What types of strings were available in the early 1900s ?

[creolian]

Hello Michael, all, 

Given the variety of type and gauges,  Trying to decide which strings I like for different guitars is a luxury I imagine was a bit different for the Guitar player of yore.   I know a lot of blues players used whatever was available and I've seen em with broken strings that have been repaired... Tied with a knot.  I have to believe with the then new popularity of the guitar during the early part of the 20th century that strings were at least not a rare commodity.

Im curious as to what was available back then and if anyone knows what kind of strings the early recorded players used.  I did some Interwebs searching and didn't come up with much, apologize if this is an old topic.  


I'm still waiting on some Newtones, but I've tried on both the metal body and wood,  Martin lifespan SP, DR sunbeams, John Pearse jazz, D'addario chromes.   I'll publish my thoughts when the testing is complete  

All best,

Jeff

[slide496]

Hi Creolian,

This article made sense to me regards composition but I can't verify it - www.quora.com/How-have-guitar-strings-changed-over-the-history-of-the-instrument

I also think, maybe this article mentions it - some players using baling and piano wire.

When I got my harmony faux 1937 parlor archtop, the strings that it came with looked like they were the original - they were very corroded and I did not want them in the house or to handle them so I threw them out but before I did I measured them with a caliper and they were the same weight as Martin set light 12-54.

I keep a .doc file of the weight and brand for my guitars, including custom sets, which I upgrade if I change to another set.

Just some thoughts...

Harriet

[blueshome]

The article is inaccurate.

By the beginning of the 20thC the mail order companies were offering steel string guitars, most of which were ladder braced. I have a catalogue from 1913 and all the guitars and banjoes are steel strung. Also how good would lap steel playing sound on gut strings - the Hawaiian craze start pre WWI.

Wire technology was not based on the needs of the American West, steel stringed instruments were around in the late 18thC and the technology to draw thin wire was common then.
Until the 50's most strings had nickel (Monel) wraps although PB string were developed in the late 30's.
There is also a myth that guitar strings were heavier than today, not so, think of mandolin and banjo strings which are much thinner than most guitar strings so why should the guitar be an exception especially given the light construction of many instruments..

[Deleted]

Its an interesting topic. I have found several old guitars with original-looking strings from the late 20's to the 50's that lost thier unique magical tone when changed.

I think the article posted by Harriet gives a pretty good, though broad, overview of the situation. It differentiates serious professional guitars from mail order guitars in the early 20th century, and in my view, it wasnt until the x braced instruments arrived that rich usable tones came from steel string guitars. And I cant imagine that a cheap soft-wood mail order guitar of the early 20th century would sound good with thin strings.

Would be nice to find some old catalogs and manufacturing info on early strings.

[bluesdude]

More than one of the old players have ,have told me there were using brass or bronze strings as early as just before the war,,,

[Pickers Ditch]

A few weeks ago I put a set of Martin Monels on an old spruce topped, ladder braced parlour which I think is of German origin slavaged from a skip up the road. (long story)
It is a tailpiece, floating bridge type jobbie which came with a plastic bridge and a bone nut.
I changed the bridge to a solid walnut/fret type (thanks Chickenbone John) which improved things no end.
Initially I fitted a set of Martin 80/20 13s which sounded good as usual.
After browsing the web in a moment of boredom and remembering what a certain Mr. Edwards told me back in 1990s which strings he preferred in his pre war days, I decided to substitute a set of Monel 12s.

Blimey Moses - what a difference!

Total transformation

This guitar is now a beast. Clear and LOUD, nearly as loud as my Republic reso and I do not use picks.
It has that old fashioned grunt and sings with a bronze slide.
OK, it is only tuned to Vestapol C# due to a knackered bottom string m/c head but I've played this guitar for over two weeks solid without touching any of my other ones, it's that good.
New m/c heads are on the way so I'll be able to get it up to Vestapol D and see what happens then.

A lot of keyboard commentators state that these Monels change tone detrementally after a day or two of playing.
Not so, in this case.

This morning I put a set of Monel 12s onto a The Michigan round hole archtop, tuned 'em to Spanish G and got the same result.

The set I put on a Hofner Congress a couple of months ago gave a smaller increase in volume but the sound has remained the same.

These Monel strings were available in the 1930s and I would bet a gill of IPA that, IMHO, travelin' guitarists would have used these strings as they keep their sound, stay in tune and are LOUD whilst being more corrosion resistant than other strings available at the time.

They do the job required and are economically viable.

Perhaps this is the sound we hear on them old recordings?

Wot yoo finkin'?

[Michael Messer]

Strings were nickel and they were usually what we would call light gauge. Most of the Hawaiian steel players tuned up to high bass A (AC#EAC#E) to get the power out of their guitars. Bashful Brother Oswald (Pete Kirby) tuned his Dobro in high bass A with 18p 18p 22p 32w 42w 42w. Many of the blues players also tuned up to get more power from the guitar.

Strings were made with round cores and were not wound at high speed. Hexagonal cores were designed for high speed mass production, so that the windings don't slip when wound at superfast high speed.

The nearest you will get to old-style strings are something like a light or medium gauge nickel on a round core.

My opinion on this subject is that phosphor bronze and something a little heavier than light gauge, generally does make a better tone than thin strings. There will always be exceptions.

I think that much of the old tone, apart from the player and the guitar, comes from the round core. Well it does for me.

Shine On
Michael

[Stevie]

I've never tried Monel strings, but from bitter experience I can say that Monel solid rivets really take some belting down with a hammer and Monel "pop" rivets really jar the joints in your hand and fingers when the mandrel snaps off in pop rivet pliers. The assumption must be that Monel is pretty darn hard? Also, I think it's an alloy and as such may resist corrosion better than steel. I shall have to try some. I think DR do Monel strings?

e&oe...

[Michael Messer]

PD, I hadn't seen your post when I wrote mine.

I don't know much about monel, but I have experimented with bronze plain strings and got very good results.

Shine On
Michael

[Pickers Ditch]

Agreed with your tuning and core comments but there is something about them Monels.

Does anyone make round core Monel strings, I wonder?

I'd love to try some.

[Pickers Ditch]

Sept 2, 2017 16:20:57 GMT Michael Messer said:

PD, I hadn't seen your post when I wrote mine.


Shine On
Michael

Moi aussi

[Michael Messer]

PD, I am sure that you could have a discussion with Neil at Newtone about this. You should call him for chat.

Shine On
Michael

[Pickers Ditch]

Now that is something worth pursuing.

I'll let you know.....

[creolian]

Sept 2, 2017 16:19:32 GMT Stevie said:

I've never tried Monel strings, but from bitter experience I can say that Monel solid rivets really take some belting down with a hammer and Monel "pop" rivets really jar the joints in your hand and fingers when the mandrel snaps off in pop rivet pliers. The assumption must be that Monel is pretty darn hard? Also, I think it's an alloy and as such may resist corrosion better than steel. I shall have to try some. I think DR do Monel strings?

e&oe...

I thought "Monel" was a brand name.  After reading these replies I googled it and yes, Monel is a primarily nickle alloy and your comment is echoed on another forum regarding its hardness... With USA brand *******profanity

I found Martin Retros, a Martin Tony Rice set and another from Roto-sound.  DR has some strings that are marketed as vintage like but there was no mention of Monel.

I ordered strings this morning, DOH!   On a positive note I guess I can look forward to my next string buy.  I want to try the Roto's on my EH 150.  

Thanks to all for the input,  I have learned quite a bit.

All Best, J