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Topic: String Gauges for 8 string ACEGACEG? |
Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 16 Dec 2014 7:18 pm |
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I recently acquired an 8 string Remington non pedal steel, 22.5 inch scale. Up to this point all my lap steels have been 6 string, tuned to CEGACE. The guitar was strung for A6 when I got it but I wanted to string it to C6, ACEGACEG.
I normally use string gauges from 36 to 14 or 15 for the CEGACE tuning on my other 22.5 inch steels.
I referred to Cindy Cashdollar's page and her 8 string tuning list gauges 11 - 56 for ACEGACEG. I understand the high G being an 11 but I don't understand why the low C would be a 46 when on my other 22.5 inch scale guitars it is a 36. 56 also seems a bit large to me for the low A.
I would assume the six middle strings (CEGACE) would be the same gauges I have been using on the six string 22.5 inchers?
I had bought strings for the recommended gauges but then noticed this and changed the strings on the two lowest strings to my normal 36 for the low C and used the 46 for the low A.
Like I said, I have zero experience with the 8 string tuning / gauges...am I missing something here?
The guitar seems to play and sound fine like I have it.
Any explanations would be appreciated.
Here's a link to Cindy's page I referred to:
http://www.cindycashdollar.com/tunings/
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 16 Dec 2014 8:27 pm
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I tried the Cindy's string gauge one time and found the low strings a lot too big. I don't really understand her choice of gauge, I can't judge, she is a top player but with my Fender 22,5 the gauge didn't seems to make sens!
I prefer John Ely's gauge
http://www.cindycashdollar.com/tunings/ |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 17 Dec 2014 12:50 am
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I agree with Jean-Sebastien - I used John Ely's chart to work out the gauges for my quad and am really happy with them.
I went for the heaviest option in each case as I too have 22.5" scale so my low A is a 44.
http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php |
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Morgan Scoggins
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2014 3:36 am
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Jim,
Try these gauges:
for ACEGACEG low to hi .44 .34 .30 .26 .22 .17 .14 .12
_________________
"Shoot low boys, the're ridin' Shetlands" |
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Frank Welsh
From:
Upstate New York, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2014 6:50 am
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I use these gauges on my Remington D8 for the C13th neck. Tone and sustain seem good to me for the 22 1/2 inch scale on my Remington:
E - .015
C - .018
A - .022
G - .024 (wound)
E - .030
C - .036
Bb- .042
G - .054
I have found over the years that many of the personal guitar setup preferences of great players I have admired can be very idiosyncratic and are not necessarily the best way for the rest of us to set up our guitars. Great artists' string gauges, scale lengths, and string heights in the case of armpit guitars may be difficult or impossible for many if not most of us to be comfortable with.
I think we should always consider what the experts do but we have to give equal weight to our own playing experiences and the particular "preferences" of our own instruments and playing styles. |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 17 Dec 2014 7:17 am
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Thanks for the posts guys. Morgan, I am very near to those gauges at this point with only a bit of variance on the low C (I have a 36) and I replaced the 46 on the low A with a new 42 I had in my bag of random strings. I am going to go up to a 44 on it when I can pick one up. I think it is going to be ok with the current gauges, but I am getting a pretty bad vibration when the low A is barred on any fret. Maybe the slightly tighter 44 will help that. There could be something loose somewhere, but I have not been able to find if it is, and I have checked all the screws, etc. Wonderful sounding guitar if I can get the gauges right and get a few kinks out.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Jamie Mitchell
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 17 Dec 2014 10:00 pm
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| 72 for a low E! damn! |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 18 Dec 2014 9:49 am
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Strings that big really bother me with noise, etc. That's not a string, it's a cable.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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