Another reason to consider heavier strings

[elicross]

...winding an .009 on a vintage-style split-shaft tuner is an exercise in frustration.

[Kap'n]

...winding an .009 on a vintage-style split-shaft tuner is an exercise in frustration.

It's not that bad. Try stringing a bigsby. That's when you discover body parts like your forearm come in handy.

But I use 0.010's anyway.

[Don]

I use .010s (though have no trouble with .009s) and double wrap the high E because it slips on one of my guitars.

That is, I poke the string down the hole, bend it through the slot, then do half a wrap and pass through the slot again.

[stratcat55]

It's not that bad. Try stringing a bigsby. That's when you discover body parts like your forearm come in handy.

But I use 0.010's anyway.

Bigsby's are a bitch. You've got that post for the ball end and the wrap around thing. You almost need 3 hands. The split-shaft never gave me a problem. I just take the string to the next post bend it cut it and it's a done deal. I've been doing it for so long it's second nature.

[Offshore Angler]

Same as Stratcat55. I've been putting .009's on split shafts since maybe before you were born.

I think Kap'n or somebody taught me the trick of pre-bending the strings around a pen before installing on the Bigsby. That makes life a bunch easier.

[elicross]

I've been putting .009's on split shafts since maybe before you were born.

Okay then!

[Kap'n]

I think Kap'n or somebody taught me the trick of pre-bending the strings around a pen before installing on the Bigsby. That makes life a bunch easier.

In a pinch, you can do it with your hand.

Once you get the ball on there, you have to pull it taught, and use your right forearm to tack it into place, while you use your hands to pull the string through the tuner. I suppose you could use a capo, too. Locking tuners help a lot.

[Victorilux]

9's!!

I felt like a pussy asking for 10's for one of my guitars!!

Its back to 11's now though..

[elicross]

I've never let my string gauge determine my sense of masculinity. Does a heavier gauge bring the ladies running?

[Don]

I've never let my string gauge determine my sense of masculinity.

[Sage]

I've never let my string gauge determine my sense of masculinity. Does a heavier gauge bring the ladies running?

Yeah, well, they say size doesn't matter but you know they're just saying that to make you feel better.

[Victorilux]

Yeah, well, they say size doesn't matter but you know they're just saying that to make you feel better.

Ya beat me to it!



Its not about size, its about sound. 9's and 10's just sound too thin to my ears with my gear....but SRV is about as "country" as I get....

[elicross]

Its not about size, its about sound.

I see. So when you said you "felt like a pussy" asking for .010s on your guitar...you were expressing a fear that your guitar would sound like a vagina?

I think if you're honestly, sincerely going for heavier gauges because you honestly, sincerely think they sound better on your guitar with the way you play, that's great. But if you're going for heavier gauges because somebody on the Internet or in a magazine made you feel like you'd be less of a man if you didn't...well, that would be sad for you.

[Plugger]

I think I read a long time ago that Jimmy Page was using .008s in his Zeppelin days. Now _there_ was a thin, weedy sound!

-Mark

[elicross]

Yeah, if he'd had heavier strings, that Jimmy Page guy could've really been famous!

[marT]

I have never heard a great deal of difference between strings. I mean I wouldn't pickup an album and go "man he would be using 12's". I use 10's and 9's and they sound as fat as ever.

[Don]

Play with the strings you're comfortable with. Tendonitis hurts. There are tons of players that use/used 10's or lighter: Clapner, Page, Gibbons, Hendrix, Beck, Jimmy Wilsey, Refin, Gravity Jim, fezz parka. I know for sure that the last four are not pussies. In fact they're pretty baddass. Get over this SRV crap about heavy strings. It's a bunch of macho horseshit.

[hudpucker]

Play with the strings you're comfortable with. Tendonitis hurts. There are tons of players that use/used 10's or lighter: Clapner, Page, Gibbons, Hendrix, Beck, Jimmy Wilsey, Refin, Gravity Jim, fezz parka. I know for sure that the last four are not pussies. In fact they're pretty baddass. Get over this SRV crap about heavy strings. It's a bunch of macho horseshit.

+2

[elicross]

Play with the strings you're comfortable with. Tendonitis hurts. There are tons of players that use/used 10's or lighter: Clapner, Page, Gibbons, Hendrix, Beck, Jimmy Wilsey, Refin, Gravity Jim, fezz parka. I know for sure that the last four are not pussies. In fact they're pretty baddass. Get over this SRV crap about heavy strings. It's a bunch of macho horseshit.

+1

I think people forget that one of the main reasons SRV used heavier strings is that he was tuning his guitar lower than standard -- not because heavier strings magically take you to a higher level of musicianship.

[stratcat55]

Fezz I went down the heavy string gauge road before. I played 11's. I was doing the Philly club scene playing all kinds of gigs every week. I was actually making a decent living back then playing music. After a while, the strings started giving me joint and tendon problems with my left hand. No, it's not fun, and it hurt my ability to play as well and as long as I wanted to. Now I'm down to 10's on some of my guitars 9's on others. I might be a pussy and a geezer pussy at that, but at least I can still play. I plan on playing till I'm wearing a dirt shirt. Guy's, choose your string gauge wisely.

[Joobsauce]

I'm using 11's on my strat right now, just because I'm tuned to Eb and it really fattens up my bottom end and thats what my single coils need at the moment. On my cheap stagg guitar with singles tuned to E I use 10's, and on my new les paul clone I'm using 10's right now tuned to D, but what I really need is 11's or 12's on that, the 10's are feeling ok, but just a slight bit flimsy. oh well.

11's are fine for me, and on my acoustic, 12's and 13's are great. be a man.

[NeoFauve]

SRV did plenty of other things I wouldn't even consider, not even counting his fashion sense.

Could be the jumper cable guitar strings were compensating for the kimono.

[stratcat55]

You can buy or make your own custom sets. Lighter on top, heavier on the bottom. I find more of a beefier tonal change from the d to low e than from high e to g. I do find a significant change from a wound to unwound g though. Still not worth wrecking my hands over. I still enjoy playing out even though I don't rely on it for a living anymore.

[curt1lp]

I have 8s on my Les Paul. Feels funny to start, tend to overbend, after a while you don't even notice the difference to heavier strings. For digital amp modelling you don't want high output as the distortion limit is unforgiving. I often play with the volume knob turned to 5 for this reason when doing digital amp modelling (for jamzone type stuff.)

[honkytonks]

One of the elder players I talk to said that he liked to practice with 9's and then gig with 10's.

His logic was that with the stage adrenalin kicking most guys tend to overbend playing live at least for the first bit.

I do get the benefits of heavy strings, although the tonal differences between gauges are probably less apparent these days than they used to be. And there is a certain visual appeal to a guy wringing notes out of a guitar and looking like he's fighting with it to do so.

My mentor, (Grammy winner, platinum seller ,world class guitarist, yadda yadda), plays a custom set of 8's with
such easy action that I could hardly make a standard chord on his guitar without bending it out of pitch. That's when finally got how he makes his playing look so effortless. Plus after you've played a few thousand shows, I guess you lose the need to prove anything by your string gauges.

To each his own, but because of him, myself I'd rather pursue true pitch, good tone and a light touch than feats of finger strength.

[yankeerob]

Well I use DeAddario 52-11's on my Strat - not to be macho - not to emulate SRV - but because it stays in tune. I've also ditched the string trees (it's r/handed strung left), put a little pencil lead (graphite) on the nut grooves, stuff a little foam under the strings between the nut and tuning pegs to stop 'em ringing (discovered that on a recording session - engineer kept saying 'what's that noise' that kept occuring after a staccato note or chord - turns out there was a little sympathetic vibration going on between the nut and said tuners) and use all five springs - bridge level with body so there's up and down pitch change. I give 'em all a good tug after tuning up to pitch & retune - after that it pretty much stays in. I should mention that I ditched the stock USA Std bridge for a Wilkinson fulcrum type, use Sperzel locking tuners and I don't really whang around on it too much - just nice quarter tone vibrato mainly. I use 49-11's on the Tele - again with Sperzels.

I find they last longer too and I don't suffer from string pull even though I adjust my pup's a bit higher than normal - especially the neck - give's 'em a bit more bite. But that just suits me and my playing style - I use the neck pup about 75% of the time, especially for solos. Having said that I broke a string (high E) for the first time that I can remember on Sunday night.

I've never thought of it as a macho exercise - I've always done a lot of physical work for a living (apart from when I was actually making a living with a guitar - doesn't mix with having a ) so I guess I'm lucky enough to have been blessed with a coupla very strong hands but at the end of the day the tone difference is very slight - it was a lot less than I expected. I do find it odd when I try guitars in shops with light strings though - and after years of buying and selling the damned things I've discovered that I just don't like a guitar that's too easy to play - maybe when I get a bit older it might become a necessity if my luck runs out and I develop a condition that precludes me from using a heavier set/higher action - but til then I'm happy with what I'm using and I suppose that's the bottom line for anyone

[fitlikemun]

yeah, at the moment i am using 11 to 52 and i have found tuning stability and my tone has improved. i havent founf the tension to be too bad on my hands.

[Offshore Angler]

If the amp is cooking, it doesn't matter at all what guage your strings are. It'll sound great. If your hands are hurting, it's no fun. Play 11' s on a 25.5" scale at standard tuning long enough and you'll end up with problems.

[yankeerob]

If the amp is cooking, it doesn't matter at all what guage your strings are. It'll sound great. If your hands are hurting, it's no fun. Play 11' s on a 25.5" scale at standard tuning long enough and you'll end up with problems.

Amen to the amp thing - and yer they're pretty stiff but I 'spose it's also to do with what yer playin' - high speed chickin pickin's gonna be tough but I do a lot of rhythm work and am a bit of a slow hand lead merchant so it's OK for the mo' - it's not a lot different to my acoustic which has good ole mediums on it - and my hands get a lot of exercise as I use 'em all day long at work (wiring stuff) - let's face it - it's really personal preference which is usually more psychological than anything

[Joobsauce]

this thread wont die!!!!!!!!

Anyways, I'm using 11's (11-52 d'addarios) on my strat because I break anything thats lighter and it gives a good bottom end to my guitar, and I can't be happier. With time my finger callous' built up and I can't tell a difference anymore, I'm happy.

Having big hands helps too. :-P

[Fripperton]

I can bend steel with my bare hands especially if it's .09". I usually use 9s on strats/teles and 10s on Gibson scales. I do prefer the sets with heavier wound strings like a 9-46 instead of a 9-42 just becase they tend to stay in tune better if I get aggressive but I have a light touch most of the time. Some guitars just need heavier strings. My old Jazzmaster needs at least 11s or the tension is wrong and the strings move around on the bridge. I'm comfortable with any gauge if the action is low enough.

[bonso]

Hi to all, well.. in my opinion, heavy gauge+tuned lower than standard will affect tone. it sound a little heavy which to me is better.i tried 9's on strat before and it really cuts in the band. but too thin sounding for me. i have 3 strats 2 with 10's and 1 with 11's

[Yardbird Mac]

I have fairly weak hands so it's .09s on my MIM Strat and G & L Comanche, 10s on my Les Pauls. 10s on the Les Pauls feel like .09s on the longer scale guitars. I had 10s on the G & L, but .09s actually sound better (not as "boomy"), more smooth & "fluid" sounding!I remember reading an interview with Tommy Bolin not long before he died. He said he used .08s and would use .07s if they made 'em.

[yankeerob]

I can't believe this thread's still going!!! All it's made me do is get paranoid about tendonitis because I use heavier strings Seriously though - the notion that it gives you 'more tone' is bollocks as most of the 'veteran contributors' have said - I like the stability it gives you though - I'm a bit prone to big open root position cords when I can get away with it and you can hit 'em without worrying about breaking strings and even when they're starting to get near that 'they need changing' stage you'll get more out of 'em then you would a lighter set - when a light set starts going home those overtones start kicking in... I suppose after all this time the thing I hate the most is being outta tune or producing those horrible overtones - I have noticed that it's likely that the guys who favor lighter strings are probably more finesse merchants (nothing wrong with that) whereas those who may be prone to a more agressive style might benefit from something a bit more substancial - I like the option of both so I accept the fact that I have to 'work out' if I want to do a bit of finessing with a heavier set... Oh yeah - it does help if you've got a pair of shovels on the end of your arms

[f1rocco]

Heavy strings.......

I didnt give it much thought until going to see Dick Dale this year.......Id like to try the cables he uses one day...He made a few comments about light guage strings.....The old man scarred me.......

Im still searching for a combo of strings I like in most of my gats....My MIM 50s....I tried 9z and it was a tad too bright all around for me fir a strat....The new strings also had the same 3 high string outta tune slip thing working....My bad stringin of course never had the vintage before....

Just put a set of Ernie Ball Powerz on my crap strat...11/14/18p/28/28/48 .. Havent played them much...Just got home from work...But right from the start the 18/28/38/48 combo sound real nice..I used my MIM 50s pups with them.......

[Victorilux]

I've never let my string gauge determine my sense of masculinity. Does a heavier gauge bring the ladies running?

Not in guitar strings anyway....

I still think that 11's sound better, maybe it's just that they feel better and that's what I'm used to. When changing strings theres also the old to new factor to consider.

Fender strats are usually bright enough...puttin 9's on em is overkill on the treble end of buisness for me.

[Don]

I love .010" strings. They're just right for me.

I had recently switched down to .009"s after a lifetime of .010"s when I bought my Les Paul. It had .010"s on it.

Now, I don't normally subscribe to the bigger is better theory, but, when I put .009"s on it, the guitar just didn't sound as good, so I put .010"s on all my guitars and adjusted.

If going back to .010"s had been a problem, I would've stayed with .009"s and it would've been fine.


Now that I've been dealing with minor arthritis I'm starting to consider .009"s again...

Oh, and don't worry about me, I won't feel like a pussy asking for them.

[yankeerob]

I once played with a guy who had a cheapo (I mean really crap - I think it was a Kay) strat copy with a Gibbo HB (you know the ones that had the logo stamped in the PU cover) in the middle position which he used almost exclusively or in combo with either cheapo PU neck and bridge - an ancient AC30 TB (the ones that had the little speakers in front of the 12" and a chrome knob on the back to adjust) and he had like a 38-8 set - a mean stupid light and he only ever changed 'em when they broke - but I'll be damned if he didn't get a mental sound out of that rig - the point I'm tryin' to make is - it doesn't mean a damned thing what you're using - it's what you get out of it that counts...