Short-scale string gauges

[Danny Peters]

On a 22.5" scale, for A6 and Boggs' E13, (using flats or semi-flats) how heavy of a gauge can I get away with, stringwise? I want them as heavy as possible.

[Brad Bechtel]

Assuming you're talking about this for the Boggs E13th tuning:
1. E
2. C#
3. G#
4. F#
5. D
6. B
7. G#
8. E

and this for the A6th tuning:

1. E
2. C#
3. A
4. F#
5. E
6. C#
7. A
8. F#

A set of strings like this SIT set sold by the Steel Guitar Forum should do fine.

Why do you want to have as heavy a string as possible? I find that when I use strings that are too heavy, some tone is lost.

[Danny Peters]

I've played with slinkier strings on a steel guitar and I don't like how easily they bend under the weight of my steel and hand. And when I play standard guitar, I prefer 12s, at least (whereas most play 9s or 10s).

I'm going for a thick jazzy tone, and I assumed (rightly? wrongly?) that most steel players stand somewhere in the middle, if not even toward the lighter end.

Any additional thoughts would be helpful.

[Danny Peters]

One more thing, I've used SIT strings on standard guitar and they were terrible. They broke easier than any other string I've ever used. Then again, that was over ten years ago. Maybe these are completely different.

[Morgan Scoggins]

Hey Danny,
I play a eight string Remington Steelmaster ( model S8) and I also use A6 for my basic tuning. It is a short scale 22.5" model.
I have experimented a lot with string gages and like you, I prefer a heavy string. I can't stand the high thin sound of some of the thinner strings.
Presently my tuning is ( hi to low) E,C#,A,F#,E,C#,A, E.. I tune the lowest string to an E because I never play the low F# and the low E comes in handy for other tunings ( and also to kick off "Boot Heel Drag").
My string gages are .16, .18, .22,.28, .32, .36, .42 and .54. this is a bit heavier than the SIT strings, but I get the tone I am looking for and the shorter scale can handle the heavy gage string.At least on my Stringmaster.
I sometimes change tunings to E13 and have no problem with the same strings.

[Danny Peters]

Thanks, Morgan.

Do you buy your strings from the forum? And if not, do you buy them as singles or as a set?

[Frank James Pracher]

One more thing, I've used SIT strings on standard guitar and they were terrible. They broke easier than any other string I've ever used.

I use the Scotty's strings on my lap steels and I think they are great. I like the tone and they seem to last a long time.

[Brad Bechtel]

Just Strings carries John Pearse eight string sets that may be better for you if you don't like the S.I.T. strings.

[Morgan Scoggins]

I buy strings from Steel Guitar Nashville. They have sets of strings, but I buy them individually to customise my own gages. They are called " Cobra" strings and are made exclusivley for steel guitars ( for whatever that is worth).
You can also order strings from Scotty's and buy them individually instead of sets.

[Earnest Bovine]

22.5 is one fret shorter than 24. So a C# string on a 22.5" guitar will be the same as a C string on a 24" guitar.

[Morgan Scoggins]

That's a great point Earnest, I have never really thought of it like that. I do know that if I use a standard gage string such as a .24 for the forth string, that the tension is a bit floopy.

[Danny Peters]

22.5 is one fret shorter than 24. So a C# string on a 22.5" guitar will be the same as a C string on a 24" guitar.

I'm not sure I understand this. Can you elaborate?

[Morgan Scoggins]

Hey Danny,
I think what Earnest is trying to say can best be illustrated by thinking of a clothesline hanging between two poles, one at each end.
If you want to run,say a 100 foot line with only a 6" sag you would have to pull the line tighter and tighter the further apart the poles are. If you shorten the distance between the two poles, the amount of tension required is and less and less as the poles get closer together.Conversley, if you move the poles farther apart, you have to increase the amount of tension to maintain the same sag tolerance.
Applying this same principal to a guitar string between the nut and bridge of a guitar shows us that a short scale of 22.5" would require less tension to hold a C note than a 24" scale would.
I hope I have expalined it correctly. I flunked physics the first time around in High School, so I'm no expert.

[Steve Ahola]

22.5 is one fret shorter than 24. So a C# string on a 22.5" guitar will be the same as a C string on a 24" guitar.

I'm not sure I understand this. Can you elaborate?

I believe that Earnest is referring to the first fret which is about an inch and a half long. If you could capo a 24" lap steel at the first fret, then the C would raised one half tone to C#. I never thought of it like that but it makes perfect sense.

I personally prefer lap steel strings to be a little bit heavier than those on the pedal steel charts. And will go even higher on the 1st string to keep the tone bar from dipping down too much.

Steve Ahola

[John Bechtel]

E13th.
E .015p
C# .018p
G# .024p
F# .026w
D .034w
B .040w
G# .048w
E .056w
__________
A6th.
E .015p
C# .018p
A .022p
F# .026w
E .030w
C# .036w
A .044w
E .056w or F# .052w
__________________________________