Any steel-string slack key players here?

So I finally got around to getting a decent guitar with intention of learning slackkey...I've been toying with slack key for the last few years, but never really went to far with it because I kept buying crappy (sub-$150) guitars...anyways action and intonation issues aside, I've finally gotten a decent guitar.

I'm using light gauge steel strings right now, and switching back and forth between taropatch, Keola's C, and double-slack tuning...this is causing my 1st string to break REALLY quickly (less than a week). I have a bunch of different strings (in different gauges) on the way (in the mail), but before they get here I thought I'd see what gauges of steel everybody else is using.

Eventually, I'm sure I'll settle on a favorite tuning and the premature wear and tear won't be as much of an issue...but its still good information to know until then...

Mahalo!

I took slack key lessons for a couple years and played mainly on a nylon string classical. I play every now and then on my steel string acoustic, but I must say I prefer the sound on nylon string classical. I've played wtih elixer strings, which is really nice, probably the closest sound you can get to a classical. But The strings can't really handle tuning back and forth between wahine tuning and standard tuning. They break quickly (usually the G string for me).

the only reason I chose steel over nylon this time was nylon's "memory." I'm actually using Elixir lights right now and yea, they don't like the tuning back and forth...but, I have quite a few sets of strings (different makes and different gauges) on the way...so I'll see if I get lucky..haha

Thanks for the reply, btw!