Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've always used the standard 10 guage of strings on my 6 string Rickenbacker guitars, but I've sometimes had a bit of trouble with the tuning of the 17 guage non wound G string.
So this week I've tried substituting that for a 20 guage wound G.
I played it tonight at rehearsals for the first time, and the tuning problem is now no longer apparent, but I'm really not sure about the tone.
I'm sure I was hearing some strange harmonics when strumming. It may just have been in my head as no one else in the room seemed to notice it.
Is there a science to my madness, or am I indeed hearing things that aren't there?
I'd love to hear your thoughts or experiences if you've tried a similar thing.
Cheers.
Rob.

Rob, I think your observations are not untypical. The "G" is always the troublemaker. Which brand are you using?

The plain ones give intonation problems and some of the wound ones can sound funny. I prefer the wound for good intonation and bending, but then I might have to experiment to find which makers' sounds the best, because they're not all equal.

D'Addarios and TIs are generally reliably good in this way for my Ricks, but I'm always aware that wound Gs are borderline wonky. LIke they say, there's one in every crowd ...

I'd shop around till I find the best compromise.

I have gone back and forth on wound vs. plain G and for the time being have settled on a .020 plain G. I love the sound and stability of a wound G but I need to be able to bend it!

Interesting statement, Kira, as I've always found the B string to be the issue intonation-wise. It's especially bad on an acoustic, which is why you'll see newer acoustic bridges on better guitars with jogs in them shortening the string length on the B string.

As for the G string, I always use a wound G. I much prefer the grip and vibration of the wound.

All up to personal taste, I suppose. Rob, try it for a couple of weeks and see if you get used to it or it still bothers you. Then you'll know for sure which way to go. You were probably just hearing a bit of extra vibration in the air from a fourth wound string.

I'm all about the wound G, myself. It has always driven me up the wall to hear barre chords with that G blaring out on top of the chord, a little too sharp! Strats are the worst at this. It may derail your attempts to play lead at first, because so many blues-derived solo licks depend on bending that G. But in time you'll add other licks to your repertoire that help you stand out as a player. As I like to put it, "Wound thirds are my anti-wank."

What you may be hearing is the chime associated with the wound string. The pitch of the string lengths at the headstock and tailpiece may have changed as well. As the strings break-in, that'll settle down.

- Scott

Invaluable help and advice guys.
I think I will stick with it for a couple of weeks to see how it goes.
Many thanks.

I use D'Addario 11s on my 330 with a plain G and have no intonation or "jump out" issues with it.

18w or 20w is a must for me

whojamfan wrote:I use D'Addario 11s on my 330 with a plain G and have no intonation or "jump out" issues with it.

+1