Converting a stock 6 string Regal ® Dobro ®
to a custom 7 string Regal ® Dobro ®

For G6 / C6 Western Swing / Jazz / Hawaiian Tuning
 

"The difference between Open G tuning on Dobro vs. Bb6th ( or C6th w/ a capo ),
is like the difference between playing Checkers vs. Chess. Both are fun" - RJ

For those guitars that really shouldn't be altered, or for just experimenting,
some good G6th, C6th, A6th or E13th six string tunings are:

6 string G6th Tunings  - low to high
E - B - D - G - B - D
or
G - D - E - G - B - D

6 string C6th ( w/ high G ) Tuning  - low to high
E - G - A - C - E - G

6 string C6th Tuning  - low to high
C - E - G - A - C - E

6 string Bill Leavitt ( Bbdim9th ) Tuning  - low to high
C# - E - G - Bb - C - D

Jerry Byrd's celebrated 6 string F#m9th ( aka F#9th ) Tuning  - low to high
F# - A# - E - G# - C# - E


>> 6 string " LUGAN " ( Bb6th ) Tuning  - low to high <<
A# - D - F - G - A# - D
 
Bb6th becomes C6th w/ capo on 2nd fret, and yet still retains that "old-timey" Dobro tone.
Standard Dobro strings can be used, & just add a .34 or .32 gauge for the F,
and use the usual lower B string for the A#. YouTube Demo below.

"LUGAN" Tuning Demonstration

"Last Train Home" on YouTube

Resophonic Dobro A6 / E13 / C13 Tunings

6 string A6th Tuning  - low to high
A - C# - E - F# - A - C#

6 string E13th Tuning  - low to high
E - G# - B - C# - E - G#

Replace Spider Inserts with one piece Insert
This one I bought from Paul Beard Guitars
and trimmed to fit.
Since the resophonic cone was already adjusted, I did not
need access to spider screw. Beard Guitars does offer
a special offset spider for those who feel the need to.
Remember to pencil mark cone position
to coverplate screwhole before removing!
Be Careful -
 

Remember to drill hole for Tuning Peg screws
or wood may split.
Note - small mounting plates for Tuning Pegs.
 

The 7 String tailpiece was bought from Beard Guitars.

Rodeo Joe also uses Slick50 ® on his Stevens bar ( बट्टा ),
steel strings, & metal slides. Watch his YouTube Video.

( This endorsement is not-for-profit )

Converted 6 String Regal ® to 7 string
for Western Swing, Bluegrass, & Hawaiian Music


Flinthill ® squarenecks are also high quality resonators
with similar headstocks

The process worked well for me.
Use these ideas, but at your own risk.
Enjoy !!!

SEVEN STRING
Resophonic Dobro G6 / C6 Tunings
 

G6 Tuning  - low to high ( L 2 H )
G - B - D - E - G - B - D

or

C13 Tuning  - low to high
G - A# - C - E - G - A - C
( an easy retuning of the above G6 strings )

or

C6/A7 Tuning  - low to high
C - C# - E - G - A - C - E

C6 ( /w high G ) Tuning  - low to high
C - E - G - A - C - E - G

C6 ( /w high D ! ) Tuning  - low to high
E - G - A - C - E - G - D

SEVEN STRING
Resophonic Dobro A6 Tuning

A6 ( /w high C# ! ) Tuning  - low to high
F# - A - C# - E - F# - A - C#
- like Joaquin Murphey's A6th.
 

For some eloquent 7 string Bluegrass G6th Dobro music,
check out the legendary Robert Murphy of the Piper Road Spring Band
on their classic ( and still available ) "Kettle Moraine" CD,
or this video from the Bean Blossom Fest back in 1977.
 

Or listen online to
HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR TUNES BY GERALD ROSS

SEVEN STRING
Resophonic 13th Tuning for Blues & Rockabilly

A13th Tuning  - low to high
G - A - C# - E - F# - A - C#

( an easy re-tuning of the above 7-string G6th )

B13th Tuning  - low to high
F# - A - B - D# - F# - A - C#
 

The 7 string resonator can also be tuned to a "Bakersfield"  E9 tuning.
Mike Neer has a great resource website.

The above headstock alteration lends itself to affordable electric lap steels as well.

__________________________________________

For those guitars that really shouldn't be altered -
or for some "Jazzy" experimenting,
good G6th, C6th, A6th or E13th six string tunings are:

6 string G6th Tunings  - low to high
E - B - D - G - B - D
or
G - D - E - G - B - D

6 string C6th Tunings  - low to high
E - G - A - C - E - G
or
C - E - G - A - C - E

>> 6 string "LUGAN" ( Bb6th ) Tuning  - low to high <<
A# - D - F - G - A# - D
 
Bb6th becomes C6th w/ a capo on 2nd fret, and still retains that "old-timey" Dobro tone.
Standard Dobro strings can be used, & just add a .34 or .32 gauge for the F,
and use the usual lower B string for the A#.

6 string A6th Tuning  - low to high
A - C# - E - F# - A - C#

6 string E13th Tuning  - low to high
E - G# - B - C# - E - G#

6 string Bill Leavitt ( Bbdim9th ) Tuning  - low to high
C# - E - G - Bb - C - D

and check out Greg Booth on YouTube
_______________________________________

John Ely's Generic Chord Locator is highly recommended as a resource.

For other tunings, including C6th & E13th, w/ string gauges,
see Scotty's Music Tunings webpage.

_____________________________________________________________

Jerry Byrd played a seven string steel guitar - and developed the C6th tuning.
J.B. played on the Hank Williams' MGM 78 classic "I'm so lonesome I could cry".

The iconic Mike Auldridge had a wonderful instruction resource center website.

Professional Cindy Cashdollar has instructional DVDs for Western Swing Steel.

L.T. Zinn sold top shelf C6th and E9th 8 string sets

Scotty's Music, Inc., is a steel guitar paradise.

Ukrainian eBay seller " volkovroman75 " has 7 string guitars & tuners available.
The guitars are under $200, and the tuners are good quality.
 

some photos from Scotty's I.S.G.C. 2009, including Jerry Byrd's Frying Pan,
and a 7 string Sho-Bro resonator made by Shot Jackson,
and the late, great Dewitt Scott himself.
 

Below is pictured a 1930's seven string Dobro ®
showing the same headstock design from the factory
70 years ago !

EARLY HISTORY
चित्रवीणा
The earliest reference to a seven stringed instrument
played with fingers and a cylindrical pestle ( बट्टा ) is a Chitravīṇā,
in Bharata's Nāṭya Śāstra, ( नाट्य शास्त्र ) more than 2000 years ago.
It is sometimes referred to as a Gotuvadyam ( w/ 21 strings ).
The musician is called a vainika ( वैणिक ).

कः नस् अजानीम ?
 

Pass it on

Joseph Kekuku - Inventor of the Steel Guitar