string guage q

[shred me good]

my damn bastard locking trem eats string and im fed up of it!
i was wondering what guage of stings snap less?
also beceause its a locking trem, i need to recalobrate it each time i stwich guage.
i was wondering if i went up to like a 15 guage would that just be pure madness? or would it help my playing?

 

[nuntius]

Re: string guage q

15s?

are you mad?

you play an ibanez right?.. that would probably snap the neck in standard or at least reak havoc with you needing all 5 strigns to keep the trem down.

the problem could be sharp edges or a poorly set trem.

zerb was gonna do a how to set up floyds thing with pics, you could wait for that or just PM him...

i think its more to do with your trem than the strings

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: string guage q

If you play slide, then 14's would be as heavy as you would want to go. Jazz plays often use 13's - I play rock in standard tunings and I could use 13's, but it wouldn't be pleasant. As of now I use 12's, they're fine for me - they don't have that out of tune moment when I strum, and I've become used to the action.

 

[shred me good]

Re: string guage q

hell no! my trem is the best! oh yeh
im shure is could cope with 15's (though would it real snap the neck!??)
check out my profile pick and see my baby! that trem owns me

its not the trems fault at all, its my overzelous whammying and my tripple bends(attempted!).

how fat do you think i should go then? im at 11 and can comfortably play anything i would like too...

 

[shred me good]

Re: string guage q

what are the advantages/ disadadvantages of super heavy string/ super light strings?
i played with 8's once but they just sounded poor

 

[Bludave]

Re: string guage q

what are the advantages/ disadadvantages of super heavy string/ super light strings?
i played with 8's once but they just sounded poor

The advantages of heavier strings are increased tone!!! Listen to the tone SRV got with 13's through a cranked vibrolux..... Its Godlike.

The disadvantage is you will lose some of the "chime" normally associated with a single coil pickup. Again using SRV as an example, he never really got that Crisp Strat sound. IMO you have to experiment with different gauges to determine what is best for you. 15's and triple bends...... That will eventually take its toll on your hands/wrist. Carpolle tunnel could be in your future!! Be careful, and if your hands or wrists begin to bother you consider backing off a gauge or two!

 

[shred me good]

Re: string guage q

ahhh! you can dammage your wrists!!!???
my wrists hurt if i try trilling between 5th and 12th kinda thing and they realy hurt after iv been practicing sweeping for about an hour strait but surly thats good and natural?

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: string guage q

ahhh! you can dammage your wrists!!!???
my wrists hurt if i try trilling between 5th and 12th kinda thing and they realy hurt after iv been practicing sweeping for about an hour strait but surly thats good and natural?

Depends if it's the muscles or the joints?

 

[jeremy]

Re: string guage q

ive found that 11's are a nice gauge. i used to use as high as 13's but it was hard on the guitar and probably not too good for me either. i thought they sounded good but id break strings when i did two step bends.
11's have enough meat to sound good and are a very playable size. i like the 11-50 or 11-52 sets. i have a set of 11-46 power brights on one guitar now and the bottom strings ae a little too spongy

 

[Zerberus]

Re: string guage q

FWIW, I play DR Tite-Fit 12-52s in standard tuning, have a fat tone, and no problems with my wrists, fingers, tuning or string breakage. I use 4 springs on an Original or Schaller Floyd, with 5 I find the bar too stiff on the downstroke.

I just got used to the fact that strings break early on and just started worrying about my tone and playability more

 

[shred me good]

Re: string guage q

i wouldent care that they break so much if it wasnt such a faf to put them back on!
its great tone im after too.
in theory if you (like a very good guitarist friend of mine has done) string the top e with a 17 guage b string and the b with a g...etc and the low e with a bass string you would have killer tone? no? well he dose! and the strings the only changable factor that decides the tone on a guitar?

 

[Zerberus]

Re: string guage q

No. Most of your tone is, believe it or not, in your fingers. Fatter strings will fatten the tone, just like a fatter neck will, but it will still sound like "you"

I theoretically do the same when tuning to c, I use the lower 6 strings of a 10-60 GHS 7 string set :headbang:

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: string guage q

whatever you do, do not put 15's on your ibanez!!!!

i know your going through this whole jazz reformation fo your playing but dont jump on the bandwagon just as of yet. you like the 11's you use right? are they comfortable to play on? then just use those. tone is in the fingers my friend, bigger strings will not give you better tone. just look at steve vai, he uses 7's and he has a great tone. he could play on a guitar with 10's on it and still ahve awesome tone.
it's in teh fingers man