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Topic: Question about resonator string gauges. |
Todd Pertll
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 10:36 am |
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What are the pros and cons of heavy and medium gauge resonator strings? Does one have more sustain, brighter, last longer?
thanks,
Todd |
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 10:51 am
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I personally like the heavier ones 56-16 usually. I think they just stay in tune a little better.
Edited: changed top string gauge (I didn't think it looked right)
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JCFSGC,RMSGC,HSGA member
Boyett's Glass Bars
[This message was edited by Gary Boyett on 06 September 2005 at 12:22 PM.] |
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D Schubert
From:
Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 11:03 am
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For lap style on a squareneck, heavier strings are generally louder, wiith full-sounding tone, stay in tune better, feel more stable, etc. Only negative is that they may deaden cone to some extent, due to excessive downward pressure. This varies by guitar, so you may not know until you try several gages. I was using Beard Special 29's (0.018 to 0.059" I think) but have recently switched to slightly lighter gages (0.016 to 0.058" I think) and my Dobro sound a bit more lively and resonant than it did before. But, these are still pretty heavy strings.
For bottleneck style on a roundneck, you may prefer lighter gages so that you can finger them as well as slide over them. In that case, you may be happy with medium gage strings, depending on how high the action is, etc. One good tip for bottleneck gages from John Hammond -- use a heavier gage for the 1st string only, compared with the rest of the set. For instance, replace a 0.013" with a 0.015". It will help you prevent bottoming out against the frets -- rattle, rattle, rattle -- with your bottleneck. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 11:13 am
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Todd-the lightest anyone uses on the first string among the "big guys" is .016-you might want to give that a shot.
a lot of pros prefer a .017 or .018, but Jerry Douglas sticks with a .016, he thinks the tone is a little deadened on heavier gauge 1st strings. Gary writes that he uses .014, but .014 sounds too light to me, the way the first string gets picked so hard and how you nail it with the bar.
The third string is usually the first to die in a set, and most sets contain a .026w.
The Beard set comes with a .029w which seems to extend string life but still sounds good.
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Mark
[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 06 September 2005 at 12:15 PM.] [This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 06 September 2005 at 12:16 PM.] |
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Todd Pertll
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 11:19 am
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I guess I should have stated that I'm playing a Celtic Cross weissenborn tuned open D:
low to high: DADF#AD. |
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 11:23 am
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| Then disregard my previous post. Those are a whole different breed. [This message was edited by Gary Boyett on 06 September 2005 at 12:24 PM.] |
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AJ Azure
From:
Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 11:45 am
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I string mine in G 58, 48, 38, 28, 20, 18
I don't have extra strong hands, in fact I have arthritis but, those gauges just felt "right". I always felt that thinner gauges were a bit flimsy feeling for me.
I am mainly using G6 now on 6 string for all my jazz stuff. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 12:07 pm
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Thanks for pointing that out, Todd.
A Weissenborn style guitar sure ain't a resonator!
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Mark
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Todd Pertll
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2005 12:10 pm
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Well, I was most intersted in the difference between the sets of strings regardless of what instrument they were used on.
thanks,
Todd |
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