New guitar - what strings?

Michael Valentiner · Post by **Michael Valentiner** » 20 Aug 2003 6:37 pm

I'm a newbie to the Forum and a newbie to steel guitar. In fact, I don't have a guitar yet. The UPS guy is supposed to deliver a '53 National Tri-chord tomorrow. That's the model with the lever that changes the tuning to 3 different chords. I don't know how it works, but I'll figure that out when it gets here. My question is: what strings do I put on the thing? I figure I'll start with a C6 tuning, CEGACE. An suggestions on gauges? brands? nickel? bronze?

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MIke V

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 20 Aug 2003 7:30 pm

Mike

Welcome. At the top of the page you will find links to tunings and string gauges. Pedal steel gauges should work if your scale length is in the 24 inch range.

Lots of preferences here. I like GHS Rollerwound Pure Nickel. kinda in between flat wound and roundwound.

juststrings.com will have these and many others.

Hope this helped.

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Stringmaster T8, Benoit 8, National Tricone, MSA U12

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 20 Aug 2003 10:45 pm

Perhaps you should wait and see what you've gotten into, before ordering strings of any gauge! What little I know of this type of steel, they are only made to accomodate (3) spacific tunings! Such as: E,A,E,A,C#,E = (A)
E,B,E,G#,C#,E = (C#m)
E,B,E,G#,B,E = (E)
Or: A,C#,E,A,C#,E = (A)
B,D.E,G#,C#,E = C#m7)
B,D,E,G#,B,E = (E7)
It would be hard to guess how it is set up, however; I don't think you can diviate from it's original intent!

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“Uh~” ƒƒ< “BJ” wknsg®
Franklin, D–10 9/8
Fender, T–8 “The Custom”
Peavey, Classic 50 - 212
Enhancer, E–LG
Red–Rajah, “Phoenix”
http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 20 Aug 2003 11:00 pm

Michael,
John may be right,on this thing. Better check & see what it was originally set up for.

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 21 Aug 2003 12:09 am

Even a wilder guess! I'm pretty confident that you can rule out C6-tuning as a possibility! Sorry to sound so negative!

But,there's a lot of it goin' 'round nowadays!

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“Uh~” ƒƒ< “BJ” wknsg®
Franklin, D–10 9/8
Fender, T–8 “The Custom”
Peavey, Classic 50 - 212
Enhancer, E–LG
Red–Rajah, “Phoenix”
http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels

Chris Scruggs · Post by **Chris Scruggs** » 21 Aug 2003 12:45 am

He could use C6 if he didn't use the tuning lever. If he wanted to use it for it's chord changing abilities though, it would probably not work.

Hey, I got this great new idea so you can get any tuning you can think of. What I'm gonna do is build a steel with foot pedals that change the pitch of the string so you can go from one tuning to another! I think I will name my invention the "pedal steel guitar".

I think I'll have it change from an E9 to an A6. I don't think this has been done before.

Any opinions?

Charlie Fullerton · Post by **Charlie Fullerton** » 21 Aug 2003 3:39 am

I did see something on tuning changers a long time ago. The set-up they talked about was a change from E7th to A6th or 7th, and third option was an E13th which employed elements of both. The National may use a similar technolegy, if so, you will like have to use two variations of G (High G) tunings to get the C6th you want.
Good Luck, This is interesting, please keep us advised.
Charlie

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 21 Aug 2003 4:13 am

Mike V.
When you get this thing,could you,possibly, post some pics of it? I haven't seen one of these things in "100" years.

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Michael Valentiner · Post by **Michael Valentiner** » 21 Aug 2003 6:43 am

Thanks for the relies everybody. I will wait and see it how it works before I order strings. My expectation is that generally I'll put it in C6 and not use the lever. Once I get it figured out, I'll post the details and yes, I'll post pictures (if I can figure out how).

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 21 Aug 2003 6:58 am

I have poor scans of the original manual for this guitar here:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4

I hope this helps!
[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 21 August 2003 at 07:59 AM.]

Karl Oberlander · Post by **Karl Oberlander** » 21 Aug 2003 12:07 pm

If it is the one that just went on ebay serial nimber V32816 it is a 1950 model. Nice looking steel too. Good case. Only other tune-o-matic bridge I ever saw was on a White S-6 that went on Ebay several years ago. I'd experiment with the tunings and see what you can get.

Kobe

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Gibson D-8 Console Grande
Stringmaster T-8
Fender Super Reverb

Michael Valentiner · Post by **Michael Valentiner** » 21 Aug 2003 1:55 pm

The guitar arrived and it looks good except it has a non-standard sound jack and didn't come with a cord. Does anyone have experience changing it over to a standard jack that could provide some pointers?

Karl, this guitar is serial number X17941.

Brad, thanks for the manual pages. They're just clear enough that I can read them. That's the most I know about this thing so far. It's especially good to get the string gauges.

I'll post some pics and a description of how the tuning lever works.