Resonator Strings On Acoustic Guitar

[Arapaho G]

Just wondering if anyone has ever put resonator strings on an acoustic to play slide? I have an old Washburn I am using for slide. The action is high enough that it works fairly well. I took the light gauge strings off and put some mediums on. The sound improved and rattles got better. Thinking of going really heavy with the reso strings. I'm learning slide and still working on the dampening.

[Wade Hampton]

There’s a John Pearse resonator set I used to use when I tuned my Gibson WM-45 down a step to D. The gauges were such that they replicated the feel of a medium gauge set.

So sure, do whatever works for you.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Mycroft]

Bottleneck or Lap Steel? What are you tuning to?

I have an old Sivertone with a slightly warped neck that I put a nut riser on and play lap steel on. I put on a standard medium set and then replace the 1st string with something a couple of gauges higher.

I also use a John Pearse "New Medium" set on a guitar that I play a lot of bottleneck on that I keep in Open D. It has mixed medium and light strings, and the mediums match up with the strings that get tuned down in Open D.

Keep in mind that the thing that you should be most concerned with is learning to control and damp. Touch. Upping the gauge will not help you with that, particularly if you want to learn hybrid bottleneck, where you both fret strings and use a slide too.

Resonator strings usually denote sets intended for use on squarenecks tuned to high-bass Open G: GBDGBD instead of low-bass Open G: DGDGBD.

[Arapaho G]

I tune to open G with a low base and open D. Yes the dampening is tricky. The slide is most comfortable on the pinky so I have been using multiple fingers to dampen with. I have been doing OK with D'dario phosphor bronze medium. Thought the heavier strings would make it easier but I've never tried it. More practice!

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Arapaho G

I tune to open G with a low base and open D. Yes the dampening is tricky. The slide is most comfortable on the pinky so I have been using multiple fingers to dampen with. I have been doing OK with D'dario phosphor bronze medium. Thought the heavier strings would make it easier but I've never tried it. More practice!

Have you tried shimming the nut a little higher with a strip or three cut from a business card? Gives a bit more fret clearance while learning control, and then you can remove them if you want as you get better. And as you learn not to press down too hard with the slide. Otherwise it is simply a matter of time behind the wheel.

Have fun

[Robin, Wales]

Try mediums but with just the first string replaced with a 0.015. There's no need to go as far as the 0.016 first and 0.018 second of a "resonator" set designed for square neck spider bridge guitars in high GBDgbd tuning.

I left my "hints and tips" page up on my website after I retired. You may find something useful there.

http://www.buskerguitars.co.uk/index.html

[Arapaho G]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Try mediums but with just the first string replaced with a 0.015. There's no need to go as far as the 0.016 first and 0.018 second of a "resonator" set designed for square neck spider bridge guitars in high GBDgbd tuning.

I left my "hints and tips" page up on my website after I retired. You may find something useful there.

http://www.buskerguitars.co.uk/index.html

Thanks for the link to Busker Guitars and the information. Congrats on your retirement. I will be checking out the Diamond Bottlenecks.