Strings for a touchstyle instrument?

[Reg Braithwaite]

I have a ten-string touchstyle instrument. It's tuned EADGC (melody) - BEADG (bass).
I keep seeing suggestions to head over to Kalium and use their tension calculator to figure out what strings to buy, but I have no idea how to use it.

Anybody familiar with stringing a touchstyle instrument (Chapman Stick, Warr guitar, Megatar, &c.) who could set me on the right path? Oh, one other thing. The tuners are teeny. I think I overheard someone say the strings are "tapered." Does that sound right?

 

[SteveCS]

My Stick goes 0.092, 0.065, 0.040, 0.022, 0.017 in the bass tuned in 5ths from low C - E. The melody is 0.022, 0.015, 0.010, 0.008, 0.007, going F# - D in 4ths. Its an older 34" scale version.

 

[filmtex]

Maybe the folks at The Stick can help.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

The melody is 0.022, 0.015, 0.010, 0.008, 0.007, going F# - D in 4ths.

That’s so interesting, it’s like my EADGC, but raised a major second. What is the reasoning? To give extra range over the monster range of five bass strings tuned in fifths?

 

[SteveCS]

That’s so interesting, it’s like my EADGC, but raised a major second. What is the reasoning? To give extra range over the monster range of five bass strings tuned in fifths?

Its all part of the system that includes the position of the dot markers. In standard tuning, the middle melody string (3) and highest bass string (10) are the same pitch at any given fret. 2 and 9 are 1 octave apart and 1 and 8 are 2 octaves apart. The same notes are available with 5 fret separation. There are markers every 5 frets. In addition to the 4ths/5ths tuning creating different 'characters' to the two string sets, the tuning and physical layout minimise the likelihood of your hands bumping into each other and makes the marker layout relevant to both sets of strings.

 

[bholder]

the tuning and physical layout minimise the likelihood of your hands bumping into each other

Though if you have a piece where your hands do run into each other in the standard tuning, there are several alternate tuning possibilities to fix, I had that problem and asked on a Stick forum, and Greg Howard himself answered me that's why they came up with the "baritone melody" tuning, same intervals, just shifted on the left hand side enough to stop the hand collisions. I haven't actually tried it yet (haven't been practicing on mine ), but it makes perfect sense.

 

[SteveCS]

Though if you have a piece where your hands do run into each other in the standard tuning, there are several alternate tuning possibilities to fix, I had that problem and asked on a Stick forum, and Greg Howard himself answered me that's why they came up with the "baritone melody" tuning, same intervals, just shifted on the left hand side enough to stop the hand collisions. I haven't actually tried it yet (haven't been practicing on mine ), but it makes perfect sense.

I used the original baritone tuning back in the early 90s for a short while. There is obviously a reduction in range - bass up a tone, melody down a m3, IIRC - but there is a really nice tonal coherence between the bass and melody strings. That is to say it starts to sound like one instrument, not two. Of course the development of the 12-string really negates any requirement for alternative tuning to accomodate the odd piece. Do you have a 10?

 

[bholder]

I used the original baritone tuning back in the early 90s for a short while. There is obviously a reduction in range - bass up a tone, melody down a m3, IIRC - but there is a really nice tonal coherence between the bass and melody strings. That is to say it starts to sound like one instrument, not two. Of course the development of the 12-string really negates any requirement for alternative tuning to accomodate the odd piece. Do you have a 10?

Yes, mine's a "Teflon" (non-Stick) 10 string from Kevin Siebold of Krappyguitars.com.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Yes, mine's a "Teflon" (non-Stick) 10 string from Kevin Siebold of Krappyguitars.com.

Brotha from anotha motha! Me too, but mine is tuned in parallel uncrossed fourths. It’s basically a two-neck bass, one neck standard BEADG, and the other a piccolo EADGC, with both necks smooshed together side-by-side. Or at least, that’s how my brain explains it.

So working my way back to the original question, how do I use the tension calculator to work out what string sizes to order?

 

[ixlramp]

Input your scale length to generate the chart.

For each string:
Read down the column of the string open note ('open' as in nut / zero-fret, even if you use a string damper and never play open notes) until you hit the required tension (for a tapping instrument this will be around 25-35lbs for bass, 15-25lbs for melody, depending on your tension preferences).
Then scan horizontally to the left edge which will give you the gauge.

You will see a particular tension will occur several times in a column, this gives you several gauges that correspond to the different octaves of that open note. You need to use judgement to choose the correct gauge (correct octave)
For example bass E1 at 30lbs will be the .086, not .043 (E2) or .182 (E0).
//////////////////////

Also of course you first need to work out your preferred tension for each string. You can do this by using the same tension calculator to approximate the tensions of sets you already use on bass length instruments.

My experience with setting up a tapping instrument is that the optimum tensions are low, and falling from low to high (for both bass and melody), Chapman Stick string sets are like this so Emmett discovered this optimum too.
Standard bass sets are too tight for a tapping instrument and never have tension falling from low to high, usually the opposite.

 

[ixlramp]

SteveCS, are those gauges a Newtone tapper set? They do not look like the Stick Enterprises light set.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Steve may not notice your post unless he's subscribed to the thread: no quoting, no paging, not his OP.

My Stick goes 0.092, 0.065, 0.040, 0.022, 0.017 in the bass tuned in 5ths from low C - E. The melody is 0.022, 0.015, 0.010, 0.008, 0.007, going F# - D in 4ths. Its an older 34" scale version.

SteveCS, are those gauges a Newtone tapper set? They do not look like the Stick Enterprises light set.

^ There you go.

 

[SteveCS]

SteveCS, are those gauges a Newtone tapper set? They do not look like the Stick Enterprises light set.

I don't know what the current standard gauges are - I imagine they changed a little when Emmett went to the longer scale, but I don't know that for sure. I bought a boat-load of strings (many full sets plus 5 extra plain for every 1 wound) from SE about 25 years ago and that's what I received. I've only ever used SE strings on my Stick.

 

[ixlramp]

Thanks to you both! I did wonder if i should make more effort to notify SteveCS =)

Wow 25 year old sets, i am surprised they are still in good condition.
Ok that is useful to know, those gauges are therefore old SE 'light' sets (i am trying to collect gauge data for SE sets, as these are not published).

 

[meshica7]

Glad I found this thread!!! I have a 10 string from Krappy as well. Just got it. It is tuned in Dual Bass Reciprocal,. I also play an NS Stick. I was checking out the NewTone Tappers. Anyone here ever use them?