Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?

Subject: Nashville tuning-what guage strings?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 10:44 AM

'Ello folks. I want to try a guitar in Nashville tuning, but-I don't have a good suggestion for acoustic guitar string guages. I have;

24;15;12;17;13;10 suggested for electric, but what would you kindly suggest for an acoustic or elecro-acoustic.

Thanks

Eric

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what guage strings?
From: wlisk
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 11:12 AM

An easy way of getting a set of strings for the Nashville tuning would be to buy a package of 12 strings guitar strings and then use the smaller guage of each string for your guitar. Then use the leftover strings for a regular tuning. Extra light guage string size would be: .027, .018, .012, .008, .014, .010. for this tuning. Hope this helps. Bill Lisk

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 02:21 PM

Thankyou for the idea. Is the 08 a bit thin for a third string? or should that read 018?

Cheers

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: wlisk
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 03:33 PM

It's an .008 guage flat steel (G) string. Those were an extra light guage set so you could go to a heavier .010. I put that guage set on a 00-17 Martin and it's sounds good and stays in tune. Bill

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 06:17 PM

Cheers Bill. Does the new stringing affect neck tension or much anything else? What I mean is is there anything I should pay attention to when I restring?

Cheers

Eric

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 10:11 AM

I use this tuning for one of my guitars. I use four octave strings, and two normal.

1 - 012
2 - 016
3 - 010
4 - 014
5 - 020
6 - 030

I experiment with guages, some - depending upon which guitar I have high strung, how it sounds, and how much risk I'm willing to take if I go heavier. You get more power out of heavier strings, and better sound (generally) but you're increasing the strain on the guitar's structure - so make changes slowly and wathc your neck. You'll see movement if you strain it too much - then back (and re-adjust your neck).

If you stay with the guages I've listed, you should have NO problems with strain. In fact, you should be able to beef it up a little.

I would go to the guitar shop and buy single strings. The bigshops all sell 'em that way. Probably 'electric' strings, but that's no diff, really. Alloys may differ some, and guage of the packages - but you're not buying packages - and the difference in tones from high stung guitar is FAR greater then the difference in alloys!

Good luck with it!

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 07:59 PM

Thanks, Bill and Jed. I can get string sets made up here at the Music room,for about £4.00 a set so there's no problem getting them. I'll give it a try and experiment a little with the gauges you've both suggested.

Cheers.

Eric

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: GUEST,John Hopeless
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 09:11 PM

Great! Can someone please tell me which guitar srings stand up to abuse?? All I want is a set of srings that will get me through a gig without breaking one. Just tell me the Manufacturer. Oh, by the way, will someone PLEASE tell the makers of strings to include the LETTER or NUMBER of the string on the envelope. (Jasus, it's next to impossible at midnight when you're half pissed and you have just broken your D STRING (NUMBER 4) trying to figure out what the f**king
gauge is.)

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 09:32 PM

if you're fully pissed, you'll never worry about which string is correct! You'll just slap one on and twist the sucker into a picth somewhere close to tune!

Jes' kidding ;-)

Actually I had a string breakage problem for a while. I hated to do it, but I switched to using a nylon pick - I used to use a medium pick, but with the nylon picks I use one slightly heavier one then the ones they call medium ... and it stopped me from snapping strings. They don;t have as clean a sound at first, but you'll get used to 'em, and you can learn to get a good sound from 'em ...

try 'em - no string makers make strings that don;t break. I'm afraid if we're breaking strings, it's our own damn fault for using "gorilla stregth" on our strumming!

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: JohnnyBeezer
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 10:48 AM

Hey everybody, what's Nashville Tuning??
Good Luck
Johnny N

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Vixen
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 11:09 AM

The Taylor newsletter, Wood and Steel, just (last month) had a terrific article on Nashville tuning. I can't wait to try it out.

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: wlisk
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 11:44 AM

John, I had a problem breaking strings too. I switched to Medium Martin SP Phospher Bronze and haven't had that problem for over a year now.

Nashville tuning is similar to a 12 string voicing using a high octave string E through G and then regular on B and high E on a 6 string guitar. It takes a little getting used to going from octave to regular B or E while picking due to the octave change.


Regards, Bill

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 12:01 PM

I see that S.I.T. makes a special Nashville Tuning set but the guages (.010,.014,.009,.012,.017,.025) seem a little light to me. I think Jed's guages would sound better on my guitar. I do like the S.I.T. strings though. I've long used their Royal Bronze Mediums on my D-41. I used to use S.I.T. Electric Guitar Nickel Power Wound Light on my Tele until I switched to Thomastik-Infeld flat wound jazz strings. S.I.T. originally stood for Stay In Tune and they really seem to do that. They set quickly and stay in tune much better than some strings on the market.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Gareth
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 02:37 PM

Actuaaly "Nashville Tunning" for Casey Jones, and the Wreck of Old 97 - 4 foot 8 and a half inches gauge would do.

Gareth - Diving for cover !!!

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: wlisk
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 03:18 PM

Gareth, You're on the right track. Bill

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 08:04 AM

I thought you'd be on broard guage down there in them Valleys, my old sheep shagging friend!

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 08:05 AM

But, from the reports I've had off the sheep-narrow guage is more your thing!

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Feb 06 - 08:29 PM

*refresh*

Just bought a set of Nashville strings for the first time, last weekend, and put them on my Larrivee parlor guitar. But the salesman at the folk-music shop failed to answer my question (posed to him multiple times, I might add!) about tuning them properly. Thank goodness for Mudcat!!

So let me get this straight: the 1st and 2nd strings (high E and B) are to be tuned to the same notes as on a regularly-tuned 6-string guitar, and the 3rd through 6th strings are tuned an octave higher than on a regular 6-string... right? Therefore, the 6th string (low E) should be one octave lower than the 1st string, instead of 2 octaves lower as on a regular 6-string; correct??

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 12:23 PM

*refresh again*

Still looking for someone to answer my question about tuning. Also, what songs (individual tunes and/or genres of songs) are best played in Nashville tuning?

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 01:58 PM

You can tune the bass E string to octave E
The A string is tuned to octave A
The D string is tuned to octave D
The G also to octave G,which makes this middle string the highest tuned string on the guitar
The B is tuned normal,as is the treble E
There may of course be variations of this tuning.It works well as a second guitar,alongside a regular tuned guitar.If you're picking,it gets a little tricky,and lead runs...well,you have to remember that you're in different territory.Some early Emmylou Harris albums have featured this tuning for example.Somebody here may contradict all this,but thats ok.We're always learning.Good luck.
David

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 02:08 PM

and if we did all that what could we expect?

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Feb 06 - 02:20 PM

Thanks, Dave! That's what I tried; glad to hear I did it correctly!

Weelittledrummer: You could expect a very pretty sound when the guitar is strummed but, as Dave Carter says, playing lead guitar is tricky if you're used to moving between the 1st and 2nd strings and the lower strings -- all of a sudden you're in a different octave! Fingerpicking sequences like Travis picking sound different, too -- not necessarily better or worse, just different. That's why I'm wondering which kinds of songs might be [not "best played in" but] enhanced by using Nashville tuning instead of regular tuning.

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 02:01 PM

one of the benefits of owning 40 or 50 good low cost far east made guitars
is i can experiment with any stringing and tuning as the whim occurs..

..so why not try a 12 string guitar in double course nashville tuning for a cool different new sound to play with

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 05:07 PM

You can hear a high strung guitar on almost all of Paul Simon's stuff. He almost always plays one (a black Yamaha, I think) on any TV shows I've seen him on.
Ian Tamblyn uses an old Harmony Soverign (sp) as a high strung and often plays it solo. He really makes it work.
I have an old Yamaha that I use and I use the high strings from a 12 string set. Since I don't use it that often, I sometimes replace the 3rd string with a regular G when the skinny one breaks. It helps keep the melody going when fingerpicking.

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Bobert
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 09:21 PM

Ahhhh, hate to interject another possibility for the strings breakin' on you, John, but it might be in yer saddle... If the string don't bend right over it the the sadlle acts like a saw and literally saws yer string as you play...

As fir Nashville tuning, purdy intersting... I use a lot of open tunings but not with the guages that I've seen listed in this thread... Playin' Delta blues, I gotta have some fatties to thump on... Don't think all them skinny 'un's would be too good fir playing blues but I can see how they wouild fit right in with a Vince Gill voice and style of music...

But, have yer saddle checked out, Johnny...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 12:36 PM

when you say the third string is octave G - tou mean that G that occurrs nornmally on the third fret of the first string...?

If so, that is very high tuning indeed - what sort of string do you use for that. I have broke strings just trying to get Fsharp on the 1st string to get spanish tuning in A.

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 01:10 PM

weelittledrummer:you got it.It is what you would get on a normal 12 string.These strings are made especially for the job,as it were.There's no problem there.If I were going to use a different tuning though,on a normal strung guitar,Let's say Open C for example,then I would tune down.Then I Put a cappo on the 3rd possition and do it that fashion.I don't like to tune "up" to a chord.First you break strings,then you got pressure on the neck.Having said that,I dont use Spanish tuning,or a Classical guitar.Sorry to waffle on.I would like to know what kind of stuff you do though.

David

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 09:40 PM

I have a "modestly priced" import 12-string that I keep in my home studio for high-string stuff, and the guages are (from "low" to "high"): .010/.010, .017/.017, .012/.012, .016/.009, .014/.014, .010/.010 ...makes for very pretty and lush "fairy hair" parts, and because there are no wound strings, they last until they break...usually about 2 years.

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: Mooh
Date: 23 Jun 08 - 09:01 AM

Refreshed...Mooh.

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: skarpi
Date: 23 Jun 08 - 09:14 AM

So what cd can i listen to witch use nashville tuning ??

so I can hear the diffrent ????????   


no use to change if you cant hear the diffrent from I use today ? +


ATB Skarpi

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 11:16 AM

People all seem to assume Nashville tuning is for electric and steel strung guitars, but I decided to try retuning a spare nylon strung guitar to Nashville tuning.

I used standard strings rearranged, so the low E is the fourth string tuned up to E from D, the fifth string is the old third string tuned up to A from G, and the new third string is a first string, tuning up from E to G.   Great fun to play, with a very bright sound.

I gather a lot of African guitarists use high strung guitars, which is like Nashville tuning, but with the third string unaltered.

One of the good things about using funny tunings is that it helps to make it seem more justified to hang on to the old guitars that tend to accumulate over the years...

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 11:23 AM

I have a 3/4 scale 'kids' Squier Stratocaster which I strung in Nashville tuning,
which I used to use live as an alternative to mandolin...
and that had a distinctly African vibe to it...

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 11:24 AM

People all seem to assume Nashville tuning is for electric and steel strung guitars, but I decided to try retuning a spare nylon strung guitar to Nashville tuning.

I used standard strings rearranged, so the low E is the fourth string tuned down to E from D, the fifth string is the old third string tuned down to A from G, and the new third string is a first string, tuned up from E to G.   Great fun to play, with a very bright sound. (I reckon the fact that two strings are tuned down a tone should compensate for the fact is is tuned up three frets, so far as strain on the neck is concerned.)

I gather a lot of African guitarists use high strung guitars, which is like Nashville tuning, but with the third string unaltered.

One of the good things about using funny tunings is that it helps to make it seem more justified

Subject: RE: Nashville tuning-what gauge strings?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Jul 18 - 07:09 AM

... to hold on to the old guitars that accumulate over the years.