The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic E9 10 the 6th string plain.
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  E9 10 the 6th string plain.
Stuart Legg


Post  Posted 25 Mar 2017 10:02 am    
Reply with quote

Why would you depend on a plain 6th string and it's potential for problems when there never seems to be an issue with a wound 6th string?
View user's profile Send private message

Henry Brooks

 

From:
Los Gatos, California, USA
Post  Posted 25 Mar 2017 10:10 am    
Reply with quote

Some of the older guitars have problems lowering the G# to F# when a wound string is used. The tone texture is different between the plain and wound string.
Henry
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 25 Mar 2017 10:47 am    
Reply with quote

I don't think it's a question of dependency, but what sounds best (which includes the business of whether the guitar can lower it far enough).

My ancient pull-release D10 with single-coil pickups sounds great with a wound (although it doesn't lower - I raise 7 F#-G# instead). When I built my U12 I went with a wound and made sure it would lower far enough. I was really excited about being able to use that change but it sounded dreadful so I now use a plain. Of course that corresponds to the 4th string on C6, and I don't think anyone would put a wound in that position - although I'm happy to be corrected Smile
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 25 Mar 2017 6:36 pm    
Reply with quote

Lowering a wound G# string to F# is a really long pull. I don't like to move my knee that far. That's the problem that the plain string solves. I've never had a problem with a plain G#.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website

Greg Milton


From:
Benalla, Australia
Post  Posted 26 Mar 2017 12:50 am    
Reply with quote

Using a plain string is the only way I'm going to get 5 notes on my 6th string (G#, then F#, G, A, and Bb)!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 26 Mar 2017 3:53 am    
Reply with quote

I never found out if the wound string would go up to Bb, as I ditched it on grounds of taste before I got the B6 side of the tuning going. I suspect not easily, and trying to time the P7 raise with the string above might have been tough...

I'll say again that on an old guitar where you don't want to lower it, the wound string gives real grit to the 10-8-6 chords.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 26 Mar 2017 5:26 am     Re: E9 10 the 6th string plain.
Reply with quote

Stuart Legg wrote:
......... when there never seems to be an issue with a wound 6th string?


A question "what issues are there with wound 6th strings" would have been an indication of someone actually wanting to learn something. A declarative statement of a false premise is just another in a long line of who knows what.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

richard burton


From:
Britain
Post  Posted 26 Mar 2017 8:06 am    
Reply with quote

I can't tolerate the tuning instability of a plain 6th string, so I use a wound string.

I have altered the gearing so that a full-tone lower does not mean excessive knee lever travel.

I can tune out the detuning (cabinet drop) problems on the other nine strings, but a plain 6th has too many issues (imho)
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 27 Mar 2017 8:30 am    
Reply with quote

What problem? Rolling Eyes
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Stuart Legg


Post  Posted 27 Mar 2017 12:57 pm    
Reply with quote

Richard I'm not saying you agree with me but you used the right word "instability" to describe the problem.
I understand working around the lowering problem by using the plain but I don't see how that chnges anything with the other problems
The plain never worked well on any of the 10 different steel guitars around here.
There is always some kind of problem (not sounding right,not freting right, constantly having to adjust) just plain scary on a gig on any of these guitars in particular the stage one and the sho-buds with never any problem whatsoever with a wound string.
View user's profile Send private message

b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 27 Mar 2017 4:07 pm    
Reply with quote

An .020p works fine on my Carter. No problem.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website

Stuart Legg


Post  Posted 28 Mar 2017 8:02 pm    
Reply with quote

If I always walk the same path and the path has always had holes here and there along the way I won't recognize that as a problem.
View user's profile Send private message

Georg Sørtun


From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
Post  Posted 28 Mar 2017 10:54 pm    
Reply with quote

I switched to .022W for sixth string a couple of decades ago, as I found a wound string there to balance better tonally with the other strings than a .020P or .022P did. Although I have tested back and forth between plain and wound sixth since then - while testing out different string brands etc, I always land on a wound .022 for tone - regardless of PSG brand/model and string brand.

As for lowering a wound sixth string, some changers just barely go that low. No real problems with setups so far though, and a .022W as sixth sure has made it easier to time the lowering of a third .0115P along with it.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Billy Carr

 

From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2017 2:46 am     psg
Reply with quote

I've used a .020P for years on every guitar I've had which is probably about 25 to 30 guitars. The only string problem I've ever had was with the three Carter U-12's I was playing back when Bud was building my guitars. The #7 F# string wouldn't tune correctly using a .026W string. Changed to a .024W and problem solved for all three U-12's. The D-10's & S-10D's I bought didn't have that problem. I rate the very first Carter I had, as one of the best guitars I've owned. D-10, Black mica, 8 & 5, XLR-16 pu's.
View user's profile Send private message

Greg Milton


From:
Benalla, Australia
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2017 3:25 am    
Reply with quote

Georg Sørtun wrote:
I switched to .022W for sixth string a couple of decades ago, as I found a wound string there to balance better tonally with the other strings than a .020P or .022P did.


Georg, what notes are you getting on your 6th string with the .022W? Are you also going up to Bb?

Greg
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Georg Sørtun


From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2017 12:14 pm    
Reply with quote

Greg Milton wrote:
Georg, what notes are you getting on your 6th string with the .022W? Are you also going up to Bb?
No, I only raise 6th string to A, and lower it to F# w/split to G. I lower 5th string to Bb (and A).
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP