some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
I've been stringing my guitars with 11s for about a decade now and just made the change to 10s.
It happened more or less by accident. Last year I bought a Les Paul and part of the deal was new strings and a setup. I asked for 11s and a medium action... It unknowingly came with 10s and a medium action.
I loved the sound of the guitar but I always suspected it didn't have 11s due to how easy it was to play. My suspicions were confirmed when I restrung the guitar for the first time since the setup with 11s was way off. It lost some magic during the restring; the tone was denser and more bell like, but it lost its top end detail and the thin strings no longer screamed when struck.
Fast forward several months and I finally give in and put 10s back on it. Instantly the tone I loved returns. So much snap on the top end and a slightly thinner, more hollow vibe that I associate with great Fender amp tones.
Last night I converted a second Les Paul to 10s and was delighted to obtain the same results. Next up is a third guitar that I've been struggling to get the right sound out of since 2006, although that will require a trip to the store for more strings so I can't report at this particular moment.
Now... This isn't me saying that 10s are better than 11s. For all I know you've been struggling with a thin sounding guitar with too much twang and have been trying to find that bell like tone. What this is is me saying that sometimes small changes make all the difference and that it's worth experimenting even if you're pretty sure you nailed that particular detail years ago.
It happened more or less by accident. Last year I bought a Les Paul and part of the deal was new strings and a setup. I asked for 11s and a medium action... It unknowingly came with 10s and a medium action.
I loved the sound of the guitar but I always suspected it didn't have 11s due to how easy it was to play. My suspicions were confirmed when I restrung the guitar for the first time since the setup with 11s was way off. It lost some magic during the restring; the tone was denser and more bell like, but it lost its top end detail and the thin strings no longer screamed when struck.
Fast forward several months and I finally give in and put 10s back on it. Instantly the tone I loved returns. So much snap on the top end and a slightly thinner, more hollow vibe that I associate with great Fender amp tones.
Last night I converted a second Les Paul to 10s and was delighted to obtain the same results. Next up is a third guitar that I've been struggling to get the right sound out of since 2006, although that will require a trip to the store for more strings so I can't report at this particular moment.
Now... This isn't me saying that 10s are better than 11s. For all I know you've been struggling with a thin sounding guitar with too much twang and have been trying to find that bell like tone. What this is is me saying that sometimes small changes make all the difference and that it's worth experimenting even if you're pretty sure you nailed that particular detail years ago.
