The Steel Guitar Forum

I want to discuss the importance of the String guaging and why I came up with my particular Jagwire String Gauges.
This is from the Steel guitar forum Catalog.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>Ricky Davis Artist Series
Texas steeler Ricky Davis is best known for his recordings with Dale Watson, and for his spectaular restorations of vintage pedal steels. Ricky prefers heavier gauges on the E9th than most players, and uses a wound 6th string on the E9th neck. These are nickel wound strings.
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
E9th Tuning C6th Tuning
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F# .013 G .012
D# .015 E .014
G# .012 C .017
E .014 A .020p
B .018 G .024w
G# .022w E .030
F# .026 C .036
E .030 A .042
D .034 F .056
B .038 C .070
</pre></font>
</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
All 24" scale pedal steels like the Sho~bud and Marlen and some others; are a shorter scale; than the standard string packs for pedal steel; that are mainly associated with an Emmons or Zum and most modern made pedal steels.
The tension on the strings are very different from a 24 1/4" scale and a 24" scale when using the same gauges. If you use the same guages that you would use on a 24 1/4" or 24 1/2" scale ON A 24" scale; you are really sacrificing the best playability/sustain and movement of unison strings, of the shorter scale length. With the limited leverage points of the older pedal steels; like the Sho~bud and Marlen; it is ultra important that the guaging be correct; so the unison strings pull more together; as why I have suggested and strongly suggest my guages noted above. Only change one can make is if they lower the 6th string on E9th a whole tone; you should swap the wound .022 with a Plain .022 and that's it. Many have ask me: "Ricky how come your Sho~bud sustains so well for a shorter scale guitar and especially in the high register?" >Well this is the reason of Guaging properly.
I hope this helps on some inquiry to why I use a heavier guage; as it's NOT a heavier guage on a 24" scale but would be on a 24 1/4" or 24 1/2"; but I don't play a long scale pedal steel, so the guaging is relative.

http://www.mightyfinemusic.com/jagwire.htm
Ricky

Ricky...Been using those exact gauges for years on Old Betsy! Although you might wanna try the more macho .072 for the bottom string. Ha!

Dang Rick; I thought .070 was macho....>.072??? yeee haaa...>BUT and a big But....when raising the 10th string a whole tone and 9th string a half tone on the same pedal...a .072 will go up a whole tone even faster than a .070 and the 10th string already sneeks up faster than the 9th string just a tad with a .070; so the .072 will be too much movement in relation to the 9th string with the limited leverage points older guitars Off; as why again..My guages..ha.
So you would have to use a bigger 9th string guage; and then you would have to use a larger guage on the 8th string and so on; as the step between thickness of strings is now a catch up problem...>so there ya have my take on that my Surfin' Brother...
Ricky<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 02 August 2004 at 11:34 AM.]</p></FONT>

What Ricky says is absolutely true; I use those gauges exclusively on both of my Sho~Buds and sustain, playability and overall tone balance have improved noticeably. It seems especially the best combination for guitars where the capability of "timing" the raises is limited, such as the rack and barrel Professional. Even though a very competent repairman/acquaintance of mine who is more of an expert on Emmons guitars, said to me, "You must be crazy to use an .012 (for 3rd string on E9th), get an .011 on there" I said "No." I know why. It plays as easy as anything. Jagwire strings rule.

Regards, JH

Ricky, my Marlen measures 24 1/4" from top of changer to top of roller. This guitar is pictured on your website. It is the blue airbrushed U12 that was originally built for Jeff Newman......... JD

Hey Ricky....actually I confess that my macho 072. was just from me takin' somebody's advice 25 years ago. Never knew any different. Your explanation makes sense though. I think I'll give it a try.

Doe's anybody else leave the boo wah string on longer than the rest (every 2 or 3 string changes) cuz it takes longer to stretch into tunability?

John yes; the later model Marlen with Leonard's Patented all-pull design; was indeed a 24 1/4" scale.....>so I guess I'm refering to the single finger pull-release Marlen.
Yeah Joe it's funny how guys will say:" you use a .012 for the 3rd string G#>geeze??" when all they have ever known is a 24 1/4" scale ha....and absolutely don't have a clue that a shorter scale equals the same tension with a .012 on that string; as a longer scale....Ummm duhh....ha. and now a .012 will sound normal to the others in balance and sustain much longer and operate with the unison 6th string soooo much better; but all they remember is trying to put a .012 on their long scale pedal steel and it breaking..ha....
Yes Rick; that is a great point....and I usually do leave those big wound strings on much longer than the rest; for the reason you described.
Also the Jagwire Strings; same Guage as any other brand; will take less tension to pull to pitch and hold there, as it is such a more quality of a string and means less string breakage and longer lasting Tone; as why that is the only brand I use and this coming from a guy with a full on Ernie Ball endorsment; so there ya have that too..ha.
Ricky

Interesting. I didn't think about the scale length, I just thought you liked a heavier string. Looking into it, it looks like my GFI is also 24" - so now I got to try out one of your sets and see how it feels!

Well Ricky, you have me sold. As far as I can tell, you have always been really straight with me and your endorsement of the Marlen I recently bought was right on the money. I am finally beginning to sound like a steel player.
The only problem is that I can't seem to order both your E9 and C6 strings at the same time in one order. I can either order two sets of one, or two sets of the other. I would like to combine them on one order so's to only have to pay shipping on one order. I know there must be a way to do this, but being a bear of very little brain, have not been able to figure out how to do this.
Thanks again for the work on the Speedy West Marlen.
Duncan

Is a Carter 24" scale? What is the factory Carter string gauge/brand?

thx

bob

Great info Ricky! It makes perfect sense, and really it's so obvious concerning the guages vs scale length, that I feel quite foolish for not realizing this until now.

I'm certainly going to go with these guages on the Sho~Bud I recently got and see what happens. It already sounds so good, I'm kinda scared to improve on it... might not be able to stand it!!!

Thanks again for the great topic & info.

Lem

Hey Cool guys you will Dig.
Duncan here is the discription of how to order from the Steel guitar forum Catalog Jagwire string section located here>
http://steelguitarmusic.com/strings.html
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>Ordering products from these pages to support the Steel Guitar Forum is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Write down what products you want on a sheet of paper, or simply write "Donation" if you are sending a donation. Please include the product number and description of each item.

Make out your check or money order payable in US dollars to "The Steel Guitar Forum".

Slip it all into an envelope and mail it to:

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 South Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425
USA
We also accept payment for orders via PayPal, a free internet service that will bill your MasterCard or Visa credit card.
</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Or you can go to Jagwirestrings.com
And click on my picture>example:

And then you enter the amount of string packs for that set you want and then click "Add items to my cart" then click "continue shopping" and keep adding how ever many of what ever to your cart until your done; then click "Check out Stand" and fill out the stuff and "submit secure order" and your Good to go.\
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Bob if Carter doesn't have that info on their site> www.steelguitar.com ; then just measure from the top center of the rollers, back to the top center of the finger; and you will get your scale length.
Ricky
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 02 August 2004 at 09:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

Hey Ricky....
On the shorter scale, if you are using a D on the first string of the C6th, what guage would you use? I am surprised no one has asked that yet. Or maybe I missed it.

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Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ
Southwestern Steel Guitar Association

I use a .016p for the D note on top of the C6 pedal steel.
Ricky

Thanks Ricky. With your help I was able to figure out how to purchase some strings from the SGF. I guess I need to thank the Forum for allowing me to find out first that I can't play the pedal steel, and now, that I don't know how to order things. I guess whatever brings you to therapy is a good thing...right?