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Russell Baker


From:
Owego NY, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 2:14 pm    
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Hi Gang,,,

I have a Gretsch 5700 Lap Steel with a 22 1/2 neck.

I have it tuned for Open G Tuning using John Pearse JP 3000 strings 18-59.

The shorter scale give a bit of slackness in the strings.

I know I can't change physics.

But can I cheat it a bit and get more tension by installing a heavier gauge of stings?

Thanks

Russ
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Ken Pippus


From:
Langford, BC, Canada
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 2:29 pm    
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Yes!
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 2:38 pm    
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Yep. Here's John Ely's string gauge chart at the bottom of this webpage:

http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php
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Russell Baker


From:
Owego NY, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 4:15 pm    
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Gotcha...

Sorta figured that was the case.

However....

How much larger?

For example my largest string now is a 59
and my smallest is an 18.

Is going up just one more step say to a 20 and a 60 make a huge difference?

Thanks again!

Russ
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 6:52 pm    
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I tend to use the highest gauge in the range for a given note on John's chart.
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Russell Baker


From:
Owego NY, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 7:06 pm    
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I can't make sense of the chart.

I have a Lap Steel with a 22 1/2 neck.

It is tuned to an open GBDGBD

Right now the low G is a 59 Gauge string
and the high D is an 18 Gauge string.

I can't quite see by this chart
where it relates to what I want to do.

I need to know the next best Gauge Strings
to use to increase the tension.

Would I notice a difference if I just go one
step higher like I mentioned...
A 20 thu a 60?

Or do I need to go even heavier?
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Brooks Montgomery


From:
Idaho, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 7:34 pm    
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Unless you're hooked on the ''bluegrass tuning" you might quickly try open E with those strings and see how you like it. Great blues tuning: EBEG#BE
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Russell Baker


From:
Owego NY, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 7:38 pm    
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I have this tuned the same as my Dobro

I have played "regular" guitar for 40 years
but I don't want to confuse my self right at
this point by having my Dobro and Laps Steel
with different tunings.
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 15 May 2018 9:29 pm    
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Russell Baker wrote:

Right now the low G is a 59 Gauge string
and the high D is an 18 Gauge string.

I can't quite see by this chart
where it relates to what I want to do.


Yeah, I see what you're saying. According to John's chart and the Ernie Ball one at the bottom of this linked thread, you're already at the upper recommended limits (and beyond on the lowest string). I dunno. Personally I wouldn't go up more than one step from the chart.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=315216&highlight=string+gauge+chart
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Jeff Mead


From:
London, England
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 1:32 am    
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I use John's chart for my 22.5" steels which means that for my high E, I use a .015 (which feels fine to me but it's all down to personal taste) but I assume your .018 is for your high D so you are already using way heavier gauges than I am.

If you want to go heavier, there are no rules other than, at a certain point, if the string is too heavy, it will simply break before it can reach the desired pitch so you'll have to go a bit lighter. If you have a lap steel made out of a reasonably solid lump of wood, you are unlikely to be able to put heavy enough strings on it to bow it (because of the laws of physics - the strings would break before they were able to exert enough pressure to bend the wood). Maybe the tuners would start slipping if they aren't up to the super high tension but I'd still put my money on the string itself being the weakest link). I'd be more cautious if I was stringing an acoustic instrument like a Dobro with crazy heavy strings.

If your .018s go to the desired pitch without too many problems I'd say try .020 and see what happens. If it gets to the point where you need a pair of pliers to tune it, you're probably getting too heavy Smile
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 6:37 am    
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Russell Baker wrote:
I don't want to confuse my self right at this point by having my Dobro and Laps Steel with different tunings.

Consider an open A (E C# A E C# A, high to low). Same intervals as your standard Dobro G tuning. If your current set is too light and floppy in G, bringing everything up a whole step will firm 'em up considerably.
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Peter Jacobs


From:
Northern Virginia
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 8:42 am    
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I use an .056 for the low G string. It's a little bit floppier than I'd prefer, but I tried a .060 and it just sounded dead. Maybe a .058 or .060 would be a decent compromise, but I've got .056s already, so I just live with it. Keep in mind that the nut slots may not like the thicker string.
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Mark Roeder


From:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 9:14 am    
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I'd experiment...it's always a trade off between touch and tone....
in theory you can go until the string breaks.....but the tension does effect the tone
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David Knutson


From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 9:39 am    
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Just a question about your playing style, Russell. Are you using a lot of hammer-ons
in a Dobro style on your lap steel? I had a 23" scale steel once that I used as an "electric Dobro" for loud stage situations, with GHS 16 - 56 nickel strings, and it took me a while to figure out the right touch on the steel (ie. how much lighter) to get a Dobro-ish attack without pushing strings out of tune.

Don't know if that's what you are experiencing, but just thought I'd throw that out.
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Russell Baker


From:
Owego NY, USA
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 9:55 am    
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I am definately playing with a much lighter touch on the Lap Steel than the Dobro.

I had a Lap Steel with a longer scale neck that I got rid of and I guess I just need to get used to the feel of this shorter scale neck.
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David Knutson


From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 10:37 am    
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It is sort of amazing how "action" can still be a factor with our strings hanging half an inch up in the air.
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Mark Roeder


From:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 16 May 2018 10:39 am    
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Russell, here is my experience with the gauge of picks and strings, touch and tension, and bar size.

I started with heavier gauges and bar and picking harder, I realized I wasn't getting what I was after. The touch wasn't there.
For about two years I went the other way, almost rubber bands and lighter picks, 15s. It was weird but I learned somethings about touch, I was forced to stay light on the touch and let the amp do the volume, it came together when I tried a smaller, lighter bar. My moves were quicker, cleaner, more accurate, easier to slant.
Now my string gauge is back the middle but I feel like if you have a light touch use light picks and a light bar IMHO
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Janet Peters


From:
Houston, TX USA
Post  Posted 29 May 2018 5:46 pm     Dobro tuned lap steel 22.5 scale
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I have a lap steel, with 22.5" string length, tuned like a Dobro, low to high GBDGBD. My string gauges are 054W, 044W, 038W, 028W, 021P, 017P for this tuning. The string set is a custom designed set using an engineering spreadsheet posted on this forum several years ago by Terry Downs. The result is great sound and uniform feel across the fretboard. These string sets last a long time.

I buy bulk strings from Just Strings, either John Pearse or GHS singles, material of nickel coated plain singles and nickel wound singles. I use jewelers drills as 'files' to seat in the strings at the nut and the bridge. Use a #2 pencil to supply graphite lubricant at the nut.

I just acquired a Peavey SuperSlide and re-strung with 070W to 016P to play open D in a jam band switching from lead parts to bass parts. This guitar sounds really, really good with this string set. The guitar body actually has resonance at open D making it sound much fuller than open E Vestapol tuning E B E G# B E.
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Don Barnhardt

 

From:
North Carolina, USA
Post  Posted 1 Jun 2018 11:20 am    
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Tuning to open A should solve your problem.
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