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Topic: Strings. Like 'em heavy? |
Brian Hunter
From:
Indianapolis
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Posted 5 Jan 2012 10:19 am |
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I have experimented a bit and after restringing my little Rogue last night, have decided that I like my string tension super taught. C6 tuning hi to low ecagec. All heavy plain strings but for the two lowest. I have a .038 on the low C and a .036 on the E. When I get my Melbert I am going to string it up with really heavy strings as well. Flats. I bet a .015 high G will feel and sound really good.
Anyone else like their strings heavy?
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Brian |
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Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2012 10:25 am
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I have been using the GHS Lap Steel E set on the Stringmaster 22.5 scale, Harmos, and National Dynamic...013-56.
On the longer scale Asher & & Tele/Red Neck I have been using 015-58 set Asher Strings. |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2012 3:25 pm
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| Every guitar, tuning, player, style can differ in what is preferred/called for. |
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Thomas Temple
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2012 5:57 am Melbert
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Brian,
I am pretty sure that Bob will string your new Melbert any way you want depending on how far along he is with the build. I know with mine that was discussed in the initial order.
Tom |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 6 Jan 2012 6:09 am
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I always liked heavy strings and always used the heaviest I could put on my Tricone. I started doing this with my electric steel, too, but I find these days that I like a little bit of an ease in the tension. I think it contributes to an overall better tone. On short scale guitars, I find that the stock strings seem a little too loose for me and sometimes just put my own sets together. I know for my longer scale guitars I prefer my own custom gauges.
The one thing that can get affected when you use very heavy strings is your touch--you end up picking harder and, in doing so, you can sacrifice precision and touch. It also affects the bar hand.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 6 Jan 2012 10:20 am
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| Mike, can you share your gauges please? I have a 22.5 scale and I try to find the best gauge. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 6 Jan 2012 10:34 am
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For the most part, I use the gauges out of the package:
.015, .018, .022, .026, .030, .036, .042, .054, but I may change to something a little heavier on the bottom, because I retune those strings. I don't have any specifics--it's usually just what I have available. I try to keep a lot of spares on hand.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Posted 6 Jan 2012 12:54 pm
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I think it depends on the particular lap steel. I just put a Lollar Supro pickup on a Chandler RH-2 and went with very heavy strings for C6:
E .015
C .020
A .024p
G .028w
E .032w
C .042w
With the Supro pickup the strings are fairly close to the pickup and if too loose they can bottom out very easily. For the high E the charts recommend .014 but I like to use .015 since the higher tension helps support the bar. But nothing higher than .015.
I also put very heavy strings on my Rogue Jersey Lightning, perhaps because it is a very light steel and does not have a lot of sustain with light gauge strings. Funny thing is that the Chandler RH-2 is the heaviest lap steel I have ever seen with incredible sustain, but I like using heavier strings on that, too, even before I installed the Lollar Supro pickup.
On other steels I just use what comes in the sets. BTW the special 8 string sets from SIT that b0b sells here use a heavier gauge than usual since that is what they were using back in the 40's.
I think that sensitivity of your pickup is another factor. With a very sensitive pickup you can lose some of the subtleties with heavy gauge strings (I think that might have something to do with what Mike Neer had to say.)
If you plan to pull strings behind the bar you might want to avoid heavy gauges, at least on the strings you plan to pull.
Steve Ahola
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www.blueguitar.org
Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits |
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