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Author
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Topic: String gauges for 22 1/2" high C6?
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David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 01 February 2006 11:58 AM
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I have temporarily borrowed an old Gibson Grand Console D8 with 22 1/2" necks. All the string gauge information I have seems to be for 24" necks. My thinking is that a shorter neck should require a thicker string to maintain the same pitch without being too slack. These necks are about 1 fret shorter than a 24" neck. If you maintained the same string tension and moved the nut up one fret, the pitch would rise a half step. To get back down to the right pitch, you would have to loosen the string. Is this lesser tension acceptable? The only way to avoid that would be to use a thicker string gauge. However, this could adversely affect sustain. What do people who play short neck lap steels do? Does anyone know the recommended string gauges for a short neck tuned to high C6 (top to bottom: GECAGECA)? In the Forum string section there is a Herb Remington high C6 string set. But the gauges appear to be in line with longer necks. Is that okay? Should I ignore the fact that the necks are short?------------------
Student of the Steel: Zum uni, Fender tube amps, squareneck and roundneck resos, tenor sax, keyboards |
Brad Bechtel
Moderator From: San Francisco, CA
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posted 01 February 2006 03:02 PM
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quote:
Is this lesser tension acceptable?
Yes. You're dealing with a solid block of wood, not a bendable neck like on a regular guitar.
quote:
What do people who play short neck lap steels do?
I don't do anything different.
quote:
Does anyone know the recommended string gauges for a short neck tuned to high C6 (top to bottom: GECAGECA)?
Same as for a long neck. I find steel guitars are remarkably resilient when it comes to which string gauges you use.
quote:
Is that okay?
Yes.
quote:
Should I ignore the fact that the necks are short?
Yes.------------------
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A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
Neil Harms
Member From: Columbia, Missouri, USA
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posted 01 February 2006 03:36 PM
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FWIW... I like using strings that result in slightly less tension. Makes bending behind the bar a lot easier. I've been sticking with the "regular" 24 inch sets and find they work fine on shorter scale lap instruments (for me anyway). N.------------------
76 Sho-Bud LDG, 52 Fender Custom Triple, Fender Vibrasonic "Custom", (plus all that other stuff....) |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 01 February 2006 03:52 PM
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Thank's Brad and Neil. I didn't expect this small string tension change to have any effect on the guitar itself, I was thinking more of the playability. Both your replys indicate it does not adversely affect playing, and might even be better. |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 01 February 2006 04:46 PM
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Well on the opposite side of that fence ... Sits Dave "The Hula Monster" Giegerich ...  He uses that tuning ... C6 with a G on top .. and when I built his 7 string Dustpan (22.25" scale) ... he requested: 0.014 G
0.018 E
0.020 C
0.024 A (wound)
0.028 G
0.034 E
0.040 C Somethin' like that ... anyway But of course ... he is The Monster 
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[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 01 February 2006 at 04:53 PM.]
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Ray Montee
Member From: Portland, OR, USA
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posted 01 February 2006 04:54 PM
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For years now, Wayne Tanner and myself, both strong admirers of Jerry Byrd, have used Jerry's string set-up as described on the Jerry Byrd Fan Club web site. It's worked for us! Take a look and see if it will work for you. |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 01 February 2006 06:00 PM
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Thanks Ray. The JB site is always a pleasure to visit. But except for a small discussion about his early 6-string gauges, I didn't see any discussion of his string gauges and the related question of neck lengths. It would certainly be very interesting if someone who knows anything about that would write it up and put it on the site. |
David Doggett
Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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posted 01 February 2006 06:14 PM
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Rick, Dave G.'s gauges are very close to what I came up with by simply using the recommended gauge (24" neck) for the pitch a half step lower than the pitch I will use. What I came up with is a little lighter than your recollection of Dave G's. I think I'll try this: 0.013 G
0.015 E
0.019 C
0.024 A (wound)
0.026 G
0.032 E
0.038 C
0.044 A ------------------
Student of the Steel: Zum uni, Fender tube amps, squareneck and roundneck resos, tenor sax, keyboards |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 01 February 2006 09:00 PM
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quote:
What do people who play short neck lap steels do?
Some are doctors, some are lawyers......
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Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 05 February 2006 06:56 AM
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I went to heavier guages on my Fender Dual Pro C6 ( E on 1st string ) and it doesn't seem so slack now, and sounds better too . 17 19 24 26 32 38 44 56 . The regular 15 18 22 24 30 42 54 lighter ones on my GeorgeBoard seem fine |
Todd Weger
Member From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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posted 05 February 2006 08:04 AM
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Well, I don't know how bad this can be for my guitar, but on my shortscale 6-stringer, I use:E=.016
C=.018
A=.022
G=.026
E=.032
C=.046 I change over to A6 and B11 pretty frequently, and I will probably change that low C to a .038, but I like having a really fat string down there, especially when I want to lower it to a low A. I like a higher tension, and it definitely gives me more sustain. On my 8 stringer, I use E=.016
C=.018
A=.022
G=.026
E=.032
C=.038
A(or Bb)=.046
C=.070 LOVE that low C... ------------------
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6) |
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