Usually use only acoustic strings with cbgs but this time using a Humbucker. Should I use electric strings instead? Also should sound holes be drilled if the cbg has a mag pickup?
Thank you
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Acoustic strings (phosphor bonze, et al) are a little thicker than equivalent electric strings and use slightly denser wrapping material (bronze) to get more inertia for longer sustain and more volume.
Electric guitar strings, needing to be ferromagnetic, are less elastic, so are made a little thinner to compensate the tension , and have a little less inertia and thus more pronounced harmonics in comparison to the fundamental. the Amp and its EQ allow you to compensate for the quieter and 'plinkier' sound.
A mag pup will react to a non-ferromagnetic conductor due to an induced current in the conductor and the current's coupled magnetic field interacting with the pup's, but a ferromagnetic string grabs the pup's magnetic field and shakes it around like a jello-mold on the passenger seat when you turn off the paved road.
Most feedback problems are with single coil pups and not double coils. F holes/sound holes on a electric git are fine and dandy. Acoustic string on a electric git usually have problems with string balance, the solid string tend to be loud and the wound strings tend to drop in volume. A pickup with a rail type pole or a Lipstick Tube pickup(they come in double coils too) tend to work better with acoustic strings and usually setting them as far away from the strings as possible helps too.
I have had zero feedback problems using Dan Sleep's Thin-buckers on f-hole cbg builds.
I use light gauge electric guitar strings and have been happy with the tone even when playing acoustically.
You put a humbucker in it, it won't NEED soundholes!
But yes, you need steel-cored strings. Both acoustic and electric strings will work, since they both have steel cores, but you may find the volume changes dramatically between the thick E! A, or D electric strings, and the same sized acoustic strings, which are typically bronze wrapped around a steel core.
Cool. I was thinking why not also have sound holes like a semi-hollow body...but since I ain't strung it yet I'll see if is resonant first as there's some gaps here and there...lol.
Thanks for the string choice advice.
Replies
Acoustic strings (phosphor bonze, et al) are a little thicker than equivalent electric strings and use slightly denser wrapping material (bronze) to get more inertia for longer sustain and more volume.
Electric guitar strings, needing to be ferromagnetic, are less elastic, so are made a little thinner to compensate the tension , and have a little less inertia and thus more pronounced harmonics in comparison to the fundamental. the Amp and its EQ allow you to compensate for the quieter and 'plinkier' sound.
A mag pup will react to a non-ferromagnetic conductor due to an induced current in the conductor and the current's coupled magnetic field interacting with the pup's, but a ferromagnetic string grabs the pup's magnetic field and shakes it around like a jello-mold on the passenger seat when you turn off the paved road.
I could not be happier with mine.
IMG_1891.JPG
That is a beauty there Bill.
That's a beauty.
Most feedback problems are with single coil pups and not double coils. F holes/sound holes on a electric git are fine and dandy. Acoustic string on a electric git usually have problems with string balance, the solid string tend to be loud and the wound strings tend to drop in volume. A pickup with a rail type pole or a Lipstick Tube pickup(they come in double coils too) tend to work better with acoustic strings and usually setting them as far away from the strings as possible helps too.
I use light gauge electric guitar strings and have been happy with the tone even when playing acoustically.
But yes, you need steel-cored strings. Both acoustic and electric strings will work, since they both have steel cores, but you may find the volume changes dramatically between the thick E! A, or D electric strings, and the same sized acoustic strings, which are typically bronze wrapped around a steel core.
Thanks for the string choice advice.