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Why does my High G feel like it will snap?

Posted by Eric Salvi on December 12, 2015 at 9:22am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I purchased a set of the recommended strings from C.B. Gitty here

http://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-parts/strings-sets/3-string-open-g-gdg-modal-blues-string-sets-choose-from-4-set-varieties/

They are the set

LMH - Low G, Middle D, High G 

Last night I decided to string them up and when I got to the High G it seems very thin and feels like it could snap.  For some odd reason when I try to tune the High G it feels like a lot of pressure and would hate for it to snap if I go too far.  Anyone know why?

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Replies

  • JL December 15, 2015 at 8:38am

    my two engineer cents: the gauge of light/medium/heavy strings (just the 3,4,5 we often use)

    light  23/30/39
    medium 28/35/45
    heavy 30/42/54

    Note the 30 gauge can be used as a standard D (4th string) in a light tension set or tightened up and used as the G (3rd string) in a heavy tension set, that is 6 semitones higher, a major 4th, from 25# to about 40# of tension.

    make friends with the string tension guide: http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf and note that it shows tension for a whole octave of tuning options for a given gauge string.

    I would stay out of the 'heavy tension' range, but medium, light, or ultra light tensions work fine.

    • Paul Craig > JL December 15, 2015 at 2:37pm

      Thanks for that link.

      Just bought 2 sets of their strings from Sweetwater.com(1 electric 1 Acoustic) for under 12 bucks and free shipping. Whoohoo

      If I bought them local it would cost about 25 bucks.

  • jim December 14, 2015 at 2:15am

    My general rule is , 2 notes up and 1 note down. Any stretch or slack on the string sucks!

    • The Phrygian Kid > jim December 14, 2015 at 2:49am

      thats a pretty good rule of thumb at guitar scale length or thereabouts.. although mine is more like 2 semitones (frets) down or 3 up..

      as the scale length decreases so too does the range that a given string might be tuned to.

      An equal and opposite way to look at it, how wide a range of string gauges might be used to tune to pitch X?

      Take E4 for example, the highest open string on a guitar.  You can buy sets that supply anything from 0.0085 to 0.014 inch for this pitch.  But if you look at options for mandolin strings for example you'll find almost no difference between 'heavy' and 'light' sets, and no intermediate sets in  between at all.

      + thanks Turtle, hope you're happy and well fella :)   I'm sure any of us who've actually strung up a guitar or two know a 0.009 is not doing G3 at 25".  Best

  • turtlehead December 14, 2015 at 12:46am

    I strung up a new guitar tonight and decided to mess around with all the leftover strings I have laying around.

    24.5 scale - I got a .009 up to G# without breaking.  Didn't want to try to go for A.   I worked a .008 up to a little over A before it broke.  I tried that LMH configuration with the .009 for a while and it's pretty cool for slide, but the huge leap between the middle and high strings had me fumbling all over the place when I was fretting.

    I also tuned it down below E and have to say it was way too floppy.

  • Bluesheart December 13, 2015 at 8:55am

    I'm with Paul. I think it is supposed to be tuned "slack" of e (1st string in standard guitar), not above it.

    • The Phrygian Kid > Bluesheart December 13, 2015 at 2:34pm

      It won't sound mate theres no way.  That string will be a floppy noodle below d4.  Look at a set of 12strings.  What gauge is the octave partner to G ?

      • Paul Craig > The Phrygian Kid December 13, 2015 at 3:42pm

        It is a good bit down from the e, but I don't think it'll be floppy. That little string will probably be tight enough. Tuning down to F# then working up to that higher G would work too.

        If neither of those options work for you, then I would use a B string tuned down to G.

  • The Phrygian Kid December 13, 2015 at 8:53am

    Hi Eric.

    Its normal, don't panic.  Fact is, that high G (G4) is a very high note for guitar scale length, as anyone with a 12 string will tell you, its about as high as you can go.   It may benefit to tune up to F# for a couple of days, play the strings in, and then crank it up a notch.  

    A couple of things to consider.

    1.  guitar strings sound at their best when they are close to breaking point.

    Although it is more work on your hands there is a definite tone payoff.

    2.  guitar strings break all the time.  And they're cheap.  So we carry spares.

    you might consider going an octave lower next time, (G2 D3 G3)  use the fat  (wound) ones from a light set of guitar strings and the unwound ones for this one here.

  • Paul Craig December 13, 2015 at 4:07am

    The .009 should be able to handle a G right below the normal E for that string at that scale. So, what G are you trying to get? If your tuning for the G that is higher than the normal high E, it would be real tight and close to snapping.

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