked this Terry Baucom tune to bring to the jam, his tone and drive is like no other and is just the inspiration I needed. So I learned the banjo part but there are several other good banjo pickers that frequent this jam so I figured I could just move over to my preferred instrument!

I mentioned you @MarkinSonoma because you’re a fan of Rob’s like I am and I’m pretty sure if the song is in B he’ll just play in open G. One of his popular classes at RS is this. I admit I need to practice doing that, but I’m pretty excited with how this is going with open B tuning! I just finished a practice session and ended up putting my DoubleShot into B down to Bm. Now when I want to go to G, I start w Bm and tune strings 6 and 3 manually up a half step to G. The DoubleShot is only pulling strings 4 and 1 from D to D#. No breakage and no strain. This setup also gives me a big Gaug by engaging the tailpiece and pulling the Ds up a half step from regular G tuning.

Here is the album cut with some great playing by all!

youtu.be/kFiqq0xrz5k?si=N35VppBoi6qmJnLd

I tried A6 with my typical string gauges. It worked pretty well. Same intervals as the standard C6, just pitched down:

L--------------->H
A C# E F# A C#

One more thought- you can also go to 11, so to speak. B11 is a not uncommon Hawaiian tuning, and A11 works with typical gauges- GBDAC#E. Strings 1-3 are up a step, but haven't protested too much. You can find a 6th as well as a 7th in there. I played around and did end up tuning back to "normal", but it's worth trying out.