Rickenbacker B6 strings..... help needed, please

[jamesp]

I'm a total beginner and stuck on a problem of strings in a locked down (covid place) here's my question:

Strings for Rick B6......
I picked up a B6 a few months back so I'm a Total novice with this. It took a while to find a tuning from the myriad out there.

Whatever strings were on the B6 when I bought it - Dobro tuning didn't agree with the thickness of them - thinnest 2 snapped from almost looking at them and I have no spares.

But........ I got a joblot of guitar strings a while back and though most are bass there are a lot of sets of:
Picato XL77's (9/11/16/24/32/42)
Picato 650SL (11/15/22/30/42/52)
RotoSound roto pinks + (9/11/16/24/32/42)

What I'm told is the thinnest string on Dobro tuning can be 13 - 16 and the next one 18 - 20. (going up to 56 / 58).

So in the absence of an easy supply of something like GLS (where I would buy from Ebay - which was easy early last year but became a nightmare since middle of last year here).......

Would any of those Picato or Roto ones do the job adequately for the 1st lightest and the 2nd lightest string?

Would really welcome some honest views so I don't have the darn strings pinging in my face if I'm using the wrong ones.

I would like to use the continued lockdown here to get some progress (which isn't so easy with 4 strings on a 6 string B6).

Any simple advice you can give would be really appreciated.

[bonzo]

Welcome James. Get in touch with Neil at Newtone strings, he'll sort you out.
Online or phone.

Best wishes to you all, John

[Michael Messer]

Hi James

Welcome to our forum.

You have a very nice instrument there.

It was not that the Dobro tuning didn't agree with the strings, it was because the strings were probably past their best. The sets of strings that you have are all probably quite old and you should probably throw them away.

If you want to use that guitar in Dobro tuning - G B D G B D - don't go too heavy, I would fit a set of nickel round core Newtone strings, gauges 15 17 26w 36w 46w 56w. I am really not trying to advertise a product with my name on, and forum members will tell you I absolutely do not use this forum for that purpose, but a set of Nickel Michael Messer Resonator Strings 15/56 will do the job. I have said to get the resonator set because they have round cores which tune to pitch at slightly less tension than hexagonal core strings. Get more than one set, because if you break a string you need a spare.

Go to this page...

newtonestrings.com/shop/michael-messer-national-guitar-strings/

Click on MATERIAL and choose nickel plated steel

Click on GAUGE and choose .015-.056

I hope that is helpful.

Please could you post some photos of your Rickenbacher B6 guitar, as I am sure folks would like to see it.

Shine On
Michael

[jamesp]

Hi Michael,
Appreciate the help. I'm stuck in Ireland since mid December and with Brexit - anything ordered from UK incurs significant customs charges now...... and that's if it arrives at all. I will get back to UK sometime in the future - but we have a total international travel ban at present. We are allowed to travel country wide now, up to a couple of weeks ago we were limited to 5kms from the house or a € 1700 fine. The beach is 7kms..... so this was 4 months of frustration at best.

So what I'm looking for is just an interim solution - being totally novice at this I don't know if regular electric guitar strings of the correct thickness would be okay or not (sure they'll be  bit long, but that isn't an issue). So if you think - as an interim measure those type of strings will suffice for me to get started that may do me till I can get to UK and then I'll get an order in so I have some ready and waiting for me there. What do you think?

One pic on the Avatar thingy. Will get more up when it looks respectable with a full set of strings.

I bought another B6 at almost the same time didn't know if either purchase was going to come off and ended up with 2! - The other one is a rough well used, often played and enjoyed one which always makes something more enjoyable to own - not new looking or particularly pretty but its got history, as they say. Its still at a friend's house in Atlanta, so no idea when I'll be able to go there to collect it. Trouble is when you get the bug....... and USA is full of all varieties of these B Rickenbacher/backers.

I'd got an Anderwood electric Weissenborn shortly before the B6 and the tone is really nice - but the B6...... well it shades that and the Anderwood is pretty good. 

So once I know about the strings I can get a move on and stop torturing my arthritic hands with my Uillean pipes. Appreciate the help.

[jamesp]

Jun 6, 2021 9:40:58 GMT bonzo said:

Welcome James. Get in touch with Neil at Newtone strings, he'll sort you out.
Online or phone.

Best wishes to you all, John

Thanks John

[Michael Messer]

Hi James,

You can order two or three sets of those strings to be shipped to you without paying any import taxes. If you don't want to do that, just buy a set of electric guitar strings gauged 15 17 26 36 46 56 and you'll be fine.

Shine On
Michael.

[jamesp]

Thanks Michael,
Will most likely order a set or two once I have some GBP spare. Got a string that is close enough to do the job interim - even if its a bit rusty!. Thanks for your advice, that helped. Will send more pics once I have a few minutes. Regards James

[Michael Messer]

My pleasure, James.

Shine On
Michael

[mikeholland]

I would really like to get a Rickenbacher B6 so I am a little envious but also happy that you have one and hopefully enjoy playing the instrument. The only thing I would like to point out regarding the Dobro string Gauges is that the B6 has a scale length of 22.5" whilst an acoustic Dobro type guitar will have a scale length of 24.5". This may mean that you might feel that there is not enough tension on the guitar when tuned to pitch. It may actually be just right for you but it will definitely be lower in tension. There are string gauge calculators on line so you can compare the difference in tension. I think John Ely's web site shows a string gauge calculator..... D'addario also. Enjoy the cool guitar!
Mike

[leeophonic]

I had a nice B6 a few guitars ago, strings that are effectively mediums 13-56 but replacing the high E with a 15/16 worked fine for G/D tuning, when you start looking at 6ths then you need to consider speciality sets designed for that tension, what is not considered is they have a nice wide nut and are acoustically resonant which is interesting if you put it on a kitchen table for practice and that becomes your amp!!!

I sold mine and a cast Aluminium Dobro to fund a custom build but still think a good B6 is hard to beat.

Lee

[chromatic]

Have a look on the Steel Guitar Forum

As I've posted before, the members there are very knowledgeable about lap steels just as members on this forum are about Nationals

www.steelguitarforum.com/

Cheers

[Michael Messer]

Jun 13, 2021 10:57:13 GMT chromatic said:

Have a look on the Steel Guitar Forum

As I've posted before, the members there are very knowledgeable about lap steels just as members on this forum are about Nationals

www.steelguitarforum.com/

Cheers

You are absolutely correct about the Steel Guitar Forum. However, having toured and recorded with lap steel guitars for around forty years, and having owned some rare, old and collectable models, I do feel qualified to advise about a set of strings.

Shine On
Michael