Questions tagged [strings]
Flexible material that provides vibrations in string instruments
418
questions
6
votes
3answers
694 views
Tone Color Changed after Replacing a Piano Bass String
I have a very old piano. A few years ago, one of its bass strings broke. I removed that broken string and kept playing almost everyday for a few years. Last week my technician installed a new string ...
6
votes
1answer
147 views
Does the Thunderbird actually need special strings?
I just got myself a brand-new Epiphone Thunderbird bass. I tried to get some new strings along with it, but was told it needs special (extra-length) strings due to its fairly big headstock.
That seems ...
1
vote
3answers
120 views
What are the best strings for this guitar? Steel or nylon?
(Apologies if you've seen this question somewhere else, but I need a second opinion and advices are inconclusive).
I have (found) this guitar:
PICS
It is a Chandry by Sue Ryder (Don't bother googling ...
1
vote
2answers
44 views
Install new strings on guitar with whammy bar
So I have an Ibanez GRG250DX and I want to replace its strings. But I havent played it in a long time.
What I tried so far:
I clipped the old strings, kind of cleaned the guitar and pulled in the ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
Playing symphonies by e.g. Rachmaninoff or Mahler using string instruments with gut strings (like more Baroque styled instruments)?
I was listening to some performances from Netherland's "All of Bach" group that performs Bach works on Baroque instruments. I quite liked the sound of the strings, and I thought that it ...
7
votes
3answers
606 views
Do first violins take precedence over second violins for the main melody or the higher pitched part?
I know that in general within an orchestra, if the violins hold the melody it's usually the first violins which play the main melody and the second violins act as a support to them, but if the main ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
Clunking/clacking bass
So I have a Fender Jazz Bass and I was playing it the other day and once I got to the 5th fret there was buzzing, and past the 5th fret (depending on what I was doing) there was severe, sort of, ...
1
vote
3answers
57 views
I can't work out if these string sections are tied, slurred or phrased
Take a look at the below screengrab from the orchestra score of Sweeney Todd.
Are bars 1 and 3 (with the exception of the Bass) tied or slurred? In bar 2 the pitch does drop but in 1 and 3 it's the ...
2
votes
1answer
33 views
Breaking gut strings even if the instrument is 'parked'
One of my lever harps got natural gut strings which I am currently not playing (carpal tunnel syndrome, sigh), it's parked in the living room. However, sometimes any gut string will just break at any ...
1
vote
2answers
67 views
Fretting out on fretboard?
Whenever I change the strings on my electric guitar, in no more than 2 weeks, this happens:
From about the 11th/12th fret onwards, the E and B (and sometimes G) strings sound noticeably lower, in ...
2
votes
3answers
76 views
Workflow of composing an oratorio?
I have decided to have my form of an oratorio as 4 voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) and 4 stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello, bass). This form is much like the form of Handel's Messiah. ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
Will using flatwound bass strings take emphasis off of my slap tone?
I've never gotten a chance to play a bass that has flatwound strings, but I've heard from people who have. They usually say that it completely changes the sound, but that they feel amazing for your ...
4
votes
6answers
656 views
String bending pain doesn't go away
I have been playing the guitar since 2006, so I'm not new to the activity, and I have caluses.
I started playing Flamenco on a nylon strings and in 2013 moved to play Surf on a stratocaster.
A couple ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Unable to tune my violin [closed]
Why am I unable to tune my violin correctly? I cannot tune my A string to A4. It's in a state that if I go beyond G4, it will break. I'm new to violin.
1
vote
0answers
51 views
Ibanez SA160FML G & B String Warble/Oscillation Issue
So i recently purchased an SA160FML. My guitar shop had a brand new piece because no one wanted a lefty but it was an old stock since this guitar is now discontinued.
I checked it at the shop and ...
-1
votes
2answers
97 views
Where to look for damage when steel strings are used on a classical Ibanez?
Ok, so when I was a kid, the guitar my dad taught me my first few chords on, was this Ibanez classical acoustic. I started playing guitar as a kid, and I quit as a kid. So now as an adult (age 30), I ...
2
votes
2answers
48 views
Can you put steel strings on an acoustic guitar that came with bronze strings?
I know this sounds a bit dumb but I can't find an article anywhere and can't go to a guitar shop with the current situation and I thought now would be the perfect time to try different strings.
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Which string instruments/playing techniques were used for Nashville Sound country music?
I've been delving into the history of a particular style of country music called "Nashville Sound" recently, which involved a lot of string sections in songs. Some websites describe them as being "...
3
votes
4answers
173 views
Why don't my guitar strings rust?
I've played my guitar for about 4.5 years and I have never cleaned it after playing. Why does it never rust? My guitar and bass strings are rusted after one month. As far as I know, the stainless ...
0
votes
3answers
115 views
Why I feel like my guitar strings are very hard?
I bought an Acoustic guitar six months ago, and I am trying to learn with the help of YouTube videos. And in those videos, it seems like it is not hard for them to press the strings for a chord.
...
13
votes
3answers
4k views
Why do people in tutorials destroy/cut their old strings when restringing?
I'd like do try out different gauges on an electric and an acoustic guitar, but if I don't like them I would like to put the old strings back on. Is that even possible or are they ruined after ...
16
votes
3answers
2k views
Can you record several individual string instruments and put them together to sound like a real orchestra?
During these times of the pandemic, our senior school orchestra missed out on the traditional final performance before graduating on with the rest of our lives.
Due to the stay-at-home order, we aren'...
0
votes
2answers
69 views
My G String wears out all the time
I use Elixir HD light on my Yamaha SLG200S. I notice my G string is usually the first to develop kinks / gets frayed. Of course, when I change, I change the whole set. Is there a setup issue with ...
2
votes
2answers
91 views
Solution for a more durable acoustic guitar G string?
I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years and probably haven’t broken a string for the past 20. However my G string consistently wears out much faster than all other strings; the wrap wears on the frets ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
What did I do wrong with the bridge of bass guitar when restringing?
I had my dad's bass guitar lying around (I play with it, but don't play it, if you know what I mean - I'm a drummer myself). I believe that it is a Stagg B300-SB Standard J. It had been lying unused ...
0
votes
2answers
48 views
How do dirty violin strings (uncleaned rosin) affect sound and playability?
If I don't clean the rosin off my strings from time to time how will that affect the sound the strings make as the rosin builds up? How will it affect the playability, the way the bow moves over and ...
2
votes
2answers
43 views
Sudden problem with first three frets, especially the high E string
I bought a new semi-acoustic guitar 8 months ago and it sounded absolute wonderful up until a week ago. I am experiencing that the high E string, and to a lesser degree the nearby B and G string, ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
Does playing double stops wear violin strings more quickly?
Does playing strokes which apply more force to the strings, like double stops, spiccato and sautille, wear out the strings more quickly?
0
votes
1answer
102 views
Low E-string sounds out of tune [duplicate]
I have an issue with the low E string on my Acoustic Seagull S6 Original.
Ever since I changed the strings, the E string seems to be out of tune in a weird way. When the open E is right on the spot (...
1
vote
2answers
58 views
Is it accurate to tune with harmonics higher than the third harmonic on the double bass?
I typically play an A4 with my tuner when I am tuning because that is the note that the violin would be playing.
On the bass, I would be playing the A harmonic on the D-string in fourth position. If ...
1
vote
1answer
42 views
Tension/gauge less prone to buzzing
Is there a type of string (high tension or low tension) that is less prone to generate buzzing on the acoustic guitar ?
I've mainly heard these few arguments so far :
high tension strings are larger,...
5
votes
2answers
276 views
Restringing a pinless guitar
My little brother bought a charity shop guitar but I’ve never seen this before. It doesn’t have the pins so I’m worried if I take the strings off I won’t get them back on... are there any videos or ...
1
vote
0answers
38 views
Where can I find a strings soundfont without vibrato for Musescore? [closed]
I want a vibrato-less soundfont for violoncell and contrabass to use in musescore.Anyone knows where can I find one?
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Why are some strings wound instead of solid?
Why are lower-frequency strings usually made by winding wire around a core?
On a violin, for instance, we usually find that the highest string (E) is solid but the lower strings (G and D) are wound. ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
Open E String is in Tune but fingered pitches are sharp
My last e string broke so I got a new one. My e string is in tune when I play it together with the open A (i.e. the violin is in tune), but the higher fingered pitches are all sharp. I know this is ...
1
vote
2answers
104 views
Is it ok to use D string for broken A string in a guitar temporarily?
Yesterday the A string of my classical guitar was broken. I have an extra D string and an E string, unfortunately my other A string was broken too.
Is it ok to use the D string as the A string ...
5
votes
1answer
177 views
Why do violin bridges support the lower strings at a greater height from the fingerboard?
It appears that violin bridges are typically designed asymmetrically to support the lower strings at a greater height from the fingerboard, as shown in this photo:
At the end of the fingerboard the G ...
0
votes
2answers
48 views
Help me pick the perfect string!
I busted my strings while trying to tune by ear.
This is my guitar.
As for the type of music I am looking to learn, I'd say it would be rock and blues. I also love Tommy Emmanuels which is to say ...
2
votes
1answer
42 views
Are intonation issues in a cheap acoustic guitar fixable?
so I am a beginner guitarist, and I have one quite good guitar, and a cheap one.
I`ve tuned it to standard tuning, and when I play the 5th fret on the E string on the cheap one, it goes like 1/4 of a ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
How does the action (distance between fret and string) of a guitar affect the tone / sound / timbre?
When talking with or reading / watching about professionals and their setups (acoustic instruments in particular), I found that there's a heavy tendency for using higher actions, in contrast with non-...
0
votes
2answers
161 views
Are hard tension strings (around 85 lbs total tension) generally safe for classical guitars without truss rod?
I know some classical guitars absolutely definitely can't handle extra-hard tension strings because they can cause the bridge to break or the neck to bend, so only guitars specifically designed for ...
7
votes
2answers
236 views
What's the difference between regular guitar and banjo strings?
My father's got an old banjo that he needs re-stringed for him and I've got a set of guitar strings that I think would do the trick...But I'm not sure if these are appropriate for the instrument. I'm ...
2
votes
2answers
313 views
In which ways does plucking a string at different locations affect/change the sound?
In both guitar and bass lessons, it's common that some techniques require you to pluck/strike/excite the string at specific locations. For example, it's very common to see bass players plucking the ...
4
votes
2answers
156 views
Metalic sound on cello G string
I am new to the cello and have been experiencing a sound on the G string that I can't quite pinpoint the cause of. Everywhere I have looked online appears to be specific to wolf tones or rattles, and ...
1
vote
1answer
200 views
What's the difference between bronze-wound and silver-wound bass strings?
The most common materials to wound bass strings are bronze and silver. Most string makers offer options with either. Seems that bronze strings last shorter or can go bad easier, so there must be a ...
2
votes
2answers
84 views
Sound issues following restringing electric guitar
A couple of questions regarding changing strings / getting rid of fret buzz.
I changed my strings a few days ago for the first time after getting my guitar earlier this year. I swapped from 9s to 10s ...
5
votes
2answers
128 views
When was “Nashville Tuning” invented?
Answering a question about alternate tuning today got me thinking about Nashville Tuning and that this is basically the exact same concept used by Stanley Clarke (and apparently Ron Carter) to "invent"...
1
vote
1answer
237 views
Why do flamenco guitar players use different tensions (gauges) for the bass and treble strings, “colored” treble strings, and a “special” 3rd string?
Looking close to flamenco strings sets, I've noticed that they use different tensions for the bass and treble strings. The bass strings are higher tension than the treble strings. Bass strings are ...
20
votes
2answers
3k views
Does the horse hair in a bow all go in the same direction?
As the title says, I want to know if the horse hairs in a bow all go in the same direction? I know that human hair has a direction which it is smooth and a direction which it is rough. I assume its ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
AKG C411 phantom power/preamp/ noise issue
I use the AKG c411 contact mic on a small harp that I play. When I plug into my interface I get a low frequency hum, which goes away when I touch the computer or interface and hold the instrument, ...
