Lap steel strings

Andrew King · Post by **Andrew King** » 31 Jan 2014 1:49 pm

Hi folks, I am getting ready to receive a Duesenberg Pomona 6 and starting to think about strings. Duesenberg sells a set of lap steel strings on their website (016-018-026w-036-046-056) for $17/set. Man, that's pricey. Anything special about these? What are other people using? The gauges don't seem too different from what I am already using on my dobro, except for a slightly lighter gauge 3rd string. Thanks.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 31 Jan 2014 2:29 pm

You can buy good string on the forum for a lot less and you contribute to the forum!

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/categories/Strings/

Andrew King · Post by **Andrew King** » 31 Jan 2014 2:45 pm

Thanks, that's perfect!

Andrew King · Post by **Andrew King** » 31 Jan 2014 3:18 pm

I do still find it interesting that Duesenberg is offering lap steel string guages that are so much heavier than what is offered here. Any ideas why that is? Does open D push you down to those gauges?

http://duesenbergusa.com/dstore/index.p ... ry&path=25

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 31 Jan 2014 3:33 pm

Yes they are probably set for open D or G but leave that for bottle neck and tune to C6!

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 31 Jan 2014 8:07 pm

That sounds like a set for open E tuning possibly. Much too heavy on the bass strings for c6.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 31 Jan 2014 11:38 pm

This is a chart of all strings corresponding to pitch:

http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/gauges.htm

It's idealized for a shorter (22"? 22.5"?) pedal steel, with the highest pitch of each string determining gauge. So you may want to arbitrarily go a few gauges light. However, the relative pitchs/gauges work the same. I have cut and pasted this to a word-processing page, printed out a bunch of them. It's almost certainly the most-looked at thing I've ever found on steel guitar AND regular, if you like to fiddle with tunings it's indispensable.

Rob Jackson · Post by **Rob Jackson** » 1 Feb 2014 2:05 am

<-- Hi guys, newbie here with more than a passing interest in the Duesenberg Multibender

Pretty sure the idea with those gauges in the set Duesenberg sells is to tune to open D / D A D F# A D.

Rob Munn · Post by **Rob Munn** » 1 Feb 2014 2:05 am

I've got my B6 tuned to D, and I tried to get away with a 56 for the 6th, D, and it doesn't play well so I ordered 3 sets of D strings from Weissenborn. I got a good deal, I think it was 3 packs for 22 bucks or something like that. I would love to buy them from the forum Jean Sebastien, but they don't have a string in the advertised sets that has a 60+ string gauge.

Tony Lombardo · Post by **Tony Lombardo** » 1 Feb 2014 5:05 am

I string my instrument with these strings because I cannot find any other 8-string sets for A6 tuning in the gauges that I like. I don't like putting custom sets together, so I go with these.

http://www.jagwirestrings.biz/catalog/i139.html

Rob Munn · Post by **Rob Munn** » 1 Feb 2014 8:18 am

Thanks Tony,

I just ordered a 6 pak of 60 gauge strings. Won't wear them out any time sooon!

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 1 Feb 2014 1:03 pm

Single strings on the forum.

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/categories/Strings/

Rob Munn · Post by **Rob Munn** » 1 Feb 2014 5:27 pm

Hey man,

I didn't check past the page with the 6 or 7 sets of strings, no D on it. Next time I'll support the forum. I should just buy multiples of the gauges I need for G and D, my 2 tunings right now. Thanks Jean-S.

Rob

Rob Munn · Post by **Rob Munn** » 2 Feb 2014 3:50 am

I bought these strings on Ebay, and after this post, realize I may have bought the wrong strings for my Rick B6. Are these strings only for resophonic instruments? I mean, 68 is a pretty mean string! I will go to the Forum store and get the right strings. Anybody want some resophonic strings? Cheap? Guess I'll have to buy me one of those resos.

Paul DiMaggio · Post by **Paul DiMaggio** » 2 Feb 2014 5:48 am

Those are for hollow neck acoustics, Rob. Resonator strings are a little lighter 16-56. My daughter bought me set of those, probably from the same place you did, I'm gonna try them on a cheapo Asian acoustic I have set up for steel to see if they will give me more volume.

Andrew King · Post by **Andrew King** » 2 Feb 2014 6:58 am

Hey David, thanks for the chart reference, that's very useful. As far as applying this to a longer scale length it makes sense to use a lighter string gauge to maintain the same tension across strings, since a longer string in the same string gauge would naturally vibrate at a lower frequency for the same tension applied. Is there any rule of thumb for how many gauges to drop down?

David Mason wrote:This is a chart of all strings corresponding to pitch:

http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/gauges.htm

It's idealized for a shorter (22"? 22.5"?) pedal steel, with the highest pitch of each string determining gauge. So you may want to arbitrarily go a few gauges light. However, the relative pitchs/gauges work the same. I have cut and pasted this to a word-processing page, printed out a bunch of them. It's almost certainly the most-looked at thing I've ever found on steel guitar AND regular, if you like to fiddle with tunings it's indispensable.

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 2 Feb 2014 7:21 am

Rob Munn wrote:I bought these strings on Ebay, and after this post, realize I may have bought the wrong strings for my Rick B6. Are these strings only for resophonic instruments? I mean, 68 is a pretty mean string!

You'll also find that bronze strings are not good for electric.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 2 Feb 2014 8:23 am

The 3150 set is described by Pearse as being for the D tuning "heavy", and with the 68 on the bottom it is definitely that. They have a lighter set for the D tuning which has a 60 on the bottom and is closer to the gauges I prefer for my 25" scale instruments, but still heavier (I put a 56 on the bottom). In any case, they are definitely not suitable for an electric instrument.

Rob Munn · Post by **Rob Munn** » 2 Feb 2014 9:37 am

Thanks Paul, Stephen and Bob,

Hollow neck acoustics like the Weissenborn, like on the name of the strings. That should have clued me in. Oh well, live and learn. I will return them.

Steven Pearce · Post by **Steven Pearce** » 3 Feb 2014 11:37 am

Howdy,
My lap steel is tuned to an open D, and I've spent lots of time fine tuning my string gauges.
They are Ernie Ball's & the P stands for 'Plain' no wrap...
18P 20P 28 38 48 60
I change my strings before every show, NOT CHEAP, But my sound is worth it!!!

*NOTE*
Your right...Some strings CAN cost a little more $$
But fresh strings, and the right gauges, can make the difference between your steel sounding ok,
or sounding GREAT! Those 18P's & 20P's really sing when plucked, and they don't get worn out sounding or stretched out.
Keep on STEELIN'
Steve

Andrew King · Post by **Andrew King** » 3 Feb 2014 11:45 am

Hi Steven, can you provide the scale length of the lap steel used with the string gauges listed in your post? Thanks.

Steven Pearce · Post by **Steven Pearce** » 3 Feb 2014 11:57 pm

Hey Andrew, sorry to be so long in responding..
Scale length is 23 inches.
Steve

Dieter Stoll · Post by **Dieter Stoll** » 4 Feb 2014 2:42 am

I have a Pomona 6, it's tuned to open D (D A D F# A D bottom to top), and the factory gauges work well. However, on account of the benders, string breakage is bound to occur much more frequently. I have installed an additional bender on the low A (raise a whole step to B, like on the high A), and have bought a bulk set of D'Addario nickel wound strings in .018 (plain), .026 and .046 each. Each time a string snaps on me I eat into the respective heap of strings

I don't see any need to use the factory strings. There's no noticeable difference, pickup wise, with the D'Addarios.

Sam White · Post by **Sam White** » 8 Feb 2014 12:49 pm

If you get hole of either Sid Hudson or Ray Thomas you can buy what ever Stings you need. Sid Hudson make Live Steel Strings and he makes them in Steel or Nickel and they are heat treated.I use them and a lot of other Steel and lap steel players use them. I have never broken one yet.Go on New Products.Great sounding Strings.
Sam white

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 8 Feb 2014 1:46 pm

Yes if you don't mind pay a little more, the Live Steel strings are great!