What gauge/type of strings for 3/4 scale steel string acoustic?
August 28, 2010 1:36 PM Subscribe
Guitarfilter - my son has a 3/4 scale acoustic steel-string guitar, and he wants some new strings. I'm a bit of a guitarist myself, so I know how to change them no problem, but before bebopping down to the local guitar shop, I'm curious - what gauge strings are best?
This is the instrument, and presently it has decent intonation and tone when tuned conventionally. I've googled this and understand that some tune smaller guitars for open Gs on the top and bottom strings, with all the intermediate strings transposed accordingly, but am not sure this is a great advantage. It's a very nice sounding guitar for the money with the factory strings, actually.
He's young, of course, and new at guitar, so ease of playing is of prime concern, in addition to sounding good.
TIA!
This is the instrument, and presently it has decent intonation and tone when tuned conventionally. I've googled this and understand that some tune smaller guitars for open Gs on the top and bottom strings, with all the intermediate strings transposed accordingly, but am not sure this is a great advantage. It's a very nice sounding guitar for the money with the factory strings, actually.
He's young, of course, and new at guitar, so ease of playing is of prime concern, in addition to sounding good.
TIA!
Of course, if you get nylon strings, make sure they have "ball ends" since this isn't a classical guitar.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 1:42 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by Threeway Handshake at 1:42 PM on August 28, 2010
You seem to be asking two different questions: gauge and tuning. As to gauge, I would stick with the factory gauge -- if you go thicker then you risk stressing the neck too much with the added tension, and if you go thinner then you risk messing up the intonation; it's not like an electric where you can adjust the bridge to compensate for string thickness.
As to tuning, going up three steps (G-C-F-B♭-D-G) is going to add considerable tension to the strings which makes it that much harder to fret the notes. It also adds significant stress to the neck (unless you compensate with lighter strings) which causes it to flex more which raises the action which makes it even harder to play, esp barre chords. I don't see why you would want to encumber your son with any of that when you say it sounds and plays great at E.
posted by Rhomboid at 2:11 PM on August 28, 2010
As to tuning, going up three steps (G-C-F-B♭-D-G) is going to add considerable tension to the strings which makes it that much harder to fret the notes. It also adds significant stress to the neck (unless you compensate with lighter strings) which causes it to flex more which raises the action which makes it even harder to play, esp barre chords. I don't see why you would want to encumber your son with any of that when you say it sounds and plays great at E.
posted by Rhomboid at 2:11 PM on August 28, 2010
I've googled this and understand that some tune smaller guitars for open Gs on the top and bottom strings, with all the intermediate strings transposed accordingly, but am not sure this is a great advantage.
Whoa ... Do you realize that means that when he switches to a normal guitar, he'll have to relearn all the songs he's learned? I would hardly call that a "great advantage." Sounds like a great disadvantage.
Admittedly, I don't know anything about 3/4 guitars. But if it's at all possible to use standard tuning (EADGBE), that will make things much easier for him down the road.
posted by jejune at 2:21 PM on August 28, 2010
Whoa ... Do you realize that means that when he switches to a normal guitar, he'll have to relearn all the songs he's learned? I would hardly call that a "great advantage." Sounds like a great disadvantage.
Admittedly, I don't know anything about 3/4 guitars. But if it's at all possible to use standard tuning (EADGBE), that will make things much easier for him down the road.
posted by jejune at 2:21 PM on August 28, 2010
I have a Baby Taylor, the same size as your son's guitar. I started with 9s and switched to 10s when my hands got stronger. However, the heavier the better, for tuning stability. The lighter the strings, the easier it is for them to go out of tune. The heavier the strings, the harder they are for a beginner to play. On my guitar, I would like to use 11s, and eventually will.
And I wouldn't try non-standard tuning til your son knows more about the guitar. I prefer to use a capo to change the tuning up a half-step (one fret) at a time. The increased tension of the capo on the strings also helps.
posted by xenophile at 3:07 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
And I wouldn't try non-standard tuning til your son knows more about the guitar. I prefer to use a capo to change the tuning up a half-step (one fret) at a time. The increased tension of the capo on the strings also helps.
posted by xenophile at 3:07 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
Assuming a proper set up was originally done, you should get the same strings as it already has otherwise it will adversely affect the intonation and action.
posted by canoehead at 3:50 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by canoehead at 3:50 PM on August 28, 2010
The gauge part of this question is pretty easy. After trying a few different gauges and styles of strings my kids have settled on .10 gauge silk wound. They're easy to play and easy on the little uncalloused fingers.
I'm kind of torn about down tuning to reduce the action. I like the idea but in the long haul it's important to know what C sounds like. That's something that helped me be able to cross over to other instruments.
If with some light gauge strings the action is still too high or difficult, bring that guitar down to your local guitar shop guy and see if they can adjust the truss or something. It might not even cost you anything as it's pretty easy to do.
posted by snsranch at 4:07 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm kind of torn about down tuning to reduce the action. I like the idea but in the long haul it's important to know what C sounds like. That's something that helped me be able to cross over to other instruments.
If with some light gauge strings the action is still too high or difficult, bring that guitar down to your local guitar shop guy and see if they can adjust the truss or something. It might not even cost you anything as it's pretty easy to do.
posted by snsranch at 4:07 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
Comments on the metafilter Stevie Ray Vaughan thread may tend to suggest heavy gauge strings, but we mere humans may prefer something lighter and easier to play.
Alternate tunings is another question. Guitarists often experiment, but as jejune says, (EADGBE) is the common language.
Personally, I wouldn't put nylon strings on a steel-string style guitar. That is just too avant garde for me, and I have done some funny experiments with guitars in the past.
posted by ovvl at 5:00 PM on August 28, 2010
Alternate tunings is another question. Guitarists often experiment, but as jejune says, (EADGBE) is the common language.
Personally, I wouldn't put nylon strings on a steel-string style guitar. That is just too avant garde for me, and I have done some funny experiments with guitars in the past.
posted by ovvl at 5:00 PM on August 28, 2010
I'm kind of torn about down tuning to reduce the action. I like the idea but in the long haul it's important to know what C sounds like.
Say what?!? I don't think anybody is talking about down tuning. Going from E to G is up three semitones. The argument for G tuning is that there is more tension which compensates for the shorter scale's natural lower tension compared to full length guitars, which causes better intonation when the string is stretched when fretted. But the poster seems to indicate that the intonation is already good at E and so that shouldn't be an argument for G tuning. And he specifically said that ease of playing was the key criterion, and so that argues against the higher tension (and higher action) that a G tuning brings.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:21 PM on August 28, 2010
Say what?!? I don't think anybody is talking about down tuning. Going from E to G is up three semitones. The argument for G tuning is that there is more tension which compensates for the shorter scale's natural lower tension compared to full length guitars, which causes better intonation when the string is stretched when fretted. But the poster seems to indicate that the intonation is already good at E and so that shouldn't be an argument for G tuning. And he specifically said that ease of playing was the key criterion, and so that argues against the higher tension (and higher action) that a G tuning brings.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:21 PM on August 28, 2010
Jejune, if you transpose everything up like randomkeystrike was saying, everything will be played the same, just sound higher. The only thing I would worry about would be if he tried playing with friends or along with music.
posted by wayland at 6:08 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by wayland at 6:08 PM on August 28, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers so far; to clarify, I don't really want to alter the tuning, it was more of a "has anyone benefited from trying that?" query. Main concern now is what gauge strings to get. No idea what originals are.
posted by randomkeystrike at 11:11 AM on August 29, 2010
posted by randomkeystrike at 11:11 AM on August 29, 2010
In that case take the old strings with you to the store where they'll probably have a set of dial calipers that you can measure them with. (Or failing that, compare them by feel.)
posted by Rhomboid at 3:47 PM on August 29, 2010
posted by Rhomboid at 3:47 PM on August 29, 2010
Jejune, if you transpose everything up like randomkeystrike was saying, everything will be played the same, just sound higher. The only thing I would worry about would be if he tried playing with friends or along with music.
And he is almost certain to play along with music when he's starting out on guitar, so this would be a big problem.
posted by jejune at 3:49 PM on August 29, 2010
And he is almost certain to play along with music when he's starting out on guitar, so this would be a big problem.
posted by jejune at 3:49 PM on August 29, 2010
Response by poster: Rhomboid, that was a great idea. Unfortunately, I had already gone to the music store by the time I read it. I ended up buying D'Addario EJ15 extra light (.010 - .047) - the lightest they had, probably a touch lighter than what was on the guitar.
Put them on and tuned 'er up to conventional tuning - still seems to play well, I can still do bar chords, etc.
Thanks!
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:04 AM on August 30, 2010
Put them on and tuned 'er up to conventional tuning - still seems to play well, I can still do bar chords, etc.
Thanks!
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:04 AM on August 30, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 1:41 PM on August 28, 2010