3rd 'G' string

happyjazzer · June 19

Has anybody tried a plain--unwound-- 3rd G string, as it appears the 3rd wound string that dies first? (On gypsy strings that is.) I do know that a wound 3rd does add more depth to the string but if you did use a plain 3rd what string gauge did you use? Did it suit the guitar? Your thoughts on the subject?

voutoreenie · June 19

Huh I didn't know the G string was known for that...for me, it's pretty much always the high E, although I have noticed the B and G tend to go stale more quickly now that I'm using way more vibrato than I used to.

Anyway, don't have an answer to your question but I do remember trying an unwound G way back in the day on a flat top and if memory serves it was pretty bad...or certainly enough that I never considered repeating it again haha

lucky · June 19

Remi Harris does this - he puts electric guitar strings on G B and E.

littlemark · June 19

That seems like a bad idea. Obviously not an expensive experiment. But I don't foresee that sounding great.

Russell Letson · June 20

The unwound-G in an acoustic set seems to run in the 018-022 range, while the Argentine wound Gs are nominally 022-025. (The actual gauges, according to the Savarez website, are actually a bit smaller.) For a 670-mm/26.3-inch scale, that means tension runs about 27 pounds (again, from the Savarez site), while a 020 unwound is just over 26 pounds and a 022 is over 31 (I used the Stringjoy calculator). That tension difference probably means a difference in feel and, I suspect, tone as well.

FWIW, I've noticed that the most likely Argentine string to fail is the G--probably a combination of its structure (wound and thus subject to wear on the windings) and tension (highest in the set). Unwound strings always wear longer, though in light sets the E might tend to break most often.