Andy P
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My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Post by Andy P on Jun 27, 2015 17:45:13 GMT
Inspired by seeing Pierre Bensusan in concert last week, I've decided to dedicate myself to DADGAD for a short period and see what progress I can make. I have dallied with it before, most notably when Mrs breedlover and I nicked a few American Civil War songs from June Tabor and Martin Simpson. It seems to me that it will be best to play in virtually nothing else whilst experimenting in this tuning. I found some DADGAD strings at Strings Direct. I was going to try a set of the Wyres Pierre Bensusan 13-56 Phosphor Bronze DADGAD Coated but as they're £14.99 a set and I'm a skinflint, allegedly, I decided not to. PB was selling them at the gig so with hindsight I could probably have got them cheaper there. As ocarolan is always banging on about seems to like Newtone Heritage I decided to try their Phosphor Bronze Low Tension Acoustic Guitar Strings 13-59 DADGAD. I don't like them It's not the tone (I've given them a good dose of thrashy strummage) I just don't like the fact that they're so....loose. For me, using them is akin to wearing underpants whose elastic has gone. They're twangy. I see D'Addario do a set of 13-56 for £7.50 so maybe that's the next option. Or shall I just stick a standard set back on? Please tell me, DADGAD freaks, what do you do?
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brianr2
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Posts: 3,069
My main instrument is: Brook Lyn guitar
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Post by brianr2 on Jun 27, 2015 17:52:47 GMT
I agree entirely about the Newtone Heritage DADGAD strings. Too thick and too dull.
Yet I absolutely love the 12s from the same range, playing almost entirely in non-standard tunings, using a short-scale guitar for gentle fingerstyle, from an old git with weak joints.
Brian
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 27, 2015 18:56:41 GMT
Andy P - It's not the Heritage sets I'm particularly keen on Andy, but the Masterclass PB 12-54 - I use these on everything except my Fylde Ariel which does have Heritage strings on, 11-47 - because it's tuned up a minor third - tension spot on then! Keith
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
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Post by Andy P on Jun 27, 2015 20:53:38 GMT
Oh sorry, right you are Keith. Not the low tension jobs then.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Jun 27, 2015 20:59:22 GMT
I agree entirely about the Newtone Heritage DADGAD strings. Too thick and too dull. Yet I absolutely love the 12s from the same range, playing almost entirely in non-standard tunings, using a short-scale guitar for gentle fingerstyle, from an old git with weak joints. Brian They're not the low tension ones, right Brian?
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 27, 2015 22:19:42 GMT
I am not convinced by all this. Just use mediums - they will give you the tone you need.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 27, 2015 22:38:10 GMT
In my vast ( ) experience of DADGAD I'm happy with 12-54 or 13-56. But it's all so subjective innit? Keith
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Post by jackorion on Jun 27, 2015 23:04:12 GMT
I play in dadgad and open d a lot and I jsut use normal 12-53 EJ16 Daddario on my Martin, although I have changed the53 for a 56 in the past...
The 'true medium' set are good for dadgad if you want to keep the feel the dame as standard with 12s...
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Post by scripsit on Jun 28, 2015 0:36:41 GMT
Straight D'Addario 13-56 PB. Cheap and work in all tunings. I have one guitar in DADGAD that never uses anything else.
Check out mail order sets of 10.
Kym
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brianr2
C.O.G.
Posts: 3,069
My main instrument is: Brook Lyn guitar
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Post by brianr2 on Jun 28, 2015 6:43:58 GMT
I agree entirely about the Newtone Heritage DADGAD strings. Too thick and too dull. Yet I absolutely love the 12s from the same range, playing almost entirely in non-standard tunings, using a short-scale guitar for gentle fingerstyle, from an old git with weak joints. Brian They're not the low tension ones, right Brian? They are the low tension Heritage ones. Brian
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Post by Andy P on Jun 28, 2015 8:29:57 GMT
Thanks everybody. D'Addario true meds ordered.
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Post by vikingblues on Jun 28, 2015 8:53:26 GMT
I agree entirely about the Newtone Heritage DADGAD strings. Too thick and too dull. Yet I absolutely love the 12s from the same range, playing almost entirely in non-standard tunings, using a short-scale guitar for gentle fingerstyle, from an old git with weak joints. Brian Brian - we seem to be running some sort of parallel existence on strings! I too love the Heritage 12s and play almost entirely in non standard tunings without a problem. I use short scale guitars - well 24.75" that is. I too found the Heritage DADGAD set too thick and dull, much as I wanted to like them. It was strange - for me the DADGAD set didn't seem to have the "Heritage sound" - bass notes too rounded and didn't ring out, top end didn't sing as much, though the note separation in chords was probably better. I didn't particularly like the overall feel of the thicker strings either - I never have liked 13s much under the fingers though - they just feel too inflexible and I think need a stronger playing attack that I have to bring out their best. Like a guitar with a thicker top and heavier bracing needs more energy to come to life maybe. The heavier playing style is not on for me - I even have to keep changing hands with the dogs lead when out for a walk to avoid the hand and finger joints nagging too strongly. I see the set of Heritage DADGADs has a total 122 lbs of tension, while a set of Heritage 12s is higher at 131 lbs. Presumably at DADGAD and Standard tuning respectively - so I'd thought they would feel similar at DADGAD tuning. They didn't. Thanks everybody. D'Addario true meds ordered. Good luck with those - it's just a lottery with getting the right strings isn't it, because they don't sound the same on every guitar. ;-|Sometimes I've felt the chances of finding the right strings are about the same as the chances of winning the lottery. I've never found much of a difference in strings at standard tuning or at DADGAD Tuning to be honest and feel that if I have a set I like for sound in standard tuning it's best if I can use the same for other tunings like DADGAD too. Where it's a tuning with C on the 6th string that might need a step up to the next gauge, but to my surprise (and pleasure) I haven't had to do that myself on my guitars as yet. I do have a set of Heritage 13s waiting to be tried when the Viator needs new strings - now that IS short scale at 21.5"! DADGAD is currently a no go with that guitar anyway, because EBEABE sounds so much better with whatever strings are on it (can't remember what the shop put on it when they did the setup). Given my experience with the Heritage DADGAD I have a feeling that I'll quite likely be changing those to some standard tension D'Addario 12s once I've given them a try out. Mark
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 28, 2015 10:05:17 GMT
Thanks everybody. D'Addario true meds ordered. These are good strings. I hesitate to mention this (at the risk of sounding like Keith) but I have now gone over to using Newtone mediums. Less viciously shiny when new.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
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Post by Andy P on Jun 28, 2015 10:16:37 GMT
Thanks for views guys. Interesting stuff. I guess what ticks boxes on one guitar doesn't necessarily work on another. We seem to be agreed that the Heritage DADGAD don't work. I'll report back on the D'Addario true mediums.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Jul 1, 2015 12:29:52 GMT
OK, D'Addarion true mediums onboard. It's interesting to compare Newtone Heritage DADGAD tow tension ; D'Addario True Mediums DADGAD ; Wyres Pierre Bensusan 13-56 Phosphor Bronze DADGAD ; Elixir Nanoweb E16102 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic, as used by Sarah McQuaid (plays exclusively in DADGAD) - she substitutes an 18 for the B string.
N: 13 17 20 27 36 59 D: 13 17 24 32 42 56 W: 13 17 23 32 42 56 E: 13 18 26 35 45 56
I found the Newtones way too light, hardly surprising considering 3rd, 4th and 5th are so much finer than the others, but the 59 6th string was too heavy. So far I like the D'Addarios and it's perhaps reassuring to see that they correspond almost exactly with Msr Bensusan's choice. Does using them on a short-scale guitar (630mm) make a difference to the tension? Sorry, I can't get my head around that!
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