Big Strings = Big Sound

[michael saulnier]

Thor,

 

Jeff Beck is another "big string" convert. In a recent Guitar Player interview, he said Jimi Hendrix laughed at him for playing with "rubber bands"... he tried heavier strings and never went back...

 

Your comment about your female student rang true... you get used to what you play regularly. I play 10's or 11's depending on which guitar and how much I'm playing, and when I grab a guitar store guitar I get that rubber band vibe. I also notice that most of the guitars in my local supersore are tuned down to Eb or lower... adding to the "slinky" feel. I wonder if it's all to make the kids think the guitars are "easy to play"?

 

I have to admit, it may be a little tricky to immediately jump from 8's to 13's or something... I went out to see a friend play recently, and he had 13's on his strat. I went up to play a number on his guitar... and well... I could feel my hand and wrist tighten up after only one song... I don't know if I would have easily survived a whole show without some buildup... Maybe a few weeks wailing on my Taylor acoustic would build those digits up... not to mention the calluses.

 

guitplayer

[lrbreez]

<<< lrbreez, Huh? have you ever heard Texas Flood? >>>

 

SRV tuned down to e flat that gets close to rubber bands. Albert King tuned down even further.

Buddy

[bootyquake]

Buddy Guy played 8s, Stevie Ray played 13's, and jazz burner Pat Martino plays 15s or something crazy. And they all are killer players.

 

I play a lot of jazz with a clean tone, so I've permanently converted to 11 gauge tape wound strings. I used to hate flats until I heard how much juicy resonance they gave solid body guitars, then I was hooked.

 

As far as string size is concerned, the bigger strings are essentially to getting punch. However, I play Thomastik-Infeld Swing series, and those are much lower tension than other sets of 11s. I put on D'addario 11s and my neck nearly snapped off (plus they sounded like trash). Thomastiks cost 2 or 3 times the cheaper brands, put the improvement is so noticeable that I'm never going back. It's a great way to try heavier strings.

[caiv]

I used to play with 13's my third was a unwounded 24 and my six was a 54. i loved it but i tent to use my pinky for bending as well as my other fingers. those strings made the skin in my pinky to split open and bleed more than i could endure, and i had a big nasty set of 5 calliuses(sp??), one in each finger. i still have a photocopy of my hand in those days. and you can see 4 diferent cuts going horizontaly from below the nail to the middle of the finger. so i sterted playing trying not to hit one off the cuts with the strings. but once in a wile i would have that string on a cut during a over-holestep bend (my favorites)and the string all of the suden would turn red. oouucchh. needless to say i swich to 10s and life is more fun. and i do feel those string been to rubbery but hey is that or pain!!

[BUSH IS GOD]

So, vat's ze matter with pain? ARE YOU CRRYINK? Personally, I like to haff mein hands schredded like ze taco cheese. I haff vorn mein fingers down to ze first knuckle, no more finger above ze knuckle, but do I CRRY? NEIN! I'm vearing zem down to ze second knuckle!

[Pappy P]

I'm partial to 10s myself.

 

Anybody here like heavier strings?

[Bluesape]

Another thread from before 9/11!

 

I'm a super light user, Paps.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I don't buy that heavier-gauge strings are necessarily better than lighter-gauge strings all across the board, for anyone and everything.

 

The stiffer they are, depending on the given tuning, gauge, and scale-length, the less "twang" and vowelly inflection you'll get. Eddie Van Halen leads 'n' licks don't sound right to me- or at least, like EVH- on anything heavier than "tens", "nines" being better yet for that sound.

 

Likewise, you lose some "twang" if the string-tension is too high.

 

That being said, personally, I generally prefer heavier strings.

 

Les Paul, most 24.75" scale-lenght axes, standard-tuning/standard A-440 pitch: .011" through .050", plain 3rd/"G"-string.

 

Les Paul, Open-D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D, low-to-high): (starting with 1st/"High-D") .012", .015", .024" (wound), .028", .038", .052" ... (I'd go with a .022" 3rd/"F#" if DR would make a "Pure Blues" solid nickel-wrap round-core string in that gauge.)

 

Strat, Tele, other 25.5" scale-length guitars, standard-tuned/standard-pitch: either "elevens" or "tens", depending on the particular axe and its intended deployment.

 

Acoustic flat-top, standard-tuned/standard-pitch? Roundwound "fourteens" or "thirteens", never "twelves" or any "electric" gauges!

 

Jazzy guitars, including "arched-tops"? Any of the above gauges, maybe flatwounds, depends...

[Ricardo.]

I don't think I contributed last time this thread was up. I like using 10s because it feels like I'm really pushing distortion. That is to say, stroking some 8s or 9s doesn't feel right (nor does fretting them). Think of them as 'weighted keys' on piano; it doesn't feel right playing those plastic-spring electric piano keys

[Caevan O’Shite]

Originally posted by Starcaster:

I don't think I contributed last time this thread was up. I like using 10s because it feels like I'm really pushing distortion. That is to say, stroking some 8s or 9s doesn't feel right (nor does fretting them). Think of them as 'weighted keys' on piano; it doesn't feel right playing those plastic-spring electric piano keys

Yeah, the "feel", and the response, is a large part of why I prefer the medium/heavy gauges...

[BadLife]

I tried 14s once for a while and keep ripping the ends off my fingers. Also I was afraid the neck would warp. I use 9s now, after all just plug into a bigger amp if you need more sound. But thats just me.

[Gifthorse]

I used to use .012 to .056 or something.

 

Anyways, I did think the higher strings had better tone but the lower strings sounded muddy with distortion compared to a lesser gauge.

 

It seemed to have too much low end. Don't want to compete with the bassist at all.

 

I ended up switching to 010 again. Easier to play and they still sound huge. EVH used 009 with a thin pick. I just don't know anything..

[Greg B.]

10-52 light top, heavy bottom. These seem to me to help out my Strat & Tele on the bottom end with a somewhat fuller bass response. I've gotten so used to them that when I play something with 9's on them, if feels kinda weird.

[Fumblyfingers]

I have been using GHS Boomers .011-.050 and a 1.2 mm pick for years now and am so used to this setup that it feels light to me.

 

While I like heavier strings, I do think light strings have definite advantages in some cases.I just can't play 'em light anymore.....wish I could.

[baronedo]

Check out webstrings.com They have sets of 12s and also a way to contact them to ask about the makeup of the sets (i.e. wound or unwound G string)

[Trucks]

I bought some heavy GHS boomers the other day, so pretty sure they are still in production But for my main electric I prefer Dean Markley Blue Steel Light top heavy bottoms... best of both worlds

[Trucks]

Oh and they have an unwound G

[Eric Iverson]

RE: Pat Martino... on his instructional video he said he played with an .015 for his E string, with high action, and he doesn't tune down. Furthermore, he used to play a 12-string (actually 11 strings) with the strings in unison.

And he says, "it's just a state of mind." Not to most people!

 

Heavy strings are fine, but "the heavier the better" isn't necessarily the case.. what's best for YOU and what you want to do? And remember, some of the guys using heavy strings do tune down! SRV did if I remember correctly, and Hendrix.