Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

[dazzlindino]

Re: Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

thats why playing bass offers the ultimate tone...big meaty fat mother thumpin strings.....

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

thats why playing bass offers the ultimate tone...big meaty fat mother thumpin strings.....

Yeah, but only if the bass strings are tuned up to guitar pitch . . . I've also had trouble finding unwound bass strings for the B and high e.

 

[thespricket]

Re: Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

I use 9s on my tele and telegib. I use 10s on my strat because it plays so well and when I'm playing live with it I get a bit more aggressive with bends so I like the extra tension.

I agree that it doesn't make or break your tone. Way too many players with legendary tone have used lighter strings, Billy G is one of many. Jimmy Page, Zappa, Clapton, Hendrix, BB, and god knows how many more. I would love to hear a recording of one guitar with two different gauges of strings.

Having said that, I do feel that acoustics tend to sound best with heavier strings. Anything less than 12s will start to sound thin.


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[ItsaBass]

Re: Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

Yep; they're louder due to their larger size warping the magnetic field more strongly. And they also rattle less and require a different attack. They're great for some things and not so great for others. My only electric guitar for many years wore a 15 - 58 set for at least 10 of those years. Sounded great, played great, never went out of tune, and the strings lasted for years at a time. When I downsized to 12's last year, I just needed to adjust the truss rod a bit and it was fine. (This is a raw maple neck too.) Each string set has its differences, and its uses. I don't much like anything lighter than 11's myself. They feel weird to me – completely unsuitable for how I tend to play. They go out of tune, they break, they buzz, they won't intonate right, they don't last very long, etc. People who learned and played for years on extra light strings like 9's and 10's probably feel similarly awkward on heavier strings.

 

[B2D]

Re: Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

Here's my take on selecting string gauges. Get the biggest strings that you can handle comfortably without negatively affecting your tone or performance.

You'll get a better sound if you can handle the tension and the size. If you can't, you're just fighting the guitar without getting maximum return on it. I can PLAY a Strat with 12's on it, sure, but all my effort just goes into moving around and getting the strings moving and my hands get tired more easily and my sound suffers.

I like stuff a bit heavier on the bottom end than the top, a .010-.052 set for electric is just about perfect for me. I can handle 11's comfortably but I don't get a significantly better tone out of them. But anything less than a .048 on the bottom end and I feel like I just can't get a full, balanced sound.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Bigger strings leading to a bigger/more aggressive sound?

People who learned and played for years on extra light strings like 9's and 10's probably feel similarly awkward on heavier strings.

Yes, we do. We don't like to have to wrestle with strings. We like the nuances and subtleties of a more controlled approach. EVH summed it up best: 'Why make it harder than it has to be?'

For me, 9's last a long time and rarely ever break, and I bend constantly. As I recall, ItsaBass, you have a very aggressive right hand and percussive playing style, and heavy strings make sense for that.