Poll: Plain vs. Wound 6th

Alfred Ewell · Post by **Alfred Ewell** » 23 Sep 2010 1:41 pm

After all the good points raised (and lowered) here, I might try a wound - been using 20p. And a picture's worth a thousand words: I always thought that arch must be enormous to cross the Mississipi...

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Sep 2010 1:50 pm

That's nothing, I've walked across the Mississippi River.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 23 Sep 2010 4:32 pm

Which bridge did you use, Erv?

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 23 Sep 2010 9:27 pm

I'm one of the couple b0b mentioned that uses an .024W. I started using wound because it helps overall tuning, and I settled on .024 because .022 was just too quiet in the chord voicing. It didn't speak evenly. The increased tension of the .024 brought the volume level up to even with the other strings. YMMV.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 24 Sep 2010 6:13 am

Roger,
I didn't need any bridge.
Up north in Minnesota you can just step across on the rocks sticking out of the water.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 24 Sep 2010 7:40 am

.020 plain. Seems I recall using a wound string back in the 60's and 70's when I played a Fender and then a Sho~Bud, but that was long ago and far away.

Elton Smith · Post by **Elton Smith** » 24 Sep 2010 5:14 pm

I wonder what an all plain set would sound like?All the way to a.038.Never seen one.Im sure somebody knows why.

David Rupert · Post by **David Rupert** » 25 Sep 2010 12:09 pm

I use a .022 Plain, on the 6th (G#) String. I tried a .022 Wound...back in the '70's. Once! I didn't like the sound, or the feel of a .022 Wound, at all.

Chuck Roach · Post by **Chuck Roach** » 1 Oct 2010 11:59 pm

I use a .22w because that is what came on my first sho bud. It was a cross over. I have a Sho Bud tuning chart and it list a .22w for the 6th string in the string chart. I like the sound of the .22w better and it stays in tune better for me. I dont lower the 6th string. Chuck

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 2 Oct 2010 7:53 am

If you are going to switch from a plain to a wound string, you need to increase the gauge a little. The core of a wound string is a much smaller gauge than the plain string. If you leave the overall gauge the same, the wound string will have too little tension, resulting in less volume and excess travel on raises and lowers. For a 0.022 gauge plain, you need at least a 0.024 gauge wound, maybe higher if you want to lower it.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Poll: Plain vs. Wound 6th

Do you use a plain or a wound 6th string (G#) on E9th?

Plain...NO contest!