Heavy strings and why?

[alex1fly]

TLDR: who’s using heavy strings and what advantages to they bring to your playing?



I’ve been experimenting over the last several months with heavier strings on a couple of my guitars. It’s been fun to have a different feeling under my fingers than the .10s I’ve been using for years. But they are much less zingy and slow me down considerably. So I’m just think through whether to keep them, switch them to another guitar, etc and thought I’d see what other folks are using heavy strings for!

 

[UnderTheFlame83]

After much experiments through the years I have found my perfect gauge and that is 10-48. I think I first started using that gauge back in 2014 on a Gibson SG. Since then I pretty much have that on all my guitars, but three. I like the tension and the feel of them. I can tune down to drop C if I desire and it doesn't get all floppy. As for heavier gauges I use 10-52 and 10-59 on a 7. I have tried other gauges like 11s and 12s, but my high E will probably always be a 10 on electric. And all my Floyd Rose guitars have 9-42. That's the only time I use 9s. Acoustic I like 12-53.

 

[Artie]

I'm curious about this question also. Awhile back, I bought some Thomastik-Infeld 12 - 50's "Jazz / Swing" strings. Still not sure what to put them on. LP scale? Fender scale?

 

[alex1fly]

I'm curious about this question also. Awhile back, I bought some Thomastik-Infeld 12 - 50's "Jazz / Swing" strings. Still not sure what to put them on. LP scale? Fender scale?

I put those same strings on a warm and woody SG and it was old school jazz central. But again, it was more of a "this is novel and different!" experience and took away from the way I normally play.

 

[Artie]

I put those same strings on a warm and woody SG and it was old school jazz central. But again, it was more of a "this is novel and different!" experience and took away from the way I normally play.

My "normal" playing is basic pentatonic wanking to a backing track, with deep string bends, in lieu of a vibrato. I think the 12's might suit my style well. Just gotta install them on something.

But I'd still love to hear how others use them.

 

[PFDarkside]

I keep my 52 style Tele string with 11s, medium action and relief. It’s great for rhythm strumming type playing.

I’ve been learning EVH type stuff lately, I went from 10-52 in standard with 5 springs floating to 9-46 in Eb with 2 springs. It’s amazing how much more it sounds like those songs! (Plus much easier to bend)

 

[AlexR]

Its the same reason as why people like light strings and choose them - because it feels the most natural to play with them, and when playing with feel they respond perfectly in bending and vibrato.

 

[dystrust]

I played 11-50 in E-standard for years, but about 12 years ago tendonitis decided that I was done. I dropped down to 10-46 on electric and 11-50 on acoustic, and I've been fine ever since. I've thought about trying 9s on my Charvel, but I'm generally not a huge fan of how they sound.

 

[PFDarkside]

Oh yeah, on acoustic I hate the way light strings sound. IMO you need the gauge it was designed for or one notch lighter. So 13s on a dread and 12s on a 000 or smaller.

 

[weepingminotaur]

I'm all about 10-46 in E standard tuning for the slinky bends and vibrato, but lately, as I gravitate toward playing more jazz, I'm considering slamming an 11-52 set into one of my E standard guitars to get that thick, shimmering jazz tone, playing songs where bending isn't happening anyway. Hopefully my middle-aged hands have the strength to pull it off!

 

[Demanic]

I prefer heavier strings all around. 10 hybrid sets are the lightest. Tempted to put some 13's on my Squire strat just to hear how they'd sound.
It's because I started out on cello then switched to classical guitar. I don't like really light strings because I can't feel them properly and I overbend.
I'd rather have to fight a string just a bit.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

I don't use heavy strings on my electric or my Godin Multiac acoustic or Variax (both don't have any acoustic sound at all). But I certainly dig what others do with heavy strings.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

Heavy strings are tighter if you play fast, they keep the attack as well as keep relatively looser strings from being pitchy.

arguments can be made for both sides, I like heavy strings on detuned and big chord kind of guitars, and 9s or 10s on std tuned or smooth playing guitars.

 

[beaubrummels]

I use heavy strings on shorter scale guitars. Keeps the tension about the same as thin strings on a longer scale. Also use heavier strings if a guitar is dedicated more to rhythm playing.

 

[Jeffblue]

Heavy strings only for detuuning for alternate tunings.

 

[GuitarStv]

Not heavy, but I use .11-.49s on Gibson scale guitars with hardtails and .10-.52s on Fender scale guitars with Floyds. They just feel right to me. Lighter and I find it hard to control them, heavier and I can't bend properly. If I played in drop tunings rather than standard, I'd probably go heavier.

 

[JMP/HBE]

I used .009 to .046 Boomers for almost 30 years, then i used 9.5 to .048 GHS Nickels til i couldn;t get them anymore.
Then about 8 years ago i switched to .011 to .056 D'Addario medium top X-tra heavy bottom and ive found my grail gauge.
I've always been heavy handed and these current strings are the ones for me.
Tone, tone, tone. 2 years ago i tried to go lighter and it sounded terrible.

 

[ErikH]

I like 10-46 the best for my style. Sometimes I'll use 9-42 or 9-46 but overall, 10's for me. Some years back I had an American Standard Tele that sounded amazing with 11's on it. What a great guitar that was. I've been tempted to toss a set of 11's on my Squier Classic Vibe 60's Strat just to see what it's like on it. I don't think I'd go any heavier than 11's.

Heavier strings may help yield to a bigger sound but can be harder to bend. Going a bit heavier with single-coils makes it really obvious but I bend a lot so I tend to stick a with a lighter gauge.

 

[NegativeEase]

Off the top of my head:

Advantages to slightly heavier strings

1) louder, more energy into your pickups (this could be viewed as a disadvantage too) -tend to sound bolder and crisper due to this.
2) more stable retention of pitch when set up correctly. 11s set up correctly tend to stay in tune better than 9s -but alot of that is the nature of the playing style people use with either.
3) less pitchiness overall for chording around -because a larger set resists bend and also returns to open pitch position faster.
4) they are snappier when returning -so for hammer ons and bouncier rhythmic playing -a larger string is often preferred.

Disadvantages of heavy strings

1) a little harder to play faster
2) harder to bend notes -especially more than 1 step.
3) digging in with quiet subtle playing is easier and more nuances on a smaller gauge.
4) Hand fatigue comes sooner.

 

[Cdwillis]

I used to use 9s on everything, but all my guitars then were 25.5" scale length. Now beside the two guitars that are 25.5", I have a jaguar and mustang that are 24", and a SG and Les Paul that are 24 3/4". The Jag, Mustang, and SG all have 10-46 regular slinky strings. The Les Paul is new and I tried some skinny top heavy bottom slinkys, 10-52. I like them so much I'm going to put them on the Mustang, Jaguar, and SG. Having the thicker lower strings makes it easier to play chugging power chords and such because the string doesn't flop as much. I'll probably stick to the regular slinkys on the 25.5" guitars. I don't think there's a huge difference in tone, it's more about comfort. I was never into the thicker strings = better tone camp.