6-string: Best string positions? Advice please

[eju201]

Hi all! I'm about to pick up a new Ortega tenor 6-string that is currently strung g-cC-e-aA (with the capital letters being low tones). I plan to immediately restring with a set of all-flourocarbon (no wound) Worth Browns for a mellower sound, and also make it a low-G.

The question is whether to flip the As, so the final string is high-a. This is how I see most of the Kamaka Liliu's set up, and my understanding is that the Liliu was the original 6-string (although it was high-G originally!). So I would end up G-cC-e-Aa

I understand it would take some nut work to the one I'm buying if I flip the As.

It seems odd to me to have the final string the low-A, but this is how this particular instrument comes, so part of me wants to just trust that while making it low-G, but I want to make sure that I'm starting off with the instrument in the "best" way for me. If I leave it "aA" I'd love to understand the thinking/logic behind this placement so I don't constantly second-guess myself.

In the end I want the mellowest possible sound to accompany myself singing, mostly "campfire" classic-rock tunes.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[merlin666]

Yes it is better to reverse the As so when you strum upward the high string gets plucked first. I am not sure of added benefit of low G. I have a six string and together the C and low A provide a lot of oomph sometimes I even think I should change my attack to bring out the highs more.

 

[rhiggie]

I've wondered the same thing with 8 strings. I've seen them with the low string above the high string, and the opposite and even some mixed which I thought was just an error but maybe there's logic behind it.

 

[merlin666]

I've wondered the same thing with 8 strings. I've seen them with the low string above the high string, and the opposite and even some mixed which I thought was just an error but maybe there's logic behind it.

These are all modelled rafter 12 strings guitar where the thinner string usually comes before the thicker string as it otherwise would easily be missed. However some are strung in reverse and some artists also prefer that. For 6 string Liliu one of the fun things is playing solos with thumb on C and index on A. This sounds only great if you get the high octave first. Try the Brown Eyed Girl riff as an example.

 

[eju201]

Yes it is better to reverse the As so when you strum upward the high string gets plucked first. I am not sure of added benefit of low G. I have a six string and together the C and low A provide a lot of oomph sometimes I even think I should change my attack to bring out the highs more.

Thank you! I'm looking to diminish the highs overall, so I'm hoping the low G helps with that.

 

[eju201]

I've wondered the same thing with 8 strings. I've seen them with the low string above the high string, and the opposite and even some mixed which I thought was just an error but maybe there's logic behind it.

I have seen some 6 strings with unison a's as well. There are a lot of variations in stringing these instruments. Hoping to hear more best-practices or whatever has worked for other folks.

 

[eju201]

These are all modelled rafter 12 strings guitar where the thinner string usually comes before the thicker string as it otherwise would easily be missed. However some are strung in reverse and some artists also prefer that. For 6 string Liliu one of the fun things is playing solos with thumb on C and index on A. This sounds only great if you get the high octave first. Try the Brown Eyed Girl riff as an example.

Thank you. You are hooking your thumb all the way over to the C?