What are the electrical changes when string gague is increased?

[zionstrat]

Great video comparing string gauge with as few variables as possible.

It's funny that you posted this vid. I actually emailed Rick to talk about the following and he was kind enough to respond.

Bottom line, is I think his experiment was interesting but had a major design flaw. The musicians that tried to get tone from heavy strings are musicians who traditionally play lighter strings.

As a result, hey don't have the experience of playing harder and taking advantage of the timbre that comes with heavier strings.

If you really wanted to do this experiment correctly, you would need musicians who play heavier strings. To get a real apples to apples comparison, you could create a couple of riffs and cord patterns and get a musician who plays 12s and one who plays 11's and one who plays tens and one who plays nines and one who plays eights to record those segments to the best of their ability.

Of course it would be a challenge to get all of those people together to play with the same rig under the same circumstances... plus individual guitars and the whole chain are such a personal thing that everybody would probably feel a little out of their element.

On the other hand, from a physics perspective we should see taller way forms with the 12s, right?

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[chadd]

Great video comparing string gauge with as few variables as possible.

[Top-L]

Yep, this sounds pretty much like it. In more immediate terms, the change in harmonic content means that the bass is going to be stronger but the top end less alive. To me this is not an improvement, at least not in a rock context.

EVH used 9s, and he has some of the most vaunted rock tones in history. That should be the end of the argument right there for rock players.

[Sirion]

My experience is that there is more fundamental tone, but harmonics are relatively less.

For high gain soloing, lighter strings sound more alive, they have more air, more presence.

The output of heavier strings will be higher, but ime the tone is less desirable.

Yep, this sounds pretty much like it. In more immediate terms, the change in harmonic content means that the bass is going to be stronger but the top end less alive. To me this is not an improvement, at least not in a rock context.

[Top-L]

My experience is that there is more fundamental tone, but harmonics are relatively less.

For high gain soloing, lighter strings sound more alive, they have more air, more presence.

The output of heavier strings will be higher, but ime the tone is less desirable.

[dave74]

Larger size but with near equal tension doesn't result in much change of tone, sustain, ect,. (like E with 9-42 vs Eb with 9.5-44)
Increased tension with the same size strings (like E vs D tuning with the same 10-46 set) makes for more of a change in the factors.
IMO

[JMP/HBE]

More mass, more sustain, more signal, more tone, simple physics.

[ItsaBass]

Simply put, more output, and everything that it causes:

More compression.

Less clarity/articulation.

Less dynamic range at a given amp setting.

Again...at a given amp setting. Make adjustments, and you're equalized again.

I play thick strings because they feel right to me. Tone, I can make identical from set to set, as long as the amp has good controls.

[zionstrat]

My understanding is that voltage is induced in a pickup when a steel string is plucked and the vibrations of the string interacts with the pickup's magnetic field. Then voltage is induced.

I picture a thicker set of steel strings interacting more strongly with that magnetic field than a lighter gauge of strings.

Something like that.

Thanks Lew... Sounds like we're in the same ball park...I had searched for a more electrical description, but most threads i have found pretty much say what we have said.

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[Lewguitar]

My understanding is that voltage is induced in a pickup when a steel string is plucked and the vibrations of the string interacts with the pickup's magnetic field. Then voltage is induced.

I picture a thicker set of steel strings interacting more strongly with that magnetic field than a lighter gauge of strings.

Something like that.

[zionstrat]

Increasing string gague by 1 or 2 levels has given many of my clients a significantly thicker/more articulate tone (if you are an unbeliever in this effect, please do not respond.

The physics side seems pretty simple... Increased gague increases mass, which means you have to hit the strings harder... This increases the signal and provides a broader dynamic range, which can provide a wider range of tones driving the amp. There's more physical resistance, so you have more
variation for tremelo, etc.

However, I don't know anything about the electrical side. I'm assuming increased voltage drives the amp harder? What about induction and dca... Is there measurable change?

As always, thanks for any and all input.

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