Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

[Kam]

Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

I used .11s for years, but now I'm pretty set with .10s. I prefer .10-.52s, but they're hard to find around here unless I order online.

So, I guess going from standard .11s to hybrid .10s is kinda like going up and down at the same time.

I'll probably go up at least one guage on my two short-scales, though. I have hybrid .10s on them now and those plain strings are floppy as hell.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

I went from 10-46 to 9.5-46 because I didn't like the tension in the plain strings. Now I'm comfortable with the plain strings but the wound strings don't feel too floppy.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Jesus H Christ in a chicken basket... what the heck are your tendons made of?

Maybe it's just because I have smaller hands but I can't imagine using the kind of bridge cables some of you guys claim to prefer. .011's on up on electrics give me hand cramps if I use them for more than an hour or so but I can still PLAY them if I need to.

15's?!?! Lordy...

Going from 10's to 11's is/was barley noticable for me, and the increase in tone was a big plus, but I agree 15's.....Thats gotta hurt!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Time was, I strung all of my bass guitars with Rotosound BS66 Billy Sheehan signature strings. Some of my more recent acquisitions could not handle the tension of the .110 low E. The solution was to go down to .040-.095.

 

[sonnyblu]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Ditto... I used .011's in standard for most of my carrer... slimply can't do it anymore...
I'm sure it's from not giging almost everynight anymore... But, sometimes I do miss them...

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

ive always used 10s on all my guitars. Recently, I had a superstrat with 9s and loved the way it felt. Now Im using 10s on my short scales and 9s on my 25.5s

 

[uOpt]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

The thing bothering me about 009-042 and 009-046/48 sets is that most of them come with a 011 H string. What the heck, that's way too fluffy. 012 is what's needed.

 

[B2D]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

The thing bothering me about 009-042 and 009-046/48 sets is that most of them come with a 011 H string. What the heck, that's way too fluffy. 012 is what's needed.

Ah, I see you're using those "experimental" notes!

 

[fingerace]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

IMHO it's more of a feel thing instead of tone. Most of the times you can compensate with the amp or the guitar's tone (and volume) pots. I've always preferred a wound 3rd - I like the way it bends. It's 10s or 11s for me, but it's mostly because of feel. It does help the tone when I am going into an amp without EQ though... When I play guitars with 9s I end up over bending, or just bending the strings out of pitch with the way my sloppy hand sits of the neck.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

IMHO it's more of a feel thing instead of tone. Most of the times you can compensate with the amp or the guitar's tone (and volume) pots.

+1. I use 9's, but with a combination of PU's, magnets, pots, and amp settings, am able to get full tones. There's certainly been players getting heavy sounds from lighter strings than that.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

What I want to do is this:

• some form of light-top heavy-bottom strings (009-046 or 010-052)
• reverse headstock to get the tension "re-adjusted"

Anyone tried that?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Jesus H Christ in a chicken basket... what the heck are your tendons made of?

Maybe it's just because I have smaller hands but I can't imagine using the kind of bridge cables some of you guys claim to prefer. .011's on up on electrics give me hand cramps if I use them for more than an hour or so but I can still PLAY them if I need to.

15's?!?! Lordy...

Dick Dale uses them for surf music, because when your shredding away on a 58, you won't go out of tune, and it gives it a super heavy sound.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

I had been .9-.42 for some time then tried .8-something. What I got from that was the ability to do some stuff I was not able to play back then and once my mind was able to process it I went back to.9-.42 with a "faster playing" attitude and my learling curve improved a lot during those months. About tone, I did not care mcuh about tone back then but I remember low notes were not so "strong" with a lighter gauge. Anyway 0.9-.42 is already a ligth gauge.

 

[B2D]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

I had been .9-.42 for some time then tried .8-something. What I got from that was the ability to do some stuff I was not able to play back then and once my mind was able to process it I went back to.9-.42 with a "faster playing" attitude and my learling curve improved a lot during those months. About tone, I did not care mcuh about tone back then but I remember low notes were not so "strong" with a lighter gauge. Anyway 0.9-.42 is already a ligth gauge.

Yeah I don't know how I ever played on a .42 low E. Up until recently that was my A string.

I'm not noticing a difference in tone so much on the G through high E - it's the wound strings where I'm noticing the change. Plus I do find myself wishing I had a tone knob on my Music Man (I don't have one on that guitar) to roll off some highs, so I think I might install one the next time I have the guitar opened up.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

What I want to do is this:

• some form of light-top heavy-bottom strings (009-046 or 010-052)
• reverse headstock to get the tension "re-adjusted"

Anyone tried that?

My BC Rich Stealth runs light top heavy bottom since I bought it. It feels good.

The second string has the lowest tension while the fifth has the highest in practically every string set.

Back in the old days I used to laugh about all those "half a thousandth" string gauges, thinking it was splitting hairs.
But I've recently strung a 9,5-48 set and loved it. Slinky bends but able take a beating. Best of both worlds ime.

 

[VanR]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

**** yes, 9s is where it's at son. Might go down to 8s.

I'm with you. I've played 9's most of my life, but as I get older I've been considering 8's (which I did use for a short time in the 70's). My problem is I don't think Elixir makes an 8. Do they?

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

I'm with you. I've played 9's most of my life, but as I get older I've been considering 8's (which I did use for a short time in the 70's). My problem is I don't think Elixir makes an 8. Do they?

Nope and I actually can't think of anyone that makes a coated 8-38 set.
Your options as far as longer lasting strings go for 8s, are stainless steel and Ernie Ball Cobalts. I seem to get about 3 times the life out of those strings compared to yer olde nickel steel.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Yeah I don't know how I ever played on a .42 low E. Up until recently that was my A string.

I'm not noticing a difference in tone so much on the G through high E - it's the wound strings where I'm noticing the change. Plus I do find myself wishing I had a tone knob on my Music Man (I don't have one on that guitar) to roll off some highs, so I think I might install one the next time I have the guitar opened up.

hehehe, you will feel like not pressing a string but a fabric thread, way loose and pressing too much making notes out of tune. After you overcome that, wild wild bendings, if you have 21 fret guitar then you can reach a very high E with no fear to break the string. Enjoy!!

 

[B2D]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Tried the Music Man out with the 9-46 set in a jam sessions last night. Honestly, I'm liking this set less and less the more I play it. I felt like my tone just wasn't happening and I didn't have any weight in the sound, and that's a light, somewhat bright sounding guitar so it needs all the help i can get in that area. Maybe it will work better with the Eclipse but there's even less tension in that set because of the shorter scale.

The thing with D'addarios that I've long recognized is that they're always a little on the stiff side with the gauges. That's their one downside to me. An Ernie Ball 10-46 set feels like a 9-ga D'addario set, but I can't stand the tone of EB's. I've got an assortment of strings, from GHS to Dunlop Heavy Core, to Cleartone, even a Tomastik set. I'll try 'em all and take notes on each and see what sticks. Every time I make a go-around on string brands, I always come back to D'addario, though. We'll see what happens.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Anyone ever switch down a string gauge?

Tried the Music Man out with the 9-46 set in a jam sessions last night. Honestly, I'm liking this set less and less the more I play it. I felt like my tone just wasn't happening and I didn't have any weight in the sound, and that's a light, somewhat bright sounding guitar so it needs all the help i can get in that area. Maybe it will work better with the Eclipse but there's even less tension in that set because of the shorter scale.

The thing with D'addarios that I've long recognized is that they're always a little on the stiff side with the gauges. That's their one downside to me. An Ernie Ball 10-46 set feels like a 9-ga D'addario set, but I can't stand the tone of EB's. I've got an assortment of strings, from GHS to Dunlop Heavy Core, to Cleartone, even a Tomastik set. I'll try 'em all and take notes on each and see what sticks. Every time I make a go-around on string brands, I always come back to D'addario, though. We'll see what happens.

Give the heavycores a chance. I have a feeling you'll like them.