Downtune - Wound G

[alex1fly]

Do you downtuners use a wound G? If so, does it bug you at all??

I've been going increasingly heavy on my Strat to see just how low I can get comfortably. Latest set is 12s. Going any bigger in string gauge seems like you have to have a wound G. I've used them before on electric and on acoustic of course, and I'm not a huge fan; hard to bend and just different than what I'm used to.

Do you just get used to it over time? And when the gnar is getting shredded, do you even notice?

[JB_From_Hell]

If I was tuned down to B standard, I’d use a wound third. About the thickest plain string I like to use is a .020”. Beyond that, they start sounding really weird and plinky.

My lowest tuned 6 is C# standard/drop B, and I use a D’Addario set that goes 11,14,19,32,44,56. The .019” at E is a little sketchy, but it works. My usual 6 tuning is drop C, with 11-52 and an .018” third.

[Mincer]

I don't think there are any rules here. Use what feels good. It is a pretty cheap mod to experiment with.

[idsnowdog]

I use wound G for all tunnings. I never liked how an unwound G rang louder than the other strings and how I couldn't intonate it.

[dave74]

For D-standard I can go either way. A plain 17 or a wound 18.
I won't use a plain over 17 so anything under D tuning would be wound for me.
In C# standard I use a wound 20.
In Eb I use a plain 16.

[JB_From_Hell]

Something else to keep in mind, depending on how low you’re tuning. If you go to B standard, a wound third will feel like the D string on a standard tuned guitar.

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

I think having the 3rd wound would really throw me off, it helps tell me which string I'm playing more times than not.

We tune straight C# and mostly Drop B and we use 10 or 11 to 52 or 54 with no issues whatsoever.

I like the Ernie ball hybrid sets there's a few of them in that range.

my humble 2 cents worth.

[Bogner]

I can tolerate a wound G on acoustic but I never could on electric. I don't tune down too too low anyway but I do use 11's for standard.

[dave74]

Most people's impression of a wound third-string comes from the common sets that include them, and those are usually like a 22w or 24w in a set that most are using for E or Eb.

My advice is to try an 18w in place of a 16p or 17p, and a 20w in place of an 18p. Yes it's still wound but it doesn't feel any stiffer or have that weird transfer coming from the 2nd string.

[GuitarDoc]

I use wound G for all tunnings. I never liked how an unwound G rang louder than the other strings and how I couldn't intonate it.

You need a compensated nut to be able to correctly intonate, especially the "G", or 3rd, string.

[idsnowdog]

You need a compensated nut to be able to correctly intonate, especially the "G", or 3rd, string.

Yes, but I notice it less with a wound G.

[jeremy]

i have a wound g on my baritone tuned b to b on 27" scale, strings are 14-72 or something like that

[JB_From_Hell]

In my experience, a poorly designed headstock where the strings don’t have a straight path will have better tuning stability on the G with a wound string.