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What strings to use for Delta Blues?

Posted by Dick Mott on September 10, 2012 at 12:06am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Just finished (I Think) my new build.  The scale is 24.5" on a Casa Torano box.  I want to be able to get a real Delta Blues sound out of it.

 I try to cypher through the different reccomendations and I get answers in different languages (string  #s, guages, string numbers, etc.)  Can someone tell me what guages & string type (Wound, steel, etc)  I should use and what tuning for those strings I should use to get thaty sound (like John McNair & Shane Speal) that attracted me to want to learn this beautiful instrument.

Thanx

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Tags: Strings, gauges, tunings
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Replies

  • Richard G Caudill September 13, 2012 at 11:22pm

     

    Dick ,, this my take ,,  I use the 4,3,2 out of 6 string set ... on my tuner ,, i select bass ,, and tune the 4 string to 1 g,,then switch it back to guitar mode and tune 3 to d   and 2 to g ,, that gets u that low fonky honky tonk sound u want ,  Just a suggestion ..

    excellant looking instruement u made !!!    Betcha it'll sound good !

  • Dick Mott September 13, 2012 at 10:41pm

    Thanx for the compliments on the look of the Git.  Unfortunatly I'm much better at the wood working than the playing.  I started building - 1. because I fell in love with McNair's "Delta Blues" and 2. because I get lost in the wood.  I can spend all day working with it.  We live in a motor home and travel to different areas 3-4 times a year.  I hope in the near future I can spend some time in a place with someone who really knows how to play one of these and get him/her to show me what my builds can really sound like.

  • jim September 11, 2012 at 11:35am

    Id use 3 or 4 of them

  • Keni Lee Burgess September 11, 2012 at 11:31am

    Jim - LOL You would be getting off cheap, if it was possible to only sell your soul and play as good as Robert Johnson. Reality requires a lot more of yourself. Years and years of hard work and discipline. Enjoy your practice, Keni Lee

    • Jim Woods > Keni Lee Burgess September 15, 2012 at 4:12pm

      Kenni Lee,

      Yes, if it was only that easy.  I certainly admire your playing, the time, talent and effort shows through.  

      Jim

  • 3 String Blues September 10, 2012 at 6:31pm

    thats a nice looking guitar! try acoustic 2 3 and 4

  • Keni Lee Burgess September 10, 2012 at 5:07pm

    3 string CBG - standard strings ADg tuned GDg

    http://youtu.be/aGX3bWHSHt0

     

    4 string CBG - standard strings Dgbe tuned Dgbd

    http://youtu.be/fN_31o3PAYw

     

    6 string CBG - standard strings EADgbe tuned DGDgbd

    http://youtu.be/xKQdkoSGi-c

     

    These are all Spanish Tuning - Open G

    A very popular Delta Blues Tuning

    I use medium gauge strings.

     

    Enjoy, Keni Lee  

    • Dick Mott > Keni Lee Burgess September 13, 2012 at 10:50pm

      For:Keni Lee Burgess - You mentioned the ADg strings tuned to GDg.  Does that mean go up (tighten) with the "A" to get to "G", or tune down (loosen) to get to a really low "G".  Maybe this sounds like a really dumb-a** question, but I'm in the learning mode, and I get tired of breaking strings lol !

      • Jim Woods > Dick Mott September 15, 2012 at 4:08pm

        Dick,

        You have probably received your answer, but you tune the fat string (A) down 2 half steps to G.

  • Jim Woods September 10, 2012 at 1:13pm

    Great looking git there, Dick,

    While your options are many, the most popular seems to be the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fattest strings out of a set of medium acoustic strings tuned to GDg. Those would be the 42 , 32 , and 25 strings.  The ones I have been getting are 80/20 bronze and very inexpensive. - maybe $2 a set, so you can try different ones to see what you like.

    However to get a "real Delta Blues sound"  you may have to go shopping at the Crossroads.  I hear the price there may be significantly higher :-)

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