Steel Players - What's the best tunkng to learn on.

[shunka]

I have a six string Chandler. Doubt if I'll progress to anything more sophisticated and certainly not if I can't decide on a decent tuning soon.
I don't really want to play "real" country. Wouldnt mind being able to use it for some Eagles type stuff. I'm leaning towards a G6. I have an old instruction book, which I think is for E7 OR E9.
Some suggestions would help.

[Wilko]

I made up my own G6 for "real country" G,D,G,B,E,G

I lost my book and don't remember the right tunings for that eagles like stuff. Pretty sure it's all the 9 chord.

David Lindley did some great sounding stuff with G,D,G,Bb,D,G. (Or am I totally high?) Works great for Mercury blues anyway. Maybe all of Runnin' on Empty.

[Moe Humble]

Brad's Page of Steel is the best resource for tunings of lap steel that I know. Don't let the picture fool of the girl fool you. This is a very legit site.

This is the main page: http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/steel.html

Here is the tunings page: http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/tuning.html

I am a pedal steel player, as well, and know of many resources for steels and tunings... Pedal Steel and Lap Steel are not just for country. Also check out some of the tunings and links in http://www.steelguitarforum.com

[Old Tele man]

Don't know which is "best" but here's a bunch of 'most commonly used' tunings (see string set "tunings"):

http://steelguitarmusic.com/strings.html.

[Moe Humble]

standard tuning for pedal steel guitars:
"E9" neck
F# .013
D# .015
G# .011*
E .014
B .017
G# .020p
F# .026w
E .030
D .034
B .036 C

"C6" neck
D .015
E .014
C .017
A .020p
G .026w
E .030
C .036
A .042
F .054
C .068

Non Pedal Steel Guitar
two different types of C6 tunings for 8 string double neck

C6 High C6 Low
------- -------
G .011 E .014
E .014 C .017
C .018 A .022w
A .024w G .024
G .026 E .030
E .030 C .034
C .036 A .042
A .042 G .046

Lap Steel - 6 String tunings

C6th/A6th
---------
E/E .015
C/C# .017
A/A .020
G/F# .024w
E/E .030
C/C# .036

A Major/E7
E /E .015
C#/B .018
A /G# .022w
E /E .030
C#/D .036
A /B .042

E Major
E .015
B .020
G# .024w
E .030
B .038
E .054

Howz that ... perfectly clear as mud?

[Annie D.]

Dear Moe:

Can I come and apprentice for a time? I'm only familiar with D and blunder around some in G.

[Moe Humble]

c'mon down!!! open for business!!

[echoplex]

I use C6 for western swing/rockabilly and E or G for blues. Late 40's Supro 6-string lap steel into a '49 Silvertone 1340.