String gauges for 10 string cittern

[andrew.lovejoy]

First of all, apologies if this is a repeat thread - I did some poking around with the search, but didn't find quite what I was looking for.

So, I have a Fylde 10 string cittern that's been sitting around for a while, and I want to start playing with it. I would really love to get it tuned to CGDAE, but it is a 23.5" scale, which I understand may be a little short for a great C and a little long for a great E. So my question is, does anyone have advice for string gauges to try to make it work out? I am expecting to order a custom set of strings, so they don't have to be a standard set.

Also, is it realistic to get a decent CGDAE tuning out of it? If not, could I make any fifths-tuning work, maybe up or down a step or two? I would really love to play this instrument, but don't currently feel like working at learning a non-fifths tuning.

Thanks!

[T.J.]

E4 - .013
A3 - .018 - .019
D3 - .034 PBW
G2 - .047 PBW
C2 - .059 - .060 PBW

This is a little heavier than extra-light guitar equivalent.

Of course, I don't know what the original pitches and gauges are on your instrument, and so I can't derive what the presumptions are of ideal tensions. If you can provide that, I can get closer to what was originally intended.

As far as the instrument being wrong for particular pitches, I haven't had problems with getting good tone for pitch/length combinations which are considered to be outside the norm. Since it's inexpensive enough to give it a try, I urge you to give it a shot and see what *you* think. If I'd been worried about what others said, I would never have gone the mandophone route....

[solarbean]

My Spira is about 20" scale. I have tried to tune it GDAEB, GDAEA, and GDGDG - the latter being particularly fun, albeit limiting for my limited level of experience with alternate tunings.

I am using: .010, .015, .021, .035, .047

With these gauges and this scale length, CGDAE is not possible - the bass C would be very very flopsy.

Hope it helps :)