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Am I asking the impossible in wanting a plain .24 G?

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(@shadyharrison)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 279
Topic starter  

Question's in the title, but all I've found so far are the wound ones, and I cannot bend as much as I'd like to with a wound G on. So- anybody able to tell me where in the UK I might be able to source one of these little beauties?

Take care,

Casey


   
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(@fingerbanger)
Eminent Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 22
 

Hi Shady,
I'm not sure what you want the .024 plain string for. AH, but there is good news, but you might have to buy a whole set to get one string. I found these off a Hawaiian guitar set ( six strings). As far as getting them in the U.K. I don't know . But you can mail order them from these boys. http://www.scottysmusic.com/nonpedsets.htm
This is the set I was looking at.
GHS - Electric Hawaiian Lap Steel
Boomers 6 String
Bright

1st E - .013

2nd B - .017

3rd G# - .024

4th E - DY32W

5th B - DY42W

6th E - 0DY56W

Item #GHSEHL

Let that boy boogie woogie, cuz' it in em' and it got to come out. -John Lee Hooker-
There is no substitute for experience. So get out there and break some strings on stage. -F.B.-


   
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(@gnease)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

Question's in the title, but all I've found so far are the wound ones, and I cannot bend as much as I'd like to with a wound G on. So- anybody able to tell me where in the UK I might be able to source one of these little beauties?

Which do you mean? Too hard to bend a wound G or pitch won't change enough for your liking? Because a solid 0.024 will be harder to bend the same physical distance as a wound 0.024, but the solid may go up in pitch higher than a wound for the same physical displacement (bend distance as measured by spatial offset distance). A solid 0.024 will need more intonation compensation than a wound.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@shadyharrison)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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Topic starter  

It's barely discernible that I have bent the string, so there's not enough tone change, and it's quite tricky to initiate the bend.

Take care,

Casey


   
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(@ricochet)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

I think you will find the plain string harder to bend. I know people who really like 'em, but don't know where to point you to in the UK. Over here I'd order 'em from: http://juststrings.com/

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@slejhamer)
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it's quite tricky to initiate the bend.

Then a solid .024 string may not be your solution, as gnease correctly states:
a solid 0.024 will be harder to bend the same physical distance as a wound 0.024,

A plain .024 string will have about 18% more tension than a nickel wound of the same gauge when both are tuned to G, according to the D'addario tension chart.

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@gnease)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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it's quite tricky to initiate the bend.

Then a solid .024 string may not be your solution, as gnease correctly states:
a solid 0.024 will be harder to bend the same physical distance as a wound 0.024,

A plain .024 string will have about 18% more tension than a nickel wound of the same gauge when both are tuned to G, according to the D'addario tension chart.

It's not just the static tension, the solid also will have a higher spring constant than a wound, making stretching it in a bend a tougher proposition -- it's easier to stretch the skinny core inside a wound, than that "fat" solid string. That's also why the pitch doesn't rise as much with a wound: The tension does not increase as quickly with the bend; and it's that tension increase that causes the pitch change. So if you are having trouble getting started on the bend, it will get worse with a solid. However, if you get the bend going, then the solid will give you more of a pitch change. But you are gonna work for it! If you can get a good grip on the wound, most players don't have an issue bending it physically far enough to get a semi or full tone ... except at the first and second frets, where bending geometry just plain sucks. Bnding becomes much easier the third fret and higher. There is also another, simple solution to making bends easier: Raise your string action a little bit. The other benefits will be less buzz (common on electric's lower strings) and often improved tone.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@kingpatzer)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2171
 

Also consider down-tuning 1/2 step across the board. Lots of the big-bend players do that on a regular basis.

That said, I don't think I've ever seen a .024 G string in a metal string set (I'm assuming you really mean .024 and not .24)

I play Thomastik-Infeld George Benson Jazz 14s, and my flat-wound G string is .021 which is pretty beefy.

D'Addario EXL145 - Heavy 12's have a G string of 20 (.020) and that's the thickest unwound G string in a set that I personally know about.

You can order PL024 from D'Addario, which is a plain steel .024 string or BPL024 which is brass plated steel, and use it as your G if you want. But I'm wondering what you need such a big string for?

What are the string gauges of your set?

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST


   
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(@shadyharrison)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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Topic starter  

I am sorry, I do not actually know..I reckon it's a regular set of 12s.

(when I bought the thing and asked what it was strung with, the chap only measured the low E with his machine. Forgive me, but I do not know what the thing he used was called either.)

Take care,

Casey


   
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(@kingpatzer)
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the EXL145 set I mentioned before is a set of heavy 12's with an unwound G.

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST


   
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(@kent_eh)
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Posts: 1882
 

(when I bought the thing and asked what it was strung with, the chap only measured the low E with his machine. Forgive me, but I do not know what the thing he used was called either.)

Probably either a caliper

or a micrometer

I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep


   
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(@ricochet)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Chinese electronic calipers are cheap now, $15-20. Couldn't get by without one for casting bullets and loading ammo. I've used mine a lot for measuring guitar strings.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@shadyharrison)
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Topic starter  

Ah- it was a micrometer, then. :)

Take care,

Casey


   
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(@elderberry)
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juststrings.com would probably do the trick.

Also, Ernie Ball has a set they call "Not Even Slinky" which has an unwound .024 in the third position.

Read all about it here: http://www.ernieball.com/new_slinky/ .

I've got a set of these on my Ibanez AS73 which is tuned to D standard.

King Harvest has surely come.


   
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(@shadyharrison)
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Topic starter  

Oho! That's precisely what I wanted, Elderberry.

Thank you very much.

Shady

PS: What do you suppose they'd sound like on an electro-acoustic?

Take care,

Casey


   
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