Total beginner

Jeff Suhr · Post by **Jeff Suhr** » 28 Jan 2005 4:59 am

My 30's Oahu (Tonemaster) arrived today. I tuned it to C6 with my tuner and with George. The strings seem very slack, much loser than my E tuned Electar. Is this normal? The strings seem to fit the nut well. I know this is a stupid question but I don't want to hurt this instrument. This will not be my last stupid question I'm sure.
Thanks-Jeff

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 28 Jan 2005 5:09 am

What gauges are the strings? And just to be sure,- exactly what notes did you tune to?
The 'correct' would be (bottom to top) CEGACE, with gauges starting around .036 at the bottom going to .015 at the top.

Steinar

------------------
www.gregertsen.com

Jeff Suhr · Post by **Jeff Suhr** » 28 Jan 2005 5:13 am

The strings came on the instrument. I thought the same thing but they fit the nut.
What should I restring it with? -Jeff

Jeff Suhr · Post by **Jeff Suhr** » 28 Jan 2005 5:15 am

Sorry, just saw your gauge suggestion. I tuned it according to CEGACE. I'll just restring it. Thanks-Jeff

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 28 Jan 2005 5:17 am

If you click on "Strings" on top of this page, you'll get to the forum 'string shop'. There are some nice 6-string Jagwire sets there that's optimized for C6/A6, try a few of those, I really like them myself.

Steinar

------------------
www.gregertsen.com

Jeff Suhr · Post by **Jeff Suhr** » 28 Jan 2005 5:30 am

PayPal sent for 2 sets Thanks for your help.
I'll use it as is for now. It CAN'T be an octave off.-Jeff

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 28 Jan 2005 6:44 am

I have two epiphone lap. an Electar century and a Zephyr.
I had then tuned to open E when starting out. the string tension flet right.
after tuning to open D I felt the string tensions to be eased. I had experiences with the strings hitting the p.u. and a strange sound when heavy picking (a brraaatz) .
tuning to C6 I felt the tension come back.
the lap actually sounded better with the increase in tension.
Im not sure what strings I have on there. I used the gauge system mentioned here.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 28 Jan 2005 9:17 pm

Jeff, my advice would be to restring your guitar regardless. If you just bought the guitar and have no idea how old the strings are, you may be retuning that thing every thirty minutes; or, not able to get it to tune properly at all.

The cost for new strings with the proper guage is minimal.

------------------
(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 29 Jan 2005 1:28 am

Jeff,

It is not unusual for Sellers and even some guitar shops (and even players that tune to open spanish guitar chords for slide etc) to put a set of spanish guitar strings on a lap Steel. But a spanish set's gauges cover 2 octaves where a 6 string Steel tuning is barely over 1 octave; So when you try to tune a spanish set to a Steel tuning, the upper strings are almost an octave slack in tension. Sounds like that might be what's happening with your new Steel. Restringing with a correct set is the answer any way you look at it.

Aloha,
DT~<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 29 January 2005 at 01:29 AM.]</p></FONT>