String gauge/Cone damage on my new resonator.

[SCVJ]

I just got a new Gretsch 9240 Alligator. I think there are a few owners of this model on the forum, so I'm hoping for some good input fairly quickly as I'm in a hurry to get some new strings put on.

I've read that the cones on these are prone to collapse. The greater the string tension the more pressure on the cone obviously, so I'm trying to be careful. I plan to use only standard tuning and open G and D, which are lower than standard tension.

Gretsch's website says the guitar came with D'add EJ16's, light gauge (12-53) phosphor bronze.

I was going to use Martin Retro med. lt. (13-56). These are only 1-2 thousandths bigger than light gauge.

I also planned to use D'addario EXP mediums (13-56). These are only a little heavier than lights also.

I don't need more volume (I just play at home for my own amazement, lol). I'm looking for optimum tone and "slideability"

Questions:

Are the monel Retros any lower tension than the phosphor bronze EXPs?

Does anyone think the mediu lights or mediums are too heavy for this guitar?

Thanks!

[Wade Hampton]

Riley, you should be okay using medium gauge strings on this guitar, particularly if you use it in lowered tunings. Just keep an eye on it.

And - yes - Monels and any other nickel alloy should generate less tension than phosphor bronze strings will. Not an enormous amount of lowered tension, but enough to be able to feel it.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[frankmcr]

I've never heard anything about Gretsch reso cones being "prone to collapse", and I've read quite a few reviews on the 'net (I have a Boxcar squareneck). Where did you see that?

What's wrong with the way it sounds with the gauges Gretsch recommends?

[Ben M.]

You'll be fine with mediums. I had an Alligator for a couple years. I always had mediums or D'addario resonator gauge EJ42s on it. I even tuned up to open E and A sometimes and my cone never collapsed.

It's a lot easier to get a good slide sound with heavier gauge strings.

[SCVJ]

Thanks for the quick responses, I've been playing it for a week with the totally dead strings that were on it when I bought it.

There's a slide guitar forum based in the UK that seems to have a lot of experienced users. That's where I saw the comment that the cones Gretsch uses possibly aren't as strong as they should be. No idea how accurate it may be, but I have seen a thread where owners were dealing with a damaged (collapsed) cone.

I don't know how it would sound with lights (see above), The conventional wisdom is for heavier strings on resonators, so I'm going that direction.

I'm going to start with the med lts, then try the mediums later on. I'll report any problems.

Anyone have opinions on monels vs. phosphor bronze? Or any other string choices?

[MC5C]

Maybe try low G tuning (DGDGBD) with those mediums, that will give a real nice blues-ready slide guitar and no more tension than the lights in standard tuning, probably. Stay away from dobro G tuning (GBDGBD) for a round neck. I use the low G on my 1935 Dobro round neck, but raise the low D to E, which gives you very useful minor 7th chords with the root on the E string.

Keep in mind that the cone will be the same as they would use for a square neck, which would be tuned to dobro G tuning, and that has a ton more tension than mediums in low G, and they use a special Dobro string set that is .016 - .056. I would not worry about the cone, I might worry about the neck and plan to adjust the string height and the relief.

[roylor4]

I play my Boxcar (yeah, it's a roundneck) in Open G with 16-56's on it for about 5 years w/no issues.It'll take the mediums, no sweat. If you are playing much slide guitar, you may even want to put a higher gauge on the high E. If you are playing fingerstyle Blues without a slide I don't think you will sacrifice much tone using lights vs mediums either.

[Bob Womack]

I've got a Honey Dipper Special that I used to leave tuned to open E, and then the cone did, indeed, collapse. Thankfully the Beard cones fit as exact replacements. More about that, HERE. You can read my whole article about the Honey Dipper starting at the top of the page, HERE. Were it me, I'd probably start with a blended set, light gauge basses and medium trebles. The light gauge bottoms resist the bar well enough but the top strings are a bit flexible so that blended set would take care of that problem and probably not challenge the cone too much.


Bob