String guage = speed

[Loserchief]

Re: String guage = speed

Can you guys "shred" on 11s on standard tuning?

I currently have 10-46 on my Ibanez and wanna try something radical.

definitely. I play 11-52s on fender scale in standard tuning and i do some stuff like vai or satch. it's just a matter of the right setup and getting used to it. I just don't like the feel of thinner strings.

 

[Diego]

Re: String guage = speed

I play 12-52 in standard and Dropped D.... while it´s not "Shred" per se, take a listen to the stuff off my site or Myspace profile, particularly Nothing @ All.... there are some notably faster tracks on the upcoming album, and I can up the tempo quite a bit more if I want to... I´m just not a real fan of note flurries

I'm not a big fan of 180 bpm 16ths neither. Just thought that if most guys can shred on 11s, then I should be able to do wacky stuff on them too cuz I have strong fingers. :arms:

I'm mostly a Marty Friedman rip off BTW. :bigthumb:

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: String guage = speed

I have 11-48s on my strat, 11-52s on my Tele, but i'm not a fast player.
The point about vibrato being easier with light gauges is well made though; in the guitar part of "Chuck E's in Love" there is a note I hit with vibrato using my pinky which really sings with light strings.

 

[Diego]

Re: String guage = speed

Odd, I feel the exact opposite way. With light strings, I feel the strings, bends, vibrato, and harmonic overtones sound the way they want do. But with heavier sets, they all sound the way I want them to. And that becomes even more evident with the 11-48 set on my Eppie, which has a scalloped fretboard.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: String guage = speed

Odd, I feel the exact opposite way. With light strings, I feel the strings, bends, vibrato, and harmonic overtones sound the way they want do. But with heavier sets, they all sound the way I want them to. And that becomes even more evident with the 11-48 set on my Eppie, which has a scalloped fretboard.

My point was that with heavy strings i can't get the range of vibrato with my pinky because it is being done with my index finger barring the 7th fret...

I favour heavier strings over light ones in everything else; I have 13s on my acoustic and power slinkys are the lightest strings i would fit to any other guitar, unless the frets were very low.

 

[Earwicker]

Re: String guage = speed

I suppose it's worth bearing in mind that most new guitars are optimised for light gauge strings (ie 9 - 42). I've used visible-from-space gauges in the past on LPs and Ibanez RGs, but since I've had the PRS I've changed quite happily to lights. They don't quite have the attack and bottom-end punch of heavier strings, but you get the superb, fatigue-free playability of 9s. Try bending a bottom F on a .52 E string... ouch!

EW

 

[Zerberus]

Re: String guage = speed

I suppose it's worth bearing in mind that most new guitars are optimised for light gauge strings (ie 9 - 42). I've used visible-from-space gauges in the past on LPs and Ibanez RGs, but since I've had the PRS I've changed quite happily to lights. They don't quite have the attack and bottom-end punch of heavier strings, but you get the superb, fatigue-free playability of 9s. Try bending a bottom F on a .52 E string... ouch!

EW

Define "optimised"... On new guitars the nut is generally cut for 9s or 10s and the setup is mostly done with 9s, but that´s only becasue thay´re the most ppular gauges.... structurally there´s no differnce in the guitar, and a setup to different specs costs under 50 bucks Incl. cutting of a new nut if necessary... But a setup is generally the very first thing most people have done to a guitar when they buy /receive it anyway

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: String guage = speed

By "optimised" I think you mean that all the manufacturers have a vast box of strings, OEM, guitars, for the use of, all the same gauge (.009s because they are the most plentiful and the cheapest) which they just put on everything.

Gibson and Rickenbacker (to their rare credit) are the only manufacturers I can think of that actually string their guitars with an appropriate gauge at the factory.

Well, Rickenbacker anyway; Gibson just put 10s on everything instead of 9s...

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: String guage = speed

But a setup is generally the very first thing most people have done to a guitar when they buy /receive it anyway

Ha! Well we both know they should

 

[Zerberus]

Re: String guage = speed

Ha! Well we both know they should

Agreed :beerchug:... but I used to just tack on another 50 bucks to the price and Include the setup to the player´s specs and a choice of strings with the guitar .... worked well

 

[Earwicker]

Re: String guage = speed

... I certainly wouldn't want to go any lower - Richard Thompson has been known to use 8s (!)... that's cutting it rather fine! I'm getting used to 9s - as I say, there's some compromise in the tone, but they're a lot easier to play and they seem to suit the PRS. The stoptail and nut certainly seem to have been designed with 9 - 42 in mind.

EW

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: String guage = speed

Unless you have unusually small, lightly built hands, you should be able to fairly easily develop the finger strength to shred every bit as fast on 11's as 9's. Don't let the sore fingertips (especially on bends) discourage you -- they will go away quicker than you think if you occasionally give them a day off for the callous to build up a little thicker.

With the right hand, just get a thicker pick (2mm) that doesn't bend or flex at all. That will make those big strings give way as if they were 9's.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: String guage = speed

As someone who's spent the best part of his carreer trying to persuade his clients that heavier strings are a better solution for what they want to doi am pleased to see so many of you young 'uns coming round to my way of thinking...

 

[Bludave]

Re: String guage = speed

I've been considering 10-52's for my DXMG, but I think I'll stick with the 10-46's (D'Addarios).

I played an LP with 9-42's yesterday... sheesh. Just about had every string falling off the board, it was so tension-less. Too close to rubber bands for my liking.

I might stick some 11's or so on my old squier strat just as a practice tool.

Step up to 11's. IMO its more about how low you can get the strings rather than how thin or thick they are. I played 10's for a long time and about 2 years ago I switched to 11's....... mainly because I play a lot of acoustic guitar and I found going from 13's on the acoustic to 11's on the electric was a lot easier.

Its also a trade off on tone. IMO the lighter strings a harder to get a good tone from. The heavier the strings the more mass you have and the better the guitar will sound. The draw back to this is it will be a little harder to bend.

Most people who play my guitars feel the action is to high and the strings are to heavy, but for me it works real well. I have much better tone than I did a few years ago and I don't have any issues playing fast when I need to. (although I don't play fast very often)

 

[Diego]

Re: String guage = speed

SRV used 13's but he messed up his left arm tendons by doing so... :crying:

 

[Ironjose]

Re: String guage = speed

a nice example of it i think is mine... recently i change gauge, from .10 to .11 and let me tell you that it feels more confortable than the thinness of the .9´s the .10´s were ok but now its even better, i feel that i play faster coz the strings doesnt move that much.
JJ

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: String guage = speed

As someone who's spent the best part of his carreer trying to persuade his clients that heavier strings are a better solution for what they want to doi am pleased to see so many of you young 'uns coming round to my way of thinking...

Gee, thanks for calling me young! I think I'm in love...

 

[Earwicker]

Re: String guage = speed

SRV used 13's. He played fast. EVH used 9's I believe. He played fast too.

Why the past tense, is EVH dead too?

SRV did use 13s, but didn't he tune the guitar flat by a tone or so to accommodate them? Rather defeats the object, although I suppose it stopped the neck folding in on his poor old Strat!

As I've said elsewhere, I've gone back to 9s after years of 10s and 11s since me new PRS is factory set up for 9s. They're very easy to play, but you're leaving a big heap of tone on the table I'm afraid. Regualr gauge 10s (ie 10 - 46) aren't exactly piano wire and sound ****loads better. 11s are a bit unnecessary on solid body guitars, but come into their own with hollow. (I think the big fat PRS Artist jazz guitar leaves the factory set up for 11s, for eg).

Looking at a few websites, the only people worth hearing who use super-light gauge strings are Santana and Richard Thompson - the rest are all Joe Vai etc etc. 10s are about right for most SGs... and fingers!

EW

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: String guage = speed

Why the past tense, is EVH dead too?

SRV did use 13s, but didn't he tune the guitar flat by a tone or so to accommodate them? Rather defeats the object, although I suppose it stopped the neck folding in on his poor old Strat!

His Strat neck was in no danger of folding in. If you can put 13's on an acoustic, then any solidbody guitar can handle them without breaking a sweat.

 

[Earwicker]

Re: String guage = speed

His Strat neck was in no danger of folding in. If you can put 13's on an acoustic, then any solidbody guitar can handle them without breaking a sweat.

Good point, I guess a few turns on the truss rod were required though!