Hi Corey, 

I recently picked up 2nd hand Estralita Deluxe, can you let me know what string guages are safe to use for open E?  Also, is it good practice to tune down when not playing?

I currently have the Michael Messer Newtone .013 to .056 strings on it, but it says on the back of the packet that you should use a lighter guage string set if you frequently tune up to open A and E.  

Thanks, Ryan

Greetings Ryan and congrats on the new addition to the family. For a resonator guitar I use regular light guage strings (.12 for high E string).  I also like to use an unwound 3rd string because I find that when I use wound 3rds, they deteriorate much faster because I use finger picks on my National.  Sometimes I will also use a .32 for the D string as well because I like the sound and the feel.

 I have never tuned down when not playing.  The only time I would tune down is of course when travelling by air.  I have always used .12 guage strings and it has worked well for me.

I hope that this helps...let me know!

Thanks for the reply Corey.  

That is a good tip about the unwound 3rd string, I have been using plastic fingerpicks because I didn't like the way the metal ones felt against the 3rd string,  I think I will swap to a unwound 3rd string and go back to metal picks.

The new member of the family didn't stay with me very long, I didn't think the estralita was me and I sold it to recoup my money.  I now have a 12 fret steel triolian on it's way to me and  think this one will be a keeper.