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What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

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  • #31
    Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

    Originally posted by NecroPolo View Post
    Less arthritic hand pain for me, maybe?
    That's also a consideration for me.

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    • #32
      Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

      Originally posted by ArtieToo View Post
      That's also a consideration for me.
      Sorry to hear that, mate. It's a curse for us.

      I noticed that after heavy string sessions my hands go concete rigid vulture claw formation the next morning. Light gauge strings, low action and in general an emphasis of making it as effortless as possible seems to keep it under control.
      Wackor
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      NecroPolo
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      • #33
        Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

        Mine is still in a very early stage. I just get some joint pain if I play very long. Hasn't taken the joy out of it yet though.

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        • #34
          Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

          As an awful guitar player, I have a heavy right hand and play bass with a pick more often than not. Lighter strings will often give me an out of tune initial attack because the string will give more before snapping back into position.

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          • #35
            Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

            Originally posted by ArtieToo View Post
            Mine is still in a very early stage. I just get some joint pain if I play very long. Hasn't taken the joy out of it yet though.
            Hopefully it will remain manageable like mine. This and me, we've been together, I don't know, for 20+ years? Coordination and movement are not blocked at all, hand just needs a proper warm-up and I just should not let fingers freeze as that can cast me out of the biz for a while. The only issue is the pain but that is absolutely bearable.

            Take my best wishes to the health of your fretting clockwork!
            Last edited by NecroPolo; 05-23-2019, 08:45 AM.
            Wackor
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            NecroPolo
            Diabolus in Musica
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            • #36
              Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

              Thanks NP. What kind of warm-up exercise do you do?

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              • #37
                Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                It is not an everyday issue, it comes and goes in phases due to straining, weather changes, mental fatigue, other diseases or seemingly random. As the rigidness occurs only after sleeping (on the fretting hand only, when it doesn't move for hours), I open the day with a warm (not too hot) shower. With my non-fretting hand I fold and stretch backwards all the fingers of my relaxed fretting hand slowly under the water stream. If I move the fretting hand by itself when it is stoned it can be pretty painful. That's why I first massage / stretch it a little with the other hand first. Then I engage the stoned hand muscles and do it all over again, by itself. I finish with stretching the wrists (straight elbow) gently then move the fingers as if I did a 1234-1234 picking excercise on a ghost neck. If the pain is still there it means something remained slightly misplaced so I skip bending a string for a day or two and play the most effortless guitar I have at the moment. Eating fish and stuff containing vegetable oil help a little as far as I've observed. Also, keeping the fingers on the move without any straining.
                Last edited by NecroPolo; 05-23-2019, 12:31 PM.
                Wackor
                Ørdøg
                NecroPolo
                Diabolus in Musica
                SIDrip Alliance
                Book of Shadows
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                • #38
                  Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                  Cool. I like fish.

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                  • #39
                    Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                    Originally posted by ArtieToo View Post
                    Cool. I like fish.
                    Fish like me more than I like them but duty calls
                    Wackor
                    Ørdøg
                    NecroPolo
                    Diabolus in Musica
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                    • #40
                      Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                      Since I've move "down south", I've learned to love Catfish. And grits, and greens. Good stuff.

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                      • #41
                        Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                        My dad is a retired master chéf and he can make some incredible dishes of catfish. My only problem is that I had a big fishbone stuck in my throat when I was a little kid (needed a doc to remove it) and whenever I feel a pointy fishbone durin eating I have a panick attack. It is very stupid as those dishes are good and they have a good effect. I must eat it very slowly.

                        On the thread: light bass strings make you eat more good fish-dish.
                        Last edited by NecroPolo; 05-25-2019, 08:56 AM.
                        Wackor
                        Ørdøg
                        NecroPolo
                        Diabolus in Musica
                        SIDrip Alliance
                        Book of Shadows
                        RKH

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                        • #42
                          Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                          That would scare me too. For that reason, I always eat fish slowly and carefully. Btw, I like fresh caught bass too. Preferably, not stringy.

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                          • #43
                            Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                            Not sure if ya'll are baiting me into posting graphs from my spectral analyser.

                            Short answer is YES there is a difference in amplitude, tone, and tactile response (bounce back) while playing -especially if you play a very hammer on/off rhythmic style.

                            BUT -no one except in a studio environment will notice the tone differences (if they notice it there at all and notice that I didn't say the larger string tone was objectively better either), and the slight amplitude difference can big mitigated by gain structure and pickup style.

                            SO in my very experienced opinion -select bass string gauge only on
                            1) bass playing style,
                            2) bass type and scale,
                            3) and most important how it feels to your playing including your hand and finger size and strength..

                            and don't worry about anything else....
                            Last edited by NegativeEase; 05-31-2019, 01:32 PM.
                            “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

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                            • #44
                              Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                              Thanks. That's probably sound advice. (No pun intended.) I've come to figure out that most everything we do, as it pertains to our equipment, is for us. The audience only cares about what, and how, we play.

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                              • #45
                                Re: What's the tonal impact of smaller gauge strings?

                                I’ve used 45-100 and 45-105. The different tensions between the different brands seems to make the .005” pretty negligible.

                                If you like easier to play strings, Dunlop Super Brights and SIT Foundations are both pretty low tension.
                                “I can play the hell out of a riff. The rest of it’s all bulls**t anyway,” Gary Holt

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