The pedal steel evolved from the Hawaiian steel guitar, an instrument that was always ripe for experimentation. Here are just a few examples of steel guitar tunings that don’t rely on pedals.
- Reece Anderson’s 12 string lap steel
- Mike Fried’s double 8 and dobro tunings
- Bobby Lee’s favorite tunings
- Jeff Mead’s Fender triple 8
- Andy Volk’s favorite tunings
For a big list of non-pedal tunings, go to Brad’s Page of Steel.
I’ve recently encountered the music of a Hawaiian-influenced Kiwi steel guitarist known as Bill Sevesi (now sadly deceased). Would you or anyone else know what tuning he used? He played an eight-string lap/console steel.
See https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=349053.