Went to 12s and 13s
- Thread starter Clint 55
- Start date
NegativeEase
New member
I played Dean Markley 12s for years. Loved it.
Play 11s in D standard mostly now.
Play 11s in D standard mostly now.
weepingminotaur
Well-known member
Good for you. I play 11s in D standard, and have no urge to go heavier, but if it works for you, that's great!
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
I'm playing jazz so bending all articulately isn't that important. The 12s are pretty easy to play and not too bad to bend. The 13s with medium action are easy to play but then a bit tough to bend in tune. I'm pumped on the tone tho. I spent several months with 11s to see if I'd like em but I'm glad I switched. Do you guys know the notes in ur tuning?!
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Here's something I wanted to bring up besides gloating about my 13s. People will make fun of me for making custom sets that I balance how I want. You can say the differences in tension on standard packs of light gauge strings are negligible. I still don't really get why they want super tight middle strings and then a floppy 6th string, but ok. For heavier sets it starts to become a little moronical how they choose the gauges. Look at the tension of my set on the right in d versus the tensions of a standard pack in e on the left. RIP to the standard pack. Why exactly do you need a jump in tension of almost 9 lbs from the loosest string to the tightest string. Who exactly made that up and thought yes let's do that. You don't lose that much bass from having the middle strings balance with the outer strings. They're fuckin 13s! RIP
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
You fool... don't you know that Billy Gibbons uses 7s with a rig that's meticulously EQ'd to make all the guitars sound the same? And don't you know Jimi Hendrix used a set that went 10-38? And Tony Iommi used some weirdo 8 set and Jimmy Page used 8s, and Clapton used 9s? And a bunch of other crap you don't care about??!?!?! Your preference of heavy strings makes me feel insecure about my light strings, so I have to bring all that junk up every time someone mentions using heavier strings than me.
Sorry... figured I'd say it before someone who actually feels that way did.
I'm back to obsessing over string gauges right now. Wanna throw a really fun wrench into the works? Get a fanned fret 8 string that goes from 25.5-27.5", and find a set that feels good AND still has clarity across the low strings without sounding all weird and twangy. Right now, that beast is going 10-52 + 62 + 85, and it's pretty good.
The set I'm looking at for standard is 10,13.5,17, 26,38,50. Haven't run the numbers on that, just going off how they feel/sound based on what I've been using. Ever try something close to that?
Sorry... figured I'd say it before someone who actually feels that way did.
I'm back to obsessing over string gauges right now. Wanna throw a really fun wrench into the works? Get a fanned fret 8 string that goes from 25.5-27.5", and find a set that feels good AND still has clarity across the low strings without sounding all weird and twangy. Right now, that beast is going 10-52 + 62 + 85, and it's pretty good.
The set I'm looking at for standard is 10,13.5,17, 26,38,50. Haven't run the numbers on that, just going off how they feel/sound based on what I've been using. Ever try something close to that?
ErikH
Well-known member
Last time I used 12's was on a Telecaster tuned to standard pitch. Made it ring out like a piano but bending was a bitch! These days I'm using 9-42 or 10-46. Then again, I don't drop tune the whole guitar to D. I might drop the low E to do for a song or two but that's it. Majority of the time my guitars are tuned to standard pitch.
Lewguitar
New member
If you're not bending strings using 12's and 13's and a wound G string makes sense. Much better tone. Especially if you're playing acoustic guitar or rhythm electric guitar.
I play a lot of acoustic guitar so my hands, finger tips and callouses are used to it.
If you want to bend strings though 9's and 10's make more sense. And an unwound G string.
I have guitars set up with lighter and heavier strings depending on what music I'm going to play on them.
If you want to sound like Wes Montgomery you want heavier strings and a wound G string.
If you want to sound like Eric Clapton or Eddie Van Halen you want 9's or 10's and an unwound G string.
I play a lot of acoustic guitar so my hands, finger tips and callouses are used to it.
If you want to bend strings though 9's and 10's make more sense. And an unwound G string.
I have guitars set up with lighter and heavier strings depending on what music I'm going to play on them.
If you want to sound like Wes Montgomery you want heavier strings and a wound G string.
If you want to sound like Eric Clapton or Eddie Van Halen you want 9's or 10's and an unwound G string.
Lewguitar
New member
SRV was one in a million.
Ted Nugent asked Stevie if he could try Stevie's guitar and Nugent said he picked it up, tried to play it, but could not play it at all.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Stevie used an 11 set with a 13 high E, 58 low E, tuned a half step low. According to Rene Martinez, he’d often swap an 11 or 12 for the high E, depending on what they had on hand.
Put 11s in a guitar, tune to Eb, and it’s not that hard to play. Raise the action to SRV specs, and it’s harder. Play it for a week, and it’s not bad at all.
right. srv is a beast for sure, but the 13's thing isnt as crazy as you think it is for all those reasons you mention. josh smith on the other hand, uses a real 13 set in standard tuning and plays really damn tasty. i play 11s in std all the time. i used to use a custom 13 set for d std years ago and the tension was about the same. its really all about what feels best to you
Ace Flibble
New member
If you're playing jazz, not bending and like heavy strings, have you tried flatwounds? I've never met anyone who likes heavy strings for jazz and doesn't prefer flatwounds.
I do bend a lot so I use an EB Mondo Slinky set (.0105/.0135/.0175/.030/.042/.052) as my Eb Standard/Drop C# base (my most common tunings) that I buy in bulk, then change only the 5th and 6th with single strings as required for tuning/scale; just down to a .050 for E Standard and up to a .060 for C Standard. I don't know why anyone should scoff or balk at the idea of putting together customised sets and I wish (major) string manufacturers would set up systems and schemes for customers to order customised sets so I don't have to keep wasting strings.
I do bend a lot so I use an EB Mondo Slinky set (.0105/.0135/.0175/.030/.042/.052) as my Eb Standard/Drop C# base (my most common tunings) that I buy in bulk, then change only the 5th and 6th with single strings as required for tuning/scale; just down to a .050 for E Standard and up to a .060 for C Standard. I don't know why anyone should scoff or balk at the idea of putting together customised sets and I wish (major) string manufacturers would set up systems and schemes for customers to order customised sets so I don't have to keep wasting strings.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Don't think it's 'better' necessarily.
For every SRV there's a Mark Knopfler, Chuck Berry, Van Halen, or Jimmy Page. At least with acoustics I've found that often lighter gauges (11s or 12s) sound better than 13s. FWIW, I play .11s in standard tuning, but like the sound of .10s better. They just squirm around a bit too much under the finger for me.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
I suppose that if you can bend 50-110 strings on a bass, it changes your perspective just a bit.
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Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Lol! I recommend 10,13.5,17,26,36,49. Balanced and enough flexibility and bass.
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
I like both. I have 2 flatwound jazz guitars 1 with 12s and 1 with 13s plus 2 roundwound guitars same thing.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
I’m going to the tension pro to find a set for my daughter’s Strat mini that feel like 11s on a normal one. I’m predicting 16-70.
Edit- I was wrong. It’s 13-59.
Edit- I was wrong. It’s 13-59.
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