Poll: Plain vs. Wound 6th

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 21 Sep 2010 9:45 am

Simple poll for E9th players only.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 21 Sep 2010 11:35 am

I've never liked the way a plain string sounds, but I've never been brave enough to see if my guitar would have enough travel to pull a would string a whole tone. One day, maybe.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 21 Sep 2010 12:02 pm

I believe that pesky 6th string puts us between a rock and a hard place as the ole saying goes.

Ya fuss with it to keep it in tune when ya use a plain strang.

Ya fuss with it when it comes to excessive cabinet drop when ya use a plain strang.

Ya fuss with it when it comes to lowering it a whole tone with a wound strang.

Ya fuss with it when ya use a wound strang and ya want the SAME timbre outa the 5th and 6th strangs when sounded together.

Any more fusses 'ya' kin thank uv wid dat dude?

Oh well. Only in heaven will there NEVER be another worry, problem, angst, depression, failure, death or taxes! etceterrrra, etceterrrra, etceterrrra........ Yippee and praise our precious Lord for such an incredibly awesome gift!:D

And it is 100% free of charge. The ONLY true "free lunch" there has ever been

c.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 21 Sep 2010 1:09 pm

I've never been able to put up with the detuning of a plain sixth, or its 'plunky' sound, so a wound sixth is mandatory on all my steels

There's a bit trial and error involved with the bell-crank hole position to get the pedal travel usable, but it's no biggie

Ryan Barwin · Post by **Ryan Barwin** » 21 Sep 2010 2:50 pm

Plain 6th string...no particular reason for using the plain string, but it's what I've always used...

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 21 Sep 2010 4:49 pm

I use a .020 plain string. What gauge wound string whould you suggest?

Lenny

Duane Reese · Post by **Duane Reese** » 21 Sep 2010 4:49 pm

On p/p, Pro-II, MSA Classic and whatever else that didn't have much or any adjustable leverage, it was wound. But, since I'm presently in the MCI game, it's plain.

Rick Kreuziger · Post by **Rick Kreuziger** » 21 Sep 2010 5:12 pm

I've had no mechanical limitations using an .022 wound on: GFI Ultra, Carter, Williams & Excel Superb guitars.

Wound 6th makes me

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 21 Sep 2010 5:46 pm

Len Amaral wrote:I use a .020 plain string. What gauge wound string whould you suggest?

Lenny

.022 is the norm for those who use would. I know a couple of players who use .024, but that's rare.

The poll results are no surprise, by the way. I see this same ratio in string sales. About 2 out of 3 E9th players use a plain 6th.

Nathan Sarver · Post by **Nathan Sarver** » 21 Sep 2010 6:27 pm

b0b wrote: About 2 out of 3 E9th players use a plain 6th.

Is it generally because people prefer the sound of the plain strings or is it mostly for mechanical reasons?

Duane Reese · Post by **Duane Reese** » 21 Sep 2010 7:05 pm

Nathan Sarver wrote:
b0b wrote: About 2 out of 3 E9th players use a plain 6th.
Is it generally because people prefer the sound of the plain strings or is it mostly for mechanical reasons?

My guess is you'll find that most prefer a plain for the sound, and it's either reason for those who prefer a wound.

Leonard G. Robertson · Post by **Leonard G. Robertson** » 21 Sep 2010 7:18 pm

I use wound sixth string mainly because it doesn,t fluctuate as much during tuning, but I also like sound of it too.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 21 Sep 2010 7:29 pm

I prefer wound for the sound. I'm not crazy about the long pull, but I deal with it because I like the sound of the wound string.

Actually, it might be more that I dislike the sound of the thick plain string. Given the choice, wound sounds better to me.

Shane Glover · Post by **Shane Glover** » 21 Sep 2010 8:23 pm

I tried a wound 6th but could not keep it in tune. Since I am too chicken to work on the guitar back to a plain string I went.

Shane

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 21 Sep 2010 9:08 pm

b0b when i left MSA i had a D 10 classic MSA.At the time i had not heard the term cabinet drop. I had a plain on the 6th string and noticed when i raised the 5th the 6th would go slightly flat. I called Reece,told him about it and he told me to put a wound on the 6th. I did and that fixed the problem. Tracy
I then liked the wound better as i never cared for the highs one had to use when playing country.

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 22 Sep 2010 12:58 am

I use a plain 6th because it comes in the SIT BE set.
I buy strings in bulk and change them fairly often.
I set my steels up with the same guages just to make my life a little easier.

Never tried a wound 6th so I've nothing to compare.

Clete

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Sep 2010 2:01 am

I use a plain on my Franklin, and lower the 6th a full tone.

When I got my Franklin, new, Mr Franklin told me to use the "Nashville Gauges" which included the .020P 6th string. My 81 Franklin came with Bill Lawrence SS wound strings, which was the "Nashville Gauges" and was set up for those gauges. I've used those gauge strings ever since (George L's is my string of choice) and although there is some 6th string "detuning" it's not really an issue when playing.

Carson Leighton · Post by **Carson Leighton** » 22 Sep 2010 2:21 am

I use a .020 plain on my Carter and P/P Emmons. Both guitars lower the 6th a whole tone..The tuning is a bit touchy,,but I'm used to it, after about 30 yrs or so....Regards,,Carson

David Griffin · Post by **David Griffin** » 22 Sep 2010 8:00 am

I kinda split the difference & use a .020W. But I don't lower the string,either.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 22 Sep 2010 8:48 am

I used to have a problem getting a plain in tune, because of the overtones, so I would put a wound on for important gigs. After a few years of this rigamarole, and more experience, I decided on a plain. It blends with the 5th string much better, sustains more, and is louder than a wound. A wound sounds muddy to me, and, on a P/P, ruins the feel of the pedal.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 22 Sep 2010 9:31 am

I use a .022 plain string for the 6th string.
I own and play a variety of pedal steels and some of them won't drop the G# to an F# with a wound string.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 22 Sep 2010 9:41 am

Cal touched on my early problems using a plain 6th. That, coupled with my poor left hand technique at the time, caused some pretty nasty overtones, particularly unwanted harmonics playing at the 12th fret. Nearly drove me nuts 'til I figured out what I was doing wrong.

Still, the tuning can be a bit touchy, but Cal's other comments pretty much sum up my reasons for sticking with the plain string. I also lower it a whole tone with a split on the B pedal.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 22 Sep 2010 10:31 am

Cal Sharp wrote:I used to have a problem getting a plain in tune, because of the overtones, so I would put a wound on for important gigs. After a few years of this rigamarole, and more experience, I decided on a plain. It blends with the 5th string much better, sustains more, and is louder than a wound. A wound sounds muddy to me, and, on a P/P, ruins the feel of the pedal.

Amen brother!

For me, if ya gotta go plain, go .022p, for a .020p only exacerbated the problem. But that is me. Others will disagree.

c.

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 22 Sep 2010 4:52 pm

I used to use a wound 22 and loved it but, the guitar I have now,( a Nashville LTD D10), I lower the 6th a whole tone so I went with a 20 plain. The 22 plain seemed to stiff for me.

Tony

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 23 Sep 2010 7:18 am

I have never been able to get a plain 6th string to fret true.
I suspect that is because the dang string is so thick and stiff that after you tune it you can see an arch in the string while the rest of the strings are straight.
So when you place the bar down on the strings it pushes down on that arch and now you have two arches one on either side of the bar.
If I release the pressure on the bar the slightest bit the two arches will come back together and form one arch right under the bar and flip my bar out of my hand and onto the floor.
I'm traveling back and forth to St Louis to do some research but so far I haven’t figured it out.
Until then I will just have to use a wound string.

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