Big Bottom C6 Lap Steel Tuning: A Rich, Deep Foundation

The "Big Bottom C6 Lap Steel" tuning, also known as Papa Dafoe's C6 (GCEACE), is a distinctive and highly resonant tuning primarily designed for lap steel guitar. As its name suggests, it offers a significantly deeper and fuller low-end response compared to standard C6 tunings like CEGACE. This tuning creates a lush harmonic foundation, ideal for expressive slide playing with a rich, vintage character that evokes classic country, Hawaiian, and blues sounds.

Technical Analysis

This tuning sets the open strings to G2 C3 E3 A3 C4 E4. When strummed open, these notes form a powerful C6 chord with a G in the bass (C6/G). The arrangement provides a strong tonal center, making it intuitive for melodic and chordal slide work. The intervals between the strings are carefully chosen to provide both chordal richness and melodic flexibility:

• String 6 (G2) to String 5 (C3): Perfect 4th (+5 semitones)
• String 5 (C3) to String 4 (E3): Major 3rd (+4 semitones)
• String 4 (E3) to String 3 (A3): Perfect 4th (+5 semitones)
• String 3 (A3) to String 2 (C4): Minor 3rd (+3 semitones)
• String 2 (C4) to String 1 (E4): Major 3rd (+4 semitones)

The open C6/G chord provides a stable tonal center, allowing for easy access to major, minor, and dominant 7th chords by simply sliding a bar across the frets. The close grouping of the higher C-E (strings 2 and 1) along with the G-C-E-A (strings 6-3) makes common lap steel voicings and arpeggios readily available. It's crucial to note that this tuning is explicitly described as "not well suited to 6 string fretted guitars" due to its wide intervals and the specific note relationships optimized for slide playing, which would make standard fretting techniques difficult or impractical.

How to Tune Your Guitar to Big Bottom C6 Lap Steel

To achieve the GCEACE tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these string adjustments carefully. Please proceed with caution, especially when tuning strings up, as this increases tension. Generally, tuning a string up or down more than 4 semitones may require a different string gauge to maintain optimal tension and prevent string breakage.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 3 semitones to G2.
• 5th String (A): Tune up 3 semitones to C3.
• 4th String (D): Tune up 2 semitones to E3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 2 semitones to A3.
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 1 semitone to C4.
• 1st String (High E): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to E4.

6th String: G2 (The lowest string, providing the deep bass foundation for the C6 chord.)

5th String: C3 (A fundamental C note, forming the root of the open C6 chord.)

4th String: E3 (The major third of the C6 chord, adding brightness and harmonic definition.)

3rd String: A3 (The sixth of the C6 chord, giving it its characteristic C6 voicing.)

2nd String: C4 (An octave higher C, reinforcing the root and adding chime to the chord.)

1st String: E4 (An octave higher E, completing the chord with a bright, ringing major third.)