String recommendations

  1. blue4
    blue4
    I have a 19 fret 22 5/8" scale TB that I'm thinking about tuning GDAE. Would the heavier gauge GHS celtic set 42, 32, 24, 14 or the lighter D'addario irish 36, 24, 16, 12 work best for this tuning/scale length? I play mostly rock/folk/seasonal stuff, mostly on bass guitar. But I would like to work in my TB on the christmas carols, and on some Willie Nelsen type stuff we play. I'm not familiar much with TB's, I'm the only one I know who plays them, so I have no idea if there is a huge difference in tone between these two set sizes or not. Or even if changing from CGDA would be a good idea for what I play. I play along side 1-2 guitars, or 1 guitar and 1 5-string banjo. Any tips would be a huge help for this novice. Thanks
  2. Shelagh Moore
    Shelagh Moore
    I would personally tend to go for the lighter 12-36 set on a 19 fret TB in GDAE. I use 12-42 (14 seems over the top to me) on my 17 fret in GDAE as the shorter scale necessitates a heavier gauge set.
  3. blue4
    blue4
    I guess it would be best to start on the lighter set and work my way up if need be. It's the 36 that worries me, tension-wise.
  4. aries753
    aries753
    Speaking of string gauges, I recieved a 5 string banjo for Christmas. I am resisting the urge to instantly restring it in 5ths either GDAE or CGDA and lose the 5th string. Not sure that I can wrap my little brain around the normal banjo tuning. (it doesn't match my mandos at all). Has anyone done this yet?

    Thanks
  5. aries753
    aries753
    I guess I should say it's the usual 261/4" banjo length.
  6. Eddie Sheehy
    Stay tuned in CGDA. I'd only go to GDAE if I were switching between TB and fiddle or mandolin so I woudn't have to transpose on the fly. The CGDA tuning has a clearer tone than the lower GDAE...
  7. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Eddie, is the GDAE not a higher set of tunings than CGDA? I am thinking of the C as being a 5th lower than the G, and each string moved across one, with the low C replacing the G.
  8. aries753
    aries753
    I figured out the strings that would work and tuned to GDAE, same pitches as my octave mandolin. A = 220 hz. I was going to go for CGDA but with A at 440hz I calculated that the A would be about 20 pounds with a 0.008" string.
    I have heard that there may be a 0.007" guitar string out there somewhere.
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