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  How do I tune a B11th?

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Author Topic:   How do I tune a B11th?
Papa Joe Pollick
Member

From: Pontiac, Michigan, USA

posted 15 March 2005 10:09 AM     profile   send email     edit
Hi guys,wannabe steeler here..I have a Stringmaster D8, 2 old National laps,and a ZB DS10 with 3 stomps and 4 bumpers.I know there are plenty of you who are willing to help me with getting started on the straight and narrow.So how do I tune for a B11th on either the 8 string or 6 string? Thanks for any help you can offer.Dang I love this forum..
God Bless Jerry Byrd.
thank you.
P.J.
Paul Arntson
Member

From: Bothell ,WA (just outside Seattle)

posted 15 March 2005 10:59 AM     profile   send email     edit
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/002263.html

Above thread is a good one. Also, you can do a search on this forum on b11 and come up with a bunch of stuff. Also Brad's Page of Steel has some good stuff.

Good luck.
-paul

Rick Alexander
Member

From: Florida, USA

posted 15 March 2005 11:40 AM     profile   send email     edit
Hello Papa Joe, and welcome!

B 11th tuning, low to high is:
A, B, C#, D#, F#, A, C#, E

This tuning and many others are explained here.

Rick Alexander
Big Steel

[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 15 March 2005 at 11:40 AM.]

Chris Scruggs
Member

From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

posted 15 March 2005 11:43 AM     profile   send email     edit
E
C#
A
F#
E flat
C#
A
F#

This is the same as A6, only the fifth string is tuned to E flat instead of E. From a playing perspective, what you get here that you play it as a B9 tuning, which is also a F#min6. You can also play it as A6, just work around that E flat string.

There are other variations of B11, but this one is the quickest retune, and the F#min6 chord is spectacular!

CS

Bill Leff
Member

From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

posted 15 March 2005 12:31 PM     profile   send email     edit
My 8-string B11 tuning goes like this:

E first string (high string)
C# second string
A third string
F# fourth string
D# fifth string
B sixth string
A seventh string
B eight string (low string)

The top four strings are just like the A6 tuning (A6 chord).

Strings 2-8 give you fat B7th and 9th chords.
There's other chords lurking in there too.

Papa Joe Pollick
Member

From: Pontiac, Michigan, USA

posted 15 March 2005 01:59 PM     profile   send email     edit
Hey thanks guys,Paul,Bill,Scrugs,Rick.I'v got the idea now.Just need to try them all out and make a decision.After 60+ yrs.playing guitar,often with people that should have stayed on the porch,I'v become a chord freak trying to cover other people.Now I want to hear chords on my steel.They sound so much better to me than on the standard guitar.Plan on using just bass and drums for rythem, then one steel on chords and another for lead.Right now I'm working on "Georgia On My Mind".I'm using this tunning,low to high -C#-E-G-Bb-C-D. I'v found them all.Just have too smooth them out.Thanks again my friends.
God Bless Jerry Byrd
P.J.
Jay Jessup
Member

From: Charlottesville, VA, USA

posted 16 March 2005 07:31 AM     profile   send email     edit
Stompers and Bumpers, I like that, never heard that before. Another option for B11 is to hop on that ZB and stomp on the A&B stompers and shove over that E lower bumper then you have the B11 tuning on strings 4 though 9 but you have to remember to let loose of that bumper when you have notes to play on the high E string. C#m9 is another of my favorite Hawaiian tunings that is even easier to get on a stomper steel, just stomp on stomper A use strings 9 to 4 and you are there.
edit--whoops I forgot you also need to lower the low D string to C# to complete the B11 tuning, a very common change on most steels there days don't know about your old ZB though, most people have that on the lever that lowers the 2'nd string.

[This message was edited by Jay Jessup on 16 March 2005 at 07:34 AM.]

Jay Jessup
Member

From: Charlottesville, VA, USA

posted 18 March 2005 10:57 AM     profile   send email     edit
I realize this is the no-pedal area but I stumbled on something at Billy Coopers yesterday that I didn't know existed. He has a new GFI single 10 with keyless tuners that is custom made to a 22.5" scale (compared to his standard 24" or Emmons/Zum 24 1/4")I didn't get the weight but I'd be willing to bet it was a good bit lighter than my D-8 stringmaster. Like I noted above, part or all of quite a few Hawaiian tunings are availabe on a standard E9 pedal steel for anybody thinking about this route.
John Bechtel
Member

From: Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.A.

posted 18 March 2005 11:41 PM     profile   send email     edit
This is the B11–Tuning which came to me directly from Jerry Byrd some time ago: Low to High
8Lo-B–7A–6C#–5D#–4F#–3A–2C#–1E

------------------
“Big John” Bechtel
’49-’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence

John Bechtel
Member

From: Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.A.

posted 18 March 2005 11:50 PM     profile   send email     edit
The B11 is also available on the C6 standard pedal set-up by pushing and holding pedals #7 & #8 except it is an (A11) on the bottom (8)-strings. [10 thru 3]
10A–9E–8A–7C#–6E–5G–4B–3D

------------------
“Big John” Bechtel
’49-’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence

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