Steel Guitar String Gauges & Tuning Guide | Pedal Steel, Lap Steel & Dobro

Choosing the right strings for your steel guitar depends on your instrument, tuning, and playing style. This guide covers some of the most common tunings used on pedal steel, lap steel including Hawaiian styles, resonator/Dobro, slide guitar, and Weissenborn guitars.There’s no single “right” answer — finding the right strings is part of the journey, and many players adjust their gauges over time to match their tone and playing style.
This guide is a work in progress. We’re continuing to expand it as we add more tunings, variations, and real-world setups used by steel guitar players.If you spot something that doesn’t look right, or have a suggestion based on your own experience, feel free to reach out. The steel guitar community has always been a great resource, and we appreciate the help in making this guide better.

E9 Pedal Steel (10-String)

String Note Typical Gauge
1 F# .011 – .013
2 D# .014 – .015
3 G# .010 – .011
4 E .013 – .014
5 B .016 – .018
6 G# .020 – .022
7 F# .024 – .026
8 E .028 – .030
9 D .032 – .034
10 B .036 – .038

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C6 Pedal Steel (10-String)

String Note Typical Gauge
1 G .011 – .012
2 E .014
3 C .017
4 A .020
5 G .024w
6 E .030w
7 C .036w
8 A .042w
9 F .054w
10 C .070w

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Open G Dobro / Resonator

D-B-G-D-B-G (high → low)

String Note Typical Gauge
1 D .016
2 B .018
3 G .026 – .028
4 D .036 – .039
5 B .046 – .049
6 G .056 – .059

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Open D Slide Guitar

D-A-F#-D-A-D (high → low)

String Note Typical Gauge
1 D .016 – .017
2 A .020 – .022
3 F# .026 – .027
4 D .036 – .039
5 A .046 – .049
6 D .056 – .060

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Lap Steel Tunings

Lap steel guitars are used with many tunings, including:

  • C6
  • A6
  • E7
  • Open D
  • Open G

Different tunings may require different gauges depending on your guitar’s scale length.

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Hawaiian Steel Guitar Tunings

Hawaiian steel guitar players often use tunings such as C6, A6, B11, and E13. This section will continue to grow as we add more tuning charts and string gauge examples.

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Need Help Choosing Strings?

Steel guitar players are incredibly helpful. If you're unsure about your tuning or string gauges, visit The Steel Guitar Forum — where steel guitar players meet online — for player support, tuning discussions, setup advice, and even a little bragging.

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