Plectrum Guitar - 8 strings

[mbrin]

I have been a student for several years on the plectrum banjo. I was looking for an instrument that is more melodic and guitar-like and now play a plectrum guitar. I am not very accomplished, but pleased with my progress, having started at the age of 63. I like soft rock from the 60’s and 70’s and have some fun playing for myself.

It is very hard to find a plectrum guitar, and I found a luthier who could make one with a 26" scale length. I tune it like a plectrum banjo (CGBD) so I can still take lessons with my banjo instructor. I an seriously thinking about having an 8 string plectrum made for me.

I was reading about 12 string guitars and about how to string them. It appears to be an art to decide what string gauges to use. From what I read, there are acoustic considerations and practical considerations of having the right gauge that will not break when tuning, and, a strong neck to handle the tension. For my plectrums, I use 13, 15, 20, 26 or 28. I have a little higher gauge on the D string because I find that anything smaller will cut into my pinky finger.

Can you point me to somewhere I can learn the fundamentals on how to decide what gauge to get for an 8 string plectrum, full 26” scale length, if I go ahead? Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks so much.

[Gitterbug]

Look at the specs of medium gauge 12-string guitar and see the gauges of string pairs tuned nearest to your tuning. The scale length of 26" is close enough to guitar. Alternatively, do some research on ethnic instruments, such as bouzouki or oud. You would probably keep the top pair in unison, so consider two .11 or .12s eating into your pinky instead of just one. Would the second pair be in octaves? Or just 3rd and 4th, as I would imagine. The sound of this guitar is certainly interesting. This highly unqualified advice is coming from someone who struggles to get something out of a Chicago-tuned (i.e. the guitar's top four strings) plectrum banjo, an early 70s Fender Artist.

[pcjazz]

Not sure what you mean by a “plectrum guitar” — do you mean a tenor guitar (4 strings tuned in 5ths or other banjoesque tuning)? So the 8-string would have 4 pairs of strings tuned in octaves or unison?

[Rob MacKillop]

Tenor Guitar: CGDA
Plectrum Guitar: CGBD or DGBD or DGBE

I've never seen or heard of an 8-string version, presumably 4 double courses, like a mandolin.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Is there a problem with just stringing four strings on a normal (6 string) guitar?

[mbrin]

Thanks everyone. I will some additional research and report back. The luthier recommended I tune: cC gG BB DD.

I will keep you informed.

[cosmic gumbo]

[mbrin]

Hi all. I plan to tune it as cC gG BB DD. For the pairs in octaves, I thought that I read somewhere that the gauges should be ~1/2 for the thinner of the pair. So, if I use a .028 for the c, then I suspect I should use about a 0.14 for the C. Is that correct? Or are there other formulas?