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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.resohangout.com/archive/59269
ianmc - Posted - 08/13/2024: 09:49:12
Hi all,
I recently changed the strings of my lap style reso and found that my 1st and 3rd strings have little to no sustain when fretted with the bar. the sound is somewhat like that of a banjo and is really quite agitating. Have i bought a dodgy set of strings, or is there something wrong with my dobro itself?
MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/13/2024: 09:53:35
Is this a typical dobro set for G tuning, what is the brand and the material? What are the gauges of the strings?
ianmc - Posted - 08/13/2024: 10:30:44
it is a standard g martin set, with 1.32, 1.07,0.81,0.58,0.38,0.28, from low to high.
docslyd - Posted - 08/13/2024: 11:18:24
...HUH? I'm assuming those numbers are metric? We'll have to translate the gauges for us unspoiled here in the US. If the guitar sounded fine before changing the strings, I would then blame the strings. Make sure that they are sitting in their respective slots, however.
docslyd - Posted - 08/13/2024: 14:48:05
....and you did change the strings one at a time, yes? Hopefully you didn't remove all six strings at one time.
mesmithut - Posted - 08/13/2024: 16:51:48
If those measurements are in mm, then that looks like a light gauge set for a flattop guitar (.011 to .052) and way too light for a square neck reso in typical G tuning. You need a set of reso strings where the small string is .016 or .017 (.42 mm) and the largest is .056 (1.42 mm).
MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/14/2024: 11:19:29
Thanks for the conversion work, Mark.
Those gauges are definitely what Martin refers to as "Light" acoustic guitar strings and as already mentioned, way too light for a dobro tuned to GBDGBD.
For many years Martin made a nickel set for dobro that was 16-56, but it was discontinued several years ago. I didn't like them for dobro (can't stand the sound of pure nickel strings on a large body modern reso), but because they were nickel I did use them for G tuning lap steel since the string formula works with magnetic pickups.
Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/14/2024 11:22:54
Andy B - Posted - 08/22/2024: 18:55:29
Eric’s point in asking whether you removed all six strings at the same time when changing them was that doing that may cause the spider bridge to shift slightly. If the bridge is correctly set, the strings have a straight run between bridge and tailpiece. If the spider turns slightly so that it’s no longer perfectly perpendicular to the strings, it can really kill the volume and tone. In my experience this is especially noticeable on the first two or three strings.
