Strings for Burns Double Six

[Paulps]

Hi
I bought myself a second-hand Double Six for Christmas. What strings would you suggest are best?

[JimN]

The absolute toppermost of the poppermost for electric twelves is Pyramid (fitted as OEM on 60s Rickenbackers). But they're pricey, even from Thomann:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/pyramid_31012.htm

Otherwise, you could try a basic set of 10-46 (as the "normal" set) and supplement them with custom gauge strings as follows (with the supplementary gauges marked in red):

e: 010p / 010p
B: 013p / 013p
G: 017p / 008p
D: 026w / 014p
A: 036w / 018p
E: 046w / 024w

Cost: easily under £10.

JN

[Nick Allan]

You might try Barry Gibson. He uses 10's from Newtone. More expensive, but good.

One thing to watch out for is the light G string. My experience is that this breaks easily (and very quickly), so Barry supplies sets with the 2 G strings the same, rather than one an octave higher. I use a Doublesix Custom regularly in my band and I find the Newtone strings (with the modification suggested above), last a long time.

All the best,

Nick

[nidxs25]

Hi Barry gibson told me hank had had nearly had a heart
attack at the thought of breaking a hg string at the o2 and decided to use 17s as thirds , if you listen to a live recording ! And not a studio version you can hear the differece.

[nidxs25]

Sorry for the finger trouble.

[JimN]

What's an hg string?

[nidxs25]

Fat fingers!

[cockroach]

I had two plain .17 G strings fitted, but I have recently fitted the 12 string neck on my double neck with a wound .20 gauge G with a .07 gauge octave string. I bought these as separates ( but I did make sure I bought two of each!)

I think the sound is better and more 'authentic' 12 string somehow- with that high ringing octave string , and the balance between the gauges of the string courses is improved.

[davec]

Rickenbacker supply a twelve-string set (Compressed Round Wound, Part No. 95404):

10/10
13/13
20/10
26/13
34/20
42/26

DaveC

[JimN]

Rickenbacker supply a twelve-string set (Compressed Round Wound, Part No. 95404):

10/10
13/13
20/10
26/13
34/20
42/26

That's clearly not of the same gauges as the "standard" Pyramid set (lighter at the bass end), and the 20/10 pairing on the third course suggests that the 0.010" string is meant for tuning to the G (1st string, 3rd fret on an "ordinary" guitar). The other string in that course is a wound 0.020" (source: http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm#strings) and the gauge pairing obviously precludes unison tuning.

A "10" can theoretically be tuned to the G. In fact, if viewed as the logical extension to a 56-13 set, it should even stretch - at medium gauge tension - to the A (1st string, 5th fret).

Unison tuning was often used on the third course of 12-strings in the dark days of the 1960s, when sufficiently light strings for tuning to the high G were difficult or impossible to get in the UK. But it's an unnecessary compromise...

JN