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Doubling the high string

Hi all!
I am new to CBG, starting my second build. I like the doubled melody string of lap dulcimers and am considering stringing my new build the same way - gdgg.

Any thoughts?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on October 6, 2015 at 7:02pm

Why not? No Rules! What's the worst that can happen? Open a rift through the space-time continuum and the earth implodes? Or you have to restring it...

Permalink Reply by Robert Killen on October 6, 2015 at 7:07pm

Cool! My boys would LOVE the whole space-time rift thing. I'll give it shot.

Permalink Reply by Brian Revels on October 7, 2015 at 1:23am

How's it sound? To me, that's the important thing. I presume it's not hard to chord since you put the two drones together like that. That'd be the only other thing for me... playability.

Permalink Reply by Brian Revels on October 7, 2015 at 2:30am

I would love to hear a sound clip... I am now wondering if I tried this if I could string the two high strings together using the same tail piece anchor, and tune them going through the same tuner (just using the bridge and nut to separate them enough. I may just have to try it.

Permalink Reply by Robert Killen on October 7, 2015 at 4:19am

Excellent! Thank you for the pics. I laid out the design last night. We'll see...

Permalink Reply by Robert Killen on October 12, 2015 at 12:22pm

That's absolutely beautiful, Paul! ...both the arrangement and the playing.

Thank you for sharing it with us.

Cheers!
Robert

Permalink Reply by Robert Killen on October 7, 2015 at 4:23am

Thanks, Ellwood. I actually play lap dulcimer a bit and will undoubtedly build a CBG Dulc at some point.

In this case, I am building a fretless with doubled high strings more to equalize the volume than to create a dulcimer-like sound.

Appreciate the input.

Cheers!

Permalink Reply by ron carlson on October 7, 2015 at 9:58am

I do it on a couple 4 stringers. I love the sound.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 7, 2015 at 12:34pm

The first dulcimer that I made was a six string(3 groups of 2). Had a nice full tone to it like playing half a 12 string guitar.

Permalink Reply by Bill Saunders on February 18, 2022 at 7:59am

Paul,

I realize this is an old post, but this is something I've been thinking of trying lately - building a "half 12 string" guitar, with octave low and middle and paired high, similar to conventional 12 string. Fretting would be like a 3 string, but get the enhanced tone. Did you need to strengthen the neck, say a truss rod or anything else to address added tension?

Thanks you

Bill

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on February 18, 2022 at 11:28am

Shane Speal has a couple YouTubes on double 3 CBGs.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 14, 2022 at 9:43am

Sorry for the late response, I'm just now seeing this.
I made that "Dulcitar" back in 1994 as a weekend project. It had a 1"x3" neck at 28" scale made of Red Oak and a 1/2"x3" Red Oak fretboard. I was worried that the neck might bow, so I added a steel flat bar of 3/8"x1/8"x22" as a non-adjustable trussrod.