Ideal string spacing for non tapered 8 string pedal steel?

Paul Leoni · Post by **Paul Leoni** » 29 Jun 2021 12:37 pm

Subject says it all.
Would also like to know the industry average, and all of your thoughts on tapering in general. It would seem to me that a certain "magic" intonation spot would occur on some spacings with bar slants.
A lot to think about here

Paul Leoni · Post by **Paul Leoni** » 29 Jun 2021 1:41 pm

I am thinking 5/16 is a good place and parts are available. The "slant" thing takes a back seat. Not sure how slant chord intonation is affected at 5/16ths. I made my 8 string straight steel 3/8 and there seem to be advantages, but what is important to me here is player comfort level when switching to another steel.

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 29 Jun 2021 10:32 pm

5/16" at the changer is too narrow.
11/32" at the changer is the proven ergonomic, industry standard, spacing.

I have no idea why the strings are tapered down to the nut, maybe it's an aesthetic thing.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 29 Jun 2021 10:41 pm

I've always thought it was aesthetic. There's no physical reason.
5/16" would be unplayable. 3/8" is favoured by non-pedal players who depend on slants. 11/32" it is, or close to it.
Incidentally, it would be easy to ridicule Paul for trying to reinvent the wagon wheel, but it's always healthy to question assumptions and to remind ourselves how we got here.

Paul Leoni · Post by **Paul Leoni** » 30 Jun 2021 3:55 am

Oh hell don't worry about ridiculing me! I have cease and desist orders framed on my wall from some mighty places. It always starts out as ridicule. Fire away. Fuel. One good thing about the internet all you ever do and ever have done is documented.

Paul Leoni · Post by **Paul Leoni** » 30 Jun 2021 4:23 am

richard burton wrote:5/16" at the changer is too narrow.
11/32" at the changer is the proven ergonomic, industry standard, spacing.

I have no idea why the strings are tapered down to the nut, maybe it's an aesthetic thing.

That's the information that I need. Thank you. I do feel the market for the unit I am designing will be primarily guitarists. The more comfortable they are the better.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 30 Jun 2021 7:43 am

I believe the "taper" (smaller width at the nut than the bridge) is an unfortunate hold-over from the steel guitar's ancestors the standard guitar...

I make all of my steel guitars with parallel string spacing usually 3/8"

Paul Leoni · Post by **Paul Leoni** » 1 Jul 2021 3:42 pm

Actually 5/16 is the finger width I want.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 1 Jul 2021 4:10 pm

Some 1/32" spacers will put you right. Steel stock is metric over here so when I built my own instrument a few years back I used 6mm fingers with 3mm spacers as a comb axle brace, which comes out at 11/32" as near as makes no odds.