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string gauge for a three string.

I am neither a musician or a luthier. I just like to make things and play music, so this may seem a little stupid to some of you.

What string gauge should I use for the three strings?

I am looking at several online stores that sell bulk (12 to a pack) strings and they are relatively cheap compared to regular packs of strings.

I am looking at the .46, .36., .24 gauge, which would be the 5,4,3, strings of a regular pack. There is no reason for my thinking on this except for the knowledge I gleaned from looking at pictures of guitar string packaging on the web sites.

What strings do those of you with experience generally use? I know this is probably common knowledge, but I have searched all over the site and can't find any answer.

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Permalink Reply by J. Randel Dancing on September 11, 2009 at 7:21am

Thanks bairfoot. Until now scale length hadn't come into the picture. I was buried in the concept that it 'had' to be 25 inch scale. Now you have peeled back one more layer of that great onion of mystery. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by J. Randel Dancing on September 11, 2009 at 7:26am

You're right on about the holding off. My great angst was brought about by a cheap travel guitar that I bought on ebay(which is how I got onto the path of cbg's to begin with). Four of the six strings broke as I tried to tune the thing up (using an online tuner). I just figured I better find me a source of really cheap strings at that rate, because there is a lot of landfill coming from this project before I figure out what I am doing. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by J. Randel Dancing on September 11, 2009 at 7:39am

Thanks Sam. That helps my thinking. Opinions are like templates. Why start from scratch and re-draw every line, and re-measure every inch, when you can measure and draw once and use it over and over. Opinions are the same way. Why go through 50 sets of strings when you can ask someone with more experience and cut that experimentation down to 15 sets of strings. That's how things get passed around and that's how things grow.
I can see from the progression what you are talking about. I'm thinking acoustic, front porch, picking with friends type of three string and I can see more clearly how to match up the strings . Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by J. Randel Dancing on September 11, 2009 at 7:52am

thanks Jkevin. A start is all I'm looking for.

The scoot ain't mine. But it is the same year and style as one I got from my brother-in-law when I first moved to California in 1962. I spent 7 months splitting my time between riding from Ojai, to Santa Barbara, to Santa Monica, and sitting on the side of the road with my cheap Pep Boys tools fixing the thing. I finally got caught by the CHP because I was only 15 and didn't have a license. My brother-in-law swore he didn't know I was only 15 and took the bike away from me and sold it for $100. That led to 42 years of animosity. By the time I was able to pay my own way, the 'Easy Rider' crap had come along, and I couldn't afford one.

Jkevn said:

I'm using the 5,4,3 strings outta cheap acoustic 12's. I tune them G-D-g. Everyone finds their own favorite but, that is a simple answer to start. The cheapos at Wally-World are about 4 bucks.

oh yeah, nice flatty in your pic!Me likes a pogo seat...

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Permalink Reply by Nathan King on September 11, 2009 at 1:29pm

I've been using acoustic wound strings, low to high: 44, 34, and 24, tuned (usually) E B e, it seems to work pretty well. I also like thicker strings anyway... my "regular" guitars are usually strung with 11s or 12s, so this combo really feels good to my hands. I also use a pretty long scale length, about 26 inches or so.

My friend, who plays regular guitar, recommended using an unwound string for the high string, but that all comes back to preference.

And I do what Diane does: buy those babies by the dozen from www.juststrings.com!

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on September 12, 2009 at 1:58am

String tension is very important. You don't want the strings too tight. Not only is it too hard on the neck, but it locks up the guitar and doesn't allow the sounding board to vibrate via the bridge. On the other hand, too loose will not drive the sounding board and due to the slack, buzzing can occur. If you are using a standard scale length, standard strings can be a good starting reference point. If you are making a longer or shorter scale, you will need to experiment to get the correct tension. Heavier strings with the correct tension usually will yield a fatter tone, lighter strings a softer tone. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on January 14, 2014 at 4:23am

I like to use 46, 36, 26 all-wound nickel strings. Nice and heavy and growls on a slide. I have a set of acoustic strings that I wish I could replicate (repurchase). I have no idea what they were, except excellent.

I would recommend experimenting with all sorts of different strings and find what you and your ear are happy with before bulking up on a specific metal/composition and gauge.