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Post by washboardchris on Aug 5, 2018 12:18:10 GMT
In truth I have no intention of fitting these but I have come by a set of John Pearse Weissenborn strings.6th.068w 5th.054w 4th.045w 3rd.027w 2nd .022 1st.017. these gauges seem somewhat over the top to me !!
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Post by Michael Messer on Aug 5, 2018 12:42:06 GMT
Chris,
This is not aimed at you, it is aimed at the manufacturers
I wish people would stop calling their strings and their guitars "Weissenborn". They are acoustic Hawaiian guitars! Weissenborn was the brand name of one type of Hawaiian guitar. Do people call MM guitars Nationals, of course they don't.
This could potentially be very dangerous; fitting those JP strings on a real 1920s fragile Weissenborn would probably cause the guitar to fold in two. "But on the packet it says Weissenborn strings?"
I understanding the reasoning and I understand the gauging - I assume those strings are for slack tunings like Spanish E and F, and Vestapol B and C.
Acoustic Hawaiian guitars with hollow necks do not like much tension, they work best with light gauge or low tension strings.
I don't like doing this, but you should look at Newtone Hawaiian guitar strings. I helped Newtone create these strings back in the days of the London Resonator Centre (LRC) when the fashion for "Weissenborns" started to roll. They are 15/56 gauge, but the would strings have a light core which enables them too be tuned in regular high tunings without causing severe damage to the guitar.
I got into Weissenborn and Kona guitars mostly through David Lindley and Ry Cooder, but I think the current trend for them was started by Ben Harper.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by Misterkevster on May 24, 2019 10:56:16 GMT
.....resurrecting this thread from last year....still wondering on right choice of strings for my 1923 Style 3. Probably going to tune this :DADF#AD.....DGDGBD also a possibility.
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Post by leeophonic on May 24, 2019 11:02:10 GMT
  These are the strings that Kris is referring to, fit them at your peril!!! Lee |
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Post by Misterkevster on May 24, 2019 13:31:15 GMT
These are the strings that Kris is referring to, fit them at your peril!!! Lee Yeah....certainly not attracted to those!! |
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Post by maui_chimes on May 27, 2019 0:04:01 GMT
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Post by Michael Messer on May 27, 2019 9:44:36 GMT
I designed these with Newtone back in 2001. The London Resonator Centre "LRC" was in full flight at that time and as well as resonator guitars, they were selling some quite fragile South American copies of Weissenborns and the whole Weissenborn fashion, mostly due to Ben Harper, was just kicking off. I always found this weird because for me the Weissenborn always makes me think of David Lindley and it was David that I consider to be the person that launched the idea of using them. I also find it interesting that the name for them, even more than a generic term, is Weissenborn. Weissenborn himself and other makers back then called them Hawaiian guitars. I prefer to call them acoustic Hawaiian guitars, but all the makers that say they make Weissenborns. I wish I could call my guitars MM Nationals! Anyway....sorry, I digress.... So most people buying acoustic Hawaiian guitars back then were Dobro players, very few at that time were the DADF#AD people that play them now. People would go into the LRC, ask to try a "Weissenborn" and then proceed to tune the guitars up to GBDGBD. The guys in the shop were panicking, but also wanted to sell guitars and didn't want to stop them tuning up the Weiss machines. So Malcolm Newton at Newtone Strings and I came up with a very light core set of strings that tunes to GBDGBD at very low tension that would be safe on original Weissenborns and the new copies. These became the ALOHA strings that are being mentioned in this thread. Shine On Michael |
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Post by ken1953clark on May 27, 2019 10:26:21 GMT
I’ve always had Aloha’s on my “Acoustic Hawaiian Guitar”.
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Post by Stevie on May 27, 2019 14:23:28 GMT
"...but I think the current trend for them was started by Ben Harper"
I would agree but would also cite Jeff Laing as an artist of some influence and enviable capability?
e&oe...
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celtic
Serious MM Forum Member
Posts: 34
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Post by celtic on May 27, 2019 14:33:18 GMT
Hi Washborn Chris. I've made hundreds and hundreds of hollow neck Weissenborn guitars and use Med. guitar strings 13 -56 ,EJ 17 or EJ 42 and have never had a problem. My instruments are the same weight and construction of the originals. I don't think I would go up to a 68.
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Post by leeophonic on May 27, 2019 16:54:51 GMT
Kris is more of the opinion of who on hell came up with that gauge for D tuning, Kris has gifted the set to me, I think that if John pearse were still around he might have some warranty work turning up at his door if people went ahead and fitted them, maybe a baritone acoustic tuned down is where they should end up …. Lee
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