Nickel wound dobro strings.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I've been using Martin nickel wound resonator strings for many years. They've been manufacture discontinued.
Gauges .016p .018p, .026w .036w .046w .056w.
I've always been dissatisfied with the 3rd and substitute a plain .026.
What else is available in nickel?

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Available from GHS and John Pearse (Breezy Ridge). Probably others.

Google em'

hp
_________________
Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Thanks Howard. I've just discovered the SIT nickel dobro strings and am pursuing those.

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Thought I remembered the John Pearse nickel strings having a really heavy PLAIN 3rd. Scary to get up to pitch. Might not be the pack mentioned above.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I've not found a plain string thicker than .026". I use them on both of my resos. In the past, when using .026 wound strings, it was a matter of either killing them prematurely or breaking them, through hard picking on that string. I like the different tone of the plain 3rd .026, but it does become indistinct (imprecise?) and lacks sustain after about the 12th fret.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Just buy any heavy gage 6-string round-wound nickel set and change the 1st and 2nd string. They are exactly the same as "resonator strings" - only the packaging is different.

I guess you'd need to change the 3rd as well although I don't personally like the sound of a plain 3rd. Because the 3rd tends to wear out faster on a resonator I simply buy singles and change them more often. To me a plain has a "boing" sound like a weird "spring".

You'll save money buying sets of D'Addario EJ22 (13-56) at less than five bucks on Amazon and plain strings in bulk for a few bucks a dozen. I buy cheap plain strings - also on Amazon, which come in straight packs that include silica gel to prevent corrosion. I've never had any problems with even the cheapest plain ones - even cheap nickel-wound strings have been good quality.

I buy specialty sets (flatwounds, certain brands like Pyramid and Thomastik-Infeld I prefer on specific instruments, odd-gage .0095-44 sets, single gages I can't find on Amazon and such) at Just Strings and nearly everything else on Amazon. The prices for most "commodity" string sets (D' Addario, Ernie Ball, Rotosound, Martin) are usually WAY below anywhere else.

Errr - I have a *lot* of different instruments Whoa!

and change strings on something every day, so I've shopped around more than most, I think.

Also - have you tried D'Addario Nickel Bronze (no, I don't work for them!)? I've used nickel; wound on my Martins for years and also one of my squareneck resonators as I'm not a fan of Phosphor Bronze. The Nickel Bronze have the warmth and longer life of nickel with some added "pop" - about the only thing I like about phosphor bronze. Not cheap but worth a try - again, just change the 1st and 2nd plain strings to heavier ones.

Hope that helps.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

John Sluszny · From: Brussels, Belgium

Bryan,just curious, why nickel ? Thanks !

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Jim Sliff -
I really like the EJ22 recommendation. I will use the 2nd (.017p) as a 1st, buy an .018 for a 2nd, and replace the 3rd (.026w) with my substantial stock of .026p. However, I have found a source for SIT nickels in Canada, and have bought a dozen sets, although at a price that will have me looking at your EJ22 idea for possible use next time.
I've been using Martin nickel reso strings for many years. They were so inexpensive that I changed strings frequently without a thought, and I've not been looking at options until now.
John Sluszny -
In 1983, Jerry Douglas sent me a set of what he was endorsing and using at the time, GHS #1600, which were nickel wound. He liked them because they lasted longer and were gauged correctly for his needs.
I had just put a Quarterman cone into my pre-war Dobro to replace a stamped short-legged lug cone. I was using bronze strings at the time, and was somewhat taken aback by what I felt was an extreme increase in volume with the Quarterman. I put on Jerry's nickel strings, and was happier with the more subdued volume, and also really liked the tone. I did note that there was increased string life with a more consistent sound from start to finish. In fact, nowadays I replace strings on a schedule rather than by becoming disturbed by loss of tone, because that just never happens.
Finally, I have a Barcus-Berry dobro humbucker on one of my resos, and also some jazz humbuckers on a non-reso acoustic that I use for busking, and also play solid body lap steel more frequently nowadays. These instruments clearly need nickel strings for matching with the pickups.
I need the best optimization / "compromization" I can find in a single package, and with nickels I've found it.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

A big thank you to Jim Sliff for encouraging me to put on my thinking cap.
In Canada, Long & McQuade retail Dunlop Electric Strings Extra-Heavy, gauges .013 .017. 026 .036 .046 .056. for $6.60 Canadian.
I would discard the 1st .013 and replace with the 2nd .017. Then I would discard the 3rd .026w and replace with a new .026p. I would then add a new 2nd .018. So, I've added 2 new plain strings which Long & McQuade retail for $0.99 Canadian each.
The set-up is now .017 .018 .026p .036 .046 .056 which is what my previous modified Martin nickel set-up was except I would now have a 1st string .001 heavier.
So, the string pack, plus 2 additional plains adds up to $8.58 Canadian, or $6.79 US at today's exchange rate.

John Sluszny · From: Brussels, Belgium

Bryan,thanks for your replyI,ll try them some day ! Very Happy

Paul DiMaggio · From: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Where did you get the info that the Martin nickel wounds were being discontinued? Are you talking about the m980 set?

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Yes, M180 is deleted. A US mail order company who was still listing them deleted them from their site and contacted me after I placed an order. I next tried a Canadian chain who deleted them from their site and contacted me after I ordered them. I then contacted Martin customer service who confirmed that they were deleted from the line.

Paul DiMaggio · From: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

The reason I ask is ,I bought four sets of the M980 nickel wound resonator strings from Strings and Beyond two weeks ago and they arrived on Friday.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

If there is still stock out there, get all you can. I believe that I've come up with a couple of alternatives, so I'm comfortable now.

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I don't use Nickel any more...I need the sparkle that it removes...but when I did (on my road-o-Phonic with magnetic pickup), I discovered Dr. Duck's strings as an alternative to the Martin set
http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/strings.html
scroll down till you get to the resonator set.
Ignore the "list price", buy 4 sets and they are $5.25 each...
...and do as it says, go to bay to "bid" on the strings, you often find them there for a lot less....
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Thanks Steve. I was not aware the Dr Ducks had strings. I thought of them only with respect to guitar polish.

MIchael Bean · From: North Of Boston

I like those same Martin nickel strings for lap steel with open G tuning, as they pick up on magnetic pickups better than bronze. Sorry to hear they're discontinued.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I'll be receiving a dozen packs of SIT nickel dobro strings in about a week. As outlined above, there are some options.

K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

Uncle Josh used unwound 26, probably because he wore out the wound G a lot and then n 1954 strings were hard to get. I like Pearce strings and use Phospor bronze and nickel, depending on the guitar. I frequently use single stainless .028s. They stand up to punishment.
_________________
KEVIN MAUL: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Danelectro, Evans, Fender, GFI, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing.

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic