Who knows about guitar strings?

I just bought a handful of strings. I wanted a #11 string but couldn't find one so I got a couple #10's and a #13 (they didn't have any #12's either).

I also bought some stainless steel fishing "trace" wire. The stainless steel wire is available in long spools whereas the guitar strings are only like 34" long. Under tension, the guitar string drew up nice and tight and "twanged" nicely when plucked (sounded like a sitar or something). The stainless steel wire, well, stretched like chewing-gum under only light tension, and that was for a 15 lb. strain wire that was considerably thicker than the guitar string.

Unfortunately, 34" is on the borderline of too short for my purposes. I'd like to obtain a longer piece (an entire spool, $$ willing) of the thin, strong guitar string wire. Does anybody know

i) how to translate #10, #11, #12, etc into "real" measurements of thickness? ii) WTF it's made of that it doesn't stretch (unlike the stainless wire)?
iii) if I went to a _piano_ repair/service place, would they have this wire
in longer lengths?

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RE: Guitar String info wanted
BY: Amcleod to All on Thu Feb 14 2002 08:56 pm

i) how to translate #10, #11, #12, etc into "real" measurements of thickne ii) WTF it's made of that it doesn't stretch (unlike the stainless wire)? iii) if I went to a _piano_ repair/service place, would they have this wire
in longer lengths?

That seems strange to me.. wasn't there a gauge on the packaging? I always bought my guitar strings by gauge. The gauge specified was always for the bottom E string, which means it was the thickest one in the package. Strings get thinner as their designed pitch increases.
I'm not sure about number two there, though don't assume they don't stretch much because over time they do. This is fine for guitar s trings since they can be retuned. Just don't rely on their initial length too much.
As for three, if can wait a few days, I can find out from my friend's grandfather, who screws around with player pianos. However, I don't think you're going to get the same type of string from a piano place. Just a hunch though.
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Re: Guitar String info wanted
By: Rocko to Amcleod on Thu Feb 14 2002 10:01 pm

i) how to translate #10, #11, #12, etc into "real" measurements of thic

That seems strange to me.. wasn't there a gauge on the packaging? I always bought my guitar strings by gauge. The gauge specified was always fo the bottom E string, which means it was the thickest one in the package. Strings get thinner as their designed pitch increases.

The strings I've found selling (individually, because I don't want a set i want them all the same) are either marked with the note (like "G") or with a number like #10, #11, #12, etc. The note is absolutely NFG to me, since if I try to source the wire elsewhere, they won't know what a "G" means. And the numbers are some sort of guage, but not a standard wire-guage. Standard wire guage has the thickest wire with the smaller number (12-ga. wire is much thicker than 24-ga. wire) whereas with the guitar strings, the higher numbers are thinner (#10 is a thinner string than a #13).

I'm not sure about number two there, though don't assume they don't
stretch much because over time they do.

In the application, the wire remains under tension only when in use. When finished the tension can be relaxed. When it is to be used again next day/week/year, you tighten it up before use.

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RE: Guitar String info wanted
BY: Amcleod to Rocko on Fri Feb 15 2002 05:00 am

The strings I've found selling (individually, because I don't want a set i w them all the same) are either marked with the note (like "G") or with a numb like #10, #11, #12, etc. The note is absolutely NFG to me, since if I try t source the wire elsewhere, they won't know what a "G" means. And the number are some sort of guage, but not a standard wire-guage. Standard wire guage the thickest wire with the smaller number (12-ga. wire is much thicker than 24-ga. wire) whereas with the guitar strings, the higher numbers are thinner (#10 is a thinner string than a #13).

I'm not sure if the difference is our locations, but when I buy my strings they are labeled as .010, .011, .012, etc. Which I always assumed was like 1/100
of
an inch and so on, but I'm not sure if they coordinate with the #10, #11, #12 you mention above?? For what its worth.


PG


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Re: Guitar String info wanted
By: PistolGrip to Amcleod on Fri Feb 15 2002 06:27 pm

I'm not sure if the difference is our locations, but when I buy my strings t are labeled as .010, .011, .012, etc.

OK, that's an interesting possibility... Thanks

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RE: Guitar String info wanted
BY: Amcleod to PistolGrip on Fri Feb 15 2002 04:49 pm

Re: Guitar String info wanted
By: PistolGrip to Amcleod on Fri Feb 15 2002 06:27 pm

I'm not sure if the difference is our locations, but when I buy my string are labeled as .010, .011, .012, etc.

OK, that's an interesting possibility... Thanks

Also, forgot to mention. My sets usually run from .010 (Smallest String) to .046 (Largest String) depending upon which set I purchase.

PG

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