The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm a newbie to the PSG and recently got a Carter. Looking in the store to re string it and there are so many choices.. What strings should I get? Thanks for the help.

There are several good brands available, all of which should do the job nicely. It is advisable however to replace the existing set with a set consisting of the same gauges to minimize the necessity of retuning the pedals and levers.

Is that right? If you use different gauges of strings that are currently on the guitar, you need to retune the pedals and levers. That's good to know. I never would have thought that. Thanks for the input.

What's the difference between stainless and nickle? Which is better?

I'm jealous your local music store has ANY, never mind an overwhelming selection

Nickel vs. stainless? Strictly preference. Stainless are usually brighter at first and some think they last longer. I can use either, but prefer Nickel nowadays.

Live Steel Strings are great!!!!!!!!!!

another vote for live steel,
ghs boomers for steel are good too.

as far as nickel verses stainless I would try a set of each and see what you like best, and be sure to use the same brand.
enjoy
caleb

You can buy strings here.
Click Link at the top of the page.

Good prices, prompt personal service, and you help support the SGF.

Before you remove the strings, check one important thing--is your 6th string plain or wound? (actually first question--Carter-Starter or pro model Carter?)
This is a problem that comes up on the forum repeatedly.
Wound or plain are equally acceptable choices but inadvertently switching the two will definitely cause tuning problems requiring mechanical adjustments. So unless one is looking to change, be sure to maintain the choice that is already there.

Yes, changing gauges may necessitate retuning pedals/levers. Even changing brands may--different brands use different cores in the wound strings. Don't let this worry you. Tuning pedals is part of playing PSG.

+1 for Live Steel Strings. Jagwires (if you can get them) are a close 2nd. These are just MY preferences.

Bill,
I am new to the PSG world.
I picked up Carter starter and found it very helpful to get the Carter Starter DVD from the link below. Great folks to talk to.
The Carter catalogue was also a free download on the web.
I bought a set which had a .20 plain for a 6th string but I changed it out for a .22 wound as the manual suggested.
Anyway it was a simple pedal adjustment after watching the video.
Good luck!

http://www.steelguitarscanada.com/onlin ... atalog.pdf

Thanks Gary,
That's a great site for the Carter. Didn't know about it.

I've bought a few set of D'Addario pro steel sets and they seem to come with plain 6th string. I haven't found a place where to get single strings of pro steels - I think I could use a wound one there since that's what Carter advices. Any ideas where to get those?

The plains in that set seem to be exactly same kind of plains that are in D'addarios basic electric guitar sets. Just the wounds ones are different.

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Now there's talk about the need of adjusting the tuning of the pedals and levers if I would change a plain into wound (or another way around). Do you just mean just normal pedal tuning or some structural changes?

Tommi, the singles are the same as their stainless wounds from other sets, if you can find those.
And when you change from plain to wound or vice versa, you might want to change the leverage on the pulls; reassigning both bellcranks and holes in fingers.

Thanks, Lane!

But no single stainless steel strings here.

Makes me wonder, would I be doomed with regular electric guitar strings?

I use regular guitar strings in a pinch...I think they do break sooner, but you'll get a month out of them.

Nickel pedal steel strings ARE regular guitar strings, although some use extra lock winding on 3 and 5.