How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

[strat_master]

Hi guys right now im using ernieball skinny top and heavy bottom string (.10-.52) And i think they are great. Only a few days ago i played on my friends gibson SG ( I play a MIM strat) and was blown away by its relative ease to solo with it. My bends were incredible. Im wondering, is there anyway i can make my guitar easier for soloing without changing gauges? I like how you can get that extra chunky sound out of the heavier gauges. Would i have t lower or raise my bridge to make it easier? There is a definite differnce in terms of easiness to solo on my frineds axe and mines. Also his SG had lighter strings but im not sure what gauge they were. IM thinking if worse comes to worse and there is nothing i can i would eventually swtich to perhaps ernieball hybrid slinkies which i believe are .9-.46.... Also keep in mind any swtiching would probably involve a guitar tech setting up everything properly anyways.

Thanks for the help in advance guys!

 

[strat_master]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

Also would you guys think its also because of the quality of the guitar itself as it is after all a gibson against a much cheaper MIM strat?

 

[lastwinj]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

lower the string height, downtune? and practice practice practice. nothgin beats practice for making solos easy. good luck!!!

germ

 

[seafoamer]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

There is a scale length difference between the SG & u'r strat. The SG is a shorter scale length which makes the string tension a little bit less.

I'd go to 9's if I were u with 36 & 46 or 38 & 48 on the botton stgs.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

lower the action

i've heard of some people sanding down the wood inbetween frets, but i'd look into it a lot before i tried it

 

[Chi3f]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

are you talking about scalloping? I've never done it or even played a guitar with it done but i can't see it helping out that much. Just keep playing and bending the strings. your fingers will get stronger and it won't be a problem. Also make sure your action is as low as you can get it without buzzing.

 

[Chi3f]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/scalloped.htm

here's somebody scalloping from fret 21 to 24. Doesn't look to difficult but just doesn't seem worth it to me

 

[nuntius]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

There is a scale length difference between the SG & u'r strat. The SG is a shorter scale length which makes the string tension a little bit less.

I'd go to 9's if I were u with 36 & 46 or 38 & 48 on the botton stgs.

yeah thats the real reason.

strats are 25.5 i think gibbo's are 24.75?

I bet the SG's strings were a smaller guage than your usual too.

I play my strat 10's with a high action, i'm amazed how easy it is to play my friends LP with 9's and a low action every time i play it.

I still prefer my higher action though, it feels better to me

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

Lowering the action makes string bending more difficult...not easier. You need to get the meat of your finger wrapped around the string to bend notes. Higher frets and higher action...that's the ticket. And alot of practice. Lew

 

[Jeff5]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

I'd say that the decreased scale on the SG and the lighter strings are what made it so much easier for you. I agree with Lew though. Never was a big fan of scalloping, but nice Med Jumbo frets and good high action and your in bend/vibrato heavan. And, no matter what people say, you can still shred!

 

[Zerberus]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

Lowering the action makes string bending more difficult...not easier. You need to get the meat of your finger wrapped around the string to bend notes. Higher frets and higher action...that's the ticket. And alot of practice. Lew

Exactly what I was gonna say. You may be generally faster with a lower action, but the lower iut gets the harder bends are.

But with enough practice you won´t care anymore but will simply play the axe, say "the setup sucks" and grab the next one

 

[Pig_Charmer]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

The SG most likely has a Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar. If the stopbar is set properly bending is easier because the space between the bridge and stopbar has some give to it. The higher the stop bar the easier the bend/tension. Although you have to push the bend farther to get the correct note. Plus the lighter strings. They are two different guitars.

 

[mongrollo]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

They are two different guitars.

+1

 

[MikeS]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

Let's not forget the necks. Two different profiles each with different size frets. Of course they are going to feel a lot different

 

[mjsever]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

If you went to 9-gauge strings you will notice a huge difference in string bending even on your strat. However, if both the SG and the Strat had the same gauge strings, you'd still find the SG to bend easier.

I wouldn't recommend scalloping, refretting or anything else like that unless you know what you're getting into... that's a whole different ball o'wax there. I think the answer is simpler than that.

 

[strat_master]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

hmm so i guess its more so my guitar,than anything else. Guess its time to save up for a gibson!

 

[proxy]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

I used those light top heavy bottom strings and then change to a regular set of tens and it felt like pure bliss.

 

[strat_master]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

hmm im considering changing to hybrid slinkies i think my soloing will ebcome much ebtter with .9's and at elats il have thwe .46 to keep some bottom end up

 

[mjsever]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

I've been playing over 20 years, and every few years I'd try 10's but always eventually went back to 9's. 10's do sound better, but I just couldn't get the same feel out of them that I did out of my 9's. I play a lot of acoustic guitar so I have the hand strength for it, but I'm just not a real aggressive player and I didn't want to have to grip the heck out of my electric guitar to do string bends.

Allan Holdsworth uses 9's, if that means anything at all to you...

 

[Quencho092]

Re: How can i improve my solos on my guitar?

i find 9's excessively easy to bend. I'm very used to bends on slinkey 10's and the stock strings on my strat were 9's and i had to take them off immediately as i could not cope.