Thinner strings and tone

[Quencho092]

after using 11's and 12's for the past few months, i have gotten used to the punchier/darker sound of the thicker strings. I played my uncle's ibanez lawsuit strat and noticed that it had a much thinner tone, but it had a certain waily texture to it. It had 10's.

Do thinner strings bring out more upper end chime than thicker gauges? I think i might simply opt for 10's again to get that brightness back.

 

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

I use 10s on my Dean Evo, but i use 9s for strats and shredder guitars.

I think the 9s sound good on a strat. Nice and twangy. I want to try 11s on my Dean since i have my Predator now for 9s.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

10's are more clearsounding.
No guitar is really bright, just robbed out of lower midrange

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

I think it does personally. Finding the balance is the key

 

[xerxes]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

i use .9's on both my strat and my ec-1000

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

Tone certainly changes when you change string gauges, but your tone ultimately is the sum of many things, including your guitar's construction, your amp and the way you set it up, your pickups, your strings....... and most notably your technique. You will always adapt your technique to some degree when you change string gauge.

Some people will tell you you get "better" tone with heavier strings, but there are plenty of great pros out there using light strings - Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Brian May.........

 

[Hellion]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

Tone is a relative thing. All other things being equal, you'll get more signal with heavier strings, which MIGHT give you a better signal going to the amp, but won't necessarily equal a better tone. I've always thought that the "real" tone is in your head and your hands

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

yeah, i see what you guys mean, but i just want a little more brightness and clarity out of my strat without it sounding too punchy or bassy.

My hands are producing a much better tone these days, now i can squeeze good sounds out of a crate solid state amp in band class that usually sounds like crap when other people play their punk power chords on it.

 

[Stringmachine]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

I use 009 on my strat, and 011 on my Les Paul's. Sounds better that way.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

Tone is a relative thing. All other things being equal, you'll get more signal with heavier strings, which MIGHT give you a better signal going to the amp, but won't necessarily equal a better tone. I've always thought that the "real" tone is in your head and your hands

Yep.....

Doesn't Billy Gibbons use 8's on Pearly?

It's in the hands.....that's what I keep telling the SRV clones. It's not the hat...it's the hands!

 

[ex-250]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

i use 11's on everything

 

[pac112]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

Some people will tell you you get "better" tone with heavier strings, but there are plenty of great pros out there using light strings - Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Brian May.........

yup. Listen to iommi. does he sound thin??

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

hendrix used fender rock and roll 9's i think? correct me if im wrong

 

[Bob Zombie]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

Whatever strings get you the sound you want. Hendrix with 9s sounded huge and alot of people I know play 13 and sound thinner than paper(<--wow...better not try that again :smack: )

 

[Mincer]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

9s on every guitar for me...
everyone's touch is different, so there are no rules.

 

[Erlend_G]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

I feel that thinner strings are much easier to manipulate, and also sound more "transparent" and "chuggy". Thicker strings sounds more like a piano, if you know what i mean .

I use Rotosound 10-46's on my axes, and i think they are perfect!

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

yeah, hendrix sounded huge when he was playing hard and fast behind a fuzz face, wah, and a cranked 59 SLP, but on his clean songs the tone is very sweet, chimey and thin. The chord leads during his verses sound perfect in the tone department.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

i like thicker strings (i use 11-52) cuz they produce a more solid tone

but i've tried ernie ball 10-56's & those things were REAL bright

i think what they're made of matters more than anything

yngwie says string size doesn't matter cuz they all sound the same, but what the hell does he know? Besides how to shoot firey arrows at a boat

 

[flank]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

hendrix actually used VERY little strings...i think a 38 on the bottom, and an 8 on the bottom, sometimes going even lighter with a "tenor A" (whatever that is?) string for his high E....... this is just what im reading in my hendrix book

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Thinner strings and tone

yngwie says string size doesn't matter cuz they all sound the same, but what the hell does he know? Besides how to shoot firey arrows at a boat

Yeah what does he know??
Maybe he is a dork, but his sound was never bad nor thin!