heavy gauge strings

N

Nathan

New member
i just switched strings to some really heavy gauge ones. these are great for when im tunning down a full step and putting my low E down to a C, however, when i have it in standard, there seems to be so much tension on these that theyre pulling super hard on my bridge, pulling it right up as far as it can go. is this a really bad thing? should i be fixing this? if yes, how? is there any other setup stuff i should be changing on my guitar when switching from light gauge to heavy gauge strings. (the guitar was setup by a guitar tech for light gauge strings originally). thanks for any help
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

it's a tremolo bridge, im not sure what gauge the strings are because i threw out the package, i just know theyre ernie balls and i remember them saying "excellent for detuning" in a little star on the package.
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

not that it matters too much but do you remeber what color the package was...pretty much all EB strings have a different color so if you find the package color you can find out the gauge.

-Mike
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

Ok, they're either Beefy Slinkys 11-54 (yellow pack) or Not Even Slinkys 12-56 (blue pack). In a nutshell, the springs in the back of the guitar need tightened. That will pull the bridge back into place. On top of that, the action will need adjusting (probably raised a bit), and the truss rod will need tweaking. Oh yeah, the intonation will need reset.

Most of this stuff is pretty easy, but if you don't know where to begin, take it to your tech and ask him to let you watch.
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

Just screw down the claw where the springs connect from the bridge on the back. There should be 2 large screws, just screw those in till the bridge is as close as you like to the body. Then youll need intonation and truss rod adjustments also.
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

or pull a good old fashioned 5 spring down to the body' setup! Kiss your tremolo woes goodbye!
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

Sorry guys, I'm an embarassment to all you home techs, but I'm too scared to mess with my own truss rod/bridge. Anyone know how much it will cost for a a setup w/ .11s? I want them to tighten the bridge down/add 2 more springs and set it up for 11's, any estimates?
 
Re: heavy gauge strings

20 -30 bucks in most places. And most techs will gladly show and explain what they´re doing as they do it ;)
 
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