Yet Another String Gauge Question

Bill Leach · Post by **Bill Leach** » 26 Sep 2008 9:53 am

I have a K&S Weissenbourn copy that's not getting much use at the moment so I thought I'd tune it to C6 - CEGACE low to high,instead of the G tuning I usually use. What string gauges would anyone recommend? It has a 25.5inch scale neck. I've plenty of info on electric lap steel string gauges, but can't find anything about acoustic instruments for this tuning. I've already had the bridge re glued on this instrument and don't want to damage it any further.

thanks,
Bill

Carroll Hale · Post by **Carroll Hale** » 26 Sep 2008 10:07 am

these are available on SGF....under strings...I bought the gary morse set for my dobro..and they are great....sound good....long lasting..
just my thougts..
ch

J-GM-G Gary Morse Resophonic, nickel
.018, .020, .028w, .036, .046, .056 $9

J-L6C 6 String Lap Steel - C6th or A6th, nickel
.015, .017, .020, .024w, .030, .036

Bill Leach · Post by **Bill Leach** » 26 Sep 2008 11:36 am

Thanks Carroll.
I've got to be careful here. A dobro would take a higher tension of string than my guitar.
I found this string tension calculator:
http://mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html
but I don't know much about these things. Does anyone know what a safe string tension might be? The string gauges of the J-L6C comes out as 144.9ib on the calculator.

Bill

Lynn Oliver · Post by **Lynn Oliver** » 26 Sep 2008 12:19 pm

Look at the total tension for some a typical string set and tuning used on Weiss-style instruments and just try to stay within the same range.

Bill Leach · Post by **Bill Leach** » 27 Sep 2008 11:01 am

Thanks Lynn,
as usual I've missed the obvious

I thought I'd try these gauges - unless someone knows otherwise?

C E G A C E
.056 .052 . 022 .020 .017 .013

That equals 162ibs and hopefully gives me a nice fat sounding bass on the bottom C.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 27 Sep 2008 12:36 pm

Here's a comparison between standard guitar tuning and C6th guitar tuning:

treble
1. E - E
2. B - C
3. G - A
4. D - G
5. A - E
6. E - C
bass

If you use those gauges on your Weissenborn and tune the low E string up to C you will almost certainly suffer some damage to the guitar. Weissenborn style guitars are typically built with very delicate construction (compared to resophonic guitars with square necks).

I would suggest you reconsider and use much lighter gauge strings on the bottom three strings. If you compare the open G string set listed above to the C6th string set, you can see that all the strings are much lighter.

Bill Leach · Post by **Bill Leach** » 27 Sep 2008 2:03 pm

Ah Brad, I think the penny is starting to drop with me. C6 is a tuning I'm not really familiar with. When I look at these string gauge charts they never seem to tell you what octave the notes are in. I was thinking of tuning the 6th string to C below E to give a nice fat bass note. Is it usual, therefore, to tune the 4th 5th and 6th string higher than standard tuning?
Sorry for being so dumb, but I seem to have missed something fundamental here - and on a forum where I have to use my own name. Again -