Wound "A" string for C6th

Lap steels, resonators, multi-neck consoles and acoustic steel guitars

Moderator: Brad Bechtel

Post Reply
User avatar
Frank James Pracher
Posts: 601
Joined: 8 Nov 2010 7:51 am
Location: Michigan, USA

Wound "A" string for C6th

Post by Frank James Pracher »

Curious... does anyone use a wound "A" string?

I'm currently using .020 or .021 plain, but got to thinking perhaps a wound string would sound less plunky
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one"
User avatar
Jack Stoner
Posts: 22087
Joined: 3 Dec 1999 1:01 am
Location: Kansas City, MO

Post by Jack Stoner »

I just bought an 8 string lap steel. I have it tuned C6th with a high G like Pedal Steels. I used a set of Pedal Steel strings (what I had) and it tunes and sounds great (but I'm used to the Pedal Steel C6th sound).

I have it tuned (high to low) GECAGECA.

String Gauges .012, .014, .017, .020P, .024W, .030W, .036W, .042W.

I retuned it to E13 and no problem with the string gauges.
GFI Ultra Keyless S-10 with pad (Black of course) TB202 amp, Hilton VP, Steelers Choice sidekick seat, SIT Strings (all for sale as package)
Cakewalk by Bandlab and Studio One V4.6 pro DAWs, MOTU Ultralite MK5 recording interface unit
User avatar
Carl McLaughlin
Posts: 566
Joined: 9 Sep 2010 10:25 am
Location: St.Stephen,New Brunswick,Can

Wound string

Post by Carl McLaughlin »

On my 6 string C6 tuning i am using a wound 2nd and 3rd string.I find it gives me a warmer sound or tone.That,s just MY preferance. :)
Now have a SX 6 string lap in G,.A Tele plus telecaster, Larrivee acoustic.Also have a Fender resonator guitar with new Quarterman cone and spider,and an Allan tailpiece.Playing through a Fender Super Champ XD,using a little delay on the amp and a Harmonix Holy Grail Echo pedal,set on Hall turned to about 1pm.Just got a Fender Dual 6 Stringmaster style. Bought a Yamaha FGX5 Recently and love it.
User avatar
Ian Rae
Posts: 5826
Joined: 10 Oct 2013 11:49 am
Location: Redditch, England
Contact:

Post by Ian Rae »

On some pedal steels there are mechanical considerations, but on your lap it's personal taste. Try it. I assume it's legal.
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
User avatar
Carl McLaughlin
Posts: 566
Joined: 9 Sep 2010 10:25 am
Location: St.Stephen,New Brunswick,Can

Wound string

Post by Carl McLaughlin »

:D It's legal,lol
Now have a SX 6 string lap in G,.A Tele plus telecaster, Larrivee acoustic.Also have a Fender resonator guitar with new Quarterman cone and spider,and an Allan tailpiece.Playing through a Fender Super Champ XD,using a little delay on the amp and a Harmonix Holy Grail Echo pedal,set on Hall turned to about 1pm.Just got a Fender Dual 6 Stringmaster style. Bought a Yamaha FGX5 Recently and love it.
User avatar
Richard Sinkler
Posts: 17067
Joined: 15 Aug 1998 12:01 am
Location: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Post by Richard Sinkler »

Ian Rae wrote:On some pedal steels there are mechanical considerations, but on your lap it's personal taste. Try it. I assume it's legal.
I heard there is a bill in congress now that will ban the use of a wound string on the (4th string) A on the C6 tuning. Punishment for that crime will be 8 solid hours of listening to Florida Georgia Line. So, use at your own risk. :eek: :whoa: :lol:
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 53 years and still counting.
User avatar
Carl McLaughlin
Posts: 566
Joined: 9 Sep 2010 10:25 am
Location: St.Stephen,New Brunswick,Can

wound string

Post by Carl McLaughlin »

:whoa: OH NO Not another bill ,LOL :lol: :lol:
Now have a SX 6 string lap in G,.A Tele plus telecaster, Larrivee acoustic.Also have a Fender resonator guitar with new Quarterman cone and spider,and an Allan tailpiece.Playing through a Fender Super Champ XD,using a little delay on the amp and a Harmonix Holy Grail Echo pedal,set on Hall turned to about 1pm.Just got a Fender Dual 6 Stringmaster style. Bought a Yamaha FGX5 Recently and love it.
Chris Scruggs
Posts: 807
Joined: 20 Jan 2003 1:01 am
Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Post by Chris Scruggs »

I’m not a fan of a wound A on non-pedal steel, because I pull strings behind the bar a lot and need a plain string to pull a half step up to Bd and sometimes a full step up to B.

Also, the more plain strings you have, the less bar hiss there is to worry about. With this in mind, I briefly used a .024 plain for my G, as Jerry Byrd did, but moved back to a wound .024 G as the plain was just a little too “ping-y” sounding for my tastes. Having that many plain strings was great for artificial harmonics, though. They rang out loud and true, with the perfect blend of attack and sustain.

Having a wound G# on pedal steel makes sense because it seems to pull up to pitch more in unison with the high G#-A pull, but without pedals that is a moot point! Some really great players have used a wound A on non-pedal, so give it a shot and see how you like it!

Everyone’s playing style is different, but for me it reminds me of when you try to play Chuck Berry licks on a round neck guitar with a wound third string… You just can’t do it the same way!

~Chris Scruggs~
User avatar
Ian Rae
Posts: 5826
Joined: 10 Oct 2013 11:49 am
Location: Redditch, England
Contact:

Post by Ian Rae »

When I started out on pedal steel I had an old D10 and on the E9 the wound 6th sounded great.

When I swapped to universal I took it with me but in B6 it's the equivalent of the 4th string and it sounded and felt wrong. I remember thinking at the time "Of course, no-one would use a wound 4th on C6"!

On any instrument that uses plain and wound strings, the exact changeover point will be a matter of experiment.
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
User avatar
J D Sauser
Moderator
Posts: 2808
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Wellington, Florida
Contact:

Post by J D Sauser »

22 to 25 inch scales o.o22W

I've tried many times to go to a plain o.o22p (clunky sound and bad intonation) or worse even o.o20p (which sound a bit better than o.o22p but is so under-strung that intonation (among the much more appropriate tensioned stings will not holt intonation.

It's a very opinion infused subject.

... J-D.
__________________________________________________________
A Little Mental Health Warning:

Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.

I say it humorously, but I mean it.
User avatar
Hideki Hattori
Posts: 37
Joined: 15 Feb 1999 1:01 am
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Post by Hideki Hattori »

I like wound A string. Because chimes (harmonics) on plain A sound dead.
20’s Weissenborn, 30’s Rickenbacher A-22 Frypan, 40’s Rickenbacher B7, 40’s Dickerson MOTS, 50’s National Grande Console D8, 50’s National Dynamic, 80’s Japanese Fender Stringmaster S8, Goldtone 8 strings resonator, 2019 Clinesmith Frypan 8, 2020 Clinesmith Frypan 7
Post Reply