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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 13, 2023 7:31:05 GMT
Anybody tried this? Been wondering how it might sound.
I'd obviously need to widen the nut slot which is generally regarded as a one way journey but in practice how bad would it be if I went back to octave tuning for the G string? It currently has a .080 and I'd go to a play .16
P.S. Don't do as I did and put plain g string into your favourite search engine unless you're of sound constitution,, it's a whole new world out there!
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Post by lavaman on Jan 13, 2023 9:23:48 GMT
It'll sound fine. Try it. I used to have a Vintage Viator 12 string travel guitar where the strings were all unison pairs. Iain
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colins
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Post by colins on Jan 13, 2023 10:50:17 GMT
If you do cut the nut slot wider and deeper for the wound G, you can always go back to a plain steel G by filling the nut slot with baking soda and a drop of super glue, when it hardens just re-file the slot. It goes without saying (but I will) that you should mask off all of the surrounding area, before filling the slot.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 13, 2023 11:52:49 GMT
If you do cut the nut slot wider and deeper for the wound G, you can always go back to a plain steel G by filling the nut slot with baking soda and a drop of super glue, when it hardens just re-file the slot. It goes without saying (but I will) that you should mask off all of the surrounding area, before filling the slot. Thanks, by your final comment you're obviously familiar with my style of "maintenance"
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Post by curmudgeon on Jan 13, 2023 12:44:24 GMT
Anybody tried this? Been wondering how it might sound. I'd obviously need to widen the nut slot which is generally regarded as a one way journey but in practice how bad would it be if I went back to octave tuning for the G string? It currently has a .080 and I'd go to a play .16 P.S. Don't do as I did and put plain g string into your favourite search engine unless you're of sound constitution,, it's a whole new world out there! I think you mean that you are using an .008" octave G ?? I use EJ37s and M190s with an octave g of .010" which I still think is a ridiculously thin string for an acoustic, but I tune my 12s down one tone - dD- dd etc.
I used to have a Del'Arte "leadbelly" baritone 12 string and I think that was tuned with dual .020s or maybe .025s It was tuned to C below E.
Sound wise I stay with my octave third course, although I dislike such a thin string as a .010" I've only broken them when restringing , not when playing.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 13, 2023 13:10:37 GMT
Anybody tried this? Been wondering how it might sound. I'd obviously need to widen the nut slot which is generally regarded as a one way journey but in practice how bad would it be if I went back to octave tuning for the G string? It currently has a .080 and I'd go to a play .16 P.S. Don't do as I did and put plain g string into your favourite search engine unless you're of sound constitution,, it's a whole new world out there! I think you mean that you are using an .008" octave G ?? I use EJ37s and M190s with an octave g of .010" which I still think is a ridiculously thin string for an acoustic, but I tune my 12s down one tone - dD- dd etc.
I used to have a Del'Arte "leadbelly" baritone 12 string and I think that was tuned with dual .020s or maybe .025s It was tuned to C below E. Sound wise I stay with my octave third course, although I dislike such a thin string as a .010" I've only broken them when restringing , not when playing.
Yes I think I missed a decimal place they're .008s. It's what Newtone have as they're "light" 12 string set
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jan 13, 2023 15:27:34 GMT
I think unison 3rd strings could be good for fingerstyle tune playing, giving you 1st, 2nd and 3rd string pairs for carrying the melody without having a "rogue" high g suddenly appearing.
For plectrum playing - strummage and picking out runs/fills etc then for me the high g is an integral part of the 12 string sound and is responsible for much of it's character.
Interesting to try though..... (ie let us know how you get on!)
You may have to consider the depth of the nut slot as well, depending on how the guitar has already been set up, but should be no problem to sort.
Keith
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 13, 2023 19:26:31 GMT
Thanks Keith that echoes my thoughts. Given my moniker you can imagine that any strumming I do will become pretty boring very quickly and I play fingerstyle almost exclusively so my instinct is that it will work for me.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 14, 2023 15:56:46 GMT
Well the string change part went well with no violence inflicted on the nut as it seemed to be already cut for the bigger string as it fitted in and moved freely so no need to worry if I gone like the new sound. Now I just need to play it.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Jan 14, 2023 18:22:40 GMT
The jury, well me, has returned from its deliberations and I’m happy to say I like the new sound. It’s tamed the guitar a little but, as Keith said eliminates the “rogue” high Gs when fingerpicking and it still has that 12 string “shimmer” when playing chords*
*I have to admit that i might have been less than honest with everyone here and I do actually know more than one chord.
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