Strings for Square neck

[bonzo]

Hi everyone. Advice opinions and suggestions please. Like many of you I'm a MM Newtone strings loyalist and recommend them to everyone. However I came across these online while looking for something else.(sound familiar?)  I thought I'd try them on my Pete 1951 special. Anyone here used them? I usually use open G tuning but wondered if the heavier guage lent itself to other tunings. Maybe something Hawaiian? Thanks in advance.

Best wishes to you all, John 

[pete1951]

The GHS website is not very helpful, the Reso strings are great (They claim) for Bluegrass, Blues R and B etc. There seems to be no High G bass strings , all the sets are similar gauges,with an 054 or 056 bottom string, so my guess is they are designed for low bass tuning ?

GHS also has a string tension table, looks like all their 054 are the same tension . Some makers ( Newtone?) make standard and low tension strings of the same gauge
Pete

[Michael Messer]

Hi John,

A set of your usual 15/56 will be perfect on that guitar. That's what I use on all my square neck instruments for low bass and high bass playing.

Anything called "Resonator" with a heavy top and light bottom is designed for high bass GBDGBD. Although their attempt at it is not very convincing, but that's what they're for.

Shine On
Michael

[pete1951]

I’m sure MM is right, and those strings will do, but GHS only give a tension reading for their 056 tuned to E (standard bottom string) . Do the strings give their best when tuned to D (as in open D or G ) or up 5 semi tones to G (‘Dobro’ tuning)?
Pete

I have tried over the years to use strings of a suitable tension for the tuning, so if my guitar was tuned mostly to D (vestapol) I would probably use a string about 002” smaller on the 5th string (tuned up to A) than on a guitar in Spanish, where the 5th is a tone lower. If these strings are made for GBDGBD I wish they would say so on the packet.
Pete

[bonzo]

Thanks Michael and Pete, this is exactly the information I was hoping to get.
It's got D'addario of uncertain gauge on at the moment so I'll stick with the Newtones we all know and love!
Maybe the ghs's will end up doing something nasty on a cigar box I'm working on. Thanks again.

Best wishes to you all, John

[bonzo]

Hello again, I've just noticed some more information on the back of the package that I'm curious about.
Also thought it might be useful for others who may be following the thread.
It seems that the strings are designed for DBGDBG tuning, not one I've used before.
Does this information shed any light on my original post about wanting to try different tunings?
Tuning seems more appropriate for a square neck if tuned up or will it be slack tuning if tuned down?
I'd like to give these strings a try if only because I've already bought them, but don't want it to seem like I'm asking for your advice and then ignoring it!

Best wishes to you all, John

[Michael Messer]

Hi John,

As I said in my earlier post, these are designed to use in high bass G tuning GBDGBD, or as they have written it backwards DBGDBG.

Almost every brand of strings that have "resonator" written on them are designed for high bass GBDGBD tuning.



GBDGBD tuning is what I use most of the time and I fit MM Newtones 15 17 26 36 46 56

Shine On
Michael

[bonzo]

Thanks Michael. Reading it back to front does make it look more exotic! Wot am I like! 🙃🙃