Which strings for lap steel?

[Hans Henrik Rasmussen]

Hi,

So as I'm waiting for my first lap steel (a Recording King RG-32 - http://www.recordingking.com/lapsteel_series.html) to arrive, it dawned upon me that I need to get some new strings for it as I have only strings for acoustics lying around.

So which strings would you recommend? I'm going for a tone that is as warm and dark as possible.

Thanks!
Hans

[CrowBear Schmitt]

you can buy ready made lap steel sets right here on the forum Hans
click " strings " at top of page
http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/categ ... el-guitar/

otherwise you can use most elektrik guitbox sets or make your own :
download StringGauge.pdf
22 1/2 " - 24" - 25 1/2 " is the scale length (nut to bridge)



Tuning------------------Notes---------------------Gauges

6 string:
.
A Major Low Bass-----E C# A E A E-----------.015 .017 .022 .030 .044 .056
A Major High Bass-----E C# A E C# A --------.015 .017 .022 .030 .034 .042
A6th --------------------E C# A F# E C---------.015 .017 .022 .026 .030 .036
B11---------------------E C# A F# D# C#------.015 .017 .022 .026 .030 .036
E Major-----------------E B G# E B E------------.015 .020 .024 .030 .038 .056
E7th ------------------- E B G# E D E or B---------015 .020 .024 .030 .036 .056 or (B=.038)
C#minor ---------------E C# G# E B E----------.015 .017 .024 .030 .036 .056
C#minor 7--------------E C# G# E D B or E ---.015 .017 .024 .030 .036 .038 or (E=.056)
C6-----------------------E C A G E C--------------015 .018 .022 .024 .030 .038
C6/A7-------------------E C A G E C#------------015 .018 .022 .024 .030 .036
D9-----------------------E C A F# E C#----------.015 .018 .022 .026 .030 .036

8 string :

A6--------------E C# A F# E C# A F#-------015 .017 .022 .026 .030 .036 .042 .050
B11-------------E C# A F# D# B F# B------.015 .017 .022 .026 .032 .038 .050 .056
C6th/A7E ------C A G E C# C A-------------015 .018 .022 .024 .030 .034 .036 .042
C13-------------E C A G E C Bb G or C------015 .018 .022 .024 .030 .036 .040 .048 or (C=.060)
C#m9-----------E C# G# F# E D B G#------015 .017 .024 .026 .030 .034 .038 .046
D9---------------E C A F# E C# A G ----------015 .018 .022 .026 .030 .034 .042 .048
E7---------------E B G# E D B G# E-----------015 .020 .024 .030 .034 .038 .046 .056
E9----------------E B G# F# D B G# E--------015 .020 .024 .026 .034 .038 .046 .056
E9----------------E B G# F# E D B G#---------015 .020 .024 .026 .030 .034 .038 .046-
E13---------------E C# B G# E D B G#--------015 .017 .020 .024 .030 .034 .038 .046
F#9--------------E C# G# E A# F# C# G#-----015 .017 .024 .030 .040 .050 .062 .068

Thanx to John Ely

[Stephen Cowell]

Hi,

So which strings would you recommend? I'm going for a tone that is as warm and dark as possible.

Thanks!
Hans

Hans, sounds like you want flatwounds. I've got some on a guitar and it's like you describe, warm and dark.

[Kevin Ruddell]

flatwounds, they're great for lap or bass. D'Addario or LaBella

[Hans Henrik Rasmussen]

Great! Flatwounds it is.

What gauges would be right for an Open D tuning?

Thanks,
Hans

[Hans Henrik Rasmussen]

Am I reading John Ely's chart above correctly if I assume it is:

D = .015-.017
A = .020-.022
F#= .024-.026
D = .032-.036
A = .040-.044
D = .060-.064

For Open D: DADF#AD?

Thanks,
Hans

[Brad Bechtel]

Those seem a bit heavy for that lap steel. Try a set of regular gauge electric guitar strings (.013 to .056) and see if those work well for you.

[Steve Ahola]

I've heard from many people here who recommend the semi-flatwound strings that Scotty sells. They start out as a round wound string of a thicker gauge and they are ground down for a flat surface on the outside. Very inexpensive although there are only a few different sets available. I think that they are great when their sets will work for the tuning you are using.

Steve Ahola

[Kevin Ruddell]

The semi flat strings Steve mentions are really nice .
I used to really love the low tension flatwound LaBella's on my Fender Bass when I used to play it that I tried the D'Addario flatwounds for lap after reading on the forum that Jerry Byrd used flatwound strings .
Haven't changed since as they sound great IMHO. YMMV
For the first few hours they sound pretty rough until they're played in but last quite a long time and sound good.

[Paul Seager]

I love the Scotty SIT's but they're difficult to obtain in Europe. I've tried flatwounds as a substitue and the sound is nice (and no scraping sound) but the tension seems to increase, presumably due to the extra mass of the strings. I discovered this on my old Framus, tuned to C6 and the whole guitar was literally being bent so I detuned to A6 and later replaced them altogether.

I have a to-do to figure out how much to reduce the wound gauges to compensate for the extra mass.

Just as a European tip, Pyramid make some roundwound lap steel sets (marked as B11 tuning) and you can get these from Thomann but be warned, they are cut extremely short. I have a 22.5" instrument with thru-body stringing and a long peghead and the strings didn't provide enough length to wrap around the outer tuners.

[Ron Whitfield]

I discovered this on my old Framus, tuned to C6 and the whole guitar was literally being bent so I detuned.

Yet another reason why you'll never get famous playing a Framus.

[Steve Ahola]

Yet another reason why you'll never get famous playing a Framus.

Unless you have a name like Bill Wyman and have a gig playing bass with the Rolling Stones.

I think that D'Addario has a tension calculator on their website but I don't know if it included flatwound strings. (I will look for a link to it.)

I will push down on the strings one at a time at the 12th fret to get some idea of the tension. And for some reason sometimes a wound string works better for a particular string and sometimes a plain string. And sometimes it gets a better sound with more tension or less tension. And I usually don't end up using the strings that I had planned on using, making substitutes as I see fit. (I order 6 packs of the plain strings I usually use and 3 packs of the wound strings from GC or MF so I can go up or down a gauge. For some tunings where I might retune a root in the middle to the 9th I will find the gauge that works for both pitches.)

I think that all guitars made of wood (regular or steel) will have some keys and notes that work better than others for the strings.

Steve Ahola

[Hans Henrik Rasmussen]

Thank you very much for the great advice guys.

Perhaps tension on an electric lap steel is actually more or less the same as when figuring out tension for an acoustic lap slide guitar?

The guitar is 25-1/5" scale so .013-.056 would be what I'd do if it was an acoustic lap slide, perhaps beefing up the two plain strings a little.

Per your advice I'm going to try out one of these:

http://www.thomann.de/dk/pyramid_gold_t ... twound.htm

http://www.thomann.de/dk/daddario_ecg26.htm

http://www.thomann.de/dk/la_bella_flatw ... 15_056.htm


Best,
Hans

[Steve Ahola]

Perhaps tension on an electric lap steel is actually more or less the same as when figuring out tension for an acoustic lap slide guitar?

I'm not sure what you mean by acoustic lap steel guitar. I think that an acoustic resonator guitar sounds better with slightly heavier strings and a Weissenborn-style acoustic sounds better with slightly lighter strings.

I think it also depends on your playing style. So what kind of music do you play? (I don't believe that has come up in this discussion. You did mention warm and dark.)

Steve Ahola

P.S. Can you get single strings?

[Hans Henrik Rasmussen]

Yes, I can get single strings and I mostly play some sort of blues/folk stuff.

By acoustic lap slide I meant weissenborns and converted regular guitars since that's what I already have and know .

Thanks again,
Hans

[Steve Ahola]

Yes, I can get single strings and I mostly play some sort of blues/folk stuff. By acoustic lap slide I meant weissenborns and converted regular guitars since that's what I already have and know .

I would go with a set of regular guitar strings in the gauges that Brad recommended. I'd get Ernie Ball since they are inexpensive and replacement wound strings are available.

[Hans Henrik Rasmussen]

Thanks Steve, I'll do that.

And I just noticed that I wrote above that the guitar had a 22-1/5" scale - that was a typo, it is 25-1/5" scale (I've edited it now).

Best,
Hans

[Jim Mitchell]

I read some where

The lap steel should be tuned out of tune on some notes

Depending on which instruments you are going to back up

I played tuba in High School and with the Shriners band
LuLu in Philly

I knew my Bb and a trumpet Bb were not the same pitch

[Earl Hensley]

My choice for years now are Everly Music strings. I have them on both my regular guitars, on my Fender Bass, my lap steel and on my 2 pedal steels. I have the sets made up for me. No extra charge.