String buzz

[emba]

I recently changed the strings on my Ohana concert to Aquila Reds. While I was at it, I changed it to low G. Because I like to have options and was afraid I wouldn’t like it as a low G , I bought a complete reentrant set and a separate low G string.

I followed the instructions carefully, but still three days later my A string spontaneously snapped in the night. I saved the old strings, and was about to replace it with the old A string ( whatever stock string Ohana uses) when I realized I had the Red re-entrant G string. I like things to match, so I strung it up in place of the A string. They seemed so close in diameter I hoped it would work.

I’ve been slowly bringing it up to tune for a couple of days, hoping to avoid snapping it. I love the sound of the Reds but won’t be using them again I think. This is for the birds. Anyway, I finally get it up to tune with the string on top of the nut, as the video shows. It sounds fine. I slide it over into the notch, and now it has a high pitched buzz-whine when played open that I can’t stand. If I play a chord that frets the string, it sounds fine.

Does anyone have any idea what is causing this and how it can be fixed? Is it just that G strings are not meant to be used as A strings?

 

[merlin666]

Were the Ohana stock strings of similar diameter? If they were much thinner then the nut slots might be too narrow which can cause both a buzz and string breakage. Some dressing of the nut might help.

 

[emba]

Were the Ohana stock strings of similar diameter? If they were much thinner then the nut slots might be too narrow which can cause both a buzz and string breakage. Some dressing of the nut might help.

If they were very different I didn’t notice, and since now one set is under tension and one isn’t I don’t know if I can really say for sure. Are special tools needed to dress the nut slots?