tone of different guage strings?

[StefanM]

I've always used 'regulars' - 10-46s, and as I need a new nut thought it would be a good oppurtunity to try a differnt guage. I won't go lighter - have no trouble bending regulars and I think light strings sound terrible.

Do thicker strings sound a lot... beefier? Less trebly? Sound better & less floppy when drop-Ding or stepping down? I'm only guessing. Any other pros/cons/suggestions?
thanks!

 

[CsaRvoX]

Hi...I've searched and posted some threads about the string types & tones...well I've collected much information but I've learnt that there isn't a specific solution...you should try different gauges & types for the ultimate and suitable sound...I'm actually tryind that right now...I've changed my Fender Montara Acoustic strings from 0.10 bronze to 0.12 phosphor bronze and it sounded worse although I was thinking exactly the opposite...next I'm going to try 0.11 bronze and compare that...if it also does not improve the tone either then I'll stick with 0.10 bronze...also I have 0.10 stainless steels in my Heritage H-147...next I'll try 0.11 pure nickels and compare...after 0.10 or 0.11 nickelwounds...In my RG570 I have 0.9 nickelwounds and I'll change them with 0.10 stainless steels...well you see you'll do this search once and check the results & compare all...from this time on put the ones you prefer...well its the best way...:14:

 

[CsaRvoX]

Oh by the way...

If you're not a beginner&don't like thin sound then hell with 0.9s...
0.10s have great tone&easy playability but should also try 0.11s...
Pure nickel wounds : most vintage&warm sound with low output...
Nickel wound over steels : balanced warmth&brightness
Stainless steels : Brightest tone,longest lasting ones,sweat,oxidation and dirt have less effect on steels,but might cause more fretwear in long time although my luthier says difference is negligible...
Bronze wounds for acoustic : bright sound but loses top brightness after a few hours and become warmer...
Phosphor bronze wounds for acoustic : nearly same as bronze but does not lose its top brightness like pure bronze...
Actually I thought phosphor bronze would be better than pure bronze but it wasn't...now my guitar has annoyingly much treble tones...now I know that it was a good thing for bronze losing its top brightness...but my acoustic is small compared to dreadnought bodies so phosphor bronzes could play better in them completing the lack of brightness in them...

 

[Nightburst]

Wow, you did some serious research csarvox!
yup it basicly comes down to personal preference. What keeps stuck in my mind is that .10 is perfect for normal tuning (E) and .11 are more suitable for lower tunings because the extra tension keeps the strings from flopping. If you find your strings too floppy at .10 you should try a heavier gauge like .11.
I heard that .10 have more bite and .11 stronger bass.

I'm right in the middle of this decision because in my band we play everything tuned a half step down to get out of treble city over the midway heading towards basstown The strings tend to flop just a little bit with that tuning.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

I've just found I LOVE 10-52's in D...Really like the easy bendability and all, and it's not floppy! That was my surprise.

 

[CsaRvoX]

I'm also using the H-147 with dropped D# tuning and I haven't experienced any flopping but I'll try 0.11s next and compare them...well the point is you'll never know until you use them with your own hardware......this also applies to pickups also...if it suits your taste then it is good...but in order to have a good taste you should also experience more & more...:14:

 

[jeremy]

i use 11's on most things for std tuning. 12's sound too dark for me on an electric, but if youre doing drop tunings then you may want a darker heavier sound. i use 10's on two guitars and they are easier to bend but i dont think the tone is as full as the ones with 11's. bigger strings have more output since there is more string moving and a tighter responce since there is more tension

 

[dalastcaffeine]

light gauge strings give the best shred tone while heavy gives the best blues or jazz

 

[Gunner]

Like Jeremy said, I wound up enjoying the feel of .12s on electric but the tone wasn't good to my ears. On my LP it made things muddy and the cleans were pretty awful. Due to some of the sessions I've been called on, that have needed a spanky clean tone, I went down a gauge from what I usually use (.11s in standard tuning, .12s on Eb tuning) to .10s which takes a lot to get used to physically (ie: control.....these strings feel so floppy!) but the clean, sparkly tone I needed is there again. my Takamine acoustic still has .13s on it as they seem to suit the guitar best. Try a few gauges and see what works best for you.

 

[59paul]

Psssst....Don't tell Billy Gibbons and B.B. King about the 9's, they use em religously !!!!

 

[Gearjoneser]

I like 11-49 on electric and 12-52 on acoustic.

On some guitars, I like 10-46.

11's have the tone. Ya just gotta have the finger muscles to rip.

 

[Pandemonium]

I think you're better off playing what ever feels the best to you and works well with your axe and your playing style than you are worrying about the tone of different gauges.

 

[Guitarist]

Heavier gauges sustain better, that's for sure.

 

[rraawwrr]

light gauge strings give the best shred tone while heavy gives the best blues or jazz

not for me. i can get pretty "shred-like" tones for me on my 11-52's (Di Meola, catching up to Petrucci )

i have no trouble with them in standard, but get floppy for me in drop d or other drop tunings - i play hard if you can tell

like joneser said - you just gotta have the muscles to rip

 

[bvc310]

yea i use 11-50 flatwounds for electrics in standard and 12-52 phosphor bronze on acoustic. the tone is superb. very big and full. not at all shrill. love them to death. the best thing to do is try around. it took me 3 years to find the right ones for me after first switching gauges, and im still not sure. i may move up to 12s if i want to. Thicker gauges are tough at first but in a week they feel just like your old strings.

 

[CsaRvoX]

If you have a smaller sized acoustic then I do not recommend phosphor bronzes really cause it adds extra treble to the naturally treble guitar and things get worse when you plug it to an amp...well I wouldn't know this until trying so its better to try than thinking curiously about it...also montara's neck is the same neck as with the standard fenders including the headstock and it has the feel of an electric guitar so 0.12s are extremely uncomfortable...I would try 0.11 bronzes next time...
I'm actually very curious about the 0.11 pure nickel tone compared to 0.10 stainless steel on my LP...
also 0.10 stainless steel compared to 0.9 nickelwounds on my RG570...well maybe you could help me some?

 

[JALIN]

I love the thick, heavy tone I get from my heavy top/skinny bottom EB strings. Heavy strings really are different than light strings. Heavy is more volume and bass whereas light is less volume and more twang.

 

[Mincer]

In the last Guitar Player mag, Billy Gibbons said he has been using 8's tuned down to A#. His tone is huge.
I think there are enough exceptions to the rule that heavy strings=better, thicker tone. This just isn't true.
Its in the hands, the gear, and a lot of other things. I use 9s and could sustain notes for as long as I stand there.

 

[JALIN]

Its in the hands, the gear, and a lot of other things. I use 9s and could sustain notes for as long as I stand there.

This is true. I`m coming from my own experiences with going up from 9`s, then 10`s , and 11`s. There is a big difference in tone and one must try it to hear the difference. I was a 9s player for most of my guitar playing life, started with 8s for the first 3yrs, then moved to 9s for the next 7yrs, then finally 10s after that, the last 7yrs. I tried the 11s but liked the GBE of 10s better so that led me to heavy top/skinny bottoms.

 

[korovamilkdud]

I've found my 11s to fit me nicely. Ernie Balls. (as opposed to Ernie's balls )

Seriously, the added tension creates a better attack, or twang. I think they have more bttom end than 10s, I can still bend them, good stuff.