wound vs. plain 6th string

David Deratany · Post by **David Deratany** » 26 Mar 2003 3:37 am

Is the amount of pedal travel for a wound vs. plain 6th string on a U12 so much shorter or longer so as to necessitate using a different hole in the bell crank or changer finger? I'd like to get some idea of what's involved before I jump in.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 26 Mar 2003 6:05 am

Indeed it does. In fact on some PSG's a wound 6th string cannot be lowered a whole tone. The travel is considerably different between a wound and a plain string.

Most guitars I have seen, use a plain for the 6th string. But there is a lot of discussion on this forum from those that prefer a wound string.

The plain string tends to be a bit critical to tune and can be unstable because of this. But for those of us that lower it a whole tone, we mostly use the plain.

In my on case, I would never mix a plain and a wound string for what I refer to as my major melody strings. IE, 5 and 6, whether I lowered it or not.

carl

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 26 Mar 2003 7:40 am

I play an Emmons LeGrande II and drop the 6th a whole tone with a knee lever. I tried to use a wound 6th but gave up on it and went back to a plain string. The throw was just tooooo much. The return spring was stretched to the max and made the lever hard to push.
Erv[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 26 March 2003 at 07:42 AM.]

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 26 Mar 2003 8:22 am

As badly as I hate to admit it, I'm kinda in the same boat as Erv (hope you brought sandwiches, Erv, I forgot the paddle)

Seriously, though, if you do HAVE to raise and lower a whole tone (I do) it's pushing most any guitar to (or beyond) its limit with a 022W or 024W. I did it on my black Fessy but when my new one was built, was unable to get it to drop all the way without issues such as those Erv mentions. Of course, the whole tone drop on 6 is not a standard/minimal universal change -- it's kinda optional. Raising a whole and lowering a half would work ok. Your Ma9 pedal (P7/B6) will require a lot of throw and even your B pedal will need to have the throw lengthened a bit, but I can tell you A WOUND SIXTH SOUNDS MUCH BETTER, TUNES MUCH BETTER, IS MUCH LESS TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE, HAS VIRTUALLY NO CABINET DROP WHEN THE A PEDAL IS PRESSED (because drop is proportional to the diameter of the core -- 022 for the plain and 014 or so for the wound) and is an all-around better choice if you can get around the throw issues.

Ricky Davis, Lloyd Green, and several others swear by it - but don't drop the 6th a whole tone in their copedent.

FWIW

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 26 March 2003 at 08:25 AM.]

David Deratany · Post by **David Deratany** » 26 Mar 2003 9:27 am

Thanks to everyone. You input is quite helpful. My only reason for considering going to the wound would be to minimize detuning when raising the B's and E's, but it is only in the 4-6 cents amount, sort of borderline annoying. Another option would be to put a compensator on the 6th string to raise it a tad in this circumstance. I also drop the B a half tone, but it sounds like that wouldn't be a deal breaker. Should I make the switch, I will report the results.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 26 Mar 2003 12:08 pm

I put a wound sixth on my Carter. I drop it a full tone.To overcome the problem of the return spring over-stretching, I devised a method of using a much longer spring, which also enabled me to minimise lever movement, and keep the operating pressure minimal.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 26 Mar 2003 12:23 pm

I devised a method of using a much longer spring, ... and keep the operating pressure minimal.

This has been on my wish list for all steel guitars, along with gauged nut rollers.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 26 Mar 2003 12:26 pm

Whole tone raise is easy with wound 6th on all my steels.

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 26 Mar 2003 1:15 pm

FWIW- I use a wound 6th string on that whole tone drop, G# to F# on my MSA "universal". I use it on my E6 universal. No problem.

I like it, but the plain has a sharper tone and blends in better with with the 4 and 5 string.

Just because of that, I may change to a plain again. Maybe......al

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 26 Mar 2003 7:22 pm

I use a W22 GHS Boomer and it has a little less travel than other wound 22's I've used and thats lowering it a whole tone too.( on a 89 JCH )
Tony