Wound 6th string? Pro vs. Con (E9th)

David Doggett · Posted 8 Oct 2002 9:34 am

Just a note on the piano comparison. This is what I learned when I recently bought a piano. For playing the same pitch, a longer thinner string sounds better (louder, richer overtones, longer sustain) than a shorter thicker string. That's why concert grands are built longer than the upright or baby grand you put in your living room. But this may not apply if both strings are the same length. I think you just have to try both strings to see what blows your dress up. I always have trouble tuning my plain 6th string and keeping it tuned. After reading this discussion I look forward to trying a set of the Loyd Green Jagwires. But what's the diff between stainless steel and nickel wounds?

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Ah, Dave -- which do you like better Emmons or Sho-Bud? push-pull or all pull? D-10 or universal? The nickel vs stainless is almost as polarized.

I use stainless strings because I have 'acidfingers'. They melt under my hands.

My PERSONAL opinion: STAINLESS STRINGS
PROS: Last longer
????: Slightly brighter
CONS: You may get a bit of bar drag because of slightly jagged edges on the windings -- UNTIL they're broken in. I prefer to play a new set of stainelss 2-3 hrs minimum before a gig.

Nickel strings are a bit silkier and, in my experience, don't sound acceptable as long as stainless. They may sound slightly better when brand new, but that's kinda subjective.

Just my opinion.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I have been using a wound 6th string myself. There are problems with it though. I find that as I get past the 13th fret the wound 6th string tends to lean flat. I had to make some big adjustments to my playing to keep using the wound 6th. Also not all wound 6th strings are created equal even by the same string maker. Some go flat much more than others.

I'm very surprized that no one has mentioned this aspect of that string yet.

Bob

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Bob,
I had noticed that the intonation goes south before the string sounds dead. But since I eliminated most of the thermal expansion / contraction problems I'd had with a plain sixth I could live with (and adjust for) a minor intonation problem.

I usually replace the top 6 strings twice as often as the lower ones, so it doesn't really go dead before it's replaced. That may eliminate part of the problem. Do you have intonation problems above 13 when the string is new? That I haven't noticed.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I don't think that its has anything to do with fresh strings. Its something else. I think it might just be the nature of the wound string. Some do it more than others though.

Bob

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

If you play a chord on strings 4,5,6,
and
If 6 is the only wound string,
and
If you have a heavy left hand

then

Your heavy left hand will make all the strings go sharp, but the wound 6th will go less sharp than the others.

That might explain why a wound 6th string can sound flat.

richard burton · From: Britain

Al Burk,
Do a search in 'pedal steel', for 'RKR ACTION' 07 feb 02.

Joerg Hennig · From: Bavaria, Germany

Kinda late on this one, but:
I use a wound .022 6th string ever since Ricky Davis suggested I try it and have no problems with it at all; it somehow sounds and feels better than the plain to me, hard to describe, but it does make a difference. The overall tuning is more balanced with it. It seems the perfect match with this particular guitar (Sho-Bud, very similar to Ricky´s old one.)I also don´t lower the 6th string at all so that´s not an issue. I would even welcome whole sets of strings that feature the wound 6th (and possibly .012 for 3rd and .018 for 5th on request)

Regards, Joe H.

David Doggett · Posted 9 Oct 2002 11:36 am

Joe, check out the Loyd Green Jagwire set in the Forum's string catalog.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Right. You can also substitute a wound for a plain in any of the E-9 or U-12 sets for an extra 50 cents. Click "Strings" at the top of this page.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Rob Hamilton · From: Acton, MA, USA

The Ernie Ball EB02 string set has a wound 6th string also. I've used these off and on, they sound and play reasonable, and I've had no real trouble with them.

--Rob

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Sho-Bud Pro-I, '62 Fender Vibrolux

Wayne Cox · From: Chatham, Louisiana, USA * R.I.P.

IMHO each steel guitar has its own "personality".What works well on one and sounds great, does not necessarily work well, or sound great on another.I use whatever it takes to make the individual steel guitar I am playing, function well and sound good;whether I am wound or unwound at the time!

W.C.

Rex Thomas · From: Thompson's Station, TN

I'll buy that, Wayne. Thankew.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

I also use a wound 24 on my Williams D-10. I find it stays in tune much better than the plain string. The only downside IMO is that the wound string does not pick up as loud as the plain, necessitating a slight adjustment of your right hand technique. Bottom line, each player must make up his own mind. For everything you change on a steel, there is a reaction, and not always good.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Use a 022 wound and you will like the sound better than the 024 wound...
Ricky

Johan Jansen · From: Europe

I raise the 6th string from G# to B, so the travel of the wound one doesn't work for me.
jj

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Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Ricky: Sorry, I failed to mention I use D-9th, not E-9th. The 22 wound doesn't cut the mustard on a D-9th. I know Jay Dee Maness uses a 22 wound on his E-9th. I prefer the overall timbre of D-9th. That's just me. different strokes for different folks.

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